Both exhaust manifold cracked causing exhaust fumes to leak in to cab
2021 Ram 1500 engine complaints
Page 2 of 11: complaints 11 to 40 of 281, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there were abnormal sounds coming from the exhaust, the exhaust was leaking, and the contact discovered that there were cracks on the exhaust manifolds. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the exhaust manifolds and gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact did research and was made aware of an unknown the federal safety agency Campaign Number however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the manufacturer stated that the federal safety agency was responsible for adding each VIN to a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Made several stops and on the last one when I went to start the vehicle it wouldn't start. Used jump pack and it started. Had a non-flashing check engine light and a service ESC light. Decided to drive across town to auto store and have them check battery and replace if bad, When I pulled into the auto store parking lot the truck died and wheels locked up. (Very sudden stop) All four gear selector lights (PRND) were lit. Thought to myself "I'm glad this didn't happen on the roadway." Turns out the battery was indeed bad, and a new battery got me running again.
[XXX] Fire occurred while driving [XXX] my Ram 2021 and it was like a mini blast with a lot of sparks as I saw in a rear-view mirror. Everything went out on the dashboard and the car stopped at the Top of Wolf Creek Pass [XXX] . I got out of the car and saw a small fire burning under the car. The fire under the car went out on its own. The very shape of the hole (perfectly round) in my muffler indicates an explosion that occurred simultaneously. Also, the fused edges of the round hole indicate a high temperature during this explosion and fire. I disagree that this fair damage [XXX] my Ram 2021 3.0 ecodiesel [XXX] is considered from Progressive insurance as simple "wear and tear." estimate only $1669,78. Garber Collision Pontiac repaired the Ram 2021 by 04.24.2026 and replaced the damaged wiring harness ($1161 self-pay) as required by Progressive. After this repair, the Ram 2021 was unable to move and was delivered to the Tucson Ram dealer on 05/04/2026. The dealer did not indicate the root cause of the damage in the estimate. The car was also returned to me by the dealer. When I asked the dealer on 05.12.2026 to indicate the root cause of the damage, the dealer replied that he was not aware of such a similar damage and indicated that the warranty on the car has expired and there are no open recalls. But The dealer's initial assessment from 05.13.2026 (estimates $9325.25) indicates the fire was caused by a failure of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler, which is a known issue (similar to recall VB1/19V‑757) where the cooler cracks, leaks coolant, and causes a fire in the intake manifold. This is a component failure resulting in an explosion/fire, not typical wear.  I need a diagnostic report that specifically mentions the EGR cooler failure as the source of the fire. I give my full consent for Ram Manufacturing to send an independent inspector to me for Ram 2021 3.0 Ecodisel INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The exhaust manifold on both sides of the motor have cracked and have broken bolts. The Ram dealer confirmed it and says it is a known issue that the manufacturer will not fix. With the crack and broken bolts, exhaust fumes are leaking out. It gets nauseating in the cab of the truck if the windows are up for too long. My independent mechanic is set to replace the manifolds with aftermarket ones due to literature saying the OEM will end up the same way. No dash lights have illuminated.
The vehicle experienced an overheating condition immediately after being picked up from dealership service on April 11, 2026. Within a short distance of driving, a warning appeared and the vehicle became unsafe to operate, requiring it to be pulled over and towed. The dealership later stated that coolant was low but also reported no leaks. This condition should have been identified and corrected while the vehicle was in their custody prior to release. The failure created a safety risk because the vehicle could not be operated safely on the roadway and required immediate removal from traffic. The issue occurred without prior warning before the failure following service.
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an unusual popping sound. The low battery and check engine warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the battery lost power. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road, and the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 78,900.
The EGR cooler bypass control broke on my pickup. The dealership stated that this is an ongoing issue with these pickups and that the 2019-2020 pickups had a recall on this. This pickup has 77,000 miles on it. This should not be failing.
Our alternator is bad in a 2021 Ram. There are 10,000 on back order and up to a 9 -12 month wait list. There is obviously something wrong with this brand and should be recalled.
Engine malfunction cause low oil pressure and cause a catastrophic failure and lock brakes up multiple people i know have had same issue as me and it due to a manufacturer error on oil gallery bolts backing out and causes rockers not to get proper oil and chews cams up
Wa driving with cruise on at 60 mph. Truck stalled with no notice, no warning lights or check engine light. All temperatures and pressures seemed okay at time of incident. Could not move electronic shifter into neutral, was stuck in drive. Alarm came up to shift to park, I did not shift due to moving at 55mph at this time. Coasted to a stop on side of the road. At about 2-3 mph, truck automatically shifted to park. I attempted to restart truck but engine just cranked over with no fire. Attempted 3 times and still nothing. Waited 20-30 min and attempted again and same result. Call for tow truck and had towed to dealership. While waiting for tow truck, had full power in truck, no warning lights. Checked fuses for fuel and found no issues. Did hear fuel pump engage when turned ignition to run. Checked oil level, oil was changed 800 miles prior to incident, oil was at full level on dip stick.
