2021 Ram 1500 Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 23, 2026 · Filed: October 29, 2026

Transmission issues are a known problem in the 2021 Ram 1500 and have been for a while, with no recalls. Slipping of gear. Delay or jerking into reverse. Putting it in reverse and it telling me to put it into park or it auto-correcting itself into park. While driving twice and going from complete stop after the auto correcting went to pull off & the vehicle did not go into gear the RPM was raised and the truck moved forward but would not go into gear. The smell of transmission fluid and possible coolant seem to be in truck through vent. The Malfunction Indicator light came on. Had a Shop check code said it showed Valve Body. All these are known issues with the transmission and should be recalled as this is very dangerous for driving as it could stop in road, loose power going up hill on interstate and if there are leaks it could cause a fire. There should have been recalls and investigations. Manufacture knows these issues are and have been happening but does not want to spend the money to fix problems. Ignores and hopes warranty will be gone before it happens so it will be on the owner. That is what they did with me.

Incident: October 6, 2026 · Filed: October 29, 2026

The engine oil pan severely corroded and over 30% of the 18 gauge steel scaled away. For an 18-gauge steel oil pan (nominal thickness of 0.0478 inches or 1.2 mm), the threshold where rust becomes hazardous is remarkably thin—literally and figuratively. Because an oil pan holds hot, chemically active fluid and is subjected to constant vibration and thermal cycling, the margin for corrosion safety is very small: 1. The Pinhole and Leak Threshold (25% to 30% Loss) * The Limit: If deep rust pitting or scaling eats away more than 0.012 to 0.015 inches (roughly 25% to 30% of the wall thickness), the metal is no longer structurally sound enough to contain the oil under thermal expansion and vibration. * The Hazard: At this stage, microscopic or sudden pinhole leaks will form. Even a slow weep can drain enough oil over time to starve the engine, or worse, spray atomized oil onto a hot exhaust pipe, creating a severe fire hazard.

Incident: October 19, 2026 · Filed: October 29, 2026

A check engine light issue fuel filler neck replace, eism leak detection pump and fuel line bundle

Incident: October 16, 2026 · Filed: October 19, 2026

Original incident occurred in March 2026. While traveling at highway speeds my 2021 Ram 1500 lost all power and engine shutoff. I was able to get the truck to the side of the interstate due to it's momentum. Once I come to a stop, the e-brake is automatically applied and the vehicle will not restart or respond to any inputs from the keyfob. Vehicle is towed to nearest dealer, am told that the issue is related to an open recall that they have fixed and is now operating as normal. Less than one week later, the exact same thing occurs again, once again while traveling at highway speeds. Is towed into another dealer for service, and it is identified that the RF Module/Hub will need replaced due to a water leak. Repair is completed and vehicle returns to normal operation. 10/16/26 I attempt to start the vehicle with no success. After evaluating for a dead battery the vehicle is once again towed to a dealer (the same one that serviced it the first time). It is again identified that the RF Module/Hub will need replaced again due to a water leak around the back glass. I point out the Warranty Bulletin D-23-17 that would cover my vehicle and pertains to back glass water leaks. Am told by the dealer and Ram customer care that it does not in fact apply to my vehicle based on manufacturing date, despite it directly conflicting with the dates reflected on the notice. The TSB and the Warranty Bulletin appear to have conflicting dates for manufacture on them. This is incredibly deceptive behavior by Ram and should be looked into further. I have identified at least 8 previous complaints submitted to the NHTSA pertaining to the water leak/RF Module issue within the last 18 months along with acknowledgement from multiple service advisors at the dealerships that it is a known issue, yet no recall has been issued for it. Due to the potential and documented history of this leading to sudden power loss, it is merely a matter of time before this results in severe injury or loss of life.

Incident: September 25, 2026 · Filed: October 12, 2026

Rear Differential failure requiring rebuild including ring and pinion gear. The vehicle was not used to tow and was rarely used off road.

Incident: October 8, 2026 · Filed: October 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the HVAC system was activated to defrost the window, and there was a failure with the heater core which caused the windshield to become foggy with chemical steam inside the cabin of the vehicle, severely affecting the visibility. The contact constantly pulled over and used napkins and towels to wipe the windshield, and even after turning off the heater. The contact stated that the windshield was still foggy. The dealer was contacted by phone. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Incident: September 29, 2026 · Filed: October 5, 2026

My 2021 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel previously had the federal high-pressure fuel pump safety recall completed (Recall Z96 / NHTSA Campaign 22V767000) on February 12, 2024, where remedy part CSSMZ461-AA was installed. Recently, the vehicle suffered a complete loss of motive power due to a sudden, catastrophic internal failure of this replacement fuel pump. The dealership service department has officially diagnosed the truck and confirmed that the replacement fuel pump blew up internally, sending metal shards throughout the entire fuel system and requiring a complete $9,080 replacement of the fuel loop. This is a complete failure of a federal safety recall remedy, duplicating the exact highway stalling hazard the recall was issued to fix. Stellantis/FCA must investigate why these replacement remedy pumps are continuing to fail and creating dangerous conditions for drivers.

Incident: August 3, 2026 · Filed: September 28, 2026

The driver's side sun visor falls out of its anchor point and dangles from its internal wiring above the dashboard height, severely obscuring the driver's vision. This is a very unsafe condition that has happened to me while driving on several occasions. Forward vision required for safety is substantially obscured, and moving the visor from your vision or attempting to put it back in its anchor is an unsafe distraction and creates an extremely hazardous driving condition. At highway speeds, this could assuredly result in a fatal collision potentially affecting numerous nearby vehicles on the highway. I took the truck into the dealership today, and they said they had to order another visor (no idea if this is an improved version that doesn't fall out), and it was going to cost me over $400. The service technician admitted that I was the third truck THAT DAY to come in for a sun visor falling out, and it was only 9 AM.

Incident: June 26, 2026 · Filed: September 16, 2026

I am writing to express my concern about vehicle warranty coverage being provided by RAM (Stellantis NA) on their vehicles. I have a 2021 Ram 1500 which has a motor generator unit (MGU) which has failed due to a defect with the bearings. This has been diagnosed by the dealership and identified as covered under the emissions warranty. This diagnosis was made by Kolosso Ram in Appleton, Wisconsin in June of 2026. At this time I was advised that it could be a 6 to 8 month wait for parts because of a parts shortage due to the demand for the replacement part. My vehicle has been out of service since April while I maintain loan payments, depreciation of value, insurance and have no vehicle for transportation. A call to Ram was unsuccessful on two occasions to obtain any kind of relief in form of loaner vehicle or faster procurement of the part. Ram continues to build vehicles with this MGU unit while customers are stuck with inoperable vehicles some of with are still under original warranty or covered by the emissions warranty. The failure of Ram to ensure that customers have working vehicles is causing undue stress both emotionally and financially. This is also a potential safety issue as failed parts could put operators in an unsafe position.

Incident: May 1, 2026 · Filed: September 13, 2026

Unknown, my Ram has a glue issue with the dashboard especially the passenger side of the vehicle which may affect the airbag operating correctly the dashboard is coming apart do to glue not properly installed on 2021 Ram truck.