Ram 3500 brake problems, 2016–2026
944 of the 1,885 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Ram 3500 2016–2026 name the brakes (NHTSA’s “Service Brakes” heading — the hydraulic brakes, ABS and brake assist). The loudest years: 2018 (664), 2017 (193), 2025 (19). Filed under the same heading across these years: 1 manufacturer bulletin, 3 recall campaigns, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.
Ram 3500 brake problems by model year
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsOne row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.
| Model year | Complaints naming the brakes | Share of the year’s | Typically at | On file under the heading | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11 | 41% | — | 11 TSBs | the year → |
| 2025 | 19 | 45% | — | 15 TSBs | the year → |
| 2024 | 11 | 25% | — | — | the year → |
| 2023 | 0 | — | — | — | the year → |
| 2022 | 12 | 6% | — | 1 recall | the year → |
| 2021 | 6 | 10% | — | 1 recall | the year → |
| 2020 | 8 | 7% | — | 1 recall | the year → |
| 2019 | 8 | 6% | — | 2 recalls | the year → |
| 2018 in depth | 664 | 82% | 55k | 1 recall · 1 investigation | the record → |
| 2017 in depth | 193 | 62% | 60k | 1 recall · 1 investigation | the record → |
| 2016 | 12 | 9% | — | — | the year → |
Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the brakes. Nothing here is a rate.
When the brake complaints were filed, and at what mileage
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled per calendar year, every model year together: 2016: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 54 · 2023: 319 · 2024: 238 · 2025: 153 · 2026: 151
Across the model years, half of the 190 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the brake problem between 25,000 and 90,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the brakes, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
2008 RAM 3500 Laramie Longhorn with 20,000 miles flashing warning messages on front display repeatedly reading : "Service Antilock Breaking System" and "Service Electronic Break System". I am not sure why is doing this.
ABS pump module failed with vehicle under 25K miles. Pump failed prematurely and failed while I was driving, disabling my ABS brakes. The ABS lights and check engine light did light up, it has since been replaced and there is no recall on this issue. Seems to be a common issue with FIAT Chrysler cars
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact stated that the ABS warning light would intermittently illuminate on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where a diagnostic test confirmed that there was an electrical short between the ABS hydraulic control unit and the electronic module which rendered the ABS…
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, several ABS related warning lights appeared on the instrument panel with a warning chime coming from the vehicle. Due to the failure, the cruise control failed to operate as needed.
I received notification of a safety recall on my 2025 Ram 3500 (NHTSA Recall Number26V-059) which affects the trailer lights and braking system. I contacted my dealership to schedule the repair and was told that it would be about 6+ months before they could get to me.
What is on file about the brakes, across the years
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year
- 24V896000 HighNov 27, 2024 · 317,630 vehicles
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. The hydraulic control unit (HCU) may fail, which can cause the anti-lock brake (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), and traction control systems to fail.
- 22V140000 ModerateMar 10, 2022 · 370,437 vehicles
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ram 2500 and 2021-2022 Dodge Durango vehicles, and 2019-2022 3500 cab chassis with GVWR less than 10,000 lbs. The ABS control module software may prevent the electronic stability control (ESC) malfunction indicator light from illuminating during certain conditions. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
- 19V635000 HighAug 29, 2019 · 5,495 vehicles
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 2500, 3500 and 3500 Cab Chassis trucks. The brake calipers may have been manufactured with an incorrect assembly fluid, which can cause the caliper's rubber seals to swell.
NHTSA investigation
- PE22012 Loss of Brake Performanceopened Nov 28, 2022 · closed Mar 3, 2025
- The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation on November 28, 2022, after receiving 134 reports from consumers alleging an intermittent or permanent loss of braking performance in certain 2017-2018 Ram 2500-3500 pickup trucks manufactured by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). The alleged failures continued to occur at a steady rate across both models, at all speeds, with limite…
1 manufacturer bulletin filed under this heading, any model year
- Jun 26, 2026
- Trac-Rite Operation Diagnosis, Chatter, Shudder, Moving From A Stop And Turning
Every one filed under the heading is listed. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Other systems with a record on the Ram 3500
Source: the same filesCommon questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsWhich Ram 3500 years have the most brake complaints?
2018, 664; 2017, 193; 2025, 19. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2018 (82%).
Is there a recall for the brakes on the Ram 3500?
Yes — 3 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 24V896000 (2018), 22V140000 (2022), 19V635000 (2019). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do brake problems show up on the Ram 3500?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 50,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 25,000 and 90,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Service Brakes" heading cover?
The hydraulic brakes, ABS and brake assist. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.