The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while pulling out of the garage and onto the driveway, the steering wheel seized, and the message "Power Steering Needs to Be Serviced" was displayed. The contact turned off the vehicle. Upon restarting the vehicle the following day, the steering wheel operated as intended, and the contact slowly drove to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the steering rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering); however, the repair was not covered because the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired at the owner's expense. The manufacturer, RAM, was notified of the failure via website and by phone, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that no assistance would be provided and was referred to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 13,800.
2016 Ram 1500: engine failure
41 of the 1,564 complaints about the 2016 Ram 1500 describe engine failure.
- owner complaints
- 41
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 70,000
- recalls
- 3
Engine failure by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2016 RAM 1500. The contact stated while the contact's husband was driving at 75 MPH, the engine seized. In addition, several warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was seized in the middle of a busy highway. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a delaminated tone wheel. The contact was informed that the tone wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received a recall notification, the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
I own a 2016 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, VIN [XXX] . The vehicle has been in and out of Rydell Jeep & Ram dealership over 3 times in the last few months for fuel pump issues. It has been at the dealership for over a month total (in and out). Each time I have had to pay for towing and rental cars. I have not been reimbursed for any rental or towing costs. On April 11, 2026, immediately after picking up the truck from the dealership (where it had just been serviced for a previous fuel pump issue), the vehicle suddenly lost all power while I was driving on the freeway and would not restart. It was towed back to Rydell. On April 23, 2026 at 9:30 AM, Bruce (service advisor) and Mike (mechanic) at Rydell verbally admitted to me that their original diagnosis was wrong. They had initially said a gear inside the engine that turns the CP4 fuel pump had come loose or failed. They now admit that diagnosis was incorrect, but they refuse to provide that admission in writing. They are now trying to charge me for the repair. I believe the actual root cause is that the CP4 high-pressure fuel pump seized internally. That seizure would have placed extreme resistance on the engine's drive gear for the pump, causing the gear or its retaining bolt to fail as a secondary consequence. The pump seizure is a known safety defect in these EcoDiesel vehicles. Because the dealership has admitted the original diagnosis was wrong, and because this failure happened immediately after fuel pump-related service, I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate this as a safety defect. The sudden loss of power at highway speeds is extremely dangerous. I also request that any existing recall or investigation (such as the federal safety agency Campaign 22V406000 a INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The vehicle turned off on the freeway and qould lnt start right after it came out from the dealership for a fuel pump cp4 installation recall, they said they misdiagnosed the issue with the truck on 4/23/26 930am from Bruce service advisor and mike the mechanic at rydell with my fuel pump off the truck. They said the gear that turns the fuel pump may have come loose That gear that turns the fuel pump does not turn, they showrd me. Also im thinking that the fuel pump seized and caused this issue. Why would the inner gear not work after yhis situatio
The 3.0 eco diesel has a known defect involving the oil pickup tube clogging up with soot and diesel particles which then causes catastrophic damage to the engine and they blow up due to engine bearing failure which could lead to a safety issue while operating the vehicle on the roadways there are numerous videos online regarding this issue and it needs address and mopar needs to correct this and recall all the trucks and replace the engines and redesign the oil pickup tube to prevent the oil pickup tube from clogging up it’s unfair to the owners of the trucks and so many of the trucks are being scrapped due to the engine failure issues new engines cost $11-$18,000 to replace
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 65 MPH and driving over a bump in the road, the steering wheel seized while going around a corner. The driver was able to avoid a crash and moved over safely. There was an alarm activated inside the vehicle. The message to check the power steering was displayed. After waiting approximately 5-10 minutes, the message disappeared. The contact linked the failure the federal safety agency Action Number: RQ23003 (Steering). The contact called the local dealer and was provided with the cost for a diagnostic test and an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
