A free NHTSA vPIC decode tells you which Ram 3500 you are looking at. Then check its model year against 87 NHTSA recall campaigns and what owners have reported.
Free decode plus the NHTSA recalls for its model year. 17 characters, no I, O or Q.
Ram has sold the 3500 in the US since the 1991 model year. Across those years NHTSA lists 87 vehicle recall campaigns and 5,435 owner complaints. The 2018 has the most complaints of any model year (806). A free VIN decode gives you NHTSA vPIC’s record for the car (model year, engine, plant) and the NHTSA recalls for its model year. It won’t show theft, flood or lemon-law history.
One generation in the data, 1991–2026: 87 NHTSA recall campaigns and 5,435 owner complaints.
Mentions in 5,435 NHTSA complaints.
3C63RRJL?JG······NHTSA vPIC decodes it as a 2018 Ram 3500 Laramie, built in Saltillo, CoahuilaNHTSA has 87 campaigns on file for 3500 model years 1991–2026, and the 2013 shows up in more of them than any other year (16), ahead of the 2014 (15). Move the line to your model year to see which apply.
Source: NHTSA recall database, vehicle campaigns only; row text is NHTSA’s summary. A listed year does not mean every car is covered, so check the VIN.
Canada rows: Transport Canada recalls database. Transport Canada recalls that match an NHTSA campaign are folded into that row by VinNumber.net; rows with the Canadian flag have no NHTSA match. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Transport Canada.
Complaints peak with the 2018 (806 of 5,435). Tap any bar or generation.
Mentions in 5,435 complaints, 1991–2026.
The 2018 is the outlier. On its own it has 806 of the ’s 5,435 complaints (15%), more than any other 3500 model year, and owners across the generation name steering most often (1,263 mentions), then brakes (1,208).
The 2022 draws the most NHTSA complaints, most of them about the transmission, with owners describing a sudden loss of drive, and some blame clutch failure inside the heavy duty automatic. Owners of the 2019 more often report diesel fuel system trouble and stalling. CarComplaints has few reports, led on the 2019 by stock tires that fail repeatedly and front wheel bearing failures. Recalls cover diesel fuel lines on 2019 trucks that may leak and transmission fluid leaks from the dipstick tube on 2019–2022 trucks. [1] [2] [3]
Complaints climb sharply for 2017 and 2018, and the 2018 draws more than 800, mostly about the anti-lock brakes, with owners describing ABS and stability warnings after the hydraulic control unit fails. CarComplaints lists death wobble and constant vibration for 2013 and ABS hydraulic unit failure and battery drain for 2018. Recalls cover the ABS hydraulic control unit on 2017–2018 trucks, which can disable ABS, stability and traction control, and steering linkage jam nuts on 2013–2018 trucks that may loosen and let the drag link separate. [4] [5] [6]
Counts: NHTSA complaints file, records to October 1, 2026, one count per complaint; areas are NHTSA component groups.
Owner summary updated September 25, 2026.
Ram 3500 owners on Reddit mostly trust the 6.7 Cummins and praise how much the truck can tow, with one standard output dually past 223,000 miles of mixed towing. The big worry on 2019 and newer trucks is the hydraulic roller lifters, which failed for some owners and led many to change oil often or install a solid lifter kit. Newer trucks also draw complaints about electrical faults, battery drain, repeat axle and transfer case repairs and long waits for parts.
Opinions of individual owners, summarized in our own words. Not verified data; check recalls and complaints above.
Every 3500 version is counted together. Tap a year to see its top systems.
Crashes 0 · fires 0 · injuries 0
Crashes 0 · fires 0 · injuries 0
Crashes 0 · fires 0 · injuries 0
Crashes 2 · fires 7 · injuries 2
Crashes 7 · fires 6 · injuries 6
Crashes 5 · fires 10 · injuries 3
Crashes 4 · fires 12 · injuries 9
Crashes 12 · fires 10 · injuries 11
Crashes 10 · fires 6 · injuries 2 · complaints reporting a death 1
Crashes 4 · fires 5 · injuries 6 · complaints reporting a death 1
Crashes 12 · fires 3 · injuries 19
Crashes 2 · fires 0 · injuries 2
Crashes 9 · fires 1 · injuries 6
Crashes 42 · fires 4 · injuries 19
Crashes 23 · fires 6 · injuries 11 · complaints reporting a death 1
Crashes 15 · fires 4 · injuries 6 · complaints reporting a death 2
Crashes 14 · fires 14 · injuries 9
Crashes 9 · fires 14 · injuries 6
Crashes 6 · fires 2 · injuries 1
Crashes 3 · fires 4 · injuries 6
Crashes 3 · fires 5 · injuries 6
Crashes 4 · fires 8 · injuries 3
Crashes 3 · fires 7 · injuries 2 · complaints reporting a death 1
Crashes 9 · fires 7 · injuries 9
Crashes 3 · fires 5 · injuries 1
Crashes 12 · fires 5 · injuries 6
Crashes 9 · fires 1 · injuries 2
Crashes 16 · fires 2 · injuries 6 · complaints reporting a death 1
Crashes 11 · fires 5 · injuries 8
Crashes 6 · fires 7 · injuries 4
Crashes 0 · fires 4 · injuries 0
Crashes 4 · fires 5 · injuries 7
Crashes 0 · fires 0 · injuries 0
Crashes 5 · fires 1 · injuries 4
Crashes 0 · fires 0 · injuries 0
Crashes 1 · fires 0 · injuries 0
Systems as NHTSA names them; a complaint can list several. Source: NHTSA complaints data, records to October 1, 2026.
2 heavy-duty alternative-fuel Ram 3500 listings in the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.
Source: DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center (heavy-duty vehicle search).
Tap a spot. Every location should show the same 17 characters.
Photo: Hans Haase, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped
Illustration: VinNumber.net
Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0; edited and VIN pins added by VinNumber.net
Locate the Ram 3500 VIN on the dashboard plate, readable through the windshield. As a heavy-duty truck, the VIN also appears stamped on the frame rail near the front axle and on the engine block. Door jamb sticker and a cab corner stamp complete the set.
The 2018 leads with 806, ahead of the 2012 (366) and 2017 (312). Those first two alone make up 22% of the 5,435 3500 complaints filed with NHTSA, not adjusted for sales.
NHTSA’s recall records show 87 vehicle campaigns for model years 1991–2026, leaving out equipment and tire campaigns.
15V-312, 15V-313, 16V-352, 16V-947, 25V-010, 25V-592 and 25V-824 cover air bag inflators that can rupture. 18V-021 and 19V-018 cover air bag inflator modules and how they deploy. NHTSA’s record names a fire risk in 07V-472, 08V-641, 09V-434, 16V-739, 14V-635, 17V-824, 13V-122, 17V-562 and 8 more. Do-not-drive advisories came with 15V-312, 15V-313, 16V-352, 18V-021, 16V-947 and 19V-018. Park-outside advisories came with 21V-798 and 23V-060. Each should show as closed on a VIN check.