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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
4,839 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2021 Ram 1500 engine problems

engine problem

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2021 Ram 1500 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #23

Jul 022024

1500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In July 2024, with approximately 31,500 miles on my vehicle, I began experiencing issues with the "service electronic braking system" warning appearing on the dashboard. I brought the vehicle in for inspection, and the dealership identified and replaced the tire sensor under my extended warranty. A week later, the warning reappeared, and the dealership replaced the brake master cylinder sensor, also under warranty. However, upon picking up the vehicle after the second repair, the dashboard immediately displayed both the "service braking system" warning and the check engine light. On July 23, 2024, I left the vehicle at the dealership for a third time. The following day, they informed me that the problem was with the ABS module, which was under engineering review and unavailable. They advised contacting RAM customer care, which confirmed the part's unavailability and anticipated delays due to a lack of vendor supply, with no clear resolution timeline. Despite ongoing efforts, the issue remains unresolved. The vehicle is now unsafe to drive, lacking ABS and traction control due to system shutdowns. Additionally, on September 3, 2024, and a few weeks prior, I experienced problems with the vehicle being stuck in park mode because the brakes would not disengage. Restarting the vehicle temporarily resolved the issue, but it persists.

- Dade City, FL, USA

problem #22

Apr 132024

1500

  • miles
The steering rod from the steering wheel came out of the knuckle under the dash lucky i was going about 30 miles and hour it could have been 2 people killed. i having to pay $1,200 to fix the problem but i think this is something that Dodge needs to help me on cause this could have been a lot worst. I have 68,000 miles on it. i missed a telephone pole by 6 inches.

- Osceola, AR, USA

problem #21

Apr 072023

1500

  • miles
#3 & #5 fuel injector failing while driving, separate instances, 2 months apart, causing severe loss of power and inability to control speed

- Chapin, SC, USA

problem #20

Mar 032023

1500 8-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

At any rate of speed the vehicle stalls and looses power with no warning. No check engine lights or any indicator comes on until the vehicle is already in stall position.

- Winter Garden, FL, USA

problem #19

Feb 172023

1500

  • miles
The truck-??s push button start system was turned on to start the car, the keys were removed from inside the vehicle cabin but the truck was still able to be driven without the keys being inside. I started the truck to warm it up, then went inside my home, when I had to leave I changed my coat and forgot the truck keys in my other coat. I got in the truck and was able to drive as if I had the keys on me. When I reached my destination 5 miles away, I turned the truck engine off, and then realized I did not have the keys with me. The truck should NOT be able to be driven if the keys are not sensed inside the truck cabin. This is a safety risk, trucks can be stolen easily in this way.

- Ypsilanti, MI, USA

problem #18

Feb 162023

1500

  • miles
I was turning right at a stop sign leaving my development and the truck shut off and applied the emergency brake. Thankfully it was at a stop sign in the residential area and not entering the main throughway. From reading online this is a known Ram issue.

- Williamstown, WV, USA

problem #17

Jan 312022

1500 8-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When driving at speeds above 45mph the truck loses acceleration out of no where. It will make grinding/shifting/stuck noises and rapidly going to unsafe speeds. I have been in HIGH traffic EVERY time this has occurred to me. This situation has put myself and my family in harms way too many times. I assume from my research this is a transmission/powertrain issue. This truck is a 2021, I am the first and only owner purchasing in 2021 early year. By three months in I had experienced the issue thinking it was a one off. It is not. I have taken the truck to Ram dealerships in TX as well as New Mexico and no one can seem to find the issue as according to them -??nothing shows up-??. I have a VERY detailed video of the issue happening as I was driving in 75mph. I have show it to the dealership with no solution from them. Latest service appointment was in October 2022-dealership could not find anything. The truck has been driven no more than 15 times from late October 2022-January 2023. The truck as of today January 31,2023 is currently at a collision shop, not related to this current issue but was caused by the Ram Dealership. I received an alert this morning (MOPAR) stating that the Powertrain malfunction indicator light has come on. Other attached information was ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (ETC) WARNING LIGHT-If light is flashing when the engine is running immediate service is required and you may experience a steady RPM with no throttle control or engine stall and your vehicle may require towing. Transmission Temperature Warning Light, Charging System Warning Light also showed as concerns. I have contacted the current shop that has my truck in its possession to inquire what was done when the alerts wee received etc. Waiting on a call back from them. Bottom line, understanding that anything can happen with vehicles and not all can be replicated etc.,if Ram knows it-??s a known issue fix it so your drivers/consumers don-??t die. Can we enjoy our investment SAFELY Ram?

