AutoUtility currently tracks 105 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2021 Ram 2500. Electrical System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 35 complaints (33.3% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 6 filings cite a crash, 8 cite a fire, 2 report one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
35 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
23 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
20 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
13 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
3 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The contact owns a 2021 Ram ProMaster 2500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a..."
"The contact owns a 2021 Ram Promaster 2500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse(R), the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and associated the failure with the recall. The local..."
"This problem first occurred on a state highway in [XXX] in 2023 and again in 2026 (this incident.) While driving south on XXX, there was an undulation/slight bump in the interstate while in a mild right hand curve. My vehicles brakes engaged without my input and slowed me down from 70mph to 35mph..."
"There was a tailgate recall for the tailgate falling down potentially spilling cargo onto the road. The dealership Autonation Dodge in [XXX] tried fixing the recall multiple times but the tailgate kept falling down after they tried to fix it 2 or 3 times. Now they're trying to make me sign a..."
"The 68RFE automatic transmission in this 2021 Ram 2500 6.7L Cummins fails to engage reverse when the transmission reaches operating temperature. When the gear selector is placed in reverse and the accelerator is applied, the engine revs but the truck does not move. The defect is intermittent and..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2023)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Ram 2500 | 214 | 13 | 15 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Ram 2500 | 257 | 15 | 14 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Ram 2500 | 684 | 12 | 12 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Ram 2500 | 2555 | 37 | 10 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Ram 2500 | 191 | 8 | 12 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Ram 2500 | 163 | 5 | 10 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Ram 2500 Current Page | 105 | 6 | 8 | Current |
| 2022 Ram 2500 | 0 | 0 | 12 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Ram 2500 | 0 | 0 | 8 | View 2023 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 44 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WHEELS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2021 Ram 2500
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2021 Ram 2500 is Electrical System, appearing in 35 records (33.3% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Powertrain & Transmission (23) and Engine & Cooling (20).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 105 consumer defect complaints and 8 safety recall campaigns for the 2021 Ram 2500.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Ram 2500, 6 filings cite a crash, 8 cite smoke or fire, and 2 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.