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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2016 Ram 5500 Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
6about this part
Share
35%of 17 total for the year
Median mileage
77,122miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2016 Ram 5500, 35% of the 17 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 77,122 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers. 2 recall campaigns on record are filed under a similar system.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Our transfer case failed (blow apart) causing a fire . We had the truck towed to our dealer and for the last three weeks dodge has not allowed the repair to proceed or provided us with contact information or a path forward. We have no truck or plan for it to be fixed. The truck was being driven on a highway at about 50 MPH when the transfer case failed.”

NHTSA complaint #11269389, filed 2019-10, 82,000 miles

“Was driving 65 MPH in cruise control, on the highway, in motion when I felt a vibration for maybe 10 seconds, dash lights came on within a couple seconds of vibration starting, pulled over to the side of the highway, truck would not go into park. Someone had to bring a truck and trailer to come pick up myself and the truck and a wrecker to load truck on trailer. When truck was loaded, you could see that the transfer case looked like it had exploded. The wiring harness had been pulled out. …”

NHTSA complaint #11269161, filed 2019-10, 72,000 miles

“While driving down the road, I felt a slight vibration and then a loud banging noise from underneat the truck. I lost power and had to pull over to the side of the road and then found parts of the transmission on the road and alot of fluid. The engine was smoking but did not catch fire”

NHTSA complaint #11121408, filed 2018-08

“The contact owns a 2016 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shake an vibrate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16v495000 (power train). The failure mileage was 175,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11395691, filed 2021-02, 175,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2016 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transfer case. The contact stated that the transmission was loud and vibrated abnormally while driving. …”

NHTSA complaint #11670776, filed 2025-07, 156 miles

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
20222181%
2020113%
201918%
2018410%
2017838%
2016635%
2015323%
2014218%

Other parts of the 2016 Ram 5500

Wheels
6 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsElectrical system
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2016 Ram 5500

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology