Electrical, engine, powertrain, structure and visibility problems among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
When a person gets behind the wheel of a heavy-duty pickup truck, they expect to have an experience unlike any other. Ram Trucks further promotes this expectation by claiming the newest lineup helps owners “have a safe and secure journey.” However, a reality check reveals there is nothing safe about this large pickup. It suffers from a defective electrical system, malfunctioning engine, shoddy powertrain, terribly built structure and horrible visibility.
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A well-functioning electrical system helps every drive become seamless and connected. However, the 2020 Dodge Ram 2500 has so many defects, it can feel like a nightmare to drive instead.
One Edmunds review states, “I bought a single cab 2020 ram because I liked my 2018 Ram so much, but they are NOT the same. I started have electric problems after 30 days (the fuel gauge stopped working). Took it for repairs and they found nothing wrong with it, they had it for 3 days. 2 days later the problem came back this time they fixed it in 9 days. Next the shifter started acting up along with the radio. 19 days later they had it fixed. Now the backup sensor will not stop beeping when you have it turned off with a trailer on. So it has to go back again. I called the Ram Care Center to try and work out a Swap for this truck because it’s a lemon and they told me they would keep fixing it as long as it’s under warranty but now do anything else. She suggested I buy a longer warranty.”
It turns out there is an electrical system recall with this Dodge Ram truck. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V191000 says that a lingering rearview image is occurring with the backup camera. This image can lead drivers to see things that aren’t there, leading to an accident. It’s almost as if owners have started hallucinating thanks to advanced technology. It won’t be long before Ram tries to blame the victims and call them crazy too.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Fuel System, Diesel | |
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Steering | |
| Structure:body | |
| Wheels | |
| Service Brakes |
To tow and haul heavy goods, a pickup truck must be equipped with a strong engine. Yet, this model is consistently receiving negative feedback.
One NHTSA complaint illustrates troubles by stating, “Have a squeak that started about 200 miles ago, (have 4900 miles on truck). Did some research and many other people have this problem with the 2019-2020 Cummins 6.7 motor. It seems to be some sort of pulley or the belt. The truck is brand new with only 4900 miles and should not have any squeak coming from the belts or pulley. People are having to replace pulleys and belts 7 plus times and still the problem hasn’t been fixed. Dealer I took my truck to couldn’t fix the issue. FCA needs to address this.”
While everyone can agree these situations are not normal and the automaker should address them, the chances of that happening are slim. However, there is Service Bulletin #S1918000003 Rev. that does talk about the engine misfiring, surging and bucking, but fails to take any meaningful responsibility for the problems. It should be interesting to see how many “safe and secure” journeys owners will ever be able to take behind the wheel of this death trap.
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The powertrain is everything from the transmission to the drive axles. However, the tranny is probably the most important component of this system, with massive amounts of complaints coming from Dodge Ram owners.
Another Edmunds review says, “I bought a brand new 2020 Ram with the 6.7 diesel. The truck ran great for the first 9,000 miles. Then I noticed a noise in the drivetrain when going from drive to coast. I took the truck to the dealership and they couldn’t find anything wrong. By the time the truck had 15,000 miles on it there was a noise all the time. I went back to the dealership and this time they agreed there was a problem. First they replaced the transfer case, that didn’t fix it. Next they re-flashed the computer, that didn’t fix it. Now they have the transmission out of the truck. The truck has been down for 40 days so far and they have no idea when it will be fixed. I contacted Ram customer care, complete waste of my time. Ram customer care is telling me 6-8 weeks before they will do anything about it. So much for customer service. Currently 4 of the 5 vehicles sitting in my driveway are Chrysler products. This is the last Chrysler product I will ever buy. The quality is absolutely terrible and the customer service from Ram is even worse.”
It turns out that this part is even more defective than some might think. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V043000 states that the six-speed automatic transmissions can have a build-up of pressure and heat that can cause a leak. If the fluid were to come in contact with an ignition source or the turbocharger, a truck fire could start. At this point, there are probably more than a handful of owners that would be perfectly fine with their trucks going down in a blaze of glory.
While the 2020 Dodge Ram 2500 is labeled as a heavy-duty pickup, there’s nothing heavy-duty about its construction.
One NHTSA review reads, “Passenger side Rambox plastic covering is warping. Rambox’s plastic cover is secured to the side of the Rambox structure via double sided tape. Due to temperature changes, the plastic covering expands and contracts in cold and hot environments, causing the plastic panel to warm, and causing the 3M tape that is used to secure it to the Rambox structure to fail.”
Actually, it’s no joke that FCA has advised dealers to use duct tape to secure the Rambox, leaving owners with the mess they now face. However, the structure defects continue, with NHTSA Campaign Number 20V2070000 illustrating how the bed step can fail while it is in use. Of course, no one would know this until the bed step actually failed, with them on it. Maybe if that person also hits their head in the process, some sense will be knocked into them and they will switch truck brands.
Seeing out of the truck is crucial to on-road safety, yet there are significant visibility problems happening with the Dodge Ram 2500 models.
One final NHTSA review states, “Windshield broke. Nothing hit it. I turned the defrost on and it just started cracking.”
The visibility problems continue with NHTSA Campaign Number 20V622000 that says affected trucks have a driver-side mirror glass that can detach from its back plate, reducing the visibility and leaving a higher likelihood of crashing. Did Ram mean to say “anything but a safe and secure journey,” because that is what driving this truck feels like?
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Dodge pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
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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No legal issue but I just bought a 2020 Big Horn 2500 diesel with the wonderful DEF system. With almost 20K miles on it at time of purchase, only 1 of 4 recalls had been remediated. I have had them done. My issue is with DEF. Aparently this truck can’t be just for Sunday drivin or it will have diesel emission fluid issues in the form of carbon bulid-up. At over $5 a gallon plus a bit of cost for the DEF, I wasn’t planning any long trips. If this system fails, it’s prohibitively expensive and I’m sure, not covered by any warranty or lemon law. I took a hit on the trade-in and I wasn’t looking for a Dodge but the numbers looked ok on paper. Now I’m wondering if I should take another hit by selling it.
No legal issue yet. Your site is very informative. 2020 Ram Tradesman 2500 diesel stopped running. This is day 6 in the shop. Have to wait it out. Passed all computer test and the shop has no idea what is wrong yet.
Thanks