There are 8 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2016 Ram 3500in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The parking brake issue per recall was supposedly done based on information from safetycar. Vehicle can not be shut off unless in park. I'm assuming a safety feature. A few times when I attempted to shut off,even though clearly in park. Truck wouldn't do so. I shifted back into gear and then back into park with foot on brake as required. Unless I have a horse trailer hooked up, I usually don't engage parking brake if on relatively flat surface. Last week I came out to find my truck still in park had rolled forward and got caught on a large boulder before potentially rolling all the way down into a creek and pond. The boulder did do undercarriage damage mostly to brackets for bumper and spoiler. When I got in truck IT WAS STILL IN PARK. Truck started without me stepping on brake as required. Then after it started,I couldn't put it into gear. Was like shifter was locked. I tried to shut it off it wouldn't shutoff until I applied brake. I started it again with foot on brake and then I was able to shift into reverse and drive. Something is definitely wrong with the park on truck. It rolls forward now a few inches when parked and shut off in park. It will start sometimes without foot on brake and sometimes not. Since it rolled and hit rock steering feels weird. Prior to vehicle rolling and the bogus drag link fix, I have gone through tires because you can't do a full alignment. Dealership claims there's no new fix. They just won't do it right. Just like park brake issue it's not fixed right. Dealerships also claim they know nothing about a new issue and another fix. There are kids around horse farm truck coming out of gear,even though it said park,could have been a fatal accident. This truck has turned into a death trap waiting to happen and Stellantis and FCA won't acknowledge. I have to pay for a fix when it's their issue. THE 67A update has cost me over $12,000 already. THIS TRUCK SHOULD BE BOUGHT BACK BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. PARK BRAKE APPLIED ALWAYS.
" The Hydraulic Control Unit Chrysler part number 68143491AA failed and been replaced multiply times on my vehicle. I have the current failed part available for inspection upon request. This causes the Anti-lock braking system, Traction control system, Park Assist and Cruise Control to no longer function properly. This puts the driver and others at risk. Lights came on while the truck was not in motion and was just started. Lights first came on 9-2-24 and have been on and off since then. The problem has been reproduced by my local dealer twice both with the original part and its' replacements. The vehicle/component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were no Warning lamps/messaged before failure only after. These would be ABS lamp and traction control lamp plus a service ABS and electronic braking system warning message.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 3500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes were inoperable. The contact stated that after the vehicle was involved in an accident, the contact stated he immediately depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle however, the vehicle continued moving forward. The contact stated that the ABS module activated, and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle had moved forward an additional 600 feet. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed brake master cylinder. The contact was informed that the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
A yellow traffic light was lit and I started braking, then I heard a loud bang/snap and the trucks brake pedal went to the floor and would not stop. I then had to use the parking brake to stop the truck.
MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE. LUCKILY DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT. COMPLETE BRAKING FAILURE WHILE MOVING ON A FLAT SURFACE NO WARNINGS. BAY DODGE IN PANAMA CITY, FL HAS BEEN PERFORMING OIL CHANGES AND SERVICING ON A REGULAR BASIS AND NOTED NO ISSUES. REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER AT BOB PFORTE DODGE IN MARIANNA.
I HAD A BRAKE FAULT IN MY 2016 RAM 3500 ABOUT A MONTH AGO. WHILE PULLING INTO A 150FT LONG DRIVEWAY ABOUT 8INCH OF SNOW IN 4 LO I PULLED IN THE DRIVEWAY AT ABOUT 10MPH OR SOJUST TO KEEP MOMENTUM INTO THE DRIVEWAY AS THE SNOW PLOW HAD BLOCKED THE DRIVEWAY WITH A LITTLE SNOW. I LET OFF THE GAS PEDDLE AT ABOUT 100FT LEFT OF THE DRIVEWAY ROLLED FOR ABOUT 10-20 FT THEB STARTED TO TRY RO APPLY THE BRAKE PEDDLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE BRAKE PEDDLE TO MOVE OR GET ANY BRAKING POWER TAPPED THE BRAKES A COUPLE STILL NOTHING. I THEN STOOD ON THE BRAKE PEDDLE (I WEIGHT 240LBS) TO TRY TO GET SOME BRAKING POWER AT ALL AT THIS POINT AND I AM GETTING CLOSE TO THE HOME. AT ABOUT 5FT AND ABOUT 5MPH BE4 THE HOME THE BRAKE PEDDLE FINALLY DEPLETED AND GAVE ME BRAKING POWER BUT BY THIS TIME IT WAS TOO LATE WENT INTO THE HOME AND WRECKED MY NEW TRUCK. I GREW UP HERE AND DRIVING IN THE SNOW! HAVE NEVER FELT A VEHICLE DO THIS, I AM A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER AND DRIVE FOR WORK HAVE NO ACCIDENTS ON MY RECORD AND NOW THIS! MY WIFE HAS HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM IN IT WAS WELL ALMOST REAR ENDED SOMEONE WITH MY TWO KIDS BOTHER IN LAW AND MOTHER IN LAW IN THE VEHICLE AS WELL. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM IN MY NEW TRUCK AND DODGE WONT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OR ACTION.
ON MAY 25 WE EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE WHILE BACKING OUR NEW 2016 5TH WHEEL TRAILER INTO OUR DRIVEWAY. THIS INCLUDED BACKING DOWN OUR HILL AND TURNING TO THE RIGHT INTO OUR DRIVEWAY. THE ROAD WE LIVE ON IS A PRIVATE ROAD. AFTER THE INCIDENT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER RETAINING CLIP WAS EITHER NOT INSTALLED OR WAS MISSING CAUSING THE BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO COME APART FROM THE "BRAKE" BOOSTER ARM WHICH RESULTED IN OUR INABILITY TO OPERATE THE BRAKES OF OUR PICKUP OR 2016 TRAILER. THIS INCIDENT CAUSED OVER $18000 IN DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER AND OUR PROPERTY. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILE WHO INVESTIGATED. THEY REPORTED THAT UPON "REVIEW THE INSPECTION REPORT ..."," WE ARE NOT LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE INCIDENT WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING RESPONSIBILITY. THERFORE WE MUST RESPECTFULLY DECLINE ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THIS INCIDENT." AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT WE HAVE NOT HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR THE PAST 2.5 WEEKS BUT MOST OF ALL ARE SHOCKED AT THEIR RESPONSE. WE HAVE NOTED THAT CHRYSLER HAD RECALLED OVER 24,000 VEHICLES INCLUDING RAM TRUCKS BETWEEN 2010 AND 2013 FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL SPUR SOME ACTION ON THIS ISSUE.
OEM TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER BARELY WORKS. TRIED WITH ALL 4 SETTINGS (TRAILER TOWING SHOULD HAVE NEEDED "ELECTRIC HEAVY" SETTING) HAD TO TURN THE GAIN ALL THE WAY UP TO GET THE BRAKES TO ENGAGE, PULLING AN EMPTY TRAILER. SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMPLETELY LOCK THE TRAILER BRAKES ON SETTING 10 FOR GAIN. TRAILER BRAKES ARE ADJUSTED CORRECTLY AND AFTERMARKET BRAKE CONTROLLER WORKS FINE WITH THAT TRAILER.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026