2015 Ram 1500 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2015 Ram 1500 most often describe power steering assist cutting out unexpectedly, engine stalls and loss of power, and fuel system faults on the 3.0L diesel. Complaints arrive across a wide mileage range, from under 20,000 miles to well past 200,000, and many owners mention that the dealer found the vehicle was not covered by the related recall. Some reports tie symptoms to parts addressed by existing recalls or service bulletins, while others describe the same symptoms in vehicles not included in those campaigns.

1. 1
   Steering

   Power steering assist cuts out (hard steering)

   • 272 complaints (19%)
   • median 80,880 mi at 5.5 yrs old (132 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,000 (median of 17 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Complaints describe the steering wheel suddenly becoming very hard to turn, sometimes with a "Service Power Steering" message and sometimes with no warning at all. Several owners say the assist returned after restarting the truck but then failed again intermittently, and a few note that it was worse in cold weather or at startup. Dealers and mechanics often diagnosed a faulty steering rack or electronic power steering unit; some owners were told their vehicle was not included in the related steering recall. Reported from about 36,000 to 187,000 miles in the sample, at both low and highway speeds, with some owners noting the problem in freezing conditions.

   Recall 16V167000

   What to check: On a test drive, turn the wheel at low speed and check whether assist feels consistent, and watch for a "Service Power Steering" message on startup. Ask whether the steering recall and any rack or EPS replacement have been completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving and turned a corner at a light and the power steering went out and almost caused a collision with a police car. It has never gone back to power it is extremely hard to turn. This is since march 2020”

   NHTSA complaint #11376363, filed 2020-11, 72,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel ceased while turning to the right. In addition, the power steering warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16v167000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 36,419.”

   NHTSA complaint #11319133, filed 2020-03, 36,419 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine stall and loss of power (tone wheel, camshaft)

   • 371 complaints (25%)
   • median 81,750 mi at 5.5 yrs old (210 state mileage)
   • 26 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 32 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Complaints describe the engine stalling or losing power while driving, sometimes with a check engine or electronic throttle control light and no restart. Several owners were told the crankshaft position sensor tone wheel had delaminated, which the related diesel recalls also describe. Others report a ticking or abnormal top-end noise attributed to camshaft and lifter wear, and a few describe limp mode with erratic shifting. Mostly between about 50,000 and 160,000 miles; several owners note the stall happened during acceleration or while merging.

   Recall 23V411000Recall 20V4750003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the tone wheel recalls (20V475000, 23V411000) have been performed. Listen for ticking or knocking at cold start and check whether the check engine light clears after a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle having a ticking noise from top of engine after low mileage. There has been many complaints of this kind of problem. It appears the problem is bad manufactured valve & cams. I am concerned that this could cause engine ceased on highway, I have a v6 engine, the manufacture had fixed left side under warranty, but now have the same problem on the right and warranty has expired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11344190, filed 2020-08, 98,000 miles

   “While driving on the freeway pulling a small 16 ft. Camper (i77 nb, mm ~68 in north carolina), I noticed a loss of engine power and check engine light illuminated along with other warning lights, I tried the accelerator and the engine did not respond. I was able to pull safely onto the shoulder and popped the hood where I noticed flames. I told my family to exit the vehicle and tried to extinguish the flames (with a fire extinguisher from my camper) to no avail. We called 911 and waited for the fire crew to arrive. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11349945, filed 2020-08, 66,000 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Diesel high-pressure fuel pump failure and no-start

   • 66 complaints (5%)
   • median 125,000 mi at 8.7 yrs old (41 state mileage)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners of diesel trucks describe stalling, loss of motive power, black smoke, or a no-start condition, and several were told the high-pressure fuel pump had failed and sent debris through the fuel system. A number of complaints say the recall repair parts were unavailable for extended periods, and some report the failure recurred after the pump was replaced under the recall. Usually reported between about 115,000 and 160,000 miles; many owners mention waiting on recall parts before or after the failure.

   Recall 22V4060003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Confirm whether recall 22V406000 was completed and ask for documentation of any fuel pump replacement. Check for hard starting, rough running or a fuel smell, and ask whether the fuel filter was serviced on schedule.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle would not crank. A warning message displayed Service electronic throttle control on the instrument panel. The check engine warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11618649, filed 2024-10, 140,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and experienced a loss in motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road and restarted the vehicle; however, upon arrival to the destination, there was black smoke coming from the rear exhaust. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer for a recall repair. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11612836, filed 2024-09, 140,000 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel gauge and fuel level sensor faults

   • 64 complaints (4%)
   • median 61,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (42 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Complaints describe the fuel gauge reading empty after refueling or becoming unreliable, with the check engine light on and codes for the fuel level sensor. Some owners had the fuel pump and sensor replaced and report the problem returning; a few mention that remote start stops working while the check engine light is set. Others describe small evaporative leaks traced to the fuel cap or EVAP system. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 75,000 miles, often shortly after filling the tank.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Fill the tank during the test drive and watch whether the gauge resets correctly; note any check engine light. Ask whether the fuel level sensor or pump has been replaced and whether EVAP leak codes have been addressed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “A couple of months after getting this used vehicle, the engine light came on with a message saying to check the fuel cap. Just to make sure that nothing else was wrong, we got a diagnosis from o'rileys & auto zone; the o2 sensors needed to be replaced. So we decided to switch out the o2 sensors and the fuel cap. Then after a week, the engine light came back on again. So we got another diagnosis to figure out the problem, it detected an evaporative emission system leak (very small leak). …”

   NHTSA complaint #11414366, filed 2021-04, 107,669 miles

   “The vehicle is at approx 58,000 miles and the well documented fuel sensor failure has illuminated on the dashboard. This happened shortly after filling the tank to full and a drive of about 60 miles. In addition to the fuel sensor failure, the check engine light is illuminated, which disables eco mode. The dealer wants $1000 to fix it. Not acceptable.”

   NHTSA complaint #11311615, filed 2020-02, 58,000 miles

Buying note. A 2015 Ram 1500 is worth a careful pre-purchase inspection focused on steering assist, engine stall history and, on diesel trucks, fuel pump recall completion. Ask for recall and service records, and have a mechanic scan for stored codes before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.