Engine, electrical system, and brake problems are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2022 Dodge Ram is meant to be not only a work truck but also a comfortable vehicle for relaxing in. It’s advertised as capable, with the company claiming owners can “forge your own path.” However, there are already complaints surfacing about the defective electrical system and the steering.
Click on other model years to view more problems: 2019 2020 2021
Owners of 2022 RAM 1500 trucks lodged a total of 149 complaints with the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) between December 7, 2021 and September 2, 2023. More than 18 components and systems are involved in the complaints, including 26 filed under the Unknown or Other category.
Looking at numbers on the NHTSA website, at face value it looks as if more than half complaints (72) are about the engine. Other components and systems with high complaint numbers are the electrical system, with 41, and powertrain, with 25. But there is a major crossover of complaints, with a large number of them being listed in 2 or 3 categories.
A closer look shows that engine complaints often include brake issues. Most commonly, the RAM 1500 loses power and stalls, sometimes when the driver is accelerating. Typically, the emergency brakes engage. If you are experiencing engine issues, you can find more information on our RAM 1500 Engine Stalling post.
Electrical problems are also included in engine-related complaints.
Similarly, brake issues are often filed consecutively under engine and electrical system complaints. Powertrain issues are commonly combined with engine, electrical, and brake problems. There are also brake problems mentioned in complaints filed under forward collision avoidance.
Combined with these many problems, many NHTSA complaints state that dealerships can’t solve problems and claim that the vehicles taken to them don’t have any issues.
One category that has notched up a fair number of recent complaints is the fuel system. These are listed as diesel fuel system (4), gasoline fuel system (2), and fuel/propulsion system (15). There are several complaints that involve other components and not primarily the fuel system. Additionally, some relate to recall parts not being available.
By mid-September 2023, there were a total 8 recalls for the 2022 RAM 1500. Two of these relate to backover prevention, and one each to the airbags, engine, seat belts, structure, and visibility. There are also two that indicate major fuel system issues.
The first fuel pump failure recall was initiated in October 2022 as a gasoline fuel system issue. The problem is that the high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) might fail and if it does, it can cause an engine stall. The second one, introduced in April 2023, is a diesel fuel system issue, also due to a potential HPFP failure. In both instances, the automaker warns that if the fuel pump failure causes the engine to stall it increases the risk of a crash.
Three of the diesel fuel system and one of the gasoline fuel system complaints state that the recall repair part isn’t available. The remaining
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Fuel System, Diesel | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic |
One of the complaints listed as being a fuel/propulsion system, powertrain, and engine problem is from an owner in New York. It describes how the new 2022 1500 with 1,225 miles was “leaking gasoline from the engine compartment.” The fuel was, she states, “pouring out the engine compartment onto the driveway and down into the street. This potential fire dilemma occurred just 2 weeks after (the) dealership had replaced ‘all the fuel injectors’ in the engine.” And it’s not the only defect. The complaint also states that the malfunction indicator light (MIL) blinks constantly with “Powertrain Engine Malfunction” notifications.
The next defect was when “the truck lost power while driving and the electrical dashboard oil/transmission indicators were acting erratically. Basically, the repair order indicates that the dealership (had previously) replaced the same fuel injector part,” she says.
Another complaint states that after the HPFP malfunctioned, he asked Chrysler to buy the vehicle back because the pump had a recall on it. Their response was that “since they don’t have the parts they are going back with the same pump.” This, even though it has a recall on it, which the complaint states, is putting the family’s life in danger.
The automaker has known about the “potential dangers of a high pressure fuel pump that suddenly stops working” for more than a year, states another complaint. It “is unacceptable” that they haven’t produced a remedy. “Driving a vehicle knowing that it could, at any time, shut down in heavy traffic and become immobile is unacceptable. If FCA cannot come up with a timely (too late for timely’) replacement part, NHTSA should force them into other options for owners.”
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There are only 14 complaints filed under the Service Brakes category and another filed as a parking brake problem. However, there are many other complaints that mention brake problems. This is because, as mentioned above, many complaints combine brake problems with other component or system issues.
Immediately after leaving a stop light and making a left turn into a blind corner, A New Hampshire owner nearly had a crash. “The vehicle suddenly lost motive power and activated the braking system causing the vehicle to abruptly stop in an intersection. During the failure an approaching vehicle had to swerve to avoid a collision with the vehicle.”
