The 2022 RAM 4500 demonstrates concerning reliability due to multiple recalls affecting key systems like the electrical and engine control. Given the average failure mileage of 35,500, owners should remain vigilant, especially as problems are likely to manifest within the first few years of ownership.
Key Factor:Multiple critical recalls
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Safety Alert
Safety Alert: This model has a higher recall frequency (4) than the average RAM vehicle (0.4). Owners should prioritize checking these components.
4 recalls for this vehicle0.4 avg. recalls per vehicle (brand)
đWhy This Matters
The issues with the electrical system and engine control module can lead to serious complications, including potential vehicle fires or loss of engine functionality. Such defects not only jeopardize safety but can also result in costly repairs that can leave a driver stranded without warning. In a workhorse like the RAM 4500, reliability is paramount, making these recalls particularly troubling for potential buyers and current owners alike.
Focus Area:Safety Profile
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Expert Analysis
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Recall Trend:No Change in recalls
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Primary Risk Area:Warning
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Vs Brand: Worse than avg (0.4)
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Summary: Compared to other heavy-duty trucks in its class, the 2022 RAM 4500's reliability profile raises red flags due to its multiple recalls. This trend indicates that while RAM vehicles are generally built for durability, this particular model year has shown weaknesses in crucial systems that could lead to significant operational risks.
Safety & Reliability Score
63/100
Score Breakdown
Recall Impact-32
Complaint Impact-0.15
Investigation Impact-5
Technical Specifications
Key specifications for the 2022 RAM 4500
Model Year2022
MakeRAM
Model4500
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle
Safety History Timeline
Scroll for more â
Jan22
NEWProduction
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Feb23
ISSUEFirst Report
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened
Sep23
RECALLRecall Issued
Jun25
RECALLRecall Issued
Consumer Complaint Analysis
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Most Reported Issue
1 complaints (33% of total)
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Complaint Trend
Stable
No trend data
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Safety Incidents
No critical incidents
Complaint Severity Distribution
Breakdown of 3 consumer complaints by severity level.
đĄMedium
1(33%)
đĸLow
2(67%)
â Good News: No critical or high-severity complaints reported for this vehicle.
Mileage Failure Analysis
âī¸Engineering Insight
The peak failure range between 20k-40k miles suggests that owners should be particularly cautious as they approach this mileage mark. Issues linked to recalls often emerge during this phase, meaning proactive inspections are essential to prevent unexpected breakdowns or costly repairs.
đ Mileage data extracted from 1 of 3 complaints (33% coverage)
0-20k
0 reports (0%)
20k-40k
1 reports (100%)
40k-60k
0 reports (0%)
60k-80k
0 reports (0%)
80k-100k
0 reports (0%)
100k+
0 reports (0%)
* Analysis based on mileage data extracted from consumer complaint descriptions. Actual failure rates may vary.
đ ī¸ DIY Diagnosis Center
Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).
Primary Risk Areas
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGAIR BAGS
đ¯Risk Areas & Recommended Actions
Based on recall data, these components require verification:
1
Electrical System
Issue: Potential electrical shorts leading to vehicle fires.
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Schedule an inspection of all electrical wiring and components immediately.
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Request documentation on past repairs and any recall work done on electrical systems.
2
Engine Control Module
Issue: Misaligned capacitors could cause short-circuiting and communication loss.
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Check for any Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) and have the ECM assessed by a qualified mechanic.
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Ensure the ECM has been inspected or replaced as part of recall service before buying.
đĄVisit NHTSA.gov or contact your RAM dealer to verify recall completion status.
Official Safety Recalls (4)
Campaign: 21V798000
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:RELAYS/SOLENOIDS
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Summary
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Ram 3500, 2500 pickup trucks, and Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 cab chassis vehicles equipped with Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engines. An electrical short in the relay may cause a vehicle fire with the ignition on or off.
Consequence
A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
Owners are advised to park these vehicles outside of buildings or structures, and not near other vehicles, until the vehicle has been remedied. Dealers will inspect and, if needed, replace the Solid State Intake Heater Grid Relay ("Relay"); if FCA US Recall ID Y08 (NHTSA Recall ID 21V-163) is open, then insulating material will be applied to the Relay after inspection. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y76. This recall has been superseded by 23V060.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 22V642000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
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Summary
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022 Ram 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, Ram 2500, and 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles equipped with Cummins 6.7L turbo diesel engines. The engine control module (ECM) may have been built with a misaligned capacitor that can short-circuit, resulting in an internal loss of communication.
