NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Ram 1500. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The steering wheel get hard to without warning and is very difficult to steer. EPS GEAR, Rack and Pinion defect. While driving at highway speeds the steering wheels get hard and impossible to steer.
When using reverse, the image stays on the screen in reverse for sometime. also, screen stays a solid color in black or blue at times not allowing any controls on the screen when attempting. Screen will sometimes freeze and reset sometime after driving. radio and or screen stays on for an extended period of time after turning vehicle off leaving vehicle and locking doors still allowing radio/screen to continue in operation.
I bought a new battery from the Chrysler dealership in February of 2023 that started going bad in May of 2025. It is under warranty until February 2026. On May 28th 2025, I was attending a canine seminar out of town. At the end of the day, I went to start the truck & the battery was dead. I was able to get a jump start & immediately took it to a local retailer to have the starter, alternator & battery checked.The battery had Indications of going bad, the alternator & starter passed the tests. I purchased a mobile jump starter to make sure I wouldn't be left stranded somewhere. When I returned home, I scheduled an appointment at the dealership to have them replace it. The dealership kept it overnight & said their diagnostic machines did not give the code that allowed them to replace the battery under warranty. I was getting ready drive to Indiana from Florida & wanted to make sure it would be safe.I then drove to Texas after that, then back home, about 1200 miles each leg. When I went to leave to Maine a couple weeks later, the truck would not start. I was able to use a jump starter to get it going. When I got to Maine, I scheduled an appointment at the local dealership to have them check it. They ran the same tests & said they could not get the code to replace the battery under warranty. It became increasingly difficult to start the truck & even got to the point where I couldn't use a mobile jump starter to start it. When I returned from Maine, I made an appointment with a reliable mechanic who said the battery was swollen & leaking acid. He said it was ready to explode, potentially catching the engine compartment on fire. At that point I contacted the dealer again, and they said that yes, with acid leaking & the battery swollen, they could replace the battery under warranty. It should never have gotten to the point where the battery had to be leaking acid to get it changed out under warranty, the testing the dealerships do does not properly identify bad batteries. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The PCM has completely shut down, the truck has 50k miles, has been serviced regularly, and is in excellent condition. 2021 and newer models have been recalled due to the same issue but not 2019.
Engine failure with no warning — cylinder #7 collapsed, pushrod broke, and exhaust manifold cracked at only 68,000 miles. This is a known issue with 5.7L HEMI engines, particularly involving defective lifters and camshafts. These failures can result in total engine loss, potential stalling at speed, or permanent engine damage. I am reporting this due to concern over the growing number of similar failures in Ram trucks with low mileage, which may indicate a design defect. FCA/Stellantis has denied goodwill assistance despite low mileage and well-documented cases. This could be a safety issue if engine failure occurs while driving. Please investigate.
Truck was stopped. Then as I started pressing on the gas pedal, there was a warning sound. The gear selector knob rotated on its own from D to P and the message on the screen said to start / stop the vehicle to put it back in gear D. This put myself and my family at risk of a car accident as we were merging onto an expressway. This happened while the truck was starting to accelerate. This is the second time this happens.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -The issue involved the truck’s parking and collision avoidance systems, which suddenly shut off. A warning message appeared on the dashboard stating "Service Shifter." This issue may be related to the electronic shifter module or associated control systems. The vehicle is currently available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -The sudden deactivation of both the parking and collision systems while the vehicle was in motion created a serious safety hazard. Without collision avoidance functionality and the ability to securely park the vehicle, there was increased risk of unintentional vehicle movement or inability to avoid obstacles, which could have led to a crash or injury. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -Yes, the truck was taken to an authorized dealer for assessment, and the issue was confirmed. Diagnostic tests found trouble codes starting with "U", which typically indicate a communication or control module fault within the vehicle’s network. The codes provided from the dealer are U0159, U0140, U0100, U0137, U0102, U10121, and U0101. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -The issue has been inspected and documented by the dealership. There is no indication that police or insurance representatives have inspected it at this time, but the incident and diagnostics are recorded in the dealer’s service records. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? -Yes, a warning message "Service Shifter" appeared on the dashboard. This message coincided with the shutdown of the parking and collision systems. These symptoms appeared suddenly and without prior warning during regular vehicle operation.
