MODELYEARINDEX

Ram 3500

2,290 complaints across 12 scored model years and 68 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Ram 3500 Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2012 vs model median 2.4×
Model median3× median
Steering 203
Fuel System 33
Suspension 32
Avoid

2012 · 2014

Best

2010 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Ram 3500
Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.69× 112 C
2011
1.44× 218 D
2012
2.37× 367 F
2013
0.91× 126 C
2014
1.49× 206 D
2015
0.97× 134 C
2016
1.03× 124 C
2017
0.84× 123 C
2018
0.87× 136 C
2019
1.14× 131 D
2020
1.24× 139 D
2021
0.52× 73 C
2022 P
1.85× 242 F
2023 P
0.17× 23 B
2024 P
0.62× 61 B
2025 P
0.64× 75 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

Recalls

68 campaigns on record, 5 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign Component Model years Units affected
18V332000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING 2014–2018 4,815,661
16V352000 Park it AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010 4,648,270
17V821000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT 2010–2017 1,482,874
15V461000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. 2013–2015 1,416,903
22V904000 STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS 2019–2022 1,224,078
18V486000 STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE 2015–2017 1,149,223
19V347000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH 2013–2018 1,103,209
15V459000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2012–2014 1,059,444

+ 60 further campaigns

Others in Heavy-Duty Trucks

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Other models in the same segment
Model Years to avoid Grade
Chevrolet Silverado 2500
20152020
C
Ford F-250
20172019
C
Ford F-350
20172019
C
GMC Sierra 2500
20152020
C
Ram 2500
20142018
C

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Working 2012 3500
Complaints in window
367
Severity-weighted
425.5
Model median (weighted)
179
vs model median
2.37×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
9
Open investigations
0
Score 25.7 F