Ram 1500 years to avoid— and the best years
8 1500 model years ranked on what NHTSA holds for each one: recalls and owner complaints per year on the road, with critical recalls and standing advisories ahead of everything else. The current model year is left out, as are the 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027: too new for a record. This ranks the paperwork, not the car in front of you — a specific car’s history and service record still decide it.
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Every 1500 model year, ranked
Source: NHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings; the arithmetic in each rowCleanest record first. /yr is the count divided by the years that model year has been on sale (2026 minus the model year, at least 1), because raw counts condemn the oldest year on the page for having been around longer.
| Year · rank | Safety Signal | Years on road | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 #1 | D | 3 | 11 · 3.7/yr | 201 · 67/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2022 #2 | F | 4 | 16 · 4/yr | 616 · 154/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2020 #3 | F | 6 | 14 · 2.3/yr | 631 · 105/yr | ★★★★★ | 2 critical |
| 2017 #4 | F | 9 | 13 · 1.4/yr | 880 · 98/yr | ★★★★☆ | 4 critical |
| 2016 #5 | F | 10 | 16 · 1.6/yr | 1,545 · 154/yr | ★★★★☆ | 4 critical |
| 2018 #6 | F | 8 | 15 · 1.9/yr | 662 · 83/yr | ★★★★☆ | 5 critical |
| 2019 #7 | F | 7 | 29 · 4.1/yr | 1,481 · 212/yr | ★★★★★ | 9 critical |
| 2021 #8 | F | 5 | 15 · 3/yr | 679 · 136/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
The 1500 years to check hardest
last 2 of 8 ranked years2021 Ram 1500
The 2021 1500: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other figure here; 15 recalls in 5 years on the road (3 a year, 1 critical: service brakes) — also back over prevention ×4, air bags ×2; 679 owner complaints to NHTSA, 136 a year (most often engine (280) and electrical (197)); owners reported 27 crashes, 4 fires, 23 injured; NHTSA investigation EA23001 (open, fuel/propulsion system); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2019 Ram 1500
The 2019 1500: 29 recalls in 7 years on the road (4.1 a year, 9 critical: air bags, electrical system, vehicle speed control) — also power train ×3; 1,481 owner complaints to NHTSA, 212 a year (most often electrical (382) and steering (337)); owners reported 76 crashes, 11 fires, 63 injured; NHTSA investigation EA23001 (open, fuel/propulsion system); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
The 1500 years the record favours
first 2 of 82023 Ram 1500
The 2023 1500: 11 recalls in 3 years on the road (3.7 a year) — steering ×2, back over prevention ×2, seat belts; 201 owner complaints to NHTSA, 67 a year (most often electrical (68) and engine (47)); owners reported 10 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2022 Ram 1500
The 2022 1500: 16 recalls in 4 years on the road (4 a year) — back over prevention ×5, seat belts ×2, air bags ×2; 616 owner complaints to NHTSA, 154 a year (most often engine (250) and electrical (191)); owners reported 23 crashes, 6 fires, 9 injured; NHTSA investigation PE24018 (open, hybrid propulsion system); NHTSA investigation EA23001 (open, fuel/propulsion system); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
How this ranking is made
Source: the same rule the nameplate page has used since v0.28- For each model year, NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints filed against it are counted from the public files, as on its own page.
- Each count is divided by the years the model year has been on sale (2026 − model year, at least 1): a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings, a 2023 only 3.
- The years are then ordered: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory first, then the number of critical recalls, then recalls per year, then complaints per year; a newer year wins a tie.
- The current model year and any year under 3 on the road are left out — a half-finished record should not win a ranking on a blank sheet.
What it cannot know: whether a given car had its recalls done (NHTSA’s VIN lookup and the maker’s own settle that), its mileage, its trim, or how it was kept. A recall is a repair at the maker’s expense, not a verdict on the design; a complaint is an owner’s unverified report. Every figure above links to the page that lists the filings behind it.
Common questions about 1500 years
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhat Ram 1500 years should I avoid?
On the filed record the 2019, 2021 rank lowest of the 8 1500 model years WhichTrim can rank (2016–2023): the 2021 — a standing advisory, 15 recalls in 5 years (3 a year), 1 critical, 679 complaints (136 a year); the 2019 — 29 recalls in 7 years (4.1 a year), 9 critical, 1,481 complaints (212 a year). The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists.
What is the best Ram 1500 year to buy used?
The 2023 Ram 1500 has the cleanest record of the ranked years: Safety Signal D, 3.7 recalls a year on the road and 67 complaints a year. The 2023 1500: 11 recalls in 3 years on the road (3.7 a year) — steering ×2, back over prevention ×2, seat belts; 201 owner complaints to NHTSA, 67 a year (most often electrical (68) and engine (47)); owners reported 10 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That ranks paperwork, not condition.
Is the 2021 Ram 1500 reliable?
WhichTrim does not score reliability; it counts what was filed. The 2021 1500: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other figure here; 15 recalls in 5 years on the road (3 a year, 1 critical: service brakes) — also back over prevention ×4, air bags ×2; 679 owner complaints to NHTSA, 136 a year (most often engine (280) and electrical (197)); owners reported 27 crashes, 4 fires, 23 injured; NHTSA investigation EA23001 (open, fuel/propulsion system); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That is the weakest record on this page once the counts are put on a per-year footing. A specific car with its recalls done and a service history can be a sound buy; the record says what to check.
How many recalls does the Ram 1500 have?
Across the 8 ranked model years (2016–2023) NHTSA has posted 129 recall campaigns against the Ram 1500, and owners filed 6,695 complaints. Across every model year on file (2016–2027) the nameplate page carries the full count.
Why divide by years on the road?
Recalls and complaints accumulate with time: a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings and a 2023 only 3, so raw counts condemn the oldest year every time. Dividing by the years on sale puts them on one footing. A standing advisory and critical recalls still come first, because no rate makes those smaller.