2011 Dodge Ram 5500 problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Dodge Ram 5500, 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.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 11 | 50% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 23% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 18% |
| Engine | 4 | 18% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 14% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 5% |
| Power Train | 1 | 5% |
| Suspension | 1 | 5% |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 11 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ram 5500. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v821000 (power train) months ago. The manufacturer had not supplied the part to the dealer. The dealer (jeff wyler eastgate auto mall, 513-752-3447) was called and could not determine when the parts would become…”
Power Train · filed Mar 22, 2018
“The metal stem that is connected to the plastic housing acts as a guide for the springing action of the sender. As the fuel pump heated up, indicated by the black area on the fuel sender, it heated the metal tube and burned a hole through the tank. This caused a leak in the fuel tank and a spill of fuel in excess of…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Sep 29, 2017
“Diesel exhaust fluid (def) system failure. Engine light came on with warning to have serviced or vehicle would not start after xx miles. Was def system, pipe, injector, and sensors.”
Engine · filed May 3, 2017
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
204 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Dodge Ram 5500. 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
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders: Warranty, Mopar, customer pay and service contract. Order "68" part number for New unsold units only.
9100653 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 15, 2025
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
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Lubrication and Maintenance Fluids If MOPAR fluids and chemicals are not readily available, please review Service Library for specifications so a suitable alternative can be used
9100196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2023
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 2011 Dodge Ram 5500 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 2011 Dodge Ram 5500?
- · 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.