2020 Ram 1500 engine problems

“I bought this used truck with 60K miles on it in 2024. It is a 2020 truck. At 136K the engine failed.........with the infamous [XXX]. I have an excel summary spread sheet on all maintenance I had done since I owned this truck and I did not pull or haul anything. I heard a tick for about 10 days before I took it to my dealer whom I bought it from and they stated after "scoping" that the # 8 cylinder misfired and cylinder wall scored and the lifter pin bearing failed thus cam shaft damaged and exhaust manifold cracked. They had to replace the engine with a remanufactured engine from [XXX] and replaced intake and exhaust Manifold at a cost of $ 15,021 out of my pocket. I was stuck with no options logically. I do not have a problem with the Dealership - [XXX]. I have a problem with Ram Engineering, Stalantis design. To me there is no excuse to have a big cast iron block v-8 fail at 136K miles. There are many more ram owners who have this same problem I just stated that I had. If I knew then what I know now i would have never bought this truck with this 5.7L engine. There were no warnings, messages or anything displayed to alert there was a problem. I expect that…”

“Twice in the past two years, the eTorque system had failed will driving on the highest. When the unit fails, you lose all power asks if you're battery is low, you can pose the ability to even steer. The first time, I was on the i87 going north, and barely made it off the road. I was nearly hit by several semi trucks because this was on a blind turn with very little shoulder and I basically had to hide in the woods for safety. Just this past week, less than two years after the replacement, the same issue happened again. This incident was on route 11, which is very busy and I was unable to get my vehicle of the road. An officer came to shield me until the tow truck came, but it was very sketchy. This total cost is over 3000$, and no support from Ram as to why this is happening. This past time the bearings went and there was a lot of smoke coming from the engine area. The smell of burning electronics was choking in the cab; at that point I had to get out of the truck due to the toxic fumes. I did file a complaint with them. With this being such a safety concern, why is there no recall? I can't be the only person having had to deal with this. From what the…”

“I am having DEF related issues with my 2020 Ram 1500 ecodiesel that will ultimately cause the vehicle to no longer operate. Ram has an extended warranty for my exact problem but I am being told that my vehicle doesn’t meet the requirements. My vehicle is under the required year and mileage but I’m being told that it doesn’t apply.”

“While driving down the highway the vehicle radiator fan kicked on high (could hear it from the cab) then my electronic power steering went out seconds after receiving the “Service Electronic Power Steering” dash light. Since then it is intermittent, EPS returns and then goes out again, each time accompanied by the high fan noise.”

“I PCSd from Springfield, MO to Fort Bliss Texas. I bought the truck [XXX]. I make it to TX. Driving the first Saturday in TX on [XXX] it just shuts down and put me in a very scary situation. I was stuck in the middle of the high way. It does not drive. The Etorque/generator is bad and is now on order from my local Dodge dealership. It literally shut down my truck and will not start, run, nothing. It’s been in the shop for 40 days with a no ETA on the part ordered. This should definitely be a safety recall as it just stalled me on the highway.”

“TIMELINE: 3/2/26: Check engine light and remote start error appeared; no immediate symptoms, planned to have it inspected later. 3/3/26: Truck failed to start after work, leaving me stranded. 3/4/26: Checked for obvious issues (battery, fuses); none found. 3/5/26: Diagnosed and replaced a failed starter; truck started and drove normally. 3/6/26: Vehicle operated normally all day with multiple successful starts. 3/7/26: Truck would not start again. 3/23/26: Vehicle towed to local RAM dealership for inspection. 3/30/26: Dealership determined engine is completely seized and requires replacement. My complaint is that the engine seized abruptly with no warning signs of impending failure. This posed a serious safety risk, as it could have occurred on the highway and caused an accident, injury, or death. The vehicle has approximately 106,000 miles, and all oil changes were performed properly and on schedule. The dealership has refused to inspect the engine to determine the cause unless I pay for their services, and RAM corporate has stated they have no one available to evaluate the issue. This may be due to a defective part that could endanger others and should be…”