10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
1,392 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2021 Ram 1500:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

Get free help with your lemon!
close ad
problem #151

Jul 282025

1500

  • miles
Went to start the vehicle with the key fob and the vehicle would not start. Had it towed to ram dealership and was told that the RF hub module needed to be replaced due to being damaged from water at leaked in from the rear window. Upon researching online forums, this seems to be an ongoing problem for this making model because of where the module is located. If there is not already in the works, there should be because this will continue to happen, especially where it rains a lot.

- Middletown , NY, USA

problem #150

Jul 242025

1500

  • miles
Mgu is out. Apparently there are 4000 on back order bc this part keeps failing on these etorque vehicles

- Rosenberg, TX, USA

problem #149

Jul 012025

1500

  • miles
Mine was flickering the 115v cargo outlet and the radio was Turning on and off-?? blind monitoring system, Cap applying the brakes, automatically thinking something was in front or behind

- Cullman, AL, USA

problem #148

Jun 272025

1500

  • miles
2021 Ram 1500 Laramie. 2 Occasions of unexpected engine Revving. 1) Pulled up to a stop, waiting for cross traffic, when fully stopped, the Engine began to rev up by ~500 RPM, up then back down, about 3 times in a row. Each time the truck tried to creep forwards, forcing me to step on the brake harder to prevent movement. Each engine surge lasted 1-2 seconds. 2) At low speeds (<20mph), car had similar RPM surges, but just caused some jerking. Both occasions occurred within 2-3 minutes of a cold start (~70 Deg F Env. temp). Certainly a safety concern, needs to be addressed.

- Amherst, NY, USA

problem #147

Jun 302025

1500

  • miles
The alternator with the etorque option. Truck is available upon request. Stellantis knows of the issues with the motor and doesn-??t have a fix. The part to fix is on back order with no eta till available. I have been researching and some are without a vehicle up to a year. Dealers are aware of the situation. No warnings are shown prior to a total power loss failure. While driving home from work lights all over the dash lighted up and my truck was reading 9 volts. Luckily I was close to home and coasted into the driveway. My truck is now dead in the water sitting in driveway till when a part becomes available. I ended up leasing a car due to having no other option to get to and from work.

- Hermitage, PA, USA

problem #146

Jun 202025

1500

  • miles
Component: Motor Generator Unit (MGU) -?" part of the eTorque system on 2021 Ram 1500. What happened: I own a 2021 Ram 1500 with eTorque. In the year I-??ve owned the truck, it has broken down twice due to major electrical issues. Most recently, it has been in the dealership-??s shop for over 3 weeks due to a faulty MGU (Motor Generator Unit). There is no estimated time for repair because the part is backordered nationwide. Safety risk: The MGU failure caused the vehicle to become completely inoperable, leaving me without reliable transportation. I am concerned this issue could lead to a loss of power or stalling while driving if it had occurred under different conditions. Reproduction/inspection: The issue has been confirmed by the dealership (Preston Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in New Castle, PA). They are unable to proceed with the repair due to lack of part availability. The truck is currently sitting on the lot. Warning lamps/symptoms: Prior to failure, warning lights appeared and the truck experienced erratic behavior. The vehicle would not start after being turned off for a short period of time, and the RF hub had previously failed as well.

- New Castle , PA, USA

problem #145

May 232025

1500

  • miles
The MGU of the 2021 Ram Laramie (e-torque) is not functioning properly and hampers the safety of the vehicle. The MGU, which controls the alternator, will not charge the battery beyond 13.0/13.2 volts during driving. As a result, when sitting for several days, the battery will not have sufficient voltage to start the vehicle since it is not charged fully during driving. Additionally, the MGU is now making a strange bearing noise so we will see if a failure is imminent. Considering this MGU controls the starting of the vehicle during stop/start, and the battery is not charging sufficiently to ensure the owner is not stranded, I consider this a significant safety issue (especially when I live in a place with winter of 8 months). I have not seen any warning lamps, but the charging indicator/screen shows 13.0 as below normal.

