2019 RAM 1500 Common Problems & Defect Telemetry
Authoritative defect intelligence synthesized from 1461 verified NHTSA owner complaints, 30 federal safety recalls, and interquartile failure mileage telemetry.
The 2019 RAM 1500 receives a 3.4/10 MazicBay Reliability Index based on 1461 verified NHTSA federal complaints and 30 safety recalls. The primary reported failure mode is Electric Power Steering Assist & Suspension Noise Reports with a median failure point at 23,050 miles (IQR: 9,450 – 50,352 mi). Out-of-warranty repairs benchmark at $450 – $1,400 .
35.6 complaints / 10k sold
Verified US federal records
Crash, fire & stall audit
30 Active / Free Remedies
Top Reported Problem Clusters (7)
Electric Power Steering Assist & Suspension Noise Reports
- Sudden loss of electric power steering assist
- Steering wheel pull or highway wander
- Clunking / knocking noise over bumps
“Loss of power steering on 3 occasions. Currently undrivable due to not knowing when it will fail again. Dealership has confirmed the code is for power steering failure.”
“SUMMARY OF ISSUE: Water intrusion from a defective factory rear window seal flooded the Radio Frequency (RF) Hub module, causing severe, dangerous network communication (CAN bus) failures while driving. The removed RF Hub has been retained by the owner and is available for ph...”
“I was on the highway when the vehicle alerted me that shift was unavailable then the auto start/stop was unavailable then the airbags were unavailable then my FUEL and my MPH were not reading. My windshield wipers started all on their own and could not be turned off! And my EM...”
Electrical Parasitic Drain, Infotainment & Harness Reports
- Unexplained battery drain after sitting overnight
- Infotainment display / instrument cluster blackouts
- Accessory malfunction / alternator fault warnings
“Loss of power steering on 3 occasions. Currently undrivable due to not knowing when it will fail again. Dealership has confirmed the code is for power steering failure.”
“This has now happened 3 separate times. Once 1 month ago, my husband and I were on the connecting road from ... toward ... by the water plants stopped in traffic and the truck completely powered off at a red light. It took 30 seconds for the truck to power back on, and be rest...”
“The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated shortly afterwards. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift out of firs...”
Engine Stalling, Oil Consumption & Cooling Defect Reports
- Engine sudden stall / hesitation while driving
- Abnormal oil burning / consumption
- Check Engine Light (MIL) flashing
- Engine overheating / coolant loss
“The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally strong exhaust odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the exhaust manifold needed to be re...”
“This has now happened 3 separate times. Once 1 month ago, my husband and I were on the connecting road from ... toward ... by the water plants stopped in traffic and the truck completely powered off at a red light. It took 30 seconds for the truck to power back on, and be rest...”
“The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated shortly afterwards. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift out of firs...”
Transmission Hesitation, Hard Shifting & Slipping Reports
- Hard gear shifts / delayed engagement into Drive/Reverse
- Transmission shudder / jerking under acceleration
- Transmission slipping between gears
“This has now happened 3 separate times. Once 1 month ago, my husband and I were on the connecting road from ... toward ... by the water plants stopped in traffic and the truck completely powered off at a red light. It took 30 seconds for the truck to power back on, and be rest...”
“The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated shortly afterwards. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift out of firs...”
“When driving, I get a prompt on my dash to switch to park and then desired gear. I get no response from my accelerator until I do so. This particularly happens when I’m slowing down and accelerating after a stop signs or traffic lights. Happens while in the middle of intersect...”
Service Brakes, ABS Actuator & Master Cylinder Reports
- Spongy or hard brake pedal travel
- ABS / Brake warning light illuminated
- Extended stopping distance / pedal vibration
“This has now happened 3 separate times. Once 1 month ago, my husband and I were on the connecting road from ... toward ... by the water plants stopped in traffic and the truck completely powered off at a red light. It took 30 seconds for the truck to power back on, and be rest...”
“Components Electronic Stability Control (Esc):control Module Summary Chrysler (Fca US, LIc) IS Recalling Certain 2019, 2021-2024 RAM 1500 Vehicles. DUE TO A Software Malfunction, THE Anti-Lock Brake System (Abs) Control Module MAY Disable THE Electronic Stability Control Syste...”
“Pop up display indicates ABS failure, There exist already active recalls on 2019 Ram however according to Ram Customer Service my vehicle is not among current recalls. My issue is the same as my nephew. ‘Same truck, same year, . ABS failure , disables cruise control, 4 wheel d...”
Airbag Occupant Detection & Inflator Defect Reports
- SRS Airbag warning lamp illuminated
- Passenger occupant classification sensor failure
- Seat belt retractor lockup
“the lock retractors are not working on left and right sides of the back seat for children. They need to get fix in case of an accident they could be safe”
“I was on the highway when the vehicle alerted me that shift was unavailable then the auto start/stop was unavailable then the airbags were unavailable then my FUEL and my MPH were not reading. My windshield wipers started all on their own and could not be turned off! And my EM...”
“Service air bag light came on. Code read Passenger Seat belt Retractor Pretensioner Deployment Control - Circuit Open”
Fuel Pump Pressure Loss & Fuel Delivery Defect Reports
- Sudden loss of propulsion power at highway speeds
- Extended engine cranking / failure to restart
- Fuel odor near fuel tank / engine bay
“Whenever I refuel my truck the pressure in the fuel tank causes fuel to spit out of the fill neck. It is a common, known, issue among RAM trucks involving the fuel line. It takes me 20 to fill the tank up because of this issue, and I’m constantly having the fuel spitting out a...”
“Went to do the 10000 mile maintenance, after the oil change and changing all the filters. The truck wouldn’t start, had a mechanic look at it and he said it’s a faulty fuel pump. Called the dealership as there is a recall for that part and it was serviced less than two years a...”
