Home · 2016 Ram 2500 Regular Cab · Complaints

What 253 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ram 2500 Regular Cab

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (253)Crash / fire / injury (16)Transmission & drivetrain (62)Engine (53)Steering (41)Electrical system (36)Brakes (35)Speed control (17)Body & structure (13)Fuel system (12)Airbags (11)Suspension (11)

16 of 253 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Feb 28, 2023Transmission & drivetrainCrash

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 2500. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V821000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off with the key out of the ignition, the vehicle rolled backward and crashed into some trees. Additionally, the contact was able to move the gear shifter while the vehicle was turned off. The contact's son was inside the vehicle when the failure occurred; however, no injuries were sustained. No Police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the recall repair failed prevent the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11509458

Mar 14, 2022Transmission & drivetrainCrash1 injury

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 2500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and running, she opened the front driver's side door and stepped on the running board with her body between the front driver's side door and the vehicle frame. The vehicle lunged forward independently, turned to the left and crashed into the front end of the passenger's side of the unoccupied vehicle parked next to it. The contact became trapped between the two vehicles and pinned between the driver's side door and the frame of her vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was squeezing continuously as if it had shifted into drive. The contact attempted to honk the horn by extending the keys on her left arm but was unsuccessful and started screaming for help. Two individuals arrived at the scene but could not unlock the door and were unable to break the front passenger's side window to unlock the door in order to extract the contact. The contact squeezed her body and reached out the unlock button on the driver's side door, and she unlocked the door. One of the individual got inside the vehicle, shifted into reverse and reversed slowly in order to release and extract the contact. The vehicle was parked. The contact was then extracted but was knocked unconscious. The contact was airlifted to the hospital where she was informed that she had sustained six broken ribs, damaged clavicle required surgery, damaged lungs due to squeezing, squeezed organs to one side of her abdomen, bruises on both glutes and bruised hips. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the local collision center. The collision center informed the contact that the driver's side frame of the vehicle she was squeezed against was dented, which showed the severity of the squeezing. The local Chrysler dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

NHTSA ODI 11456603

Mar 12, 2022AirbagsCrash1 injury

I was involved in a single vehicle accident due to a medical issue. I hit a utility pole, took out a cyclone fence, proceeded across a front yard of a home then almost directly into a block retaining wall. I was wearing my seat belt. My airbags did not deploy but I have no idea how fast I was going. From the damage to the pole and the wall and my truck I had to be going a decent speed. The police report noted that when they arrived my foot was on the accelerator and the back wheels were spinning for what that’s worth.

NHTSA ODI 11456414

Oct 26, 2021Transmission & drivetrainFire

My transmission got so hot climing up a hill it caught the excused on fire, thankfully had water in the truck an put the fire out no warnings nothing, just flush transmission hot went to stop an realized it was on fire, had to have transmission rebuilt an cooler lines an cooler repaired, still not runing right.

NHTSA ODI 11438257

Oct 1, 2019Transmission & drivetrainCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS, THE GEAR SHIFTER SEPARATED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BRYANT MOTORS (2901 SOUTH LIMIT AVE, SEDALIA, MO) WHERE THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED. LATER, WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SWITCH INTO THE DRIVE POSITION. THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY DRIVE IN FOURTH GEAR AND WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE BRAKE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK SOLENOID. ON ONE OCCASION, AFTER SWITCHING INTO THE PARK POSITION WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING, THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE. MOMENTS LATER, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY DROVE BACKWARDS AND KNOCKED THE DRIVER TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE ALSO STRUCK TWO ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE POSITIONED BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN CRASHED INTO TWO PARKED VEHICLES AND A MOTORCYCLE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CAUSE THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.*DT

NHTSA ODI 11265322

Jun 20, 2019Transmission & drivetrainCrash

TL* THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY, IT SHIFTED OUT OF PARK AND ROLLED IN REVERSE UP A SMALL HILL, CRASHED INTO A HOUSE, AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP ONLY BECAUSE THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS OPEN WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE FROM REVERSING ANY FURTHER. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DRIVER WAS UNLOADING AT THE TIME AND DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR THE FAILURE. TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V821000 (POWER TRAN) AT DAYTON ANDREWS DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP RAM DEALER, (LOCATED AT 2301 24TH ST N, ST PETERSBURG, FL 33713, (727) 321-0500). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

NHTSA ODI 11221567

Apr 3, 2019Body & structureCrash

HAVE 2016 RAM TRUCK, JUMPS OUT OF GEAR HITS A FENCE. TAKE IT TO A DEALER THEY ADMIT THERE IS A RECALL. THEY REPAIR THE RECALL AND TELL ME TO CALL FCA CUSTOMER SUPPORT 1800-992-1997 I SPEAK WITH QUINTIN AND HE TELLS ME SINCE THE DEALER ALREADY REPLACED THE PART, THEY CAN NOT CONFIRM THAT IS WHY MY TRUCK ROLLED INTO A FENCE. AND DENIED THE BODY REPAIRS. I ASK FOR DOCUMENTATION THAT STATES WHY THEY ARE REFUSING TO REPAIR DAMAGE DUE TO THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. THEY TELL ME THAT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND THAT I NEED TO GO THRU MY INSURANCE TO MAKE A CLAIM. SO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR FAULTY EQUIPMENT. LESSON LEARNED DON'T PURCHASE FROM CHRYSLER ...