The oil pan on my 2021 Ram1500 has premature severe corrosion. When the oil pan fails, oil will drain to the roadway causing hazard to other vehicles and cause catastrophic engine damage disabling the vehicle. I tried to contact Ram about the issue to raise concern about this material failure and they would not take my concern/complaint. A quick search reveals this problem is extremely common. The repair quote is slightly over 1500 to replace the oil pan. Something needs to be done. A recall needs issued and a fix provided for all affected vehicles.
MGU unit failure. Truck is less than 5 years old and just hit 60k miles. Noise came on very abruptly and was lucky enough to get it to a dealer nearby where I was traveling. Still was stranded 4 hours from home and needed a rental to get home. I got a battery warning light and auto start/stop malfunction light and 20 minutes later the truck was dead. I have a family of 5 and need a vehicle for work and to transport kids to school/daycare. Technician said it could take upwards of 8 months to get the replacement part. This is absolutely ludacris for something like this to happen and potentially causing financial damages to people. Dealer offered $10k less than the truck is worth because of the issue so I can’t even get a fair trade in value if I wanted to trade it in. Ridiculous!
The Check Engine Light came on and the truck would misfire and stall. We took it to 2 separate mechanics - Mechanic 1 (Certified Sideros Automotive): It was found that the multiple cam shaft lobes were flattened and ground due to a failed lifter, recommendation - replace engine. Mechanic 2 (Stew Hansens Ram): Check Engine Light came on, multiple cylinder miss fire. Using a bore scope inspected cylinder walls, found a very small crak allowing coolant to slowly bleed into the system, recommendation - replace engine We replaced the engine with a rebuilt engine at a cost of $7,677.58. This should not happen to a truck that is only 4 years old. Its a 2021 and the engine was replaced 5/2025. We were not aware of any recalls but we did have the dealership clear all recalls on the new engine such as the engine software update after it was installed.
I am submitting this complaint to report a significant and unusual mechanical failure involving my 2021 Ram truck. The vehicle experienced a failure of the heater core assembly, which resulted in engine coolant leaking directly into the passenger compartment. This failure caused coolant odor and fluid intrusion inside the cabin and required extensive disassembly of the dashboard and HVAC system to repair. The total cost of repairs exceeded $5,300, which I believe is disproportionate and unexpected for a vehicle of this age and mileage. Two separate repair visits were required as it was found after the heater core was replaced the actuator on the driver’s side was damaged by the ongoing leak and required repair. The vehicle has been properly maintained and serviced according to manufacturer recommendations. While this incident did not result in an immediate crash or injury, the nature of the failure raises safety and health concerns, including: •Driver distraction due to coolant fumes and loss of defrost capability •Exposure of occupants to engine coolant within the enclosed passenger compartment •Sudden loss of cabin heating and windshield defogging capability in cold weather Given the age of the vehicle and the severity of the failure, this does not appear to be normal wear and tear. I am concerned that this may represent a design, material, or manufacturing defect that could affect other vehicles of the same model year. The odor was present for many months prior to the failure; however, the local dealership could not examine the issue at the time of a prior oil change due to lack of time on that visit. I am submitting this report to document the issue, assist in identifying potential patterns, and ensure appropriate review by the manufacturer and regulatory authorities. Repair invoices and supporting documentation are included.
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who replaced the high-pressure fuel pump under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine); with the additional repairs on the low-pressure fuel pump at the Owner's expense. The vehicle was partially repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened an investigation. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
Exhaust manifold on passenger side has cracked leading to exhaust fumes in cabin, causing dizziness and headaches due to carbon monoxide ram has acknowledged this issue with a TSB but the fact that exhaust fumes come into the cabin on a vehicle that is five years old is concerning and in my opinion, a safety concern.
eTorque MGU hybrid motor going out with unexpected loss of power and stopping. Upon failure vehicle lost power and became inoperable. Both independent service center and dealer service center confirmed the eTorque MGU hybrid motor is failing. Upon further research thousands of these MGU hybrid motors are failing unexpectedly. No remedy in sight and manufacturer indicates no eta on availability of parts to fix.