“When fueling up the truck the gas pump keeps clicking like if the truck is full of fuel but it isn’t. The truck has a cap less system so there’s a valve on top of the gas tank that is supposed to let the fuel into the fuel tank once gas starts pouring in. The valve gets stuck ...”
Official NHTSA Safety Recalls (30)
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 RAM 1500 vehicles equipped with a 12" touchscreen display and a base-level heating, ventilation and air conditioning ("HVAC") system. Vehicles with this combination do not have a functioning windshield defrosting and defogging system. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 103, "Windshield defrosting and defogging systems."
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with a 48v auxiliary battery system located behind the rear seat (sales code: XBZ). Due to an incorrect assembly repair process, the auxiliary battery wire terminal connection may overheat.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals. The affected vehicles have a brake pedal that may move too far and separate from pedal assembly.
STRUCTURE
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain Mopar Rear Step Kits, part number 82215289AB, designed for model year 2019 Ram 1500 trucks. In the event of a rear impact crash, the rear step kit may cause the rear control arms to contact the fuel tank.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 vehicles. The battery ground fastener on the driver-side front fender may have been improperly secured, possibly resulting in a loss of power steering assist.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 trucks. These vehicles may have been built with a contaminated electric power steering (EPS) gear that may short circuit, potentially resulting in an intermittent loss of power steering assist.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 vehicles. The instrument cluster may not properly illuminate driver warnings. As such, these vehicles fails to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."
STEERING
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and 2019 Ram 1500 vehicles. These vehicles have improperly machined steering column stub shafts that may break, possibly causing the steering wheel to detach from the steering column.
SEAT BELTS
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Ram 2500, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. In the event of a crash, a front seat belt retractor may not properly slow the occupant's forward movement after locking.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel drive. A gear within the transfer case may not have been installed correctly, possibly causing the vehicle to become stuck in neutral. If this occurs while driving, there could be a sudden loss of power. Additionally, a loss of 'PARK' function may occur.
SEATS
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 RAM 1500 trucks. The seat track position sensor on the manually-adjusted passenger seats may come loose and out of position, preventing the sensor from detecting if the seat is in the full-forward position.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Summary: 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.
AIR BAGS
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500 vehicles. The flash memory of the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) may become corrupted, disabling the vehicle's air bags and seat belt pretensioners.
TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 trucks. The spare tire provided may differ in size and required inflation pressure from the information on the tire placard label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500, 1500 Classic and Jeep Compass vehicles. The windshield wiper arm or arms may loosen, possibly causing the wipers to not operate properly and reduce the driver's visibility in certain weather conditions.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Ram 1500 Classic, 2015-2016 Ram 3500, and Ram 2500 vehicles, and 2016 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a gross vehicle weight rating less than 10,000 lbs. The side air bag inflatable curtain (SABIC) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 trucks. An incorrect Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sensor could have been installed during production causing the sensor to not display the low tire pressure warning indicator. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Ram 1500 pickup trucks. The rear driveshaft may have an incomplete weld fusion between the tube and tube yoke, which may lead to weld cracking or the driveshaft fracturing.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and 1500 Classic Pickup trucks equipped with 3.0L Eco Diesel engines. The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler may crack and allow pre-heated vaporized coolant to enter the EGR system. This mixture may combust inside the intake manifold.
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 RAM 1500 trucks. The rear differential may have been insufficiently filled, possibly resulting in its failure.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals. In certain accelerator pedal positions, the floormats may prevent the pedal from returning to the normal resting (idle) position.
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and 2014-2019 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. A high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failure may introduce internal debris into the fuel system, potentially resulting in fuel starvation.
STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickup trucks. The tailgate may not latch properly due to misaligned tailgate strikers, which could result in the tailgate opening while driving.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0L Diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate, causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019, 2021-2024 Ram 1500 vehicles. Due to a software malfunction, the anti-lock brake system (ABS) control module may disable the electronic stability control system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Ram 3500, Ram 1500, 2016-2020 Ram 2500, and 2016 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis vehicles. The right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect.
AIR BAGS
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Ram 1500 vehicles. The driver's side air bag may not be connected properly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 Classic, Ram 2500, and Ram 3500 vehicles. The right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect.
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:ANCHORAGE
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 vehicles. The second-row seat belt buckle anchors may have been improperly installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist for 2019 RAM 1500
Before purchasing a used 2019 RAM 1500, perform the following targeted inspections based on reported federal defect patterns:
Scan the OBD-II port under the dash for pending freeze-frame codes (e.g. P0300 misfires, P0087 fuel rail pressure, P0420 catalytic efficiency).
Test vehicle at low-speed stop-and-go and highway merges. Check for delayed reverse engagement or gear shift shudder between 2nd and 3rd gears.
Verify that all 30 NHTSA safety recall campaigns have been performed by an authorized dealership using the VIN.
Ensure the instrument cluster, center screen, and auxiliary charging ports operate with stable 12.0V–14.4V alternator voltage.
Defect & Reliability Q&A: 2019 RAM 1500
Is the 2019 RAM 1500 a reliable used car?
The 2019 RAM 1500 earns a 3.4/10 MazicBay Reliability Index based on 1461 federal owner reports. Vehicles maintained under factory service schedules exhibit strong longevity past 150,000 miles.
What is the most frequent defect reported on the 2019 RAM 1500?
The leading complaint category is Electric Power Steering Assist & Suspension Noise Reports, with a median failure point around 23,050 miles (IQR: 9,450 – 50,352 mi).
Are there free recall repairs available for the 2019 RAM 1500?
Yes, the NHTSA records 30 safety recall campaign(s) for this model year. All safety recalls are performed 100% free of charge by authorized franchise dealerships regardless of vehicle warranty status.

