2012 Ram 2500 problems and complaints
Owners have filed 283 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Ram 2500. The most-reported areas: Steering (109), Electrical System (51), Engine (44).
Key takeaways
- 283 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 8 involve a crash, 12 a fire, 4 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 109 | 39% |
| Electrical System | 51 | 18% |
| Engine | 44 | 16% |
| Power Train | 35 | 12% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 24 | 8% |
| Suspension | 22 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 5% |
| Unknown Or Other | 14 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 11 | 4% |
| Fuel System | 10 | 4% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 9 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Ram 2500 Mega PU/EC 4WD | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 3/5 |
| 2012 Ram 2500 Crew PU/CC 4WD | 3/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2012 Ram 2500 Regular PU/RC 4WD | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 3/5 |
| 2012 Ram 2500 Mega PU/EC 2WD | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Electrical System - filed 2026-07-29
The switch to start the vehicle has to be pushed down and turned at the same time. Vehicle starts but shuts the engine down when the key returns sometimes. On one occasion vehicle shut down while driving.
Engine - filed 2026-05-27
We purchased our 2012 Dodge Ram heavy duty with tow package new. At just over 152000 miles, the engine started knocking while on vacation. We were not towing at the time. We put in injector cleaner to try and help the knocking. During our vacation, we were on the freeway when we suddenly lost power, the service engine ...
Exterior Lighting,fuel/Propulsion System - filed 2026-01-04
My passenger headlights keeps going in and out. The wiring harness has been replaced twice and it still does it. My check engine light keeps coming on for the evap system even though its been replaced.
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More for the 2012 Ram 2500
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.