U.S. public vehicle records

2011 Dodge RAM 2500 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

297 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

43,118 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2011 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 149 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 208 of 297 complaints (70.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	151	50.8%
Braking behavior	28	9.4%
Engine operation	8	2.7%
Electrical and battery issues	8	2.7%
Transmission and shifting	5	1.7%
Fuel system concerns	2	0.7%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Steering

208

Suspension

Engine

Electrical System

Fuel/Propulsion System

Power Train

Service Brakes

Engine And Engine Cooling

Steering: 208; Suspension: 35; Engine: 28; Electrical System: 23; Fuel/Propulsion System: 17; Power Train: 15; Service Brakes: 10; Engine And Engine Cooling: 6

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 39; 25,000 to 49,999: 46; 50,000 to 74,999: 27; 75,000 to 99,999: 15; 100,000 to 149,999: 13; 150,000 and above: 9

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (46). 148 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2011

2012

2013

2014

142

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2024

2025

2011: 11; 2012: 15; 2013: 30; 2014: 142; 2015: 44; 2016: 19; 2017: 7; 2018: 8; 2019: 7; 2020: 5; 2021: 3; 2022: 2; 2024: 3; 2025: 1

Pattern summary

Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 151 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 28 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 8 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10407645 · 2011-06-20 (June 20, 2011)

MY TRUCK HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES TO CORRECT A SHIMMY OR AS THE SERVICE WRITER CALLED IT A "DEATH WOBBLE" THE DEALER HAS FELT THE ISSUE AND ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TRIED TO FIX IT. INCLUDING ALIGNING THE VEHICLE OUT OF FACTORY SPECS ON THE ADVICE FROM THE RAM ENGINEERS. THEY HAVE ALSO SWAPPED THE STEERING STABILIZERS WITH A HEAVER DUTY ONE FROM THE 1 TON RAM 3500. NEITHER FIX HAS WORKED TO CORRECT THE SHIMMY OR THE SLIGHT PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE TRUCK IS FLAT OUT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND I DID NOT REALIZE HOW BAD UNTIL I WAS TOWING A 5…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10407645 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10415285 · 2011-07-26 (July 26, 2011)

JULY 1ST EXPERIENCE LOOSE STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OVER BUMPS; STEERING WHEEL NOT CENTERED OFF TO THE LEFT. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP; TOLD NO SERIOUS PROBLEMS BRING BACK AFTER HOLIDAYS. RETURNED JULY 12 TOLD TRUCK NEEDED ALIGNMENT AND BOTH REAR SHOCKS WERE LEAKING. REPLACED BOTH REAR SHOCKS ON JULY 15 CALLED CHRYSLER ON JULY 18 TO REPORT DEALERSHIP AND REQUESTING NEW DEALERSHIP. MONDAY JULY 18 TRAVELING 70 MILES DOWN HWY 59 PAST WILLIAMS TRACE EXIT IN FORT BEND COUNTY TX EXPERIENCED VIOLENT SHAKING "DEATH RATTLE". FRONT TRACK BAR BUSHING WOR…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,233 miles reported. Look up ODI 10415285 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10439343 · 2011-12-11 (December 11, 2011)

WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 45MPH THE VEHICLE STARTS TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHEN DRIVING OVER HIGHWAY EXPANSION JOINTS OR POTHOLES. THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE AND THE ONLY RECOURSE IS LIGHT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES UNTIL SPEED FALLS BELOW 25MPH. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10439343 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10442599 · 2012-01-05 (January 5, 2012)

FIRST INCIDENT, WHILE DRIVING, ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT WARNING LIGHT WENT ON AND THE ENGINE DIED. COULD NOT RESTART UNTIL VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, PUT IN PARK AND THE KEY WAS CYCLED FROM ON TO OFF AND BACK. DEALER DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE ON 11/28/10 BASED ON THE PRESENCE OF DIAGNOSTIC CODE P2121, "ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR PERFORMANCE.". PART WAS ORDERED (IT WAS ON BACKORDER), REPAIR WAS SCHEDULED FOR 12/12/11 AND VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME. ON 12/5/11 THE FAILURE REPEATED ITSELF, ON 12/12/11 THE PART WAS REPLACED. ON 1…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,750 miles reported. Look up ODI 10442599 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10652330 · 2014-11-04 (November 4, 2014)

TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING DUE TO PLASTIC LINER INSTALLED IN P/S PRESSURE HOSE BECOMING DISLODGED AND WORKING ITS WAY INTO THE RACK/PINION STEERING GEAR CAUSING BLOCKAGE OF FLUID FLOW- REPLACEMENT OF PUMP, RACK/PINION AND PRESSURE HOSE NEEDED TO CORRECT DEFECT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 48,121 miles reported. Look up ODI 10652330 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10744056 · 2015-07-27 (July 27, 2015)

MY WIFE AND I WERE HAULING OUR 5TH WHEEL FROM ALABAMA TO GEORGIA AND HAD BEEN ON SEVERAL STEEP GRADES WITH NO PROBLEMS. BEFORE OUR TRIP ENDED THE "NO TRAILER BRAKE" INDICATOR SHOWED UP ON THE EVIC. WE HAD THE 5TH WHEEL BRAKES AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS EXAMINED BY A TRAILER DEALER AND NO PROBLEMS WHERE FOUND WITH IT. HOWEVER, I CHECKED, AS DID THE TRAILER DEALER, MY 7 PRONG CONNECTION ON THE TRUCK AND IT SHOWS THAT THERE IS NO VOLTAGE GOING TO THE 5TH WHEEL FROM THE INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER. WHEN I TAKE IT TO THE DODGE DEALER FOR SER…

Owner-reported narrative. 87,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10744056 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10745766 · 2015-08-03 (August 3, 2015)

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2011 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL ON MAY 28TH 2015. I CALLED THE DODGE DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND THE EARLIEST I CLOUD SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WAS JUNE 15TH. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK IN AS SCHEDULED AND UPON REVIEW THE EMISSION SYSTEM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE DEALER MADE SOME REPAIRS THIS DAY - A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS I WAS TOLD AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. WHILE DRIVING HOME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REAPPEARED. THE DEALER REEXAMINED MY TRUCK THE NEXT DAY AND THE ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEM AGAIN WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM …

Owner-reported narrative. 33,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10745766 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10416676 · 2011-08-02 (August 2, 2011)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN LEAVING THE VEHICLE IDLE, THE SHIFTER WOULD NOT MOVE INTO DRIVE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO GET IT TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR HAD IT BEEN REPAIRED. ALSO, WHEN MAKING TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT A GRINDING NOISE COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD N…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10416676 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10454000 · 2012-04-03 (April 3, 2012)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE EXHAUST SYSTEM FAILURE WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARD ABNORMALLY WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK, AND THE CONTACT WAS THEN ABLE TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT R…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10454000 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11342669 · 2020-08-01 (August 1, 2020)

THERE ARE TWO ISSUES AT HAND HERE. ONE IS THE FUEL PUMP FUSE/RELAY. IT WENT OUT BUT CANT BE FIXED WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUSE BOX AS IT IS INTERNALLY WITHIN FUSE BOX. I DID A BYPASS AND REPLACED FUEL PUMP, BUT I STILL HAVE CODES RELATED TO FUEL SYSTEM HAVING A LEAK. WHEN THIS ISSUE HAPPENED, MY WIFE WAS LEFT STRANDED AS THE TRUCK WOULDN'T TURN ON. ALSO, ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, I NOTICED MY TRAILER BRAKE LIGHT COMING ON SAYING IT IS DISABLE AND FLASHES ON AND OFF AS I AM DRIVING. NOT SURE IF THIS IS RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL ASPECT OF IT. THE…

Owner-reported narrative. 177,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11342669 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11491994 · 2022-11-02 (November 2, 2022)

Some electrical components became inoperative in the quick minute. Fuel pump was running continuedly till the battery was drained. Mechanic, I had used before told me that the TIPM Module was defective and needed replaced. Truck just before the battery died was that not all Eletronic's were working. Interior lights, horn, cruise control, FOBs not responding to the vehicle. Mechanic stated that the TPIM did need to be replaced. Contacted dealership were purchased and they told me that there have been recalls out on this particular part. I know …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11491994 at NHTSA ↗