Monday, September 21, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2020 RAM 1500 problems & reliability

625 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 RAM 1500, alongside 14 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints
625
Recall campaigns
14
Fire reports
6 (1%)
Crash reports
24 (4%)

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.

NCAP overall rating
5 / 5 stars
Front 4 / 5 · side 5 / 5 · rollover 4 / 5
EPA fuel economy
17–26 MPG combined
City 17 · highway 23 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
1,226
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
1
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

11 complaints report injuries (14 injured, 1 deaths reported).

Federal crash records (FARS 20202023): 2020 RAM 1500 vehicles were involved in 202 fatal crashes with 57 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

ComponentComplaints
Electrical System160
Engine155
Unknown / Other111
Power Train62
Steering60
Visibility/wiper52
Fuel/propulsion System45
Structure43
Service Brakes40
Fuel System, Gasoline27

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 170 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 26,373 miles (middle 50% between 5,013 and 60,750 miles).

under 20k
74
20–40k
28
40–60k
22
60–80k
21
80–100k
13
100–150k
12
150k+
0

Complaints by incident year

19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26

What owners report

  • While traveling at 40mph, total los of steering. Vehicle veered off the road and was uncontrollable. Power steering service light illuminated seconds before steering was inoperable. Turned off vehicle and restarted. Issue was not present after restart. Vehicle was recovered, sent to dealership for diagnostic. Problem…

    Electrical System · filed Sep 16, 2026

  • I bought this used truck with 60K miles on it in 2024. It is a 2020 truck. At 136K the engine failed.........with the infamous [XXX]. I have an excel summary spread sheet on all maintenance I had done since I owned this truck and I did not pull or haul anything. I heard a tick for about 10 days before I took it to my…

    Engine · filed Sep 16, 2026

  • Recall 01A was performed on my vehicle, but the replacement fuel pump failed again, contaminating the entire fuel loop with metal shavings and risking sudden engine stalling in traffic

    Fuel/propulsion System · filed Sep 10, 2026

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Federal defect investigations

Technical service bulletins

1,226 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 RAM 1500. The 10 most recent:

  • Engine PNs: MY 24-26 WD/DT (5.7L) Code P00B is being misdiagnosed and incorrect parts are being installed causing over repair. Refer to SOL S2609000006 The IAFM Foam Engine Valley Cover (PN 53013735AB) does not provide…

    9100898 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 8, 2026

  • Motor - window regulator

    114072 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2026

  • Motor - window regulator

    114073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2026

  • Cluster Message “To Operate Tailgate Shift to Park” Vehicle is In Park

    S2608000033 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 17, 2026

  • CORE – HEATER

    113276 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 6, 2026

  • CORE – HEATER

    113277 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 6, 2026

  • Fuel Delivery Module Before replacing the fuel module for DTCs P0461 and P062A and other not start, long crank, fuel gauge accuracy and drivability issues, the technician should disconnect the electrical connector at…

    9100833 REV1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 6, 2026

  • SWITCH – HEADLAMP

    113069 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 29, 2026

  • SWITCH – HEADLAMP

    113070 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 29, 2026

  • Backup Camera Poor Image Quality Inspection

    S2208000045 REV.D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 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 2020 RAM 1500 has 14 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 2020 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 26,373 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.
About this data. Complaint figures come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database and count unique complaints (one per NHTSA case number). Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and are not independently verified; complaint volume also reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road. Recall data comes from the official NHTSA recall database. This page is not affiliated with RAM or NHTSA.