Driving 60mph in 8th gear while raining, 40 deg F, in Minnesota. The truck shut off (I did not press the Start/Stop button) and dash said "Vehicle Not in Park." Went to pull over, put on turn signals, but they didn't work (it acted like the vehicle was completely shut off but was still rolling at 50+ mph in 8th gear - there was no indication on the dash that showed green light indicating turn signal was working). I suspect brake lights also did not work at this time, but cannot confirm because I couldn't see them. I pulled over to shoulder, slowed to a stop, and put vehicle into Park manually. Pressed Stop/Start button and vehicle started. No codes were thrown. Drove another 2-3 miles and similar issue happened again. Display flashed on and off (then completely turned off) when coming to a stop this time. Vehicle stayed running but again said "Vehicle Not in Park" on dash. No other indication on dash (no warning lights). Drove vehicle back to dealership to get inspected. Similar issue occurred 4 more times on the 12 mile drive to dealership. When I got the vehicle into the service shop, I put it into Park, then pressed the Start/Stop button, but the truck would not shut off. I left the vehicle with the dealer and they are currently diagnosing the issue. 105,000 miles on vehicle. First time this issue has ever occurred on the Ram since I bought it used with 67,000 miles on it. Scared the heck out of me - I had cars swerve around me as I pulled off to the shoulder without any indication - no brake lights (I assume), no turn signals. Very scary. I am worried about driving my family (wife and 2 young children) in this vehicle. What has scared me even more is I looked up this issue online and I have found 100s of examples in the forums of similar (or exactly the same) issue happening to them! I have had all recalls completed on my truck and keep meticulous care of it. I am an engineer and understand technical details well - this electrical issue scares me. Not safe.
Detachment of the magnetic strip from the reluctor wheel/tone wheel, CKP sensor, or both. Information obtained with the scanner
I have what seems to a manufacturing issue with my ram 1500. The air suspension will not stay inflated after taking it to the dealership. They cited no issues but the problem continues to take place.
Valvetrain and camshaft failure causing misfires in the engine. Safety related issues are possible stalling, overheating, or loss of power can lead to accidents, injuries, or even fatalities. Engine problems can also affect other crucial systems like braking and electronic stability control, further increasing the risk. The stellantis service bulletin B09 FSAR-TSB-5485 clearly shows that their malfeasance across multiple years and vehicle makes, Are not only causing consumers financial burden but could lead to serious physical burden if something happens while driving. My Ram 1500 is in the shop being checked by my own mechanic my check engine light came on which prompted me to get it checked but my mechanic has informed me that the code being thrown is only reading for cylinder 4 and that the entire side of 2, 4, and 6 are misfiring because of this issue which is giving misleading codes.
The contact owns a 2019 RAM 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS warning light illuminated, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the ABS control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V653000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I just got off the highway where I was driving 65mph. I was drive down the road with a passenger making a right hand turn. In the middle of the turn the power steering stopped working and I proceeded to go straight. I was able to stop before crashing into a wall. I couldn’t only imagine the pannic of losing power steering at 65mph on a high way. The dealer said I need a $3,000 rack and Pinion. All over the internet it shows the 2019 ram was built with a faulty power steering and a lot were recalled. I don’t see how the recall didn’t make it to my vehicle but it almost caused a huge accident.
I took my truck into my mechanic for a loud whining noise coming from my engine bay. I was told my alternator is going out. I have a 2019 ram 1500 5.7L v8 with the e-torque system. Part number 68438054AB or 68623194AB. This part you can literally buy from no one. Not a dodge dealership, mopar or any other website. There is about 1 listing I saw for a used one which was $1000 over what a new one would cost. If this part goes out I’m fully unable to use my truck which has 56,000 miles and is my only means of transportation. I have absolutely no chance of buying this part from anyone or anywhere at this current time. I can barely afford to buy the part even if it was available and I surely can’t afford to pay for a rental car or another car in the time it would take for this part to become available (if it does). From reading online and hearing what the Dodge dealership told me there is about 4,000+ people waiting for this same part. I still am paying a loan for this truck and I am at a loss on what to do. Insurance won’t do anything, dealership won’t do anything, and my bank won’t do anything.
