Home · 2018 Ram 4500 · Complaints

What 8 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ram 4500

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 (8)Brakes (7)Driver assistance (1)Engine & cooling (1)Steering (1)Transmission & drivetrain (1)Wheels (1)

Newest first · 8 complaints

Jan 20, 2026Brakes

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 4500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message to "Check ABS" was displayed with an abnormal beeping sound. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11712171

Jan 13, 2026Brakes

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 4500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The vehicle was parked and was no longer driven due to safety concerns.

NHTSA ODI 11710786

Jan 7, 2026BrakesDriver assistance

Nov 27,2024 Manufacturer Recall NumberC4B NHTSA Recall Number24V-896 Recall Status Recall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Still no repair for defective parts. Over years.

NHTSA ODI 11709384

Oct 30, 2025SteeringBrakes

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11696511

Jun 27, 2025BrakesEngine & cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 4500. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated, before the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the turbo had failed, and there were 39 diagnostic trouble codes retrieved. The dealer determined that the turbo, the intake manifold sensor, the exhaust pressure sensors, and other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred four months later. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 15 MPH to park the vehicle, while her husband and dog were occupying the passenger’s side seat, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond and struck one of the contact's parked vehicles. The contact stated that the dog sustained injuries after being thrusted forward. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11669720

May 16, 2025Brakes

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 4500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond immediately, causing the braking distance to be extended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,885. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11661508

Sep 9, 2024Brakes

The Anti-Lock Brake(ABS) & Electronic Stability Control(ESC) warning lights will come on and off during normally driving conditions. When The ESC light comes on the cruise control is non functioning. If the cruise control is set when the warning light is off, the cruise will disengage when it comes on.

NHTSA ODI 11613604

Oct 8, 2020Transmission & drivetrainWheels

4X4 DRIVE SHAFT FAILED. WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT BROKE AT THE U-JOINT. I'VE ONLY USED THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE OPTION 2-3 TIMES AND THE TRANSFER WAS IN 2H AT TIME OF FAILURE. FRONT ALUMINUM WHEELS FRACTURED. BOTH FRONT WHEELS GOT HAIRLINE CRACKS. ONE AT ABOUT 145K MILES AND THE OTHER AT ABOUT 160K. 90% OF MILES ARE HIGHWAY MILES.

NHTSA ODI 11363348

Working with the data? Download all 8 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 12, 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 2018 Ram 4500 verdict →