2020 RAM 3500 problems & reliability
112 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 RAM 3500, alongside 11 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.
2 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 RAM 3500 vehicles were involved in 47 fatal crashes with 5 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | 32 | 29% |
| Engine | 25 | 22% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 22 | 20% |
| Power Train | 11 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 6% |
| Steering | 7 | 6% |
| Wheels | 7 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 5% |
| Tires | 5 | 4% |
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 25,700 miles (middle 50% between 6,450 and 49,795 miles), based on 43 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2020 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact…”
Back Over Prevention · filed Apr 13, 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the engine overheated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cooling fan module had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Feb 26, 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and the engine was turned off, the gear shifter shifted into the drive position when the contact's minor [XXX] child entered the vehicle to retrieve an item using the steering wheel and gear shifter to enter, causing the vehicle to…”
Power Train · filed Feb 18, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- High pressure fuel pump failure
Engineering Analysis EA23001 · opened Mar 17, 2023 · open · led to recall 24V957
- High pressure fuel pump failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE21021 · opened Oct 14, 2021 · closed Apr 14, 2023
Technical service bulletins
759 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 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
CORE – HEATER
113276 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 6, 2026
CORE – HEATER
113277 · 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
Outlet - air conditioning & heater
113066 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2026
Outlet - air conditioning & heater
113065 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2026
Bearing - crankshaft thrust and kit
112906 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 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 3500 has 11 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 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 25,700 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.