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Light NHTSA footprint — 35 owner complaints and 2 active recall campaigns. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 5500. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while attempting to come to a complete stop, the…
Received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to repair the recall is not available. The manufacturer has exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Because the vehicle currently has this recall, the…
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 45 MPH, the transfer case exploded. The front drive shaft fractured in half and punched a hole in the floorboard of the cabin of the vehicle. The contact pulled off the highway safely.…
Twice in the past year I have experienced a loss of the ABS braking system. Warning messages appear to service the ABS braking system as well as a general braking system malfunction. This loss of ABS is intermittent. I have taken it to the dealer to have it fixed both times, and…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
If the brake lights incorrectly illuminate, it can confuse other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.
If the brake lights incorrectly illuminate, it can confuse other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. RQ25003 on NHTSA →
How NHTSA investigations work, and what's open now →
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.8 out of 10 based on 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 RAM 5500 is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
On the NHTSA data, the 2018 RAM 5500 does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 7.8/10 — above the segment average; 2 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is brakes, with 19 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 72,451 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop.
The brakes is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 72,451 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 35 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $450, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.