Stalling is a common complaint, which many say results in the RAM 1500 emergency brakes kicking in. There is a general consensus among consumers that this problem is particularly bad in RAMs with the hybrid eTorque system.
Other issues include vehicles losing power, stalling when accelerating, and the tow haul mode causing RAMs to be stuck in third gear. An owner from Tennessee states that her 2022 RAM 1500 lost motive power while her son was driving on a busy freeway. He couldn’t restart the vehicle and was towed to the local dealer. At the time of the complaint, the cause of the failure hadn’t been determined.
An owner from New York hit a motorcyclist after the RAV accelerated out of control when the driver tried to brake. “I thought I killed the guy on the motorcycle – luckily he was ok. Seems like the gas pedal was pressing itself.”
There are several complaints about tow haul mode problems. It causes the vehicle to get stuck in third gear, and it appears there is no fix. It’s a software problem with all RAM 1500 vehicles with eTorque. So, for now, the manufacturer is advising customers not to use this feature.
This is potentially the biggest issue of all.
A consumer from Florida complains that his problems started two days after taking possession of his leased 2022 RAM 1500 Big Horn V6 eTorque. The car stalled while reversing out of the driveway and automatically engaged the emergency brake. A message, Auto Park Disabled was displayed. Since it was such a new vehicle, he thought he had touched something accidentally. But the sales rep said he’d never heard of this issue.
“I DO NOT FEEL SAFE in this vehicle. I’ve read on other online forums that this type of RAM engine eTorque has given many drivers problems, some (of whom) have had their vehicles stall in the expressway. I find it disingenuous that Dodge/Ram has not taken care of this issue sooner or set out to recall these unsafe vehicles with the eTorque engine. My kids are not allowed to ride in my truck until this issue is fixed. If it persists…I will enforce my Lemon Law rights in the State of Florida to have the manufacturer take back the truck.”
An owner from Kansas also reports a stalling problem. The complaint was filed in July 2022.
“Vehicle stalls randomly while driving and automatically applies the emergency brake. Stalling randomly and applying the emergency brake in the street/highway with traffic is dangerous and unsafe. This is our primary vehicle and the dealership has been unable to recreate the stalling. The vehicle has been to the dealership twice for stalling but the problem is still unresolved.”
Considering all of the high-tech equipment included with 2022 RAM trucks, one would assume that the electrical system is up to par, but many owners say that it’s not.
There are 41 complaints in the Electrical System category plus more in Unknown or Other category.
An owner from South Carolina had his RAM at the dealership 4 times during the first 5,804 miles for electrical-related issues. Also, once for a recall on the electric control module (ECM). The first major problem was at about 400 miles.
“The truck shut off at a light, even with the stop/start deactivated, and attempted to restart without success. The starter engaged but the injectors did not. It made a diesel sound until I pressed the start button again to retry, It had a CIL for injector bank misfire, then started back as normal. I drove straight to the dealer (within 2 miles) where they kept it for a week. They called and told me to come to pick it up because there were no issues with it. Apparently, the computer had no stored codes or history.”
Since then the problems have gotten worse. “The most current issue is when I was pulling away from a stop sign and the truck shifted to park and set the brake while shutting off on its own. Again stop/start was deactivated.” And there’s still no solution.
There have also been complaints on forums. For instance, a customer wrote this statement on the RAM forum. “I’ve had my 2022 RAM 1500 Laramie for a little over a month. 1,200 miles on it. 12” Uconnect screen has gone black and check engine light is on. Is THIS what I have to look forward to?”
There’s no doubt that the Ram is a larger vehicle, requiring more care when steering. However, a defective steering system isn’t needed and only makes the situation worse, yet that’s what drivers are dealing with.
Another customer wrote this on the Ram Forum. “It just seems loose and like you are always making subtle corrections to keep it in the lane.”
While there are no communications showing how to resolve the problem, all of this seems a little reminiscent of the dreaded death wobble. Is it possible that the trucks are going to suffer from this infamous problem yet again? Some people have found that changing the tires tends to help the situation, but this isn’t something that should be dealt with on a new truck, especially for the high price of this one. The only path that this Ram is going to “forge” is to the top of the list of defective trucks. In a few years, the 2022 Ram will be listed as a model to avoid.
