10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
34,238 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Ram 1500 drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2012 Ram 1500 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #78

Jun 222023

1500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Truck switched off, immediately switched back on, all dash lights flashed, transmission was in manual mode and showed in 6 gear. This happened four times within a 2 week period while turning slightly to the right and under light acceleration. My truck has been in a reputable repair shop for over a week and the technicians can't find out what's wrong. No computer codes were recorded.

- Warner Robins , GA, USA

problem #77

Dec 012022

1500

  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V821000 (Power Train) and confirmed having the recalled component. The contact made a local dealer aware; however, he was informed the vehicle was unable to be serviced under the recall and advised to contact the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired, and the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware and confirmed the vehicle was unable to be serviced under the recall and the contact was advised to file a complaint with NHTSA. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Pemberton, NJ, USA

problem #76

Aug 272022

1500

  • miles
While operating the vehicle at highway speed the vehicle shut off causing total loss of power. This happened on a road with speeds at 55 mph. It also occured while pulling into my driveway at a low speed, and i have had 3 occurences of the vehicle power "surging" at varied speeds. I had the fuel pump replaced, which did not remedy the problem. After hearing my fuel pump running with the vehicle shut off, i did some further research and found that the TIPM (toatally integrated power module) is the culprit and has been found to cause several other electrical system issues. Loss of power in a low speed scenario, such as turning left from one roadway to an intersecting road can cause the vehicle to be stranded in the middle of the road and place the stranded vehicle in the line of incoming traffic posing a serious risk for injury or death from a "T-Bone" motor vehicle crash.

- Mays Landing, NJ, USA

problem #75

Jun 012022

1500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 has 67,700 miles and about 30 days ago developed a "tick" coming from the engine. After doing a google research, it appears that 2012 Dodge Ram's with the 5.7 HEMI can develop a "tick" ranging from failed manifold bolts to camshaft failure. My Ram has always been very well cared for and is a low mile vehicle for its age. I found no factory recall on this issue, so I will take it into a local Dodge dealer for diagnosis and repair.

- Mountain Rest, SC, USA

problem #74

Jul 292021

1500

  • miles
The truck stalled out on the highway doing 60 miles per hour almost got in serious accident. No steering or brakes. (could be deadly). This also happened again making a right turn thru an intersection. Was told it is something to do with fuse box tipm total integrated power module

- Mineola, NY, USA

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problem #73

May 202021

1500

  • miles
I hear a ticking noise coming from the engine. From doing some research I see that it could be a lifter roller needle bearing failure is often the cause of the Hemi Tick. However, the Hemi also has issue with exhaust manifold leaks, which at times can make it hard to differentiate and diagnose between an internal tick (The "Hemi Tick") and a simple exhaust leak.

- Brooksville, FL, USA

problem #72

Jul 022021

1500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Truck won't go into park then it locks. I reset it with the pin stop and it happens again (t-79) ? A week ago it had trouble sticking in reverse

- Milford, CT, USA

problem #71

May 282020

1500 8-cyl

  • 130,000 miles
The service 4WD light comes on and the truck makes a weird noise and it has the right fluid in the transfer case and the differentials are all good but whenever the full service four wheel drive light comes on the truck makes up funny grinding in a red up on the internet and nobody knows why and there's a lot of people that are having the same exact problem I am.

- Calico Rock, AR, USA

problem #70

Jan 012019

1500 8-cyl

  • 98,000 miles
I am getting a loud humming vibration noise, sounds like a turbo issue with the hemi coming either from my transmission or rear axel at high and low speed. It's more noticeable at 65 to 75 mph highway speeds. I took my truck into bill bryan in Florida and they where unable to find any issues experiencing lost of power. Ongoing issue waiting for something to happen.

- The Villages, FL, USA

problem #69

Feb 242020

1500

  • 1,000 miles
In the morning while starting truck no problem, all of a sudden while driving on street the truck just turned off. It had happened before on 3 other occasions but the first one was far apart then the other 2 in the last 2 weeks. When I got on the freeway I noticed a had to push harder on the gas pedal to gain speed but it felt like it was hard to press on and I wasn't getting to the speed (60mph) so I just took it slowly to gain speed. That lasted about a week. The following week after trying to gain speed at about 45-50 mph the truck started shaking really bad so I let go of the gas pedal and took it slow again. So I took it to my mechanic to get a basic tune up since I had just gotten an oil change he would just do spark plugs ON3/5/20 to see if it would solve the problem. After explaining to him what it was doing he told me right away that it's probably the camshaft and hydraulic lifters worn out with my truck mileage of 108,000 it was unbelievable because I always make sure my truck is up to date with everything. By this time no check engine light had turned on. So I drove it another week and half with the same issues; finally on 3/16/20 the check engine light turned on and I took it to get it checked at autozone and oreilys and both computer finding were code P0385 which is a misfire on cylinder 5 which is hydraulic lifter, camshaft, and possible ignition coil gone bad. I decided to not use my truck until I took it to the mechanic which I did on 03/24/20. His finding were the worn out camshaft and hydraulic lifter on cylinder 5. I did some research on the internet and of course there is a lot of people complaining about the same problem and it starts with trucks from 2011 and some with only of 58,000 miles. This is very costly to repair when you expect a truck to last a long time especially if you take care of it.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #68

Mar 132020

1500

  • 125,643 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving at 70mph and my truck suddenly went into 4th manual gear from automatic. When I came to a complete stop, at a traffic light on a slope, the truck rolled back and revved up very high, and rolled backwards, almost hitting the vehicle behind me. The truck would not go back into automatic drive. When I got home I shut my truck off for about 10min.S. I restarted it and it would not go into drive, only the 4th manual gear would display when I put it into drive. After further internet research, I discovered the mode that it was in was called "limp mode". after during further research, I discovered that it was a common issue for my brand of truck. I think this is a recall issue and should be corrected immediately by the dealer or manufacturer.

