Home · 2020 Ram 5500 · Complaints

What 8 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Ram 5500

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)Crash / fire / injury (2)Brakes (3)Seat belts (2)Airbags (1)Driver assistance (1)Tires (1)Transmission & drivetrain (1)Wheels (1)

Newest first · 8 complaints

Nov 11, 2025AirbagsBrakesDriver assistanceCrash4 injuries

I was traveling down the hwy and and car went thru the stop sign. I could not stop in time and I t boned it. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11698718

May 19, 2025Brakes

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed during a heavy crosswind, the electronic stabilization system warning light illuminated, indicating that the system had deactivated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 1,000.

NHTSA ODI 11661969

Dec 12, 2024TiresWheels

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at 20-25 MPH, the dual wheel tires detached from the vehicle and struck another vehicle. On another occasion while driving 60 MPH, the tires detached. There was no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V398000 (Wheels). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the wheel studs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 223,926.

NHTSA ODI 11630410

Nov 4, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

While driving on the freeway at 75 mph transfer case went into neutral. No power to wheels. I managed to coast off the freeway and then towed to dealership. Dodge 5500 trucks are used for heavy hauling such as fire trucks, ambulances and in the west ranchers. If a rancher is going down a steep grade with a heavy load (cattle/horses) they would not be able to STOP due to weight. Transfer case has defective parts internally. Dealer said that there is a defect in the transfer cases and is common on Dodge Ram 4500/5500.

NHTSA ODI 11623456

Nov 7, 2023Seat belts

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and slamming on the brakes, the front driver's side seat belt failed to retract. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the seat belt was inspected, and the contact was informed that the seat belt needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired free of charge because the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and made the same assessment. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

NHTSA ODI 11554032

Nov 7, 2023Seat belts

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving and slamming on the brakes, the front driver's side seat belt failed to retract. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the seat belt was inspected, and the contact was informed that the seat belt needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired free of charge because the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and made the same assessment. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11554033

Sep 6, 2023Brakes

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 5500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V759000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and towing a trailer, while attempting to stop the vehicle, the contact noticed that the vehicle failed to stop within a reasonable amount of time. The contact stated that the vehicle had lost proper braking functionality. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11543008

Jul 15, 2021Fire

2020 DODGE RAM 5500. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO Y26 STUDS SAFETY RECALL. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THIS RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAD AN EXHAUST FIRE. THE VEHICLE SMOKED FOR 20 MINUTES. * (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS

NHTSA ODI 11424947

Working with the data? Download all 8 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 11, 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 2020 Ram 5500 verdict →