2012 Dodge Ram 2500 problems & reliability
283 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Dodge Ram 2500, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 109 | 39% |
| Electrical System | 51 | 18% |
| Engine | 44 | 16% |
| Power Train | 35 | 12% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 24 | 8% |
| Suspension | 22 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 14 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 11 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 55,000 miles (middle 50% between 30,625 and 98,000 miles), based on 174 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The switch to start the vehicle has to be pushed down and turned at the same time. Vehicle starts but shuts the engine down when the key returns sometimes. On one occasion vehicle shut down while driving.”
Electrical System · filed Jul 29, 2026
“We purchased our 2012 Dodge Ram heavy duty with tow package new. At just over 152000 miles, the engine started knocking while on vacation. We were not towing at the time. We put in injector cleaner to try and help the knocking. During our vacation, we were on the freeway when we suddenly lost power, the service engine…”
Engine · filed May 27, 2026
“My passenger headlights keeps going in and out. The wiring harness has been replaced twice and it still does it. My check engine light keeps coming on for the evap system even though its been replaced.”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 4, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Electrical overstress
Engineering Analysis EA19001 · opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · led to recall 20V024
Technical service bulletins
299 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Dodge Ram 2500. The 10 most recent:
Trac-Rite Operation Diagnosis, Chatter, Shudder, Moving From A Stop And Turning
S1203000003 REV.A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2026
Bearing - crankshaft thrust and kit
112906 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2026
Bearing - crankshaft thrust and kit
112906 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2026
LAMP - DOME
106241 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 28, 2025
LAMP - DOME
104974 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 12, 2025
LAMP - DOME
103774 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2025
SEAL - OUTPUT SHAFT
102387 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 19, 2024
GEAR - REACTION SUN
102307 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 17, 2024
Plate - Planetary
101232 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2024
Replacement Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) Displays Incorrect Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Current and Active
S2408000078 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 19, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2012 Dodge Ram 2500 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2012 Dodge Ram 2500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 55,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.