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Ram 1500 brake failure problems

88 of the 11,930 owner complaints about the Ram 1500 describe brake failure, most of them for the 2025 model year.

owner complaints
88
worst model year
2025
typical repair cost reported
$1,300
typical mileage
33,300
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

What owners say

Filed Oct 20, 2026 · Brakes · FL

The brakes failed suddenly without warning on XXX. The vehicle was towed to Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram in [XXX], where it was purchased new on XXX. The dealer diagnosed and replaced the ABS Module, but still got faults. They then diagnosed and replaced the Brake Booster, but testing showed that the replacement Booster was leaking, so it was replaced again. After the second booster was installed, a leak was discovered in the Master Cylinder, which they say must now be replaced. The vehicle has been in the repair shop for 28 consecutive days, and three attempts to repair it have failed. When the brake failure first occurred on XXX, multiple warning lights illuminated - 6 or 7 - and messages to service the brakes and other components were displayed on subsequent start up. There were no indications at all prior to the failure. In fact, the vehicle had recently returned from a 2,800 mile trip with no problems at all. The vehicle has 19,060 miles on the odometer. I now have zero confidence that the brakes will be safe. Luckily this occurred in a parking lot where I was able to safely deal with it. Had this happened during the recent long trip, my wife and I (I'm [XXX] and she is [XXX]) would have been stranded somewhere far from home. Had it occurred while driving at highway speed on XXX in heavy traffic, it could have been disastrous for me and my wife, and also other motorists. I contacted FCA US LLC and the Customer Service Rep assigned Case# XXX. I have requested printouts of all diagnostics, repair attempts, and repairs from Daytona Dodge. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 22, 2026 · Airbags, Brakes · FL · crash · 2 injuries

I am reporting a catastrophic, cascading electrical and mechanical safety defect involving the central electronic network, hydraulic braking system, and the supplemental restraint system (SRS) on a 2024 Ram TRX.In the week leading up to the collision, the vehicle exhibited persistent electrical anomalies, specifically where the primary display screen/infotainment system would suddenly crash and go completely black while operating. On the day of the incident, while traveling at approximately 55 mph, I attempted to apply the brakes to avoid an obstacle. The brake pedal immediately went completely soft and "spongy," providing no adequate hydraulic pressure or braking force to slow the truck.Due to this sudden braking failure, the vehicle sustained a severe, high-velocity front-end collision. The driver was properly wearing their seat belt at the exact time of impact. Despite massive front-end structural deformation directly inside the vehicle's primary sensor zones, the steering wheel, knee, and side curtain airbags completely failed to deploy. Due to this non-deployment during a high-speed impact, the driver sustained head trauma and was knocked unconscious. The vehicle subsequently rolled over, coming to a final rest overturned on its right side. The vehicle’s event data recorder (EDR) data buffer was later overwritten during subsequent post-crash handling/ignition cycles before data could be locked.The prior display blackouts combined with a simultaneous loss of braking pressure and restraint system failure strongly point to a systemic CAN bus or module power failure. I request a formal federal investigation into the electrical architecture, braking modules, and airbag control module (ACM) thresholds for this vehicle class.

Filed Sep 8, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · UT

The vehicle has failed to start and left me stranded multiple times. The concerning thing here is, upon jumping the vehicle, there were no concerning lights just a single check engine light. I was driving directly to the dealer for a repair. All was fine for about 10 minutes. Then, I hit the brakes and all warning lights came up and the brakes STOPPED WORKING. The pedal was soft and going nearly to the floor. I very luckily avoided an accident and pulled over, then had the vehicle towed to the dealer. A week and a half later, when trying to start the truck it had another full electrical freakout and was towed to the dealer again.

Filed Aug 20, 2026 · Electrical, Lights · 3,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2025 Ram 1500. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 26V059000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System) and 26V495000 (Seat Belts); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving and towing a trailer, the brake pedal was depressed, but the trailer brakes failed to engage, causing the vehicle to drift into oncoming traffic. The contact stated that approaching drivers reacted promptly and avoided the vehicle, preventing a crash. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the trailer brakes, brake lights, and taillights were inoperable while towing. The contact disconnected the trailer from the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended. The trailer was then transported by a U-Haul truck. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure was confirmed; however, the contact was informed that parts were unavailable for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that parts were available and needed to be ordered by the dealer; however, the dealer stated parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the display screen had been replaced four times due to a black screen failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

Filed Jun 29, 2026 · Brakes · KY · fire

Traveling down I64 Eastbound towing a 24' enclosed trailer loaded with 2 RZRs in my 2022 Ram 1500 Limited, a check engine light came on. I decided I'd get off at the next exit to have it looked at as we're one hour into a 3.5 hr drive. Within one or two mins of the check engine light dinging, another dash light came on in the form of a red battery with a lightning bolt. I had no idea what that was, but immediately after that light coming on, every light on the dash started blinking and the burnt electric smell flooded the cabin. I immediately put on the hazard lights and started to pull onto the shoulder and slow it down...but the brake pedal went to the floor and I had no brakes. I then steered the truck off the shoulder and into the grass and the soft ground (it was raining) helped slow it down, but we had to jump out of the truck before it had stopped as the overwhelming white smoke was about to asphyxiate us. The truck was down to about 5 mph when we had to jump out. The truck was completely engulfed in flames within just a few mins.

