Your vehicle report
2012 Dodge RAM 2500
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 283
- Received Mar 2012 to Jul 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly37 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving13 complaints · 4.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tie rod ends break or come loose12 complaints · 4.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #17V821000Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 lbs, 2011-2017 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, 2009-2017 Ram 1500 and 2010-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks, all equipped with a column shifter. Pushing the brake pedal for prolonged periods when the vehicle is running and in PARK may cause the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) pin to stick in the open position. With the pin in the open position, the transmission can be shifted out of PARK into any gear without pushing the brake pedal or having the key in the ignition.
- Recall #15V459000Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2011, to October 7, 2014, and equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center option. The affected vehicles have a steering wheel wiring harness that may rub against the driver air bag module retainer spring.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 8 crashes, 12 fires, 4 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 16 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 10 |
| 2014 | 83 |
| 2015 | 70 |
| 2016 | 17 |
| 2017 | 20 |
| 2018 | 33 |
| 2019 | 14 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 3 |
| Total | 283 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 37 | 13% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 13 | 4.6% | – | |
| Tie rod ends break or come loose | 12 | 4.2% | – | NHTSA recall #13V529000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 10 | 3.5% | – | NHTSA recall #14V635000 |
| Jeep Cherokee stalls while driving | 9 | 3.2% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 7 | 2.5% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 7 | 2.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 7 | 2.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 4 | 1.4% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 1.1% | – | NHTSA recall #15V459000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 3 | 1.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #17V821000December 20, 20171,482,874 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 lbs, 2011-2017 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, 2009-2017 Ram 1500 and 2010-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks, all equipped with a column shifter. Pushing the brake pedal for prolonged periods when the vehicle is running and in PARK may cause the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) pin to stick in the open position. With the pin in the open position, the transmission can be shifted out of PARK into any gear without pushing the brake pedal or having the key in the ignition.
Being able to shift the transmission without pushing the brake pedal and/or without a key in the ignition can increase the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, inspect the BTSI, and, as necessary, replace it, free of charge. The recall began February 26, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T79.
NHTSA recall #15V459000July 22, 20151,059,444 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2011, to October 7, 2014, and equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center option. The affected vehicles have a steering wheel wiring harness that may rub against the driver air bag module retainer spring.
This abrasion may result in an electrical short that could cause driver's frontal air bag to unexpectedly deploy. Inadvertent deployment of the air bag may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, repair as necessary, and secure the steering wheel wiring harness. Additionally, protective caps will be added to the air bag retainer spring ends. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on September 18, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R36.
NHTSA recall #14V635000October 8, 2014315,325 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: engine: diesel; fuel system, diesel
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured March 27, 2009, to September 5, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the electrical connectors of the diesel fuel heater may overheat.
If the connectors overheat, the fuel heater may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the harness side connector with a silver plated beryllium copper terminal service kit, and inspect the fuel heater for leaks, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. Chrysler issued interim notification to owners on December 8, 2014. The recall began on April 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P65.
NHTSA recall #13V529000November 6, 2013271,733 vehicles affected
steering: linkages: tie rod assembly
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 RAM 2500 4X4 and 3500 4X4 trucks, 2008-2012 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis, and model year 2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4. The left tie rod assembly may break.
A failure of the tie rod assembly may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Chrysler notified owners on January 16, 2014 that dealers would inspect vehicles and replace the steering linkage assembly, if necessary. On or about February 27, 2014, Chrysler ceased its recall remedy program due to parts quality concerns, and then re-initiated it on or about April 14, 2014. In July 2015, and under a consent order with NHTSA, the company agreed to offer owners three options for remedying their vehicles: perform the original remedy, offer to repurchase the vehicle at the fair market value plus 10%, or offer an additional incentive offer towards the purchase of a new Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, or Fiat vehicle. Chrysler will notify owners of the new recall options in a letter expected to be mailed on August 31, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N49.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2012 Dodge RAM 2500.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN