2024 Ram 1500: What to check before buying

Stalling at low speed is the main failure. The engine dies, the transmission forces itself into Park, the electric parking brake sets, and the battery light comes on. Owners tie it to auto stop/start and the 48-volt eTorque system. Other reports describe sudden lunges when stop/start restarts the engine, a failed motor-generator unit and belt tensioners, a failed 48-volt battery near 51,000 miles, and 12-volt batteries that keep going dead. Blank screens and HVAC settings that change on their own also appear. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, even on nearly new trucks.

Power cuts out without warning, usually around 5 mph. The parking brake engages, the truck shifts into Park, and battery voltage drops to about 12 volts. One report describes the engine failing to restart after an auto stop, which let the truck roll into traffic. Others say the transmission drops into neutral at 30 to 45 mph, or the engine revs to 7k while the truck barely moves. A few describe the truck surging toward oncoming traffic. Dealers often cannot duplicate the problem, and one motor-generator part sat on back order for months.

Power steering drops out, usually because the engine has shut off, and the truck becomes very hard to steer. One report describes repeated loss of assist with violent wheel shake that continued after the steering rack was replaced. A crash-related complaint describes an unresponsive wheel and a truck that kept moving until it hit a mailbox. Another describes the brakes grabbing and the truck veering into the oncoming lane. One complaint concerns recall 24V729000, where the repair part was not available.

Internal engine failures appear here. One truck needed its third camshaft and lifter set by 43,000 miles, and another needed a new engine because of bad rod bearings. Loss of power is the other pattern. One truck lost power at 70 mph and stopped in a highway lane at about 3,500 miles, and the dealer could not replicate it. Low-speed shutdowns that set the parking brake also show up here.

Two problems appear: airbags failing to deploy and a warning light that keeps coming back. A crash-related complaint says no airbags went off in a front-end collision with heavy damage, and the driver hit his head on the steering wheel. Other owners see a service airbag message that clears and then returns, in one case at 13000 miles. One owner was told the truck was not covered by a related recall.

The tailgate can open without warning while parked or while driving. The latch shifts out of position, so the gate may not close or may pop open later. In one report, the dash did not show that the gate was down. One complaint is crash-related and mentions damage, and contractors worry about tools falling out of the bed. A separate report describes a new truck delivered without its rear wheel shields, which left wiring exposed.

The electric parking brake engages on its own, in one case at 40 mph, which sent the rear wheels sliding into another lane. That owner later received notice of recall 24V653000. In another report, the brake would not release, and the dealer traced it to a corroded actuator connector that required a new wiring harness. The truck waited a month for parts. One owner says the pedal sinks to the floor and the brakes need pumping before they work.

Unintended acceleration is the concern. One truck revved to full throttle at a stop, and the driver had to brake hard, shift to neutral, and shut it off. In another case, engine braking failed on a steep hill and the truck sped up on its own at about 50 miles. The dealer confirmed that failure but said no repair was available, and the manufacturer closed the case.