- Warner Robins, GA, USA

problem #67

May 252018

1500

  • 205,892 miles
I had noticed that my truck was riding rough. I took it in to the garage where it does get serviced and found out that my passenger side axle shaft, axle bearing, axle seal, brake caliper, brake rotor and brake pads all had to be replaced. It looked like the entire side had been set on fire. Garage told me they were glad I brought it in when I did because I was about to lose all control and would have had a terrible crash.

- Ranson, WV, USA

problem #66

Sep 012019

1500 8-cyl

  • 89,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ram 1500. While driving various speeds, the rear of the vehicle shook and vibrated. The vehicle was taken to fillback Chrysler Jeep (1702 elm St, boscobel, wi) where the wheels were rotated and balanced and the driveshaft was replaced; however, the failures continued. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.

- Bloomington, WI, USA

problem #65

Aug 012019

1500 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 91,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ram 1500. While driving 45 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the front driver's side of the motor. The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to jim click Chrysler Dodge Ram (located at 850 w auto mall dr, tucson, AZ 85705, (520) 292-3850) where it was diagnosed that cylinder three misfired. The vehicle was also taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 91,000. Consumer stated this failure in the motor is apparent in multiple reports across a multitude of forums. The collapse of lifters is a severe safety issue and Chrysler knows it! they refuse to accept responsibility over their known defect! these motors must be called for the safety of all!

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #64

May 282019

1500

  • 110,000 miles
I just purchased a used Dodge Ram 1500 hemi, and dealer fixed 2 open recalls at the time. There was a slight noise under the hood at test drive and they took it onto their shop and said they replaced something, not sure what they said. But noise was reduced. I took car for a drive across country and when I got to my destination my check engine light came on. I got the computer reading to find out it was a cylinder 2 misfire. That shop said it could be from a number of things, but they were not a service shop to do a deeper analysis. I then took it to a shop that did a full diagnostic of the truck. Their findings were revealed that the computer was giving a cylinder 2 misfire reading but the problem was in the engine. They went on to tell me that they have been seeing the same problem in many of the Dodge 1500. When they called to get prices on the used reconditioned engine, they were told that, there are is an huge back order for Dodge 1500 hemi engine due to many people across the country having this same problem ( cylinder 2 or cylinder 8 misfire) this is definitely a trend going on with this make vehicle. With this problem, vehicle looses power and of coarse the slight hesitation in the engine. You can hear the misfiring and could feel it when I accelerate on the road and highway. When entering a highway, it is very dangerous due to not being able to accelerate enough to avoid oncoming vehicles

- Avondale, AZ, USA

problem #63

Dec 042017

1500

  • 57,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle would not stay in the park position. Also, it took numerous attempts to start the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V821000 (power train) and NHTSA campaign number: 18V160000 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact had been waiting for recall parts for three years. Haddad Dodge Ram (3000 harris rd, bakersfield, ca 93313, (661) 398-0264) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 57,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Bakerfield, CA, USA

problem #62

Feb 272019

1500

  • 56,402 miles
While operating my truck in normal usage, the truck began to loss power, shake violently, and emit a knocking/clacking sound. The truck displayed a mil code P0304 for a misfire, one that was caused by defective, negligently engineered powertrain components. Camshaft and valve lifter failures are known issues on this vehicle across multiple model years. The moment when they manifest can cause driver distraction at the least, loss of vehicle control at worst. Fca should be compelled to issue a recall to cover repairs/reimburse those who have suffered vehicle failure. The parts alone will cost nearly $1800, with labor costs expected to at least double that.

- Centennial, CO, USA

problem #61

Jan 252019

1500

  • 94,000 miles
Takata recall on my transmission shift solenoid I was driving it on January,25,2019 and while I was driving the truck it went in manual and it was stuck in 4th gear and I was going seventy and that is a safety hazard

- Jonesboro, AR, USA

problem #60

Dec 202017

1500

  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V821000 (power train). The contact called rockwall Ford at 972-290-2200 (located at 990 E interstate 30, rockwall, tx 75087) and was informed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Elmo, TN, USA

problem #59

Jan 072019

1500

  • 86,000 miles
While driving at high speeds (60-70 mph) my truck drops into 4th gear without notice. It then goes into "limp" mode and you can't shift out of 4th gear until you pull over and turn the truck off and then back on. I've noticed that a lot of other people are having this issue and it is very dangerous.

- Stamford, CT, USA

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