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NHTSA Owner Complaints

2018 RAM 3500

810 owner-reported issues

Owner-reported data
Total complaints
810
Crash reports
17
Fire reports
2
Open recalls
0

What this means

810+ NHTSA complaints filed on 2018 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 (36%), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC (16%), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES (6%). These three categories cover 58% 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
    291 (36%)
  • #2SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    131 (16%)
  • #3ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES
    49 (6%)
  • #4VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES
    37 (5%)
  • #5ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES
    33 (4%)
  • #6SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
    25 (3%)
  • #7ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    22 (3%)
  • #8STEERING
    21 (3%)
  • #9WHEELS
    15 (2%)
  • #10SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
    13 (2%)
Recent complaint examples
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2018 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 contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the brake p…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while waiting at a traffic light to enter the freeway, the contact started to accelerate, and the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The ESC warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Ca…

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2018 RAM 3500. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact noticed an abnormal cracking sound and smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact inspected and used a fire extinguisher to slow the smoke and electrical sparks down…

Fire
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES0000-00-00

Before the recall, I was driving my vehicle and the brakes and the power steering locked up. The vehicle felt like it was trying to drive with the emergency brake on. After this happened, I took the vehicle to Haley Jeep Jam, Richmond, VA, and they said they couldn't determine an…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The co…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. …

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES0000-00-00

ABS/TRACTION CONTROL light and warning alarm goes off continuously. Very dangerous when towing a 15k pound camper.…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service breaks, 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 excee…

Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these RAM 3500 2018 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 2018 RAM 3500 based on these complaints?
It depends on the components reported. 810 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 2018 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 2018 RAM 3500?
Based on the complaint data: the top reported issue is 'SERVICE BRAKES' with 291 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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