NHTSA ODI 11193560

Sep 10, 2018EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE REGENERATION PROCESS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED EXTREME HEAT COMING FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MCSWEENEY CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (2605 DR JOHN HAYNES DR, PELL CITY, AL 35125, (205) 814-7300) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. AT NIGHT, BLUE FLAMES CAME OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE WHEN THE REGENERATION PROCESS BEGAN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,775. *TT CONSUMER STATED IT IS NOT A FAILURE BUT A DESIGN OVERSIGHT. UPDATED 11/27/18*JB

NHTSA ODI 11128509

Aug 7, 2018SuspensionBrakesCrash

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AT 35 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I LOST MY BRAKES. I HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR AND ENDED UP ON THE SIDEWALK. I THEN PUSHED MY EMERGENCY BRAKE IN TO STOP. I RAN INTO A STREET SIGN AND THE FRONT PASSENGER QUARTER PANEL, LIGHT AND MIRROR WERE DAMAGED. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO GET A TOW TO MY OFFICE I REALIZED THAT WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS THE SHOCK HAD BROKEN OFF THE AXLE AND SEVERED THE BRAKE LINE. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THAT THIS SHOCK HAS COME OF THE AXLE AND DODGE HAS DONE NOTHING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. NOW MY LIFE WAS PUT IN DANGER ALONG WITH THAT OF OTHERS ON THE ROAD. THANK GOD A PEDESTRIAN WASN'T ON THE SIDEWALK OR THEY WOULD BE DEAD.

NHTSA ODI 11118235

Apr 16, 2018Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlCrash2 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. WHILE THE CONTACT'S GIRLFRIEND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WAS PLACED IN THE REVERSE POSITION, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A MOBILE HOME AND A PORTABLE SHED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE FACE AND MID-SECTION. THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000.

NHTSA ODI 11088432

Jan 2, 2018AirbagsCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE MISSING SPRINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND DEEMED OPERABLE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11058097

Dec 13, 2017Electrical systemAirbagsSeat beltsCrashFire2 injuries

WHEN PULLING A CAMPER THE TRUCK SHUT OFF (THERE WAS NO FUNCTION OF THE GAS OR BRAKE PEDAL) CAUSING THE CAMPER TO JACK KNIFE AND HIT THE REAR TAIL LIGHT. WHEN THE CAMERA CAUGHT UP TO THE TRUCK WET SPUN 180 DEGREES AT 65 MPH THEN FLIPPED. NO AIRBAG WENT OFF AND THE SEATBELT DID NOT STAY LOCKED. MY SON WHO WAS SITTING IN THE BACK CLIMBED OUT OF THE BACKSEAT WITHOUT UNLATCHING HIS SEATBELT.

NHTSA ODI 11054402

Sep 6, 2017Transmission & drivetrainCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO INCREASE IN SPEED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. ALSO, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE CONTACT HAD TO RESTART THE VEHICLE TO RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FAILURE WAS PERSISTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (WHITES CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP AND RAM 1325 N. MAIN STREET, URBANA, OH 43078) WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 28,248.

NHTSA ODI 11021788

Jan 30, 2017Electrical systemEquipmentCrash

2016 RAM DIESEL 6.7 L EXPERIENCING STALLING WHEN DECELERATING TO STOP - LOSE POWER, RAN OFF ROAD AS RESULT. VEHICLE HAS 3 SECOND DELAY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE- SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN CAUSED SEVERAL NEAR MISSES

NHTSA ODI 10948379

Aug 9, 2016AirbagsCrash1 death

I WAS DOING ABOUT 50MPH DOWN A STATE ROAD WHEN A GUY PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME ATTEMPTING TO GO IN THE DIRECTION I WAS COMING FROM. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND TURNED THE WHEEL SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT TO SO IT WAS NOT A DIRECT T-BONE. THE FRONT END OF MY BRAND NEW TRUCK WHICH HAD 292 MILES ON IT WAS CAVED IN AND THE HIT MADE HIS VEHICLE COME AROUND AND HIT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY TRUCK. NOT ONE AIRBAG WENT OFF. I'M ASSUMING I WAS DOING 40-45MPH ON IMPACT. ...UPDATED 07/10/17 *BF *CN

NHTSA ODI 10894299

Apr 1, 2016AirbagsCrash3 injuries

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT TRAVELING AROUND 45 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE TURNED IN FRONT OF ME. I COULDN'T STOP SO I DID HIT THIS OTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON. I TBONED THIS OTHER VEHICLE AND THEIR AIRBAGS DID DEPLOY, HOWEVER, THE AIRBAGS ON MY $70,000 2016 6K MILE TRUCK FAILED TO DEPLOY.

NHTSA ODI 10853022

Working with the data? Download all 253 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Ram 2500 Regular Cab verdict →