2013 Ram 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,598 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2013 Ram 1500, alongside 12 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 63/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 90,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2013 Ram 1500 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1994–1996.
Avoid
Where 2013 sits among all 1500 years
What owners report
“Power steering went out when i try to turn on car I get a red steering wheel with “!” Signal next to it and I am unable to use steering wheel”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 1500
“When driving my truck at any speed even a stop the cluster will reset. Radio, ac & truck all still work, only the cluster will restart. I have been taking my truck to dealership and they find nothing wrong with it. They have done a few updates but this will not fix the problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 1500
“Exhaust manifold bolts broke causing an exhaust leak and a ticking noise. The ticking noise was heard at start up. This is a known problem on the hemi engines.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 1500
“The truck hit a bank an flipped over an air bags never come out on drivers side.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 1500
“I exited my truck in driveway got out looked it and it rolled back at least two feet almost ran over my foot it's done it more than once now it was in park and was out of vehicle very unsafe”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 1500
“Driving down the road and abs, srs and traction control light came on at the stop sign after that brake pedal pulsating during a normal stop on dry pavement was told it was the abs control module”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 746 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,305 miles. Half of those reports fall between 26,000 and 97,404 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (12)
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 recalling all 2013-2014 and 2018 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks built before April 1,…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will repair the tailgate latch, free of charge. The recall began May 23, 2019. Chrysler is expected to notify owners of the expanded population on October…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 lbs, 2011-2017 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, 2009-2017 Ram 1500 and 2010-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, inspect the BTSI, and, as necessary, replace it, free of charge. The recall began February 26, 2018. Owners may contact…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Ram 1500, Ram 2500, and 2014-2016 Ram 3500 vehicles. Certain driving conditions, such as driving off-road or debris striking the vehicle may cause the roll rate sensor to trigger a fault within…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the ORC software, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling aftermarket Mopar Canvas Seat Covers for certain 2012-2016 RAM 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. These Mopar canvas seat covers were sold through Chrysler dealerships beginning October 15, 2015. The seat covers can impede the…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners to remove the front seat covers and return them for a full refund. The recall began on July 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500, 2015 Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger, 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, and Dodge Durango, and 2013-2015 Dodge Viper…
Fix: Chrysler will notify and mail affected owners a USB drive that includes a software update that eliminates the vulnerability, free of charge. Optionally, owners may download the update to their own…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2011, to October 7, 2014, and equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center option. The affected vehicles have a…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, repair as necessary, and secure the steering wheel wiring harness. Additionally, protective caps will be added to the air bag retainer spring…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks manufactured June 20, 2012, to January 26, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the side impact sensor calibrations may be overly sensitive, and as a result, the side…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the Occupant Restraint Control module calibration, free of charge. The recall began on September 8, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer…
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2013 Chrysler 300 AWD, Dodge Charger AWD, and Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 vehicles equipped with ZF all wheel drive ("AWD") 8HP45 transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission output shaft may…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the transmissions, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 31, 2014. Customers may contact Chrysler at…
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2013 RAM 1500 4x4 trucks manufactured June 26, 2012, through February 5, 2013. Due to a software issue with the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) module, the ESC system may be disabled when the vehicle is started.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the ESC module software, free of charge. The recall began on September 11, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's…
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2013 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks manufactured September 9, 2012, through March 5, 2013 and equipped with optional premium tail lamps. In the affected vehicles, the turn signal indicator may not flash at a double…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Central Body Controller software, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.…
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2013 RAM 1500 trucks manufactured manufactured June 25, 2012, through December 12, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the coolant bypass valve may stick in a position that does not allow coolant to…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace replace the suspect coolant valves along with an updated calibration, free of charge. The recall began on June 25, 2013. Owners may contact…
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 vehicles manufactured December 17, 2012, through January 22, 2013. The parking brake cable equalizer was set incorrectly and may not hold the vehicle on a 20% grade. Thus,…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reset the parking brake cable equalizer if required, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 14 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports and 6 EWR Death & Injury (D&I) reports describing post recall remedy failures of the brake transmission shift interlock (BTSI) system in certain Model Year (MY) 2013-2018 RAM pickup trucks.The…
Component: STEERING
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 380 reports from consumers alleging an intermittent or complete loss of power steering assistance in certain 2013-2016 Ram 1500.The failure allegations occur at various speeds with limited detectability to the driver.On March 23, 2016 Fiat…
Led to recall campaign 15V508000.
Technical service bulletins
526 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2013 Ram 1500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2013 Ram 1500 reliable?
The 2013 Ram 1500 drew 1,598 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 63/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2013 Ram 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2013 Ram 1500 are steering (628 complaints), electrical (260), and engine (131).
At what mileage do 2013 Ram 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2013 Ram 1500 problems around 60,305 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 26,000 and 97,404 miles.
Does the 2013 Ram 1500 have recalls?
12 recall campaigns apply to the 2013 Ram 1500. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.