2020 Ram 3500 engine problems

Filed Sep 8, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · IN · fire

We were pulling camper to Nashville TN. We pulled off I24 toward I65 North. I noticed the engine was raving and it felt like I was missing gears on the transmission. I was roughly 4 miles from my destination when I noticed smoke coming from under the hood on passenger side and flames coming from under hood on passenger side of the hood. I stopped the truck/ camper. Three of us had extinguishers trying to put fire out. The entire engingine compartment burned and fire intruded into driver compartment.

Filed Aug 27, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · 300,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly experienced reduced speed and hesitation, and there was a rattling noise coming from the engine as the RPMs increased above 1,500. The vehicle was driven slowly to a local dealer, where the contact was informed that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) had likely failed. The exact cause of the failure had not yet been determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and was experiencing the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 300,000.

Filed Feb 26, 2026 · Engine · 97,000 miles · AZ

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the engine overheated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cooling fan module had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.

Filed Feb 21, 2025 · Engine, Fuel system · ID

Codes: P2002, P242F, P2463, P1451 Failures: DPF, Charge air cooler leak, PM sensors, EGR internally cracked, Catalytic Convertor, Pink tinged oil, strong diesel odor in oil - post failures. Erratic def gauge readings, unstable idling, clunking downshift when exhaust brake decelerates, warm up stumbling. Power reduced, see dealer (over and over and over and over). Limp Mode (5 MPH). Permanent ticks/taps from front left motor, front passenger wheel well, passenger side mid-truck. Extremely loose gear shifter plus an occasional “Vehicle Not in Part” message on the dash display. Manufacturers Service Center (local and ONLY Ram dealership) has reproduced the issue. Independent Diesel Mechanic shop also reproduced. Service center and Independent shop both inspected. The safety issues of a 5 MPH limp mode and risk of sudden engine stalls while driving in traffic, especially on an interstate should be fairly self explanatory… As is a constant “Power Reduced See Dealer” problem, when your truck is used to do what it’s designed to do… Tow large loads. As is an extremely loose gear shifter that doesn’t always properly register as “in Park”. The date listed below is simply the date of the very first occurrence. It’s not a representation of every date after. The most recent date was just last week.

Filed Nov 29, 2024 · Engine · 115,000 miles · IA

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, he noticed that coolant was leaking underneath the vehicle. The EGR warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon adding coolant to the EGR valve, the contact noticed that coolant was still leaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the EGR valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

Filed Sep 10, 2024 · Engine · FL

Reoccurring messages regarding DEF, Exhaust Regeneration, and DPF, causing more and more frequent ReGen for longer and longer. Numerous trips to various Ram dealerships resulting in codes being cleared and then being told it was a software issue. After 2 years of this intermittently happening, we experienced an extended Regen that lasted hours and did not clear out the error code. Ram dealer in Utah charged $280 to do a stationary regeneration and once again clear out codes. Less than 6 months later with more and more Regens, a failed regen sent truck into Low Power Mode (losing the ability to tow or excelerate quickly). We ended up having to take it to a Ram dealer over 2 hours away in S. Atlanta to have them take it apart and tell us that the factory installed wiring harness rubbed a hole in the charged air cooler boot which was then causing failed regeneration of the diesel particulates causing the filter to fill. Dealer clearly stated that had any other dealer done a visual inspection of the physical components they would have seen this occurring. We filed a claim and opened a case with Ram for the $4500 repair and waited 8 days with no response to 9 phone calls. The same day we authorized the work, we receive the coveted return call to start the process, but once the customer service rep found out we had already authorized the work we were advised that case would be closed and we would have to open another case for reimbursement. So we started the whole process again, submitted all of the documentation and paid receipts and have been denied. All attempts to contact a supervisor or manager go nowhere and Ram customer service is rude and unhelpful and went as far as to tell us that our mistake was having the vehicle repaired (as if we are just going to let an $80k vehicle sit indefinitely in an unusable state).

Filed Dec 6, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · WA · fire

On 12/4/23, at 6:37 am PST, we initiated remote start via the key fob. At 6:40 am pst, a flash and fire erupted from under the hood of the truck. We immediately worked to control the fire using extinguishers and garden hoses until the fire department arrived a few minutes later. They worked to put the fire out that engulfed the engine compartment and then worked to get the hood open to finish putting the fire out. The fire didn’t fully go out until the battery cables were cut.

Filed Dec 5, 2023 · Body, Brakes · UT · crash · fire · 2 injuries

As I was driving the vehicle caught fire and I lost brakes. The vehicle had to be put into a retention pond to stop it.

Filed Jul 8, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · OR

While driving Down a paved roadway on 6/30/23 @ 5pm doing approximately 20 miles per hour the vehicle died and the dash lite up with every single message possible such as 4WD inactive, oil change due, fuel filter service required and etc. Attempted to restart the vehicle for about 25 minutes when another citizen noticed we were having issues with the vehicle so they stopped to assist us. The citizen towed my vehicle to location we were staying at for the weekend and upon arrival to the location I disconnected both battery terminals to allow the computer modules to drain/reset. After allowing the batteries to be disconnected for several hours I hooked them back up and tried starting the vehicle and was unsuccessful getting it to restart. I disconnected the batteries again for the night and returned the next morning to hook them up. after hooking the batteries back up, I was able to get the vehicle started and moved it around at the place we were staying at and allowed it remain running for about 20 minutes before I shut it off. Went and did other projects and about 5 hours later returned to the pickup to see to see if it would start since we were heading back the next morning and it started so I figured it would get us home on Sunday July 2nd. On July 2nd @ 11:30am started the pickup to leave and everything seemed normal. We drove about 5miles from the location we were staying at and were approaching an intersecting highway OR58. I proceeded out onto OR58 westbound and as we got about 1 mile down the road when the pickup died and every message was being displayed again. As we sat way off the shoulder of OR58 incident response pulled up behind us to make sure everything was ok. I told the incident responder that we were good and I was working on contacting RAM for a tow. About 15 minutes had passed and IR person walked away then the pickup started. I was able to drive the pickup about 2 more miles down the road when it died again and had to be towed.

Filed Jun 23, 2023 · Engine, Fuel system · ID

My high pressure fuel pump went out while I was towing the 43 ft enclosed trailer causing the engine to shut down. I was able to get it home and onto a car hauling trailer took it to a dealership and confirmed the high pressure fuel pump was the culprit they informed me that they would not perform the safety recall because of a modification to the vehicle which has no bearing on the safety issues at hand I contacted FCA they encouraged me to take it to a different dealership which I did. I had to pay a tow truck to haul it to another dealership in which they told me they would do the recall however when they put my VIN number in their system my pickup had been blacklisted by the parent company Chrysler saying do not work on this vehicle for safety recalls. I at this point got quotes to have it done and it was extremely expensive to friend advised me to look into the law so I contacted a lawyer and they told me to file a complaint with the federal safety agency.