High pressure fuel pump failed causing a fuel system failure. The truck would not start and was towed to dealership. The dealership will not repair the recall since they will only use Mopar parts and none are available in the US.Other brand parts are available but they refuse to use them.
Power Steering Failed at startup of vehicle and starts and stops working randomly while driving. It does tell you to service the power steering system when it is not working. I have not had it inspected by a dealer yet.
While changing the oil in my truck I noticed that the oil pan was severely corroded, I mean badly. I looked around under the rest of the truck and there really wasn't any corrosion anywhere else that I could see. I looked online and found out that this is a huge issue with these types of vehicles and the corrosion will get so bad that the vehicle will weep oil which puts the engine at risk but is also horrible for the environment. I took the truck to the dealership and the service manager explained to me that they are well aware of the problem but Ram refuses to do anything about it and claims it's caused by environmental factors. Funny how those environmental factors only affect the oil pan and nothing else on the truck. As I stated, this is a huge potential issue for the environment because Ram is well aware of this but refuses to address it.
Rear window frame cracked in two places and checked with dealer and no recall for my VIN. Common issue with other trucks that did have a recall. Not sure why my vehicle does not have a recall.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel locked up. The message " Service Power Steering " was displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 71,320.
The vehicle will require that you shift it into park when slowing causing you to have to stop the vehicle place it in park then back into gear. This has happened regularly since about 20,000 miles on the vehicle, most often occurs in warmer weather months and it randomly occurs but at least weekly. This is a known issue among many Ram owners as noted in the online chats and forums. Pulling into traffic can be an issue.
Rear window is leaking, above the sliding glass portion and allowing water inside the cab and onto the seats that can cause mold.
I am experiencing the EXACT same problems with my truck as recall 22V904000 (ZB8). Dodge refuses to make the repair under the recall. Dodge claims my VIN# is outside the recall range. But...I am experiencing the exact same problems associated with the recall. Please tell Dodge to extend the recall to my vehicle. Thank you.
Our screen turns black, the heat is activated and the windows lock. Dash notifications for ABS flash along with others including blind spot notifications. This occurs while driving. This is a major distraction and concern.
During normal driving when coming to a stop the vehicle will hard downshift to neutral for no apparent reason. It will also hard shift to 1st like it’s lagging hard from 2nd or deciding if it wants to shift to neutral. It will happen at random times, in the middle of a turn, middle of an intersection. And is a serious concern
I have a leaking rear window which is well known in RAM trucks. I had it into the dealership and they said they sprayed a seal around it, I still have a heavy leak of water on both sides, damaging my interior seats and more . I am looking for some help on getting this fixed as I have be stone walled so far.
On multiple occasions after 10-15 minutes of driving at various speeds, while turning either way, or while driving straight, a “Power Steering Unavailable” warning comes on the dash and steering stiffens and becomes almost immovable. Very similar to NHTSA Recall Number: 19V-016. On one occasion PS faulted while starting into a curve at 50 mph. Steering wheel hardened and nearly caused vehicle to straighten out the curve with me, my wife, and my [XXX] daughter inside. After researching it seems this is wide spread issue that RAM has not addressed passed previous recall. Dealer was called to check for recall but is not covered under current recall. I will be bring it to dealership as soon as possible to officially confirm the issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The MGU has failed just outside of the 80,000mile warranty. Looking online the MGU failing seems to be a big issue and the manufacturer doesn’t have parts stocked so it takes a month to get a new part. The cause is manufacturers defect
Smelling antifreeze coolant inside the cab while driving. Fumes are not safe to breathe and vehicle could overheat and cause engine failure stranding driver and passengers. Appears to be common based on Internet research.
