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NHTSA Owner Complaints

2020 RAM 5500

8 owner-reported issues

Owner-reported data
Total complaints
8
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
1
Open recalls
1

What this means

8 NHTSA complaints filed on 2020 RAM 5500. Light sample — pattern recognition is limited but specific complaints may still be useful. The dominant complaint patterns are: SEAT BELTS (25%), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC (25%), POWER TRAIN (13%). These three categories cover 63% of all reports — typical signal that there are 2-3 known systemic issues on this make/model/year, not random faults.

Top reported issues
  • #1SEAT BELTS
    2 (25%)
  • #2SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    2 (25%)
  • #3POWER TRAIN
    1 (13%)
  • #4AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
    1 (13%)
  • #5UNKNOWN OR OTHER
    1 (13%)
  • #6TIRES,WHEELS
    1 (13%)
Recent complaint examples
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE0000-00-00

I was traveling down the hwy and and car went thru the stop sign. I could not stop in time and I t boned it. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)…

CrashInjuries
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed during a heavy crosswind, the electronic stabilization system warning light illuminated, indicating that the system had deactivated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an indep…

TIRES,WHEELS0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at 20-25 MPH, the dual wheel tires detached from the vehicle and struck another vehicle. On another occasion while driving 60 MPH, the tires detached. There was no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was …

POWER TRAIN0000-00-00

While driving on the freeway at 75 mph transfer case went into neutral. No power to wheels. I managed to coast off the freeway and then towed to dealership. Dodge 5500 trucks are used for heavy hauling such as fire trucks, ambulances and in the west ranchers. If a rancher is goi…

SEAT BELTS0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and slamming on the brakes, the front driver's side seat belt failed to retract. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an unkno…

SEAT BELTS0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving and slamming on the brakes, the front driver's side seat belt failed to retract. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the sea…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 5500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V759000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and towing a trailer, while attempting to stop the vehicle, the contact noticed that…

UNKNOWN OR OTHER0000-00-00

2020 DODGE RAM 5500. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO Y26 STUDS SAFETY RECALL. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THIS RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAD AN EXHAUST FIRE. THE VEHICLE SMOKED FOR 20 MINUTES. * (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS…

Fire

Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these RAM 5500 2020 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 2020 RAM 5500 based on these complaints?
It depends on the components reported. 8 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 2020 RAM 5500?
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 2020 RAM 5500?
Based on the complaint data: the top reported issue is 'SEAT BELTS' with 2 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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