- Albuquerque , NM, USA

problem #16

Sep 212022

1500

  • miles
When traversing from one hwy to another on an off ramp at 39 mph the truck suddenly accelerated like the pedal was pushed to the floor, speed jumped to 55mph in a flash. I hit the brakes hard once and then again to stop the sudden acceleration. Truck had a mind of its own. Dangerous situation, fortunately no one was in front of me to run into.

- Porterville, CA, USA

problem #15

Jun 052022

1500

  • 86,090 miles
The contact owns a 2021 RAM 1500. The contact stated that while driving his vehicle at approximately 2 to 3 MPH, and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle started to accelerate. The contact stated that the harder he would depress the brake pedal, the more aggressively the vehicle would accelerate. The contact stated that while he was in the drive-thru, the vehicle accelerated into a vehicle in front causing him to crash. The failure occurred on several occasions while in drive or in reverse. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained back injuries and was pending medical attention for an examination related to the impact. The contact stated that he then had his vehicle towed to the dealer, where it remained in their possession. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,600.

- North Richland Hills, TX, USA

problem #14

Apr 132022

1500

  • 22,000 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle operated for a second and then stalled while the shift to desired gear warning error illuminated. The contact mentioned the brakes were applied independently. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the diagnostic result was undetermined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 22,000.

- Howell, MI, USA

problem #13

Mar 182022

1500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was making a turn at a slow speed and the the truck just stopped. Parking brake went on and basically had to restart my truck. From what Im reading online, this is a very common issue. I was in a very busy intersection and definitely put me at high risk.

- Menomonee Falls, WI, USA

problem #12

Nov 172021

1500

  • miles
Automatic emergency braking has failed to operate on several occasions, the warning flashes 'brake' but the truck never applies any brakes. If I was not able to slam on brakes myself and dive into another lane safely I would have crashed.

- Meridian, ID, USA

problem #11

Feb 102022

1500

  • miles
Driving down the freeway using adaptive cruise control it was working very well, a car pulled in front of me and my truck slowed down. The car in front shortly after moved out of the way from in front of me. My truck immediately started accelerating hard to get back up to the initial speed. Traffic had come to a sudden stop in front of me but my truck continued to accelerate hard towards the now stationary traffic. I had to slam on my brakes and dive onto the shoulder else I would have wrecked. A similar situation happened a few days later when approaching a traffic light there was a car already stopped at the light. I had a car in front of me which was braking, my truck correctly slowed down. Just before coming to a stop the car in front switched lanes, my truck then punched it as if trying to get back up to the initial speed with a stationary car less than 2 car lengths in front of my I had to slam on the brakes else I would have slammed into the back of the stationary car.

- Meridian, ID, USA

problem #10

Feb 062022

1500

  • miles
I almost died, when my truck stalled as I was entering a major thoroughfare. This primarily has to do with the auto start/stop option on my Ram, which if you do not come to a complete stop, and attempt to accelerate with this feature on, the vehicle stalls. This has happened to me several times, and if you go on the online forums it is happening to many other Ram drivers, it is a serious safety issue, as you have no control over the stall due to the computer. Basically, when I am coming to a stop and then accelerate with the vehicle at a slow crawl, 2-3 MHP, the truck stalls. Imagine rolling through a yield sign and your vehicle stalling, with oncoming traffic headed your way, serious safety issue. Extremely lucky to not have been involved in a crash with oncoming traffic headed my way going 55 MPH, I was able to stay in the yield lane.

