2017 RAM 1500 problems & reliability
861 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 RAM 1500, alongside 13 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.
48 complaints report injuries (77 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2017 RAM 1500 vehicles were involved in 249 fatal crashes with 77 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 220 | 26% |
| Engine | 155 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 105 | 12% |
| Power Train | 97 | 11% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 87 | 10% |
| Service Brakes | 87 | 10% |
| Unknown OR Other | 66 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 53 | 6% |
| Suspension | 48 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 41 | 5% |
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 38,000 miles (middle 50% between 17,000 and 70,750 miles), based on 346 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The problem that I'm having is the front fuel strap where it's hooks in the frame support has rusted out, and now the fuel tank is only held on just with the rear strap where it hooks in I've noticed a lot of frame rot and is really concerning thankfully I've noticed this while the truck was setting in the driveway.”
Structure · filed Jul 30, 2026
“Front brakes keep sticking, causing it to have hopping sensation, have gone through 12+ set of calipers, 6 or so wheel hub assemblies, and 3 or more cv axels all within a year and half.”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 17, 2026
“Egr cooler failed again after it has been recalled/repaired by previous owner. Dealership saying they wont fix it.”
Engine · filed Jul 14, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Post Recall Remedy Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) Failure
Recall Query RQ25003 · opened Jul 3, 2025 · open
- High pressure fuel pump failure
Engineering Analysis EA23001 · opened Mar 17, 2023 · open · led to recall 24V957
- Vehicle Rollaway
Preliminary Evaluation PE16014 · opened Dec 16, 2016 · closed Jan 25, 2024
Technical service bulletins
472 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 RAM 1500. The 10 most recent:
Outside Power Fold Rearview Mirror Noise Or Loose At Pivot. Mirror Contacts Door Window Glass In The Folded Position.
S1623000028 Rev. K · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 12, 2026
Outside Power Fold Rearview Mirror Noise Or Loose At Pivot. Mirror Contacts Door Window Glass In The Folded Position.
S1623000028 REV.J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 5, 2026
Outside Power Fold Rearview Mirror Noise Or Loose At Pivot. Mirror Contacts Door Window Glass In The Folded Position.
S1623000028 REV.I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 29, 2026
Squeak Or Squawk Noise Coming From Either Side Door Of The Vehicle, It Could Be Just One Door Or More. The Noise Can Be Present In Either The Upper Or The Lower Hinge.
S2623000032 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2026
Outside Power Fold Rearview Mirror Noise Or Loose At Pivot. Mirror Contacts Door Window Glass In The Folded Position.
S1623000028 REV.H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
The vehicle will exhibit a service transmission/check engine warning indicator for the following transmission models: 845RE, 8HP45, 850RE, 8HP50, 8HP70, 8HP75, 8HP75-PHEV, 8HP75-LCV, 8HP90, 8HP95. Transmissions may…
S2621000003 REV.A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC) Inaccurate, Battery Charging Message, Presence of IBS related Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), or Battery Warning…
S1408000384 REV.J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 4, 2026
Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC) Inaccurate, Battery Charging Message, Presence of IBS Related Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), or Battery Warning…
S1408000384 REV.I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 14, 2026
Water Pump & Chain Case Cover
109727 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 21, 2026
Water Pump & Chain Case Cover
109724 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 21, 2026
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 2017 RAM 1500 has 13 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 2017 RAM 1500?
- · 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 38,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.