Oil pans are rusting through . Mine has 45,053 miles. In the 60k mile powertrain warranty. RAM refuses to fix because it is 'corrosion'. They want $1,861.53 to replace. These rusted pans are all over the internet.
While towing, my truck threw P00AF-00 Turbocharger Boost Control Module "A" Performance and ABS C121C-00 Torque Request Signal Denied codes and I lost power due to turbocharger not engaging. Alarms that were lit included CEL, Service Electronic Throttle Control, and the Stabilizer system. The safety aspect is the loss of power while towing on a highway. The original code was cleared by my hometown dealer and vehicle ran well. 130 miles later it happened again, cleared by dealer in Parkersburg WV On the way home it happened a 3rd time. After parking for half an hour the alarm lights went off and I had full power. A day later the CEL also went off leaving no evidence of a problem on my dash. The vehicle is scheduled at the local dealer tomorrow (9/29/25) The trailer and truck combination was well within the towing limits of the vehicle. There are various threads in RAM owner groups that allude to this problem in the Gen 3 Ecodiesel The truck is under an extended warranty from MOPAR...hope they resolve the problem
Failed Motor Generator @ 74,000 miles while is covered under the Federal emissions warranty. Vehicle has been off road for 30 days with no ETA on replacement parts
1. The Motor Generator Unit (MGU) failed on my 2021 Ram 1500. The component is still installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. 2. The MGU failure caused a loud whining noise that worsened over two weeks, raising concern that the part could seize or fail while driving. A sudden failure could result in loss of vehicle power or drivability, creating a dangerous situation for me and others on the road. 3. Yes. A certified Ram dealership inspected my vehicle and officially diagnosed the MGU as defective. 4. Yes, the dealership confirmed the failure. To my knowledge, it has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. 5. There were no warning lamps or dashboard messages. The only symptom was a whining noise that started faintly and gradually increased over the course of approximately two weeks before the dealer diagnosis.
There is an exhaust leak at the manifold which lets exhaust gas int the engine compartment and it smells in the passenger compartment. I feel there is a health risk of carbon monoxide poisoning . It seems as though should be a repair made by the manufacturer.
I have a 2021 ram 1500 and the belt started to make a lot of noise. I got it to the dealership and they had it a whole month and a half. They said it was the alternator but no it was something called a MGU (motor generator unit). Can't find it no where in the country. Im stuck with a 50k truck that I can drive. Warranty can't fix it and now I can't sleep.
The MPU system was going out caused engine noises, the engine didn't sound like it wanted to change gears i drove very rough to the repair shop, it looks to be like a well known issue on Dodges with Etourqe they are 3 to 6 months behind in parts manufacturing
Driving to work and my truck lost all electrical power. All display lights turned on and hazard light signal started blinking but the hazard lights were not actually on. I then lost all electrical power; power steering, hazard lights would not turn on, all dash lights and display lights, head lights at first and then the battery died a couple minutes after that started. I could not put the truck into neutral so I could push it to the shoulder of the highway. I had to put it in Neutral manually with the pull tab under the steering wheel. My Ram 1500 5.7L hemi etorque was towed to Andy Mohr Chrysler Jeep Ram. The service shop told me that the motor generator unit is on back order and it could take a month or 2 months for the part to come in.
2021 Ram 5.7 etorque MGU bad and vehicle sitting as part appears to be on nationwide back order. vehicle sitting while still making payments and paying insurance. seems to be major issue and no recall yet.
I am submitting this complaint regarding a critical issue with my 2021 Ram 1500 equipped with the eTorque mild hybrid system. The vehicle has become inoperable due to the failure of the etorque alternator in this system. Unfortunately, Mopar—the official parts supplier—has not made this part available, and it has been on indefinite backorder for months. This is a known issue and has broken just outside of warranty. I'm in desperate need of this part and the backorder and supply time is unknown with no ETA.
Our check engine light came on and we took it to get the code read. We had the code read by 3 independent sources and nothing came back on the code. There is currently a recall for this EXACT same issue with Dodge Ram 1500s from the exact same year but for some reason our truck VIN is not coming up as being on the recall. Now, we cannot pass smog in our state because the check engine light is on and the dealership does not have us on the recall for this exact issue.
Driving on highway lost all power sudden shut down of motor pulled off highway immediately ,autoshifted into park skidding in gravel unable to restart had towed to dealer,,they put in new under hood battery at my expense (was charging system failure) part needed was backordered. Got truck back home running lower than normal voltage local dealer claiming nothing wrong with it ,,diag from other dealership says otherwise,,,this isnt just a mechanical issue, its a safety issue as i drive alot.
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