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O Trucking
NHTSA Owner Complaints

2013 RAM 5500

4 owner-reported issues

Owner-reported data
Total complaints
4
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
0
Open recalls
2

What this means

Fewer than 5 NHTSA complaints filed on 2013 RAM 5500. Either the truck is too new for a meaningful sample, or owners aren't reporting issues to NHTSA. The dominant complaint patterns are: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN (25%), WHEELS (25%), SUSPENSION (25%). These three categories cover 75% of all reports — typical signal that there are 2-3 known systemic issues on this make/model/year, not random faults.

Top reported issues
  • #1ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN
    1 (25%)
  • #2WHEELS
    1 (25%)
  • #3SUSPENSION
    1 (25%)
  • #4POWER TRAIN,ENGINE
    1 (25%)
Recent complaint examples
SUSPENSION0000-00-00

PULLSTAR PUMP HOIST & UTILITY BODY > TOTAL WEIGHT 17,000LBS BOTH REARMOST SHACKLE BOLTS FOUND OVER ONE HALF THE WAY OUT OF PLACE WITH THREADED ENDS WITH NUT MISSING. NEAR DISASTER.…

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN0000-00-00

02/26/15 WHILE UNDER WARRANTY.... #1 - WATER PUMP & WATER PUMP BEARING DEFECTIVE - COOLANT LEAKED, LEAKS AROUND SHAFT, BELT DAMAGE DUE TO FAILED WATER PUMP. #2 - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AFTER REPAIR COMPLETE PCM CODES P2509 BCM POWER SIGNAL INT P20EE SCR NOX CAT EFFICIE…

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE0000-00-00

WHEN I PULLED OUT FROM A STOP INTO THE INTERSECTION I REALIZED THE CARS WERE CLOSER THAT I FIRST THOUGHT, AND WHEN I INSTINCTIVELY PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR TO GET OUT OF THE WAY, NOTHING HAPPENED FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE ETERNITY BUT MAYBE JUST A PORTION OF A SECOND BEFO…

WHEELS0000-00-00

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE RAM 5500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS WEARING OUT THE TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FRONT END WAS OUT OF ALIGNMEN…

Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these RAM 5500 2013 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 2013 RAM 5500 based on these complaints?
It depends on the components reported. 4 complaints across roughly tens of thousands of trucks of this model year is a light 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 2013 RAM 5500?
Yes — 2 NHTSA recalls have 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 2013 RAM 5500?
Based on the complaint data: the top reported issue is 'ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN' with 1 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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