Consequence
An internal loss of communication can result in a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the ECM, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 20, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z87.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 23V060000
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:RELAYS/SOLENOIDS
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Summary
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Ram 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, and 4500, 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles equipped with a Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engine. An electrical short may occur in the heater grid relay with the ignition on or off.
Consequence
An electrical short in the relay can result in an engine compartment fire with the ignition on or off, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the relay, free of charge. This will be a Phased campaign. Phase 1 will include 2023 model year vehicles. FCA US will notify dealers on or about 3/23/2023 and begin notifying owners on or about 4/5/2023. Phase 2 will include 2022 model year vehicles and Phase 3 will include 2021 model year vehicles. FCA US will notify dealers and owners on or about 4/27/2023 for Phase 2 and 5/11/2023 for Phase 3. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed March 28, 2023. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 13A. This recall is an expansion of and supersedes recall number 21V-798.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 25V765000
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
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Summary
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Ram 3500, Ram 4500, and Ram 5500 vehicles. The steering column control module may cause the driver's side air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence
A driver's side air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the steering column control module, free of charge. Some owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 11, 2025. Some interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 11, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated February 2026. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 14C. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 13, 2025.
NHTSA Investigations
1 investigation
Official NHTSA safety investigations for 2022 4500.
INV-2022-1000đĸ Closed
NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding 4500 performance issues.
Opened: Affected Units: 50,920
Consumer Complaints
3 total complaints
Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2022 4500.
Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis
Warning33%
Check Engine Light33%
Stall33%
Engine/Powertrainđĩ Low
POWER TRAIN
I was driving my truck and when i came to a stop and tried to put it in reverse, I did not have reverse. After several attempts of moving the gear lever there was a loud clunk, then I had reverse. Then when I then put it into drive it would not move. The vehicle has 35,500 miles. Dealer believes its the K1 snap ring in the aisin transmission. It is still at the dealer and they believe it will takes months to get the parts. Dealer has the same issue when it was dropped off. No warning lamps or symptoms prior to attempting to put it in reverse. Vehicle just stopped moving.
Engine/Powertrainđĩ Low
POWER TRAIN
The Aisin transmission lost 1-4 forward gears while towing a trailer. The vehicle would not go forward only would move in reverse. We were going through a weigh station at time of failure in Florida, while our home base is in Michigan. There are many failures with this part. It is the K-1 clutch pack fails then forward gears do not work. Dealerships and Stellantis are both fully aware of the problem and forced us to have the transmission rebuilt rather than replaced. Check engine light came on at time of failure.
⨠AI Insight
This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:
Recall #22V642000
*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.
Engine/Powertrainđļ Medium
POWER TRAIN
We purchased a brand new 2022 RAM 4500 truck 07/25/2022 , at the beginning of November the truck broke down and needed a brand new transmission . It took the dealer two months to install the new transmission , we picked up the truck from the dealer December 28th , 2022. Today 02-15-2023 truck broke again in the the middle of the highway and is not drivable again with transmission not working . The problem persists and puts safety of our employees and other at risk .
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the common issues with the 2022 RAM 4500?
The main concerns include potential electrical shorts which could lead to vehicle fires, and issues with the engine control module that might affect engine performance. Both these areas have been flagged in recent recalls and need careful monitoring.
How does the recall history impact my decision on buying a used RAM 4500?
'When considering a used RAM 4500 from this model year, it's critical to investigate its recall history thoroughly. If necessary repairs have been made according to recall notices, it may still be a reliable choice; however, if not addressed, these issues could pose serious safety risks.'
đYear-over-Year Context
âĄī¸Stable Pattern
Compared to earlier years, the 2022 model shows stable reliability patterns. No meaningful structural change detected in recall frequency between adjacent model years.
đ§What This Means for You
Both current owners and prospective buyers benefit from reviewing this safety analysis before making decisions.
If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.
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If You Own This Vehicle
Verify all 4 recalls have been completed using your VIN at NHTSA.gov or through your RAM dealer.
Unaddressed recalls pose real-world risks. Prioritize scheduling any pending repairs to maintain vehicle integrity.
Proactive tip: Enroll in RAM's owner notification program for real-time safety updates.
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If You're Buying Used
Obtain proof of recall completion for all 4 campaigns before purchase.
Account for potential service downtime when calculating your initial ownership budget.