Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2012 RAM 1500: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 695 safety complaints about the 2012 RAM 1500 with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

695
Complaints
7
Recalls
2
Investigations
3★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 32 crashes, 10 fires, 27 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Electrical leads the complaint list, cited in 175 of 695 complaints, followed by Engine & cooling.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 62 of the 695 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 6 years after the model year (103 filed in 2018) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  4. 2 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2012 RAM 1500, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 695 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Electrical
175
Engine & cooling
170
Fuel & propulsion
126
Power train / transmission
92
Airbags & restraints
83
Other / unspecified
68
Brakes & stability
62
Visibility & lighting
51

"While the vehicle was sitting in the driveway not running, the back of the headlight caught on fire. There wasn't any incedents (e.i. any collision, repairs) prior to the indecent. It is available for inspection. No dealership report yet, but have an appointment with local dealership Tuesday to get an itemized estimate for the repairs."

Owner complaint filed August 2026 · Electrical System,Exterior Lighting · NHTSA ODI 11755251

"Fuel pump won’t shut off when car is turned off, I had to pull out fuel pump fuse because my battery kept getting drain, I’ve had difficulty starting and it’s only been a month since I bought this car,I’ve had to buy a bypass cable to temporarily fix the issue, this has happen to so many people, there should be a recall on the timp failing"

Owner complaint filed March 2025 · Electrical System,Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA ODI 11649993

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2012 RAM 1500 peaked later than usual, in 2018.

Complaints filed per year — 2012 RAM 1500
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
2
18
25
35
97
55
64
103
83
43
34
26
38
34
27
11
11121314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2012 compares with other model years

Across the RAM 1500 model years we track, the 2014 has the most complaints on file (1,758); the 2012 ranks 7 of 11.

Total complaints by model year — RAM 1500
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
688
2012
695
1,267
1,758
1,441
1,531
868
656
1,465
622
673
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 7 recalls

7 recalls apply to some or all 2012 RAM 1500 vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

May 201212V-192
Equipment:Other:Labels

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 RAM 1500 TRUCKS, MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 5, 2012 THROUGH JANUARY 6, 2012. THE AFFECTED VEHICLES HAVE A SPARE TIRE THAT DOES NOT MATCH THE SPECIFICATIONS LISTED ON THE TIRE PLACARD. THUS, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MO…

Feb 201313V-038
Power Train:Driveline:Differential Unit

Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ram 1500 trucks manufactured from February 27, 2008, through June 30, 2009, and from December 1, 2009, through October 20, 2011; model year 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota trucks manufactured from February 27, 2007, through June 30, 2009, and from December 1…

Jul 201515V-459
Air Bags:Frontal

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2011, to October 7, 2014, and equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center option. The affected vehicles have a steering wheel wiring harness that may rub a…

May 201616E-041
Equipment

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling aftermarket Mopar Canvas Seat Covers for certain 2012-2016 RAM 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. These Mopar canvas seat covers were sold through Chrysler dealerships beginning October 15, 2015. The seat covers can impede the deployment of the seat thorax airbags.

Dec 201717V-821
Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Lever And Linkage:Column Shift

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 lbs, 2011-2017 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, 2009-2017 Ram 1500 and 2010-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks, all equipped with a column shifter. P…

Dec 201717V-824
Equipment

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling various Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM vehicles equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf. These extinguishers may …

Mar 201818V-160
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Mounting

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Dodge Ram 1500 trucks currently, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, …

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★☆☆
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★☆☆
Side crash
★★★☆☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2012 RAM 1500 have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 695 complaints about the 2012 RAM 1500 with NHTSA. The most-reported system is electrical.

How many recalls does the 2012 RAM 1500 have?

The 2012 RAM 1500 has 7 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2012 RAM 1500 safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2012 RAM 1500 an overall crash rating of 3 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.