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

2017 RAM 1500: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 868 safety complaints about the 2017 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

868
Complaints
13
Recalls
3
Investigations
4★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 80 crashes, 16 fires, 77 injuries, 1 death.

Key findings
  1. Steering leads the complaint list, cited in 222 of 868 complaints, followed by Engine & cooling.
  2. Complaints peaked 7 years after the model year (124 filed in 2024) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  3. 3 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2017 RAM 1500, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 868 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Steering
222
Engine & cooling
187
Fuel & propulsion
128
Electrical
107
Brakes & stability
98
Power train / transmission
97
Other / unspecified
70
Airbags & restraints
57

"Power steering loss EPS unit, steering rack and pinion needs replaced, entire rack and pinion, only driven 107,000 miles. Bought off dealership almost 3 years ago with only 83,956 had purchased extended warranty that has expired in March."

Owner complaint filed September 2026 · Steering · NHTSA ODI 11761493

"Steering has become hard and pulsates at times. Feels unsafe when turning at intersections. Steering issue is unpredictable and dangerous. (many other RAM 1500 drivers seem to have this issue per RAM forums). Fix is to replace entire rack and pinion system which is not acceptable. This is something that should last life of the vehicle. ~$4,000 fix is very hard to swallow."

Owner complaint filed April 2026 · Steering · NHTSA ODI 11732661

Complaints didn't fade — they kept coming

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2017 RAM 1500 inverts that curve — filings peaked in 2024, 7 years after the model year.

Complaints filed per year — 2017 RAM 1500
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
34
71
94
77
59
75
118
124
123
93
17181920212223242526
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 2017 compares with other model years

Across the RAM 1500 model years we track, the 2014 has the most complaints on file (1,758); the 2017 ranks 6 of 11.

Total complaints by model year — RAM 1500
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
688
695
1,267
1,758
1,441
1,531
2017
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: 13 recalls

13 recalls apply to some or all 2017 RAM 1500 vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Mar 201717V-198
Power Train:Driveline:Differential Unit

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ram 1500 trucks. The differential pin retaining screw may come loose while driving, potentially causing the differential to break or lock up.

Jul 201717V-434
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017 Ram 1500 trucks. The fuel tanks in the affected vehicles may have a broken fuel tank control valve which might leak fuel if the vehicle were to become inverted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safet…

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…

Feb 201818V-100
Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 RAM 1500, 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, all equipped with a column shifter. Pushing the brake pedal for prolonged periods when the vehicle is running and in PARK may cause the Brake Transmission Shi…

May 201818V-332
Electrical System:Wiring

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler…

Jul 201818V-486
Structure:Body:Tailgate

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2017 RAM 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with a power locking tailgate and either a 5 foot, 7 inch or 6 foot, 4 inch bed. The tailgate actuator limiter tab may fracture and cause the tailgate to unlatch and open while driving.

May 201919V-347
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Tailgate:Latch

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with an 8 foot bed and a power locking tailgate. Chrysler is also recalling all 2013-2014 and 2018 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks built before April 1, 2018 with a 6 or 8 foot bed and a power l…

Oct 201919V-757
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Gas Recirculation Valve (Egr Valve)

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and 1500 Classic Pickup trucks equipped with 3.0L Eco Diesel engines. The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler may crack and allow pre-heated vaporized coolant to enter the EGR system. This mixture may combust inside the intake manifold…

Aug 202020V-475
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Ram 1500 and 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, po…

Aug 202121V-632
Air Bags:Side/Window:Curtain:Inflator

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Ram 1500 Classic, 2015-2016 Ram 3500, and Ram 2500 vehicles, and 2016 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a gross vehicle weight rating less than 10,000 lbs. The side air bag inflatable curtain (SABIC) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the …

Jun 202222V-406
Fuel System, Diesel:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and 2014-2019 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. A high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failure may introduce internal debris into the fuel system, potentially resulting in fuel starvation.

Jun 202323V-411
Engine And Engine Cooling

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0L Diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate, causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, …

Jan 202525V-010
Air Bags:Side/Window:Curtain:Inflator

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Ram 3500, Ram 1500, 2016-2020 Ram 2500, and 2016 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis vehicles. The right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect.

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 2017 RAM 1500 have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 868 complaints about the 2017 RAM 1500 with NHTSA. The most-reported system is steering.

How many recalls does the 2017 RAM 1500 have?

The 2017 RAM 1500 has 13 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2017 RAM 1500 safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2017 RAM 1500 an overall crash rating of 4 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.