Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2016 Ram 1500
NHTSA data on file today
The 2016 Ram 1500 has 17 NHTSA recall campaigns and 1,557 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
NCAP overall rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars, averaged across 6 NHTSA-tested trims.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #25V010000 Side Curtain Air Bag Inflators May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #23V411000 Crankshaft Position Sensor Failure NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #22V406000 High Pressure Fuel Pump Failure NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #21V632000 Side Curtain Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V475000 Crank Position Sensor Tone Wheel may Delaminate NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V757000 EGR Cooler May Crack and Cause Fire NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V347000 Tailgate May Open Unexpectedly NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V486000 Tailgate May Open Unexpectedly NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V332000 Cruise Control cannot be Cancelled NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #17V821000 Vehicle May Rollaway NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #17V302000 Side Curtain Air Bags may not Deploy in a Rollover NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #17V198000 Differential Pin Retaining Screw may Loosen NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V301000 Front Halfshafts May Fracture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16E041000 Seat Cover Affects Air Bag Deployment NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V167000 Loss of Power Steering Assist NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V663000 Spare Tire Heat Shield Missing NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V661000 Incorrectly Heat Treated Rear Axle Shaft NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Steering 314 complaints
- Engine 291 complaints
- Service Brakes 247 complaints
- Power Train 203 complaints
- Electrical System 193 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System 191 complaints
Of the 1,557 complaints on file, 92 report a crash and 36 a fire; across all 1,557 complaints, owners report 73 injuries and 5 deaths (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $12,000–$18,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2016 Ram 1500 has 1,551 owner complaints and 17 recalls, indicating reliability issues, notably in steering, engine, and brakes. The high recall and complaint numbers suggest prevalent problems, warranting a below-average rating. However, specifics on common mileage for failures are scarce, making precise predictions challenging.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | Unknown | $400–$1,500 | common |
| Engine | Unknown | $1,500–$4,000 | common |
| Brakes | Unknown | $300–$1,000 | common |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter changes
- Brake pad and rotor replacement
- Coolant system flush
- Transmission fluid change
- Tire rotation and balancing
- Air filter replacement
- Brake fluid exchange
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Steering wheel vibration
- Engine misfiring
- Brake pedal pulsation
- Unusual engine noises
- Delayed vehicle acceleration
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2016 Ram 1500 at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.