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Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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Interesting article and comments as Dodge has not made a truck in 13 years. When Fiat bought Chrysler, they discontinued Dodge trucks, created a new Ram Division, then had no original ideas for years. Regardless, it’s like a Buick is not a Chevy, or a GMC truck is not a Chevy. Dodge only makes the Durango and imported Hornet for 2024.
I have my limited 4×4 2022. Picked it up in dec 2021 in washington state. Several blacked radio issues then they have disappeared for now. Tow/haul mode thing with the 3rd gear locked in heavy traffic in salt lake city. Went to autozone bc friday night about 6pm. Delearships were closed. After finding out the problem with the code reader, it went off the drove the next 2700 miles without any more issues. Kept it in tow/haul mode without issues. Have the similar issues with the throttle off the line. Appears to be a lag then it goes. Gas mileage low at first but after break in period of about 10,000 miles now getting 17 highway at 80 and 20.5 to 21 mpg at 65 to 70mph. Had also the steering issue, having to turn the steering wheel constantly to maintain lane. The latest issue happened on highway with cruise control shut off and so did the adjustable lift, autobrakinhlg, lane assist, and several other items linked to the same ECM.so at 46,000 miles have to replace steering module and something else to do with the ECM, and this should fix the other electrical/computer issues. Had extended warranty to 100,000. Also when slowing down off highway seems like a little bite of backlash in the rear end. I had the same problem with my 2014 laramie 4×4 and they never fixed it, so I did. Bc no one knew what backlash means.
Bought a 2022 RAM 1500 Night Edition and on driver side sounds like a rattle noise or plastic rubbing in the dash board somewhere. CANT FIND IT! Any help?
New 2022 Dodge RAM 1500 Classic. 769kms on it. Barely driven a week and the dash cluster will not shut off. Checked doors, checked dimmer, nothing seems to be shutting it off. Battery will likely drain. Such a disappointment. Spoke to my sales guy who then said he will get back to me after speaking with service in the morning. I plan on driving right in after I drop the kids to school to get this rectified. Complete B.S
Brand new 2022 Dodge Ram Rebel ETorque with 3700 miles. Got a light the engine shut off was not working then it would not change gears. Check engine light came on. I hobbled about 3 miles back to a parking lot in a low gear. Shut off the engine and then restarted. Check engine light stayed on but transmission worked ok. I drove 45 miles home, parked for 30 minutes then restarted. Check engine light is off. So far, problem has not returned. This is just enough data point to cause me to lose trust in its reliability.
Stuck in 3rd towing using tow mode I hear no answer what to do I have 2 of these 1500 2022 gts plus remote start fail and towed to dealer. Won’t start truck, did start for 1 week. Both trucks have only 10k miles.
Only had the truck a week. 2022 Laramie with eco boost. Primary reasons I bought it was for comfort and mileage. Mileage advertised at 18mpg city and 22mpg highway. The highest mpg registered on the truck thus far has been 15.1mpg and is normally in the 14mpg range. Very dissapointing.
2022 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew cab 4×4
Bought brand NEW with 26 miles on it.
Drove it home 300 miles.
Dropped $1600 in step rails and tonneau cover.
Another $2000 in new tires (I live in Montana and the stock tires are crap on snow and ice)
Went through the car wash for the first time at 320 miles. Within 20 min, check engine light came on, then battery light, battery showing 11.5 amps while running.
Drove straight to my local Ram service dealership (Don K ) (I bought it 300 miles away from my home at Dave Smith in Idaho)
Don K service admin guy plugs in a code reader, no codes.
Check engine light still on, battery light still on, front park sensor saying ‘wipe off sensor’ (its clean and dry)
I show him that my Ram Connect app is showing 2 errors (engine and charging system)
He looks at me like I’m an idiot and doesn’t know what to tell me because his code reader isn’t reading anything…
Local dealership is garbage. Horrible customer service. Zero effort to put me in a loaner vehicle.
‘May not get to it til next week’
I had to rent a car out of pocket (hopefully be reimbursed by Ram at a later date)
WTF?!? Seriously?!?!
Did I just spend $68,000 on a lemon???
