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NHTSA Owner Complaints

2016 RAM 3500

134 owner-reported issues

Owner-reported data
Total complaints
134
Crash reports
12
Fire reports
5
Open recalls
1

What this means

134+ NHTSA complaints filed on 2016 RAM 3500. Strong sample size. The top 3-5 reported issues likely represent real systemic concerns to know about before purchase. The dominant complaint patterns are: STEERING (16%), WHEELS (13%), UNKNOWN OR OTHER (7%). These three categories cover 37% of all reports — typical signal that there are 2-3 known systemic issues on this make/model/year, not random faults.

Top reported issues
  • #1STEERING
    22 (16%)
  • #2WHEELS
    18 (13%)
  • #3UNKNOWN OR OTHER
    10 (7%)
  • #4ENGINE
    8 (6%)
  • #5FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
    7 (5%)
  • #6POWER TRAIN
    7 (5%)
  • #7AIR BAGS
    6 (4%)
  • #8POWER TRAIN,ENGINE
    5 (4%)
  • #9SERVICE BRAKES
    5 (4%)
  • #10ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    4 (3%)
Recent complaint examples
WHEELS0000-00-00

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 BEFOR…

POWER TRAIN0000-00-00

WE HAVE SEVERAL RAM 3500 VEHICLES. ALL THE REAREND FAIL WAY BEYOND THE TIME THAT THEY SHOULD BE IN SERVICE. THESE UNITS FAIL WITH LESS THAN 200,000 MILES AND SHOULD GO WELL BEYOND THAT MILEAGE. I FEEL THESE UNITS HAVE A ON GOING ISSUES THAT THE MFG KNOWS ABOUT BUT FAILS TO DO A R…

UNKNOWN OR OTHER0000-00-00

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW WITH THE MANUAL SINGLE ZONE HEATING VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM (HVAC). THE VEHICLE CONSTANTLY DEFAULTS TO RECIRCULATE AIR MODE REGARDLESS OF THE RECIRCULATE MODE BEING TURNED OFF. YOU CAN TELL THE SYSTEM IS IN RECIRC MODE WITH THE RECIRC LIG…

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM0000-00-00

INSTALLED A NORTHERN TOOL GRAVITY FED AUXILIARY DIESEL FUEL TANK FOR DIESEL TRUCK. WORKED GREAT FOR ALMOST A YEAR. ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN COMING TO A STOP, NOTICED DIESEL FUEL POURING OUT OF FILLER TUBE. THE 2016 RAM 3500 DIESEL DOES NOT COME WITH A FUEL CAP AND RELIES ON VALVE IN…

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING0000-00-00

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 3500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V562000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECAL…

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE0000-00-00

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 3500. THE DEALER (DON FRANKLIN SOMERSET CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM NISSAN, 1147 S HIGHWAY 27, SOMERSET, KY 42501, (606) 678-8178) SCHEDULED THE RECALL REPAIR APPOINTMENT FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V562000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND 17V821000 (…

TIRES0000-00-00

2016 DODGE RAM 3500. CONSUMER WRITES REQUESTING A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS OF REPAIR OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. *LD *JS…

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE0000-00-00

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 SECON…

Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these RAM 3500 2016 complaints verified by NHTSA?
NHTSA collects complaints from owners but does NOT verify each one. The complaints below are unfiltered owner reports — useful for spotting patterns, but a single complaint doesn't prove a defect. Pay attention to: (1) volume of complaints on the same component, (2) consistency of described symptoms, and (3) whether NHTSA has opened a formal investigation or issued a recall on the same component. If a component appears in 5+% of complaints, that's usually a real pattern worth taking seriously.
Should I avoid buying a 2016 RAM 3500 based on these complaints?
It depends on the components reported. 134 complaints across roughly tens of thousands of trucks of this model year is a moderate signal. Compare against other model years of the same truck — if 2022 has 3x more complaints than 2020 or 2024, that specific year has issues. Also check whether the most-reported component is something you can preventively address (e.g., DEF system issues can be mitigated with quality fluid + dealer software updates).
Have any of these complaints led to recalls on the 2016 RAM 3500?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall has been issued for this make/model/year. Owner complaints are one of the inputs NHTSA uses to identify potential safety defects — when a pattern shows up in complaints, an investigation can open, and if a defect is confirmed, a recall is issued. See the recall page for this vehicle for details.
How do I file my own complaint about a RAM truck?
Visit NHTSA.gov/file-complaint. You'll need: your VIN, the date of incident, description of what happened, and component affected (drivetrain, brakes, etc.). Filing takes ~10 minutes and adds your data point to the public record. This is the input that triggers NHTSA investigations. For commercial trucks, fleet operators reporting issues at scale (10+ similar reports) often accelerate NHTSA's review timeline.
What's the most expensive complaint pattern on the 2016 RAM 3500?
Based on the complaint data: the top reported issue is 'STEERING' with 22 reports. Depending on the specific failure mode, this can range from a few hundred dollars (sensor replacement) to several thousand (transmission rebuild, DPF replacement, engine work). The complaint pattern alone won't tell you cost — check the symptoms described for hints about the actual root cause. Most commercial-truck complaints describe symptoms ($1,500–$5,000 repair range is typical), not catastrophic failures.

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