Dodge RAM 5500 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 89 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Dodge RAM 5500 (2008–2012) that have at least 5 complaints. 2012 has the most, with 40. Across all years, the part named most often is steering (53 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All RAM 5500 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 40 | 29,000 | 9 | 223 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Rising |
| 2011 | 23 | 46,000 | 4 | 204 | — | Stable |
| 2009 | 7 | 54,424 | 3 | 27 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 19 | 56,000 | 3 | 38 | — | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Steering53 50%
- Electrical system12 11%
- Transmission and drivetrain10 9.4%
- Fuel system9 8.5%
- Engine9 8.5%
- Suspension5 4.7%
- Other or unknown4 3.8%
- Air bags4 3.8%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2012: “On the evening of july 30, 2015 while driving my 2012 Dodge RAM 5500 utility truck, there was a fire in the engine compartment which I believe was due to recall p65. This recall is for the diesel fuel heater electrical connector. This vehicle was taken to dealerships multiple times for repair, yet I was told that no part was available to perform recall. This truck was deemed a total loss.”
NHTSA complaint #10748608, filed 2015-08, 164,000 miles2011: “Check engine light went on. The truck is still under warranty so we took it in to go arapahoe Dodge. They were unable to fix the problem. We are not sure if something is wrong w/ the engine because Dodge can not get the check engine light to turn off. The warranty we currently possess is only applicable until we reach 100,000 miles. We think Dodge should be able to fix the problem under the warranty.”
NHTSA complaint #10474198, filed 2012-09, 77,000 miles2009: “7/21/15 took truck to ram dealer for recall r-16 dealer stated it also has r-25 recall, truck still has vibration at 55 MPH and now it will drift left and right called dealer the service manager advised me to have my tires checked, 7/30/15 called chrysler hotline was told no open recalls I told her I had it in for repair but it still wasn't right she said they need to correct problem on their dime. 7/30/15 called dealer, service manager had quit need to call on 8/3/15 to talk to new service manager. …”
NHTSA complaint #10750424, filed 2015-08, 155,741 milesOther Dodge models
13,780 complaintsDodge Grand Caravan
13,511 complaintsDodge RAM 1500
12,422 complaintsDodge Caravan
10,523 complaintsDodge Dakota
6,626 complaintsDodge RAM 2500
6,443 complaintsDodge Intrepid
6,223 complaintsDodge Charger
5,732 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology