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NHTSA Owner Complaints

2017 RAM 3500

316 owner-reported issues

Owner-reported data
Total complaints
316
Crash reports
9
Fire reports
1
Open recalls
0

What this means

316+ NHTSA complaints filed on 2017 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: SERVICE BRAKES (27%), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC (14%), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES (4%). These three categories cover 46% of all reports — typical signal that there are 2-3 known systemic issues on this make/model/year, not random faults.

Top reported issues
  • #1SERVICE BRAKES
    86 (27%)
  • #2SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    45 (14%)
  • #3ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES
    14 (4%)
  • #4WHEELS
    14 (4%)
  • #5VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES
    13 (4%)
  • #6ENGINE
    13 (4%)
  • #7STEERING
    11 (3%)
  • #8POWER TRAIN
    10 (3%)
  • #9UNKNOWN OR OTHER
    9 (3%)
  • #10ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES
    8 (3%)
Recent complaint examples
ENGINE0000-00-00

The contact owned a 2017 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact stated that an employee parked the vehicle in front of an apartment complex, went inside the building to finish working; when the employee returned outside the building, the vehicle was on fire. No warning lights illuminate…

Fire
SERVICE BRAKES0000-00-00

The HCU ABS is malfunctioning causing the cruise control to not work along with anti lock brake functions. This could cause a brake malfunction leading to a crash. We have received the recall notice, C4B/NHTSA 24V-896 over a year ago. We have contacted the local dealer several ti…

SERVICE BRAKES0000-00-00

The issue involves the ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and hydraulic control unit on our 2017 Ram 3500. The recall states that the ABS module/hydraulic control unit may fail, which can impact braking performance and disable safety systems. The component has not been repaired becau…

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE0000-00-00

Grid heater bolt broke while towing our camper and destroyed our engine while traveling through Virginia!…

BACK OVER PREVENTION0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rear-view camera image was blue. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear-view camera or the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The v…

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE0000-00-00

My ABS hydraulic control unit pump motor is not working properly. This has been affecting me since Oct 2024 when we were pulling our 5th wheel and losing braking and power. I learned later that It is part of a NHTSA Recall 24V-896000. Code C4B I was told by the Dodge dealer J…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exce…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC0000-00-00

See Attached Letter federal safety recall #c4b/nhtsa 24v-896 paid to have repairs done over two years ago the part was the old defect one took months to get paid still waiting for new improved part for 2017 and 2018 ram pickups alarm sounds and light flashes different times this…

Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these RAM 3500 2017 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 2017 RAM 3500 based on these complaints?
It depends on the components reported. 316 complaints across roughly tens of thousands of trucks of this model year is a high-volume 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 2017 RAM 3500?
Not currently. Owner complaints don't automatically trigger recalls — NHTSA reviews complaint patterns and opens investigations when warranted. Recalls usually happen when a complaint pattern correlates with documented field failures or safety incidents. Even without recalls, repeated complaints on the same component is signal worth noting in your purchase decision.
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 2017 RAM 3500?
Based on the complaint data: the top reported issue is 'SERVICE BRAKES' with 86 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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