Filed Jun 28, 2026 · Brakes · MN

Towed RAM pickup to dealer for failing to start. Battery/shifter problems found and fixed. While driving the truck from service center, dealer tech found NO BRAKES. Subsequent diagnosis found failed BRAKE BOOSTER MOTOR failure. Sucessfully repaired. This incident could have been lethal under different circumstances. It shows a VERY unnecessary design flaw which is putting an electronic controlled component into the braking process. Historically the brakes have work reliably with strictly a mechanical/hydraulic process. Moreover, there is no emergency break pedal as I have subsequently discovered after the fact.

Filed Jun 22, 2026 · Brakes · GA

Vehicle is suffering from a known hardware issue with the ABS module error code C2200–49 upon further research there are no known fixes at this time for the vehicle and it may cause brake failure. Disables cruise control and all stability contol to include ABS

Filed May 27, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · NY

Total brake failure and all electrical systems shut down and went offline while driving at 65 mph on highway.had to swerve back and forth across road for a mile before coming to a hill and slowing enough to stop on side of road.

Filed May 22, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · IL · fire

A fuse box burnt up while driving in down town Chicago at 35mph causing no power to steer and loss of braking. The vehicle only stopped because it ran off the road hitting a pothole there was total loss of power. towed to the dealer Ram claims it was a burnt fuse box and there is still electrical issues with the truck its not fixed truck has approximately 11,000 miles still under factory warranty with no aftermarket products installed to the electrical system.

Filed May 15, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · AZ

While driving on the highway, I first noticed the vehicle becoming difficult to steer. The steering felt unusually heavy and sluggish, as if power steering assistance was reduced or failing. Shortly after this began, multiple warning lights illuminated across the dashboard. At that point, braking performance also became severely compromised. The brake pedal felt soft and traveled nearly to the floor with very limited stopping power. The vehicle required significantly increased distance to slow and stop, creating a serious safety hazard in active highway traffic. The combination of reduced steering assist and severely degraded braking performance made the vehicle difficult to control and presented a significant safety risk. I was able to bring the vehicle to a stop and it was later towed to a dealership. At the time of inspection, the battery was found to be dead. I had recently returned from a 5-day trip and the vehicle required a jump start before this driving event. The dealership replaced the battery and stated the vehicle was operating normally after repair. However, the incident involved progressive loss of steering assist followed by significant loss of braking performance at highway speed. I am reporting this as a serious safety concern because multiple critical vehicle control systems were affected while driving. I am concerned about potential recurrence of this issue and the risk it presents to driver and public safety. The vehicle is available for inspection.

Related recalls

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinderReported February 1, 2021 · 683 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Ram 1500 Classic SLT trucks. Certain vehicles were built without the retaining clip that secures the master cylinder push rod to the brake pedal, which can cause the brake pedal to separate from the brake system.
Risk
A separated brake pedal can result in the driver being unable to apply the service brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Owners are advised to not drive their vehicles until they receive instructions on the inspection and repair, as necessary. FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and install the push rod clip, free of charge. The recall began February 9, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA US number for this recall is Y04.

Recall number 21V037000 · Recall details

Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkagesReported February 5, 2019 · 193,813 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals. The affected vehicles have a brake pedal that may move too far and separate from pedal assembly.
Risk
If the brake pedal separates from the pedal assembly, the driver may be unable to brake the vehicle, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will repair the adjustable pedal assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 25, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V07.

Recall number 19V067000 · Recall details

Parking brakeReported April 3, 2013 · 6,574 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 vehicles manufactured December 17, 2012, through January 22, 2013. The parking brake cable equalizer was set incorrectly and may not hold the vehicle on a 20% grade. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the parking brake performance requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk
If the parking brake fails to operate as designed, the vehicle could roll when parked, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reset the parking brake cable equalizer if required, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1‑800‑247‑9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N22.

Recall number 13V128000 · Recall details

Questions about the Ram 1500 brake failure

Which Ram 1500 years have brake failure problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2025 (15 complaints), 2014 (12 complaints) and 2016 (12 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix brake failure on the Ram 1500?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,300 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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