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NHTSA Owner Complaints

2021 RAM 5500

4 owner-reported issues

Owner-reported data
Total complaints
4
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
2
Open recalls
0

What this means

Fewer than 5 NHTSA complaints filed on 2021 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: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (50%), FIRERELATED (25%), SUSPENSION,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES (25%). These three categories cover 100% of all reports — typical signal that there are 2-3 known systemic issues on this make/model/year, not random faults.

Top reported issues
  • #1ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    2 (50%)
  • #2FIRERELATED
    1 (25%)
  • #3SUSPENSION,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES
    1 (25%)
Recent complaint examples
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM0000-00-00

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving at an unspecified speed, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled over, and the vehicle became engulfed in flames. The contact was the only occupant inside the vehicle and was ab…

Fire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM0000-00-00

The contact owned a 2021 Ram 5500. The contact stated that the vehicle is a flatbed tow truck, and while one of his drivers was driving at 48 MPH, the tow truck driver noticed that white/gray smoke was emitting from under the hood. It was unknown if the smoke entered the vehicle.…

Fire
FIRERELATED0000-00-00

See attached document from complainant…

SUSPENSION,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES0000-00-00

The wheel studs broke going down the Interstate causing the wheels to come off into oncoming traffic. This caused damage to the wheel studs, lug nuts, brake calipers,brakes, rotors, rims and tires.…

Crash

Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these RAM 5500 2021 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 2021 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 2021 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 2021 RAM 5500?
Based on the complaint data: the top reported issue is 'ELECTRICAL SYSTEM' 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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