Problems · NHTSA complaints

2011 Ram 1500 problems

Owners filed 689 complaints about the 2011 Ram 1500 with NHTSA between Jan 2011 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (214).

Complaints
689
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
28
Reported by owners
Fires
7
Reported by owners
Injuries
21
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system214
  2. Power train176
  3. Engine151
  4. Fuel/propulsion system128
  5. Steering45
  6. Suspension40
  7. Exterior lighting29
  8. Structure23
  9. Service brakes21
  10. Vehicle speed control19
  11. Fuel system, gasoline14
  12. Air bags13
  13. Electronic stability control (esc)12
  14. Tires10

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
201134
201214
2013100
201441
201587
201661
201762
201883
201971
202045
202122
202220
202322
202414
20257
20266

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

214 reports4 crashes2 fires
“The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to purchase a new camper. While the vehicle was parked, the dealer made the contact aware that the passenger’s side turn signal and brake lights were inoperable on the rear towing electrical system, and that the integrated fuse box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 30, 2026Electrical systemODI 11727943

Power train

176 reports5 crashes1 fire2 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road, and there was a loud popping and breaking sound coming from underneath the vehicle, causing the rear wheels to lock up. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the rear driveshaft had fractured and detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer, who diagnosed the failure and recommended the installation of a new driveshaft, rear differential assembly, and failed pinion gear. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V038000 (Power Train); as a possible cause for the failure; however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 250,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 18, 2026Power trainODI 11765317

Engine

151 reports2 crashes4 fires
“The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced by an independent mechanic, the contact was informed that the motor mounts were old and fractured. The independent mechanic suggested that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who confirmed that the motor mounts were fractured and that the vehicle backfired due to piston failure. The dealer replaced the motor mounts. The contact stated that the motor mounts were replaced under an unknown recall. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the vehicle was at a specialty shop for the engine to be replaced. While at the specialty shop, the contact was informed that the motor mounts were not replaced. The vehicle remained at the specialty shop unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 30, 2026Power train, EngineODI 11728126

Fuel/propulsion system

128 reports2 crashes
“There are multiple electrical issues I’ve had to trouble shoot over the past 4 months. As I’ve researched other people with the same issues online, I’ve bee seeing a lot about some recalls pertaing to electrical issues and fuel issues and so I am wondering if there are prior recalls that I might need to have taken care of which I feel could fix my vehicle issues”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 10, 2026Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11710109

Steering

45 reports5 crashes
“I was driving my 2001 Dodge Ram 20-30mph and experienced a total power loss, power steering, power brakes and clock reset. My husband was also in the pickup and can attest to issue. I am an older person so had a very hard time stopping the vehicle and attempting to steer it to the side of the road. Traffic backed up behind me before I could put on my warning blinkers.Eventually, I turned off and on the pickup and everything worked somewhat normally but the vehicle went into limp mode. I got home, had the vehicle towed to the dealership. I explained issue, requested a total diagnosis of everything that was wrong but most importantly, I wanted the total power loss issue diagnosed, pinpointed and resolved. because I don't feel safe driving until issue is truly diagnosed and fixed. I gave them my lifetimecarmaxplus warranty . The techs found a list of parts that needed to be fixed besides the power loss problem, but told me they couldn't fix the total power loss because no codes had been thrown. I explained that since there was a total power loss it was reported by other Dodge techs that no codes could be retrieved. I asked the service manager to ask his tech what…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 6, 2025Steering, Electrical system, Service brakesODI 11703467

Suspension

40 reports3 crashes1 related recall
“The contact's son owns a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal grinding and rubbing sound coming from the rear end of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for brake service. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being repaired, the independent mechanic confirmed the abnormal grinding and rubbing sound. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to contact the dealer for assistance. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V656000 (Suspension); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V160000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. In addition, the contact stated that the dealer had not confirmed the failure but had agreed to inspect the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 22, 2025SuspensionODI 11694936
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.