First quad cab 2021 Laramie did the stall/parking brake thing several times, then I was turning into my work project and I got the “Service electronic throttle system’ message on the dash, followed by the truck stalling. The engine would turn over but not start, so I had to have it towed to a dealership. Dealership claims that it had diesel fuel put in it, which it most certainly did not. I was transferred with work and am now in a 2021 Laramie crew cab, which I have been driving for 10 days and it has already done the stall/parking brake thing once and the electric running boards have issues as well when they randomly won’t go up or down but get stuck in the middle.
Bought my 2022 Laramie RAM truck April 6, 2022, no issues at all,, great truck, as far as I’m concerned.
2022 Ram 1500 Laramie with ETorque engine. 2500 miles, flat road, no climb, no descent, flat, engine started rumbling, truck started shaking, LOTS of loud noises from engine, stall, charging light comes on, get a message of “Check Electronic Throttle Control”, start pulling to the side of the road, just get to the grass and the whole tuck locks up sliding into the field (grassy area). Brought to dealer. Get a call today, “we have to rip the engine down after we do a compression test to check the sleeves (I think is what was said). Ask if it’s the engine, no real “commitment” to the answer, LOL, but he says, “let’s say a new engine is a possibility at the worst case”.
We’ll see.
What would you do??
Infotainment system on my 12 inch display. For the 2022 Dodge Ram 2022 is awful. 50% of the time it glitches to the point now I mainly use my radio. Horrible
2022 Ram 1500 sport 5.7 Hemi and 8 speed transmission and 12 inch Uconnect. Within first week with only 90km on truck stereo went black and moving truck forward at slow speed truck seemed to “Lunge forward”. With brake applied it seemed like it just wouldn’t stop. Has done this a few times in the 5 months I’ve owned it. Seems like downshifting/up shifting issue. Like the truck doesn’t know what gear it should be in so it guesses wrong. A couple times it just would t stop and lunges forward about 15 ft. Last weekend while my girlfriend was driving it, she struck a building because the truck wouldn’t stop while manoeuvring in a parking lot. Now there’s damage caused by this unsafe issue and it’s been at the dealer for a week now. I’ve brought the truck in prior to this incident to have this addressed to be told there’s no updates to correct issue. Still waiting to find out if they can figure out what’s wrong. Truck has only 6000km. Truck seems to upshift to 2nd and shifts hard going to 1st and rpm increases and truck will lunge forward uncontrollably. Not sure what to do but Ram should be paying for damage and fix issue considering I’ve already brought it in to have it fixed.
2022 ram 1500 bighorn 5.7 when I open door uconnect makes a noise from the speaker the noise sounds of a buzz
Bought truck with 12 miles now 1000 on it
I love my eco diesel best truck I ever had almost 700 miles to one tank on highway.plenty of power great truck 30 thousand and not one problem.
Ive had my new 2022 1500 limited night edition 1 week and when I start it theres a noise coming from the front of car and it lasts a few minutes and goes away??
New Ram 2022 1500 Laramie. 2,500km and the truck shuts down while in motion. SOS Button wouldn’t work. Luckily I had enough cell service to call a tow truck. I waited 3 weeks to find out that piston #7 failed, which caused catastrophic engine damage. Now the engine needs to be replaced. As far as I know it will be covered by warranty but I’m stuck paying for a truck I can’t drive, and the engine is on backorder, could be weeks, could be months. This is the second Engine to fail on me this year. I had a 2018 Ram 1500 with 177,000 km that needed the engine replaced. Hence the new truck.
2022 Ram belt to serve model
Not able to feather the brakes when coming to a stop brakes are aggressive and grabs and unable to slow down smoothly and a rumbling sound and vibrating when brakes are applied
I bought new 2022 Ram Bighorn Lonestar and day one the SiriusXM did not work. Says antenna problem. Put in shop 2nd day. Service department says antenna wired wrong. Now 900 miles and the same problem again with antenna. The back up camera comes on and immediately turns off. Not fixed yet.
Bought a 2022 Dodge Ram GT addition. 7000 miles in completely shut down on the highway in triple didgets with the kids. Gets towed in told its a computer issue. Pick it up 4 days later alerts back on and now scared to drive.
2022 ram 1500 tradesman bought on 6/6/22, on 7/8/22 a/c stop working, when the defogger is use the a/c comes on an the starts to heat the inside, the Uconnect starts blinking and radio off and black screen. Only 900 miles
Bought a brand new 2022 Ram Big Horn 1500 5.7 liter hemi with 6 miles on Feb 5 2022. It is dead as of June 20 2022 with 6,000 miles. Battery dead. Either bad battery, alternator or sensor is my guess. Something is draining the battery. Should NOT have this issue already. Would not recommend Ram trucks. Had a 2019 Ram 1500 classic with 5.7 liter hemi 4×4 & had the front passenger side wheel bearing go bad.
