2018 RAM 1500 problems & reliability
660 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 RAM 1500, alongside 15 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 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 components.
14 complaints report injuries (25 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2018 RAM 1500 vehicles were involved in 154 fatal crashes with 45 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 159 | 24% |
| Engine → | 110 | 17% |
| Unknown / Other | 92 | 14% |
| Steering → | 86 | 13% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 80 | 12% |
| Power Train → | 59 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Diesel → | 51 | 8% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 45 | 7% |
| Service Brakes → | 41 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 31 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 28 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 200 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 38,000 miles (middle 50% between 15,267 and 72,375 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“After driving through a heavy downpour, power steering cut out intermittently. The next day, it became full inoperable. Repair shop initially suggested letting the controls "dry out". When that was unsuccessful, the shop suggested taking it to a dealer, stating that the entire rack and pinion assembly needs to be…”
Electrical System · filed Sep 11, 2026
“The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger's side seat belt failed to latch. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The contact…”
Seat Belts · filed Sep 4, 2026
“At low speeds the Electronic power steering hesitates and i have to force the wheels to turn. Once upto speed of 35mph or higher the power steering works flawless. This is an issue for me as a first responder and is a safety concern.”
Steering · filed Sep 4, 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
Technical service bulletins
497 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 RAM 1500. The 10 most recent:
Backup Camera Poor Image Quality Inspection
S2208000045 REV.D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2026
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
Service transmission/check engine warning indicator for the 850RE, 8HP50, 8HP70, 8HP75, 8HP75-PHEV transmissions that have fault codes P07E4, P1DB2, P0716, P1B14, P0733, P1D90, P1DB7, P1B13.
S2621000003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 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
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 2018 RAM 1500 has 15 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 2018 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 38,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.