AutoUtility currently tracks 1527 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Ram 1500. Steering System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 306 complaints (20% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 90 filings cite a crash, 35 cite a fire, 52 report one or more injuries, 4 report one or more fatalities.

Key Problem Findings
  • • Total NHTSA Complaints: 1527 reports
  • • #1 Reported Problem Area: Steering System (306 reports • 20% of submitted complaints)
  • • Secondary Problem Areas: Fuel & Propulsion System (277), Brakes & Traction Control (276)
  • • Crash-Citing Complaints: 90 filings
  • • Fire-Citing Complaints: 35 filings
  • • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 52 injury filings • 4 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
1527
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
90
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
35
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
52
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
4
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2016 Ram 1500

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 20% of complaints

Steering System

306 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 6 crash reports 🔥 1 fire report 🩹 3 injury report entries
#2 Problem Area 18.1% of complaints

Fuel & Propulsion System

277 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🔥 4 fire reports 🩹 1 injury report entry
#3 Problem Area 18.1% of complaints

Brakes & Traction Control

276 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 10 crash reports 🔥 2 fire reports
#4 Problem Area 18% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

275 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 3 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🔥 24 fire reports 🩹 8 injury report entries
#5 Problem Area 13.2% of complaints

Powertrain & Transmission

202 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 3 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 34 crash reports 🔥 5 fire reports 🩹 15 injury report entries
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Ram 1500

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.

Powertrain & Transmission 5.7% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

87 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Steering System 2.4% of complaints

Steering Sticking, Binding or Assist Loss

37 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Engine & Cooling 0.7% of complaints

Engine Stalling / Sudden Shutdown

10 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Engine & Cooling 0.4% of complaints

Engine Coolant Intrusion / Oil Leak

6 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Fuel & Propulsion System 0.4% of complaints

Fuel Pump Failure / Fuel Leak & Odor

6 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Ram 1500

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11759420
Filed: 08/25/2026

"The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at speeds under 25 MPH and turning, the steering wheel locked up. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, and the steering wheel was held firmly until the steering wheel released. The contact..."

Incident Date: 08/21/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING
Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11758939
Filed: 08/23/2026

"ABS control module has failed and the vehicle cannot shift into gear and will not move. Dealership verified failure and the part is on 2 to 3 year back order. Part also apparently cannot be repaired by a 3rd party due to the chips no longer being manufactured. Only way to repair and make the..."

Incident Date: 08/19/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11758460
Filed: 08/21/2026

"Loss of power assistance in steering"

Incident Date: 08/11/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING
Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11758339
Filed: 08/20/2026

"ABS warning light, traction control light and brake light are illuminated. Code reader indicates C2200-49, U0415 and U0147. ABS module needs to be replaced, however Mopar does not have and will not have the part available. Explored having the module rebuilt, however I found out that cannot happen..."

Incident Date: 06/21/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SERVICE BRAKES
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11758017
Filed: 08/19/2026

"I suddenly lost the power steering when I spoke to my mechanic he said the problem was intermittent and he has to replace a computer part that’s associated with it and had to replace the entire unit I saw there was an open recall regarding this matter"

Incident Date: 08/11/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

Complaint History for Ram 1500

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Ram 1500 1439 79 18 View 2015 Problems →
2016 Ram 1500 Current Page 1527 90 17 Current
2017 Ram 1500 866 80 13 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Ram 1500 654 25 15 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Ram 1500 1464 74 30 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Ram 1500 621 24 14 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Ram 1500 667 26 15 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Ram 1500 597 23 16 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Ram 1500 194 10 11 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Ram 1500 70 5 6 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Ram 1500 323 8 7 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Ram 1500 0 0 6 View 2026 Problems →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2016 Ram 1500

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 161 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Reported Injury Entries Reported Fatality Entries
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 256 5 0 3 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 145 0 12 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 118 3 1 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 108 0 1 1 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 102 26 0 10 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 72 7 3 5 0
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL 60 0 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 48 1 1 1 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 37 0 2 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 32 0 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 30 22 0 32 4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 29 1 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 24 0 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 20 1 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 19 0 0 2 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 18 0 1 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 18 1 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 18 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL 16 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 16 0 1 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 15 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 11 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 9 0 1 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 9 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 8 0 1 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 4 0 1 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 8 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 8 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 7 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 0 1 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 7 1 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 6 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 6 0 0 0 0
Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 5 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 5 0 2 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 5 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 5 0 1 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 4 0 1 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 4 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 4 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 0 1 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 4 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 4 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 3 3 0 4 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN 3 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 1 0 1 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 3 0 1 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 3 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES 3 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 3 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES 2 1 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 2 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE 2 2 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 0 2 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 2 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,POWER TRAIN 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,WHEELS 2 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS 2 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 1 0 3 0
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 1 0 1 0
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS 1 1 0 2 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,ENGINE 1 1 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,SEATS 1 0 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 1 0 0 1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN,EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,TIRES 1 0 1 1 0
ENGINE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 1 0 1 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR,POWER TRAIN,TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,SERVICE BRAKES, AIR 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,TIRES 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,WHEELS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 1 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (1527). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (4)

3 OPEN 1 CLOSED

Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Official Federal Inquiries: NHTSA opens a defect investigation when safety screening or consumer defect trends indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. An open investigation is a formal inquiry and does not by itself confirm a defect or result in a mandatory recall.
OPEN Recall Query (RQ) ODI Action #RQ25003
Opened: 2025-07-03 • Currently Active

Post Recall Remedy Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) Failure

Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 14 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports and 6 EWR Death & Injury (D&I) reports describing post recall remedy failures of the brake transmission shift interlock (BTSI) system in certain Model Year (MY) 2013-2018 RAM pickup trucks.The subject vehicle models include 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks equipped with a column mounted shift lever.The failures of the BTSI described in the V...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
OPEN Recall Query (RQ) ODI Action #RQ23003
Opened: 2023-08-04 • Currently Active

Intermittent/Comp Loss of Power Steering

Affected Component: STEERING

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 380 reports from consumers alleging an intermittent or complete loss of power steering assistance in certain 2013-2016 Ram 1500.The failure allegations occur at various speeds with limited detectability to the driver.On March 23, 2016 Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA) conducted recall campaign 16V-167 to address a possible contamination of the electrical power steering unit in certain model year...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
OPEN Engineering Analysis (EA) ODI Action #EA23001
Opened: 2023-03-17 • Currently Active

High pressure fuel pump failure

Affected Component: FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-021 on October 14, 2021, to investigate incidents alleging a stall/loss of motive power as a result of high-pressure fuel pump failures in certain model year (MY) 2019-2020 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 heavy duty trucks equipped with 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel engines. During the investigation, ODI sought to determine if the related defect allegation was limited in scope to the recalled popula...

✓ Resulted in Safety Recall Campaign: 24V957 Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE16014
Opened: 2016-12-16 • Closed: 2024-01-25

Vehicle Rollaway

Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Basis – On December 16, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-014 to investigate 43 vehicle rollaway incidents with operators alleging they had shifted to Park and then exited the vehicle prior to the rollway incidents.  These complaints involved multiple Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) model and model year vehicles that share a common electronic rotary shifter design.  Of the 43 consumer complaint...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →

Related Official Reports for 2016 Ram 1500

Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year

Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.