The “alternator” is failing on these pickups. The Dodge Mopar says it’s back ordered by 5,000 units of these! 5,000! And have no date to tell you when it will be available . As I scour the internet, 1000’s of people are stranded with almost new pickups , with no way to fix them. We are one of them. I don’t understand how Dodge can be trusted.
04.22.25- back to back stalls on left hand turns within a 1 mile trip First stall landed me in a ditch less than foot from an oak tree. Coasted a bit before a sudden stop. Second stall allowed me to make it to side street before it abruptly stopped. Prior drive previous day had no issues and no warning lights.
My 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie truck started throwing a check engine light recently while also occasionally being put into "battery saver mode". I went to the dealership to have it checked. The issue is a malfunctioning alternator / generator unit (Mobile Generator Unit) which is a key component of the eTorque system. The dealer said the repair protocol is to replace the MGU. The problem is that there are literally no parts available in the US with no known ETA. The best approximation is 6 months or more. The waitlist is literally more than 3,000 customers. There is clearly a problem with the part and it seems like they aren't currently producing any more which is growing the problem. So, I'm now left with a very bad option - continue driving the truck and risk the MGU failing at any point and causing a serious accident. I have been in a vehicle on the highway when the alternator fails and all electrical systems shut down. It was terrifying for me and my family and we were very fortunate to avoid injury. My other options are to either not drive the truck and wait (not a viable option) or be forced to sell the truck which I would rather not do since it's fully paid off and should go many more miles.
The MGU has failed. The truck is undriveable. It was diagnosed by Ram dealership.
This is the second random stall event for this vehicle. 2019 Ram 1500 with 33,300 miles. Yesterday, 4 /18/25, while taking a left turn from a parking lot at low speed, the vehicle lost all power. I was able to coast to the side of the street. Put the vehicle in park, waited approximately 1 minute, vehicle restarted and seemed to run fine. The first time it stalled it was towed to the dealer and since they could find no stored faults, there was nothing they could do.
My 2019 RAM 1500 Big Horn/Longhorn 3.6L V6 (VIN: [XXX] ) experienced a sudden and catastrophic engine failure without warning while driving. The vehicle shut off unexpectedly on the highway and would not restart. There were no prior dashboard warning lights, low oil pressure indicators, or error messages before the incident. A full diagnostic revealed severe mechanical failure in cylinder 1, including piston-to-valve contact and 40% leak-down with compression at 50 psi. This damage rendered the engine inoperable and required a complete replacement. Prior to the failure: The vehicle was regularly maintained using synthetic oil, following the manufacturer's recommended intervals (between 6,500–10,000 miles). The oil life indicator was followed, and the truck was never low on oil or pressure. A Customer Satisfaction Notification for PCM (Powertrain Control Module) reprogramming was never completed due to the dealer’s system being down on two separate service visits. Despite following proper maintenance and attempting to comply with the manufacturer’s recall-like notice, the engine failure occurred without any warning or indication. The dealership and warranty provider have attempted to deny responsibility, blaming maintenance intervals without proof that it caused the failure. This is a serious safety concern as the engine shut down at highway speed, placing me and others at risk. I am requesting NHTSA investigate this issue and whether PCM logic, a known defect, or improper diagnostics at the dealership contributed to the failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
De breakes light its somethimes flashing in the panel and my suspensionsistem i pay tochange because its was damage and the garanted didnt apicate
The rear widow is leaking water into the cab a wetting the seats.
While driving the freeway at 70 mph, the truck flashed a message to service shifter. Windshield wipers starting going on their own, all messages popped up on dashboard, and the vehicle started gradually slowing down posing a safety issue. Speedometer was going from 0-50 mph back and forth and steering wheel was hard to maneuver. I was able to get off the freeway and into the frontage safely. However, turning the vehicle was a hassle and even more so when I tried to drive in to a parking lot to get to a safer area since the truck wouldn’t respond to the gas pedal nor would the steering wheel cooperate. If I wanted to turn it left it jerked on its own to the right. Vehicle shut off on its own and wouldn’t power back on after that. Tow truck had to be called and was told this was a cause of rfh by rear window(shortage caused by leak on third brake light) this happened after it being repaired. Truck was in shop for over two weeks. Today I’m being told it is the rack and pinion system causing this shortage and issue. Awaiting repair quote for that
Camshafts
The MGU for the hybrid system of the etorque of them truck failed. The bearing inside of it has started to grind and there is very little replacements available to consumers for repair. The dealership, Fernley Ram, located in Fernley Nevada stated that there is only 210 parts available in all of the US. Im reading in different forums that there are thousands of consumers waiting months (4-6 on the high end) for the part to be available. The part failing can cause power loss to vehicle while driving and thankfully it failed when I was arriving home today. Just wanted to bring this up so it can be known and hopefully a remedy can be figured out.
