DODGE RAM 2500 · model year

2012 DODGE RAM 2500

384 NHTSA complaints, 16 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2012DODGERAM 2500 carries 384 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 16 crashes, 24 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 RAM 2500 is steering with 109 filings, followed by electrical system (47) and engine (43). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 20 investigation files overlapping the 2012 RAM 2500, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

384
Complaints
16
Crashes
24
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

384 filings

Crashes Reported

16 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING109
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM47
ENGINE43
POWER TRAIN33
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM24
SUSPENSION22
SERVICE BRAKES14
UNKNOWN OR OTHER14
AIR BAGS11
EXTERIOR LIGHTING8
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL8
STRUCTURE:BODY6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL6
WHEELS5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING4

Recent Complaints

20260104EXTERIOR LIGHTING

My passenger headlights keeps going in and