- Clearwater, FL, USA

problem #9

Jan 262022

1500 6-cyl Diesel

  • miles
Once again this truck is still having the same issues! I was on the local freeway going 60 and all of a sudden the truck brakes and shuts off while in in the express lane! [XXX]! How was our safety at risk" Really? I don't understand how these trucks haven't been recalled yet RAM recalled and bought back 2022 Rams due to defrosting issues. Apparently trucks breaking and stopping out of nowhere isn't a big deal but lets not make folks wipe their windows...So many of these Ram 1500 have the same issues and what"! STELLANTIS DOES NOT CARE! No warning lights came on yet again but just decides to brake and shut off. This isn't the first incident! Again I was fortunate to no get hit! But my nerves, mental/emotional status, and scares are enough injuries! Please see ram forms, social media, etc there are so many others with these issues that haven't reported to NHTSA! INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- San Leandro, CA, USA

problem #8

Jan 242022

1500

  • miles
I was driving down the road at 55 when the truck had a throttle error would not respond and shut down. I started it back up same errors would not go over 30 mph almost causing an accident causing someone to hit me from behind.

- Berlin, MI, USA

problem #7

Jan 072022

1500

  • miles
I was driving on the highway when all of sudden my truck shut down, I coasted to the emergency lane and was unable to restart my truck, I waiting about 10 minutes, restarted my truck and had to keep pumping the throttle to keep it running to get to my destination. I was able to have an OBD reader connected to my truck at a dealership and there were 3 codes stored all relating to fuel. This happened to me in twice in November of 2021 and again twice on January 7th of this year. I also received another code at the dealership on January 8th regarding another recall. These combined total of 4 shut downs have put me and my family in extreme danger, this brand new truck is unreliable and we are hesitant to drive it.

- Grants Pass, OR, USA

problem #6

Nov 262021

1500

  • miles
I was driving on the street and had to accelerate rapidly to avoid a collision and when I pressed down the accelerator pedal it got stuck and the truck accelerated and wouldn-??t slow down, I immediately pressed on the brake and it did not slow down at all, I then managed to bring the accelerator pedal back up with my shoe and get it unstuck and that-??s when The truck stopped accelerating. To the best of my knowledge it seemed as if the pedal was sticky or like a spring or something made it get stuck to the accelerating position. I did not notice any warning lights on the dashboard but this is a very serious concern because I was approaching an intersection when this occurred and also I always carry my baby in the truck with me. I have an appt with the dealership on 11/29/21 to diagnose concern.

- Carson, CA, USA

problem #5

Nov 222021

1500

  • miles
While traveling 15 mph across railroad tracks, the throttle stopped responding to the gas pedal and stopped accelerating. The vehicle made it three feet past outer track and began to roll backward, I applied emergency brake and put gear in park but dial would not move. I attempted restart 3 times without success; 4th time worked and was able to move forward to safe position.

- Winlock, WA, USA

problem #4

Sep 222021

1500 8-cyl

  • miles
While traveling at approximately 15 mph I slowed to make a right hand turn. Truck was moving slowly enough, maybe 5-8 mph through the turn that I did not apply the accelerator, nor did I have any brake pressure applied to complete the turn. Before I could straighten the truck out of the turn, it stalled. Center screen stated to place vehicle in park before starting. The emergency brake applied itself and I had to place vehicle in park, release e-brake, and restart the vehicle. This has happened about 5 times now in the last 2 weeks, dealer says no recalls at this time, no problems can be found. I fear I am driving a very unsafe vehicle that is less than 6mo old and has 5800 miles on it.

- Lewis Center, OH, USA

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