2018 RAM 3500 Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 136 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2018 RAM 3500, 17% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 44,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “abs traction” (32% of reports).
- 136electrical system complaints
- 44,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 60%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- ABS traction: mentioned in 43 of 136 complaints (32%)
- Cruise control: mentioned in 42 of 136 complaints (31%)
- Service electronic: mentioned in 22 of 136 complaints (16%)
- Code C0020: mentioned in 9 of 136 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 15 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 136 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire.
RAM 3500 electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 3500 | 17 | 63% | 6,000 |
| 2025 3500 | 28 | 65% | 500 |
| 2024 3500 | 12 | 27% | 96,000 |
| 2023 3500 | 3 | 18% | 65,000 |
| 2022 3500 | 23 | 12% | 7,505 |
| 2021 3500 | 17 | 27% | 25,000 |
| 2020 3500 | 9 | 8% | 102,500 |
| 2019 3500 | 21 | 15% | 55,000 |
| 2018 3500 | 136 | 17% | 44,000 |
| 2017 3500 | 33 | 11% | 42,500 |
| 2016 3500 | 10 | 7% | 9,000 |
| 2015 3500 | 19 | 14% | 50,000 |
| 2014 3500 | 25 | 12% | 40,000 |
| 2013 3500 | 17 | 15% | 27,711 |
| 2008 3500 | 1 | 25% | 200,000 |
| 2007 3500 | 3 | 50% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:software; vehicle speed control:cruise control; electrical system:wiring
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Risk: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The recall for the brake hydraulic contol unit (C4B/NHTSA 24V-896) has not been addressed in years.....I have no brakes on my trailer from this failure. This needs fixed asap.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Ram 3500. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 78,546 and at the time of a Carfax report check, it was discovered that the mileage was 699,573.
The contact owns a 2018 RAM 3500. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact noticed an abnormal cracking sound and smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact inspected and used a fire extinguisher to slow the smoke and electrical sparks down. The contact did…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 RAM 3500s have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 136 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2018 RAM 3500 (17% of the 805 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2018 RAM 3500 electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 44,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2018 RAM 3500?
The most frequent phrase is “abs traction”, in 43 of 136 complaints, followed by “cruise control” (42).
Other 2018 RAM 3500 problems
See all 2018 RAM 3500 problems or electrical system problems across all 3500 years.