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O Trucking
NHTSA Owner Complaints

2016 RAM 5500

17 owner-reported issues

Owner-reported data
Total complaints
17
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
1
Open recalls
0

What this means

17 NHTSA complaints filed on 2016 RAM 5500. Light sample — pattern recognition is limited but specific complaints may still be useful. The dominant complaint patterns are: POWER TRAIN (29%), WHEELS (24%), SUSPENSION,WHEELS (6%). These three categories cover 59% of all reports — typical signal that there are 2-3 known systemic issues on this make/model/year, not random faults.

Top reported issues
  • #1POWER TRAIN
    5 (29%)
  • #2WHEELS
    4 (24%)
  • #3SUSPENSION,WHEELS
    1 (6%)
  • #4STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES
    1 (6%)
  • #5STEERING,SUSPENSION
    1 (6%)
  • #6ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    1 (6%)
  • #7WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
    1 (6%)
  • #8ENGINE
    1 (6%)
  • #9STEERING,SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE
    1 (6%)
  • #10POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    1 (6%)
Recent complaint examples
ENGINE0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH on several occasions, the vehicle lost power and unintendedly decelerated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence and there was smoke coming from the eng…

POWER TRAIN0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illum…

WHEELS0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 5500. The contact stated that on two separate occasions while his driver was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to shake violently when all four tires detached from the vehicle. As a result, the contact’s driver was able to navigate…

WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER0000-00-00

We have sent this in for recall repairs and Dodge either did not have the parts or said it would be weeks before they got the parts and we, as a company have had three dodge ram 5500's in the last week that have broken all the wheel studs off, snapped a single stud, or the the lu…

WHEELS0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH the driver's side rear outer wheel suddenly detached from the vehicle. Upon inspection, it was discovered that all ten lug nuts securing the wheel had sheared off causing the failure t…

CrashInjuries
WHEELS0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 5500. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and making a left turn the dual left rear tires had separated from the vehicle and the vehicle landed on the axle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that …

Crash
WHEELS0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 5500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V398000 (Wheels) however, the local dealer and other unknown dealers informed the contact that they could not accommodate the vehicle for recall repair. The contact stated while his dr…

STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES0000-00-00

THE HIGH PRESSURE BOOSTER HOSE INTERIOR LINER CAME APART AND JAMMED INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER PRESSURE PORT. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND LOSS OF POWER BRAKES. THIS IS AN AMBULANCE, WE HAVE MULTIPLE OF THIS SAME YEAR AND MODEL. IT WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET AND RESULTE…

Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these RAM 5500 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 5500 based on these complaints?
It depends on the components reported. 17 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 2016 RAM 5500?
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 2016 RAM 5500?
Based on the complaint data: the top reported issue is 'POWER TRAIN' with 5 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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