Ram 3500: which model years draw the most owner complaints?
4,779 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Ram 3500, model years 2000 to 2026. 2 model years stand out for the engine or transmission: 2004 (transmission 6.4×); 2022 (transmission 12×). Quietest mature years by complaint count: 2002, 2000, 2009. Counts of unverified owner reports, compared only with other years of the same model; not failure rates.
Complaints by model year
| MODEL YEAR | COMPLAINTS | VS OTHER YEARS | STANDS OUT | RECALLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 3500FEW REPORTS | 58 | quiet: 2 of 20 | 1 | |
| 2001 3500FEW REPORTS | 130 | quiet: 5 of 20 | 1 | |
| 2002 3500FEW REPORTS | 44 | quiet: 1 of 20 | 1 | |
| 2003 3500 | 286 | — | 9 | |
| 2004 3500 | 214 | transmission 6.4× | 7 | |
| 2005 3500 | 195 | — | 7 | |
| 2006 3500 | 258 | — | 11 | |
| 2007 3500 | 216 | — | 15 | |
| 2008 3500 | 177 | — | 12 | |
| 2009 3500FEW REPORTS | 108 | quiet: 3 of 20 | 7 | |
| 2010 3500 | 150 | — | 9 | |
| 2011 3500 | 225 | — | 5 | |
| 2012 3500 | 366 | — | 9 | |
| 2013 3500FEW REPORTS | 115 | quiet: 4 of 20 | 18 | |
| 2014 3500 | 202 | — | 17 | |
| 2015 3500FEW REPORTS | 137 | quiet: 7 of 20 | 16 | |
| 2016 3500FEW REPORTS | 134 | quiet: 6 of 20 | 16 | |
| 2017 3500 | 317 | — | 13 | |
| 2018 3500 | 808 | — | 11 | |
| 2019 3500FEW REPORTS | 138 | — | 14 | |
| 2020 3500FEW REPORTS | 116 | — | 11 | |
| 2021 3500FEW REPORTS | 62 | — | 9 | |
| 2022 3500 | 191 | transmission 12× | 12 | |
| 2023 3500FEW REPORTS | 17 | — | 5 | |
| 2024 3500FEW REPORTS | 46 | — | 2 | |
| 2025 3500FEW REPORTS | 40 | — | 5 | |
| 2026 3500FEW REPORTS | 29 | — | 4 |
"Stands out" = 40 or more complaints naming that system and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share seen across every vehicle of that model year. Newer years have had less time on the road. "Quiet" ranks only years with 7+ years on the road and 20+ complaints. NHTSA data through November 2026.
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Other Ram models
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Source: NHTSA public complaints, recalls, service bulletin and investigation databases, data received through November 2026. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not failure rates: sales volumes are unknown, so a model year is only compared with other years of the same model. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Year pages: 2003200420052006200720082010201120122014201720182022