2016 Ram 3500 Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year cluster around two themes: a lag between pressing the accelerator and the truck responding, often described as a dead pedal from a stop, and problems with the original Nexen tires, where owners report belt separation, bulging, and sudden air loss at low mileage. Steering drag-link and alignment complaints also appear frequently, many tied to the 19V021000 recall service, with some owners saying the welded repair left them unable to get an alignment.

1. 1
   Wheels

   Original Nexen tires: belt separation and blowouts

   • 24 complaints (18%)
   • median 20,000 mi at 3.9 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2025

   Owners of trucks still on the factory Nexen tires report vibration, bulging sidewalls, tread or belt separation, and in several cases a blowout while driving. Complaints describe shops finding shifted belts or splitting between the treads, and owners replacing one or more tires at low mileage. Some say the dealer or tire maker would not take responsibility. Mostly reported between about 1,600 and 43,000 miles, often within the first couple of years of ownership.

   Recall 17V499000Recall 21V398000

   What to check: Check the tire brand and date codes; look for bulges, cracks, or uneven wear, and ask whether the factory tires have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is the 5th Ram truck I purchase. I use them for work. All of the units have short life span on tires. Some have deep thread but have bubbles on tires. I have had some tires that won't last 20000 miles. They will probably blowout if I keep driving them like this. Tires are very poor quality.”

   NHTSA complaint #11170921, filed 2019-01, 20,000 miles

   “Nexen tires lt235/80-17 at ra8 original equipment with truck at purchase. This truck was purchased in march 2016 new from Ram dealer, this truck is a 2016 Ram 3500 dually. We have had two tires seperate, other wise belts inside tires broke, we were able to notice an replace before any blow outs accrued. We properly care for our tires due to that our children ride in this truck an also we haul our livestock behind this truck. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11101308, filed 2018-06, 12,400 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Steering drift and alignment after drag-link recall

   • 23 complaints (17%)
   • median 55,526 mi at 4.2 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners report the truck wandering or drifting at highway speed, uneven front tire wear, and shops refusing or failing to align the front end. Several complaints tie this to the 19V021000 steering recall, saying the jam nut was welded to the drag link and that later alignment work required replacing the drag link. A few describe the linkage loosening or steering response being lost while driving. Reported from a few thousand miles up to roughly 149,000 miles, often noticed as tire wear or a pull before any noise.

   Recall 19V0210001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the 19V021000 recall was performed and whether the drag link was welded or replaced; check front tire wear for uneven edges and have the alignment verified.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Fca and the dealer refuses to verify the safety of my truck. I brought my truck to the dealer for recall NHTSA 19v-021 (drag link). I told the dealer I wanted them to inspect the drag link nuts to insure they weren't coming off. I also said I didn't want the nuts welded to the drag link. Welding the nuts would prevent adjustment when aligning the truck in the future. The dealer said they would cut off the welds when doing the alignment. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11204089, filed 2019-04, 30,000 miles

   “December 28, 2018 was approaching a roundabout traffic island when turning left and right the truck when out of control and bounced off curb and over center island one over concrete planting box under construction.blew passenger side tire and damaging wheel,front differential training arm, drag link jam nut completely losse and causing steering wheel to 90 degrees left.close to home usedfriens flat bed trailer to take home. Newer truck did not want to brand title with insurance claim. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11235341, filed 2019-07, 18,700 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Limp mode and reduced power on diesel trucks

   Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

   Diesel owners report the truck dropping into limp mode or losing power while driving, sometimes while towing, along with check-engine or MIL lights. Complaints describe diagnoses of a failed turbo actuator, faulty fuel injectors, a grid heater bolt that fell into a cylinder, or DEF sensor readings that dropped without warning. Some say repairs were made but the problem returned. Spread from roughly 13,000 to 149,000 miles, with towing and highway driving mentioned in several complaints.

   Recall 17V562000Recall 15V592000Recall 18V3320003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service records on turbo, injector, and DEF-related repairs, and check whether the 17V562000 water-pump recall and emission warranty extensions apply to the truck.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The def tank suddenly read empty and it was over 3/4 full it began to countdown the warning of reduced speed in 200 miles I was driving between ca and az at night . I was over 250 from any town driving at 65 it suddenly slowed to 5 MPH. This caused vehicles to swerve around me and brake. I understand you don't want people not to use def but for safety the vehicle should at least be able to keep the min freeway speed of 55. Then upon restart idle only for cold environment situations.”

   NHTSA complaint #10954296, filed 2017-02, 13,000 miles

   “Nhtsa recall number: 17v-562. The description provided in the notice reads: a water pump failure resulting in an engine compartment fire can cause the vehicle to crash without prior warning increasing the risk of injury to motor vehicle occupants or persons outside the vehicle. I contacted the dealer where I purchased the vehicle, tate branch dodge in carlsbad, nm on 11/21/2017. They stated that nothing can be done, even after I asked if I just have to hope that the vehicle doesn't catch on fire, to which they said, yes . …”

   NHTSA complaint #11047784, filed 2017-11, 13,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Accelerator delay from a stop (dead pedal)

   • 15 complaints (11%)
   • median 12,500 mi at 1.4 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2023

   Owners describe a pause of roughly two to five seconds between pressing the accelerator and the truck moving, most noticeable when pulling away from a stop into traffic or trying to accelerate onto a highway. Some say the delay gets shorter once the truck warms up; others say it has grown worse with mileage. Complaints describe dealers telling them the vehicle operates as designed, and none report a repair that resolved it. Reported from as low as a few hundred miles up to roughly 150,000 miles, with several under 10,000 miles; often described as worse when cold.

   What to check: Drive the truck from a dead stop on a test drive and note any pause before it moves; ask whether the dealer has ever looked at the throttle or turbo calibration.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My truck, with the aisin transmission and single rear wheel, has a horrible throttle delay. Pulling out into an intersection or in front of oncoming traffic is terrifying, because if the delay kicks in, I can put the pedal down and the truck will literally not react for 3-5 seconds. This is also true when trying to accelerate to pass on the highway, avoid another vehicle, etc. It's like the throttle pedal doesn't know you're pushing it for quite a few seconds, and then and only then it will react. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11075765, filed 2018-03, 42,000 miles

   “Daily occurrence. While dead stopped at light or idling along after lifting foot off of brake pedal, then slowly depressing accelerator pedal, there is a 2-4 second delay before truck starts to accelerate. Feels like a dead pedal. This has become worse as the truck accrues miles. When needing to accelerate quickly, the pedal response is slow to respond and has caused many anxious moments with vehicles bearing down on my rear end. I press the pedal and wait for engine to respond. The truck is a diesel and it does not feel like turbo lag. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10954371, filed 2017-02, 2,124 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Gear shifter detaching or slipping out of park

   • 6 complaints (4%)
   • median 20,799 mi at 1.7 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2022

   Owners describe the column gear shifter handle breaking or detaching while shifting out of park, and in some cases the truck rolling after being placed in park. Complaints mention the vehicle had already been serviced under shift-related recalls, and one owner says the dealer could not duplicate the problem. Mostly reported between about 2,000 and 67,000 miles.

   Recall 17V821000Recall 16V495000

   What to check: Check whether the 17V821000 recall addendum card is in the truck, and work the shifter through park, reverse, and drive to feel for looseness or a broken handle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The truck was loaded with approximately 1,400 pounds of hay in the bed. The vehicle was stopped on a slight incline toward the rear. It was placed into park as witnessed by the 2 passengers. The vehicle was stationary as the driver exited the vehicle and closed the door. A couple of seconds later, the vehicle slipped out of park and started rolling backwards.”

   NHTSA complaint #10852461, filed 2016-03, 8,500 miles

   “The contact owns a 2016 Ram 3500. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle with the brake pedal depressed, while attempting to shift into gear, the gear shifter handle fractured. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was contacted, and the part was replaced by the contact. The vehicle was later serviced under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V821000 (Power Train). …”

   NHTSA complaint #11428864, filed 2021-08, 55,390 miles

Buying note. Drive it from a stop and at highway speed before buying, check the tire brand and front tire wear, and confirm which recalls have actually been completed. Service records for diesel emissions and turbo work are worth asking for on these trucks.

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.