Due to low oil pressure vehicle engine seized while driving on freeway. After having it towed to local dealer, I was quoted $19,000 to replace the engine because it could not be repaired.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the rear wheel seized, causing the vehicle to abruptly stop. The contact discovered that the vehicle failed to drive forward while in drive(D). The contact stated that after switching to 4WD, the vehicle was driven off the road and was later towed to the residence. The contact stated that while examining the vehicle, the contact determined that the rear differential had failed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V198000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 81,127.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact attempted to turn the steering wheel and heard an abnormal buzzing sound. The contact stated that the "Steering Wheel" symbol with an exclamation point was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stopped and turned off, and restarted the vehicle to attempt to reset the steering assist; however, the vehicle to return to normal functionality. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the electric power steering assist had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that there was a recall related to the failure, the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering). The contact had called a dealer but was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact called the manufacturer, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 177,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to be started, the vehicle failed to start as intended. The contact stated that the gear shifter had seized in park. In addition, the check engine and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with ABS control module failure. The contact was informed that the ABS control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that parts were no longer manufactured to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
My hpfp failed causing metal to get into the fuel rail and affecting the injectors causing a hot spot on a piston causing piston slap and engine failure was told about recall z46 dealership they didn't fix stellantis will not fix will not support the need for a engine replacement
The last few weeks I’ve noticed my truck hasn’t been right. With some online investigation I realized the misfire code I been getting is related to a cam and lifter issue. Based on the forms I’ve viewed. The ram 1500 with the 5.7 engine has a known issue that the cams and lifters wear down after a very short period of time. I’ve seen cases of 60k miles up to 120k miles. This is a crucial part of the vehicle and there’s no reason this should only last for a short period of time. Especially with all these people who claim had to spend thousands of dollars on repairs or sometimes new engines entirely. I have older vehicles from the 2000’s with more miles than never have had issues like this. This is either a bad part that was produced or bad material of some sort. I’m hoping I’m not the only one to complain about this and we can try to resolve this issue.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Verify Reman part number availability
- CEL (Check Engine Lamp) C006A-49 Multi-Axis Acceleration Sensor Internal Electronic Failure And C10CC-00...
- Throttle Blade Icing Service Fix Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination
- Suspected engine coolant leak.
- Water Quality When Mixed With Engine Coolant
- WiTECH Small Leak Verification Test (SLVT)
- Adapter
- Adapter
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0L Diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate, causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
- Risk
- An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 3, 2023. Some owner notification letters were mailed October 31, 2023. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated July 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 66A. This recall is an expansion of recall 20V‑475.
Recall number 23V411000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: diesel
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Ram 1500 and 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
- Risk
- An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion by reading the camshaft position signal in the event that the crankshaft position signal is lost, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 13, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1‑800‑853‑2002. FCA US's number for this recall is W58.
Recall number 20V475000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: gas recirculation valve (EGR valve)
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and 1500 Classic Pickup trucks equipped with 3.0L Eco Diesel engines. The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler may crack and allow pre-heated vaporized coolant to enter the EGR system. This mixture may combust inside the intake manifold.
- Risk
- Combustion in the intake manifold can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EGR cooler, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect and, as necessary, replace the intake manifold. The recall began April 16, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB1.
Recall number 19V757000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2016 Ram 1500 engine failure
Is engine failure a common problem on the 2016 Ram 1500?
41 of 1,564 owner complaints about the 2016 Ram 1500 (3%) mention engine failure. The model year with the most reports is 2015.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2016 Ram 1500?
There are 3 recalls and 81 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2016 Ram 1500
ABS 250Check engine light 123Power steering loss 120Loss of power 96Adaptive cruise 85Stalling 59Fuel pump 54Fuel gauge 46Fire or smoke 32Won't shift 25No deployment 23Jerking 22Steering lock-up 21Hesitation 19Won't start 17Knocking 16Overheating 15Backup camera 13Headlights 13Brake failure 12Rollaway 12Power windows 10Warning lights 10Grinding brakes 9Fuel smell 8Misfire 8Key fob 7Sudden acceleration 7Tire blowout 7Harsh shifting 6Transmission failure 6Ball joint 5Door locks 5Seat belt 5
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