- Coolin, ID, USA

problem #144

Jun 152025

1500

  • miles
When driving home in the rain going 65+/- MPH my truck just shut off and turned back on, but was not able to accelerate. Had to pull off on the side of the road and the car started back up. This happened at least 5 more times on my 30 minute ride back home. When I finally got it home the truck would not cut off. I had to disconnect the batter which still did NOT stall the truck. Luckily I found a forum that advised to pull a specific fuse to cut the truck off. My biggest concern was that no warning lights or error codes came up on the dash it just went blank and came back on. The vehicle is currently at Roger Williams Ram Dealership in Weatherford TX. They have had the truck over a week and are still trying to figure out what the problem is. They have replaced a fuse box to my knowledge but this didnt fix the issue. I have video of the incident (driving with no power).

- Weatherford, TX, USA

problem #143

Mar 012024

1500

  • miles
I frequently receive a -??Camera system unavailable-?? when I need it to safely reverse. The system will work randomly one percent of the time. An internet search reveals this is a common problem with the Ram 1500 but the manufacturer states that my VIN wasn-??t included in the recall and directed me to reach out to NHTSA. Please help us have this vehicle included.

- Magnolia , NJ, USA

problem #142

Jun 042025

1500

  • miles
Engine light came on. Was driving ~25MPH on city street, in x-section of 2 major streets and heard loud mechanical noise, warning indicators audible and visual, and vehicle bucked and stalled within 100ft of when it started. After restarting vehicle was able to move about 20 more feet before losing power again. Brough to dealer, diagnosed with MGU (Motor Generator Unit) failure and battery that was defective due to incorrect charging. MGU part is nationally back ordered, with approximately 4000 replacement units on order with manufacturer, and 5 years of history of problems reported on owner chat boards and websites, both with brand new vehicles and vehicles that are just a few years old.

- Alameda, CA, USA

problem #141

Jun 062025

1500

  • miles
My Ram has the ETorque Generator that failed. It has caused the vehicle to suddenly stop and lose power. It first lost all electrical components in the interior. Then driving function shut off which includes the power steering. I was then driving down the street and it suddenly stopped and grinded into the park position of the transmission. The engine bay was very hot and I was surprised a fire didn't start. I hooked up jumper cables to another vehicle to get it off the road way as you couldn't shift it into neutral when the battery was dead. Pretty much all of the warning lights came on as I was still moving and they are still on. I took it into the ram dealer locally and they said there is 4379 that are in the same boat. There is no outlook to get replacement parts. I then took the Etorque generator out and tried having it rebuilt as there was no answer from Ram when it could be fixed. The place I took it to specializes in rebuilding alternators and they were able to fix the bearing problem in the generator but were unable to fix the function of recharging the batteries in the vehicle. So I have to put my truck on a charger every night so its charged up enough to make it to and from work. The vehicle has been inspected by a member of the Fergus Falls Fire Department and he is concerned with constant charging of the battery and electrical issues.

- Fergus Falls, MN, USA

problem #140

Jun 052025

1500

  • miles
On May 16 2025 I started my truck and all the lights started flashing on my cluster( I took pictures) I drove down the street in my vehicle and it put itself into park. I drove back to my shop and called the dealership to make an appointment along with enterprise Rent-A-Car. I had the rental vehicle from May 16 through May 22. After the ABS module recall was performed on May 21, 2025, my 2021 Ram Rebel began experiencing electrical and mechanical failures affecting multiple vehicle systems. While driving at approximately 7 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly shifted itself into Park. Just like the separate occasion, the parking brake engaged while the vehicle was in motion. These events pose a major safety hazard. Since the recall, the following issues have occurred: -??SERVICE BRAKES: Parking brake engaging while driving; ABS-related instability. -??POWER TRAIN: Vehicle attempting to shift into Park and 4WD High without input. -??ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: Dash lights flicker; HVAC system changes temperature settings on its own (e.g., jumping to 72?F); ongoing parasitic battery draw. -??ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL: Loss of system coordination and erratic vehicle behavior. -??FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM: Sudden drop in fuel range readings (e.g., from 180 miles to 23 miles instantly). -??VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: Unexpected shifting and control changes during low-speed driving. -??UNKNOWN OR OTHER: General system instability, rough driving behavior, and degraded performance. I was by the dealership when it went into park so I pulled in. The dealership has acknowledged the update was performed but refuses to inspect the truck until July 8, despite the escalating safety concerns. I believe the ABS module or its software update is causing communication failures across the vehicle-??s CAN network, affecting critical systems. This vehicle is not safe to drive in its current condition. I was told because I did not purchase the vehicle at Wilder that I was not eligible for a loaner vehicle.