I am filing a formal complaint regarding a critical safety defect in my 2019 Ram eTorque, which posed a severe risk to my pregnant wife while she was driving. The vehicle’s battery unexpectedly failed, resulting in a complete loss of power steering and all safety functions, creating a hazardous situation in the middle of the roadway that could have led to a serious accident. This defect is not isolated. My truck has been at the repair shop for over two months, as the necessary replacement part is on backorder due to over 3,000 reported vehicles affected by the same issue. The widespread nature of this defect and the unavailability of parts amplify the risk of injury or fatality to drivers and passengers. I urge the Safety Advisory Board to investigate this defect urgently, focusing on the significant safety implications and the high number of affected vehicles. Immediate action is needed to prevent potential harm.
2019 1500 5.7 e-torque w/58,000. Bearing noise started a few hundred miles ago, waiting for replacement
The alternator part has been out of stock since the beginning of 2025 my trucks alternator went out in March and have not been able to find the part available for purchase, it has been 5 months.
While driving down a curving mountain highway above 70 mph, the gauge cluster displayed “shift to park” or “shift to drive” I don’t recall exactly. The transmission then downshifted dramatically, perhaps into 3rd gear, then the motor shut off.Thankfully, I successfully merged through heavy traffic to the narrow shoulder but the truck would not restart. After over 30 minutes of attempts (fuel tank above half)I called a tow truck. My family climbed up the hill to get a safe distance from the road. It was cold and dark and things could have gone much worse. Ram owners on internet forums have described this exact problem many times and it’s clear that this is a wide spread safety issue. This is the second time the truck had lost power while driving in the same manner. The first time the dealer could not replicate the issue while it was under warranty and returned it to service. No I’m out of warranty, need a new transmission at largely my own expense and there are zero available in the country. The dealer has my truck for an “indefinite” time period.
Etorque MGU whine originating from the alternator portion of the device.
I am experiencing intermittent loss of power steering. This occurs while driving and puts myself, my passengers and other drivers on the road at risk of crash/injury. Symptoms first started to appear in December 2024.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was able to restart. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,272.
While taking a right turn into a busy intersection, vehicle lost all power and dash lights lit up indicating to put the vehicle in park. I put the vehicle in park and attempted to restart it. The vehicle starter cranked but did not start. I was able to roll the truck back by using the manual transmission release to get out of traffic. I disconnected the battery and waited approximately 5 minutes, reconnected battery, vehicle would start momentarily then stall. Had vehicle towed to dealership where they were able to start it and found no issue.
as of 3/25/2025, Started having sudden intermittent power steering loss along with, 'service power steering' code. I haven't been able to use the truck due to being unsafe. I am on call all month and will have to tow it to dealership afterwards. I see that there was a recall way back in 2019. It's nice that you want to know if a dealership can confirm the problem. So far, when I tack this trjck or my last truck in they can't seem to figure it out until the warranty expires.
Had my truck in for service and they found a cracked right front CV axle and carrier joint. I was told that this is a safety issue and could lead to uncontrolled steering, but then was told by two different dealers that the part is on national backorder with no time frame for availability. I was also told that this is a common issue and other RAM1500 models have had warranty repair or recalls, but none seems to be available for mine.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jolted and failed to maintain the intended speed while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a stuck valve lifter and that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The contact was informed by the local dealer that the parts were on backorder and there was a waiting list for vehicle owners. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.