2022 Ram 1500 Laramie 13k miles on it and the radio dash goes off and on at a wim. Now the check engine light on, dealer reset the computer and back at the dealer 3 days later. Injection code on the phone app. Appears to be the same issue on all newer models. Such a disapoi
Brand new 2022 Rebel under 1500 miles started throwing a dash full of service lights whe it rained got it in they changed out rear wheel sensors… also trouble with phone linking to stereo systems and back up camera willfreese and not go off until I pull.over park and restart.
22 Ram Rebel E-Torque, transmission on downshifts is harsh and aggressive. When coming to a slow stop or even quick stops the truck is unpredictable and feels like a manual transmission when you pop the clutch. The thing will turn itself off as your rolling to a stop and then lunge forward before you can even stop. The SiriusXM antenna has not worked at all. The gas pedal/electronics are terrible and it stumbles from every stop!! Borderline dangerous when trying to make turns as it hesitates and nearly stalls for a split second, then you accelerate like a tool, no control at all. I regret this purchase…..
1600 miles beeping codes on read out 2200 same replace radio that one did not work they put old one back in and said they reprogram it now same thing warining ect 2022 ram 54 k very unhappy
5k on 2022 1500 laramie. All highway driving and it just jumped gears on me. Lost power to accelerator. Put its delft into park with electrical ignition warning. CEL is on now.
2022 Dodge ram 1500 brand new off the lot and My AC did not work. Then My stereo unit say Uconnect battery needs to be replaced. Then I get a notification on my phone app saying there is a airbag failure and tire sensor failure. My truck has less then 2000 miles on it and the first payment is not even due yet. Dodge says they are reviewing if I qualify for a buy back. I am really disappointed to say the least. They also told me that I could be charged a storage fee if I did not pick up my vehicle from the dealer that I feel unsafe driving.
Chrysler advertises 18-22 mpg for RAM 1500 Hemi 5.7L V-8 e torque engine and I have had it for 2200 miles driving ALL highway AND combination… and I’m ONLY getting 14mpg!!!! I even have a bigger fuel tank! How can they get away for falsely advertising this range? Also getting a gas smell from the grill when I park it… it’s brand new… just picked up my Limited Longhorn on March 4, 2022.
brand new 2022 dodge ram 1500 right off the lot with 10 miles electrical issues including radio shutting down with screen saying (screen shutting down overheating). problems with the electrical also defrost.. another problem is either the transmission or the drivetrain whenever i come to a fast stop the car pushes forward. Several times almost hitting car Infront of me at stop signs.
I have heard that dealers and manufacturers are selling the 2022 knowing they are not right especially electronically and knowing the buyer will bring them back and have them repaired hoping they have the proper chips or electronics come in. I heard this from a friend whom is a salesman for a car dealer. So the dealer and manufacturer are knowingly selling sub par new vehicles.
425 miles on my 2022 Dodge Ram Rebel GT. Owned for 3 weeks. Keeps stalling at stops. Check engine light on. “Injection system failure” shows up on phone app. Low battery indicator showing 11.5 VDC when vehicle running. After it stalls and I restart battery jumps up to 13.7 VDC for awhile then back down to 11.5 then stalls at next stop. Towed back to home on a Sunday.
Brand new 2022 ram 1500 rebel eco diesel, from New Brunswick Canada, first tank of gas and how RAM boasts about 1600 km’s to a tank of diesel fuel… THATS GARBAGE!
I have less than 100 km showing on the expected mileage gauge and 560 actual km’s on the brand new truck. I will be lucky to get 800KM’s to this piece of crap. The reason i bought it was for mileage and how RAM can get away with the lies it spews is beyond me, I have no choice but to keep this truck for a bit but 800kms difference on the first tank of gas is not a good showing to me. I will be getting rid of it ASAP! The actual dealer where i bought the truck are as professional as i have met and not their fault this garbage truck does what it does. I sent my evaluation to Chrysler by email and of course will NEVER EVER hear back from them because they are lairs and should be taken to court for publishing garbage lies to customers