- Sequim , WA, USA

problem #139

May 242025

1500

  • miles
Doing research it seems that a lot of people are running into issues with part 68623194AB and are unable to get this through my research. I am currently in this position without recourse other than this.

- Garland, TX, USA

problem #138

Apr 152025

1500

  • miles
After a simple battery replacement, the entire infotainment system and computer for the vehicle crashed. Safety systems and other safety systems for the vehicle connected to the main computer can no longer be controlled, including parking sensors and other equipment and the battery continues to go dead. Many other owners are having the same issue.

- Inver Grove Heights, MN, USA

problem #137

May 212025

1500

  • miles
Bad bearing noise coming from MGU, part is covered under warranty and was told I can keep driving it the way it is. Seems like a fire hazard or safety hazard to drive something that could potentially lock up on the road. 6 weeks + for the part.

- Haysville, KS, USA

problem #136

May 052025

1500

  • miles
Traveling down the roadway at 45mph. It had been raining for a couple of days. Engine completely shuts down, almost like a stall. Had to quickly pull over. When vehicle came to a slow roll, shifter auto shifted into park and engaged parking brake while in traffic. Disengaged parking brake, and was able to start. Pulled into parking lot and truck immediately shut down again. Eventually would not restart. Called tow. Tow company couldn't disengage parking brake. Towed to dealership. They notified me that my truck with 68K miles had a failed seal on back power window which allowed water into the truck, seeping into the RF Hub Module causing the RF Module to fail. 8K miles out of factory warranty and they denied coverage three times. I have MaxCare 8yr/125k warranty and they denied as well citing water intrusion. This is a well documented problem with these trucks as MOPAR Warranty Bulletin XL1 was released extending the warranty for 8 years,150K miles. However, my VIN didn't qualify although it met all of the criteria. This is a serious and dangerous electrical problem that effects drivability as it caused my truck to shutdown in traffic

- Ypsilanti , MI, USA

problem #135

May 072025

1500

  • miles
The first time, the vehicle was, in effect, "dead, " as nothing worked. After 24 hours it started without any codes being present. The second time, the vehicle stopped, shut down and engaged the e-brake. Nothing was thereafter operational. Four days later, it started without any mechanical intervention The only thing I did was remove the battery connections and then reinstall them. Three to four hours later it started.

- Manlius, NY, USA

problem #134

May 152025

1500

  • miles
After idling for 30-45 minutes in a parking lot my radio suddenly turned off (black screen), the dash indicated that my 115V Outlet showed that it was on as the indication flickered continuously. A/C will not function, only hot air blows progressively worse while driving. Windows will not roll up or down anymore, clock on the dash no longer shows up, side mirrors will not close with the button, power steps will not deploy. The vehicle also states that the blind spot indicator is off. Doors will not lock either. I disconnected the battery for 15 minutes and made sure EVERY FUSE WAS SEATED PROPERLY (interior and engine bay) as they were almost ALL loose. Now I am attempting to let the truck sit disconnected for up to two hours with the doors open and will factory reset the radio after to get the 12-?? screen functioning if possible.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #133

May 142025

1500

  • 46,259 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted but stalled again. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was water leaking from the third brake light and had leaked onto the battery pack control module and RF hub, and the parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,259.

- Quantico, VA, USA

problem #132

Apr 292025

1500

  • miles
While driving on the highway with cruise control engaged, the system became stuck and would not disengage. I attempted to cancel cruise control using the button, tap the brakes, and shift to neutral, but none of these actions worked immediately. The truck continued accelerating beyond the set speed, putting my life and the lives of others in serious danger. I eventually regained control after repeatedly braking and forcing the truck into neutral, but this was an extremely dangerous situation that could have resulted in a fatal crash. To my knowledge, there were no warning lights or messages before or during the incident. I have not had the problem confirmed by a dealer yet, but I contacted the manufacturer (RAM customer service), and they instructed me to take the vehicle to a dealership for diagnostics at my own expense. This appears to be a serious defect in the cruise control or throttle system, and I am requesting a formal investigation.

- Offalon , MO, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »