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2015 Ram 1500: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
46%
622 of 1,353 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

46% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2015 Ram 1500 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 57% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 90 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 43%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
622
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
1,443
this model year
Fires reported
58
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
18
79 crashes · 52 injuries

Complaints by component

STEERING339 · 23%
ENGINE334 · 23%
POWER TRAIN225 · 16%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM164 · 11%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM157 · 11%
SERVICE BRAKES153 · 11%

The years either side

2010
no data
2011
64%
421 of 688
2012
56%
322 of 697
2013
20%
235 of 1,273
2014
41%
654 of 1,761
2015
46%
622 of 1,443
2016
42%
621 of 1,535
2017
41%
331 of 870
2018
40%
247 of 659
2019
34%
465 of 1,469
2020
41%
239 of 623
2021
59%
373 of 675
2022
54%
315 of 607
2023
41%
71 of 197

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other full-size pickups with no elevated signal in 2015

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM06/26/2016CRASH3 INJURED
TAKATA INFLATOR FAILED WHEN IN A FRONT END CRASH DUE TO A DRUNK DRIVER AT 45MPH. DRUNK DRIVER HIT CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND I SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND T-BONED DRUNK DRIVER ON PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CAUSING HIM TO SPIN AROUND AND SLAM INTO DRIVER SIDE OF BED. WITH THIS KIND OF IMPACT AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED AND FUEL CUT …
ENGINE01/23/2020FIRE2 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, SMOKE WAS NOTICED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND EXITED THE VEHICLE WITH THE PASSENGER. THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SORE THROAT AND EYE IRRITATION DUE TO THE SMOKE BUT IT WAS UNKNOWN IF MEDI…
POWER TRAIN12/20/2016CRASH2 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 RAM 1500. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND IN THE PARK POSITION, IT BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO SEVERAL OBJECTS, INCLUDING A MOTOR HOME THAT WAS OCCUPIED. TWO OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS T…

Three of 622 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (18)

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
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 senso…
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with an 8 foot bed and a power locking tailgate. Chrysler is also rec…
STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2017 RAM 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with a power locking tailgate and either a 5 foot, 7 inch or 6 foot, …

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2015 Ram 1500

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.