2018 RAM 3500 problems & reliability
784 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 RAM 3500, alongside 10 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 (6 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2018 RAM 3500 vehicles were involved in 72 fatal crashes with 13 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 493 | 63% |
| Electrical System | 135 | 17% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 132 | 17% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 107 | 14% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 60 | 8% |
| Steering | 34 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 33 | 4% |
| Wheels | 24 | 3% |
| Power Train | 23 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Air | 21 | 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 42,000 miles (middle 50% between 20,000 and 80,000 miles), based on 175 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“HCU unit is in constant fault and it has been occurring for over a year and a half. How long is Ram allowed to drag out developing a repair and replacement? 24V-896 recall”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 5, 2026
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Ram 3500. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 78,546 and at the time of a Carfax report check, it was discovered that the mileage was 699,573.”
Electrical System · filed Aug 3, 2026
“NHTSA Recall #: 24V-896 Dogde Recall #: C4B Dodge Part #: 68143491AB HCU My complaint is because the I have tried to get this recall done a two separate dealers and it can't be done. Both service departments have told me the same things, the part # that is supposed to be the recall item has been taken out of inventory…”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 3, 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
- Loss of Brake Performance
Preliminary Evaluation PE22012 · opened Nov 28, 2022 · closed Mar 3, 2025
- Steering loss due to linkage separation
Engineering Analysis EA19004 · opened Dec 1, 2019 · closed Nov 20, 2025
- Steering loss due to linkage separation
Preliminary Evaluation PE18016 · opened Dec 17, 2018 · closed Dec 12, 2019 · led to recall 19V021000
Technical service bulletins
443 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 RAM 3500. The 10 most recent:
Sensor - turbocharger speed
113744 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2026
Sensor - turbocharger speed
113742 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2026
Trac-Rite Operation Diagnosis, Chatter, Shudder, Moving From A Stop And Turning
S1203000003 REV.A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2026
Backup Camera Poor Image Quality Inspection
S2208000045 REV.D · 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
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
For Dealer awareness, HD truck, eliminate 1 of 2 M8 Joints for Sidestep bracket to Body Attachment, Bolt and rivet (06102165AA, 06511062AA) per TCR # 402632, CN 80403-T18
9100831 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 4, 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
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 3500 has 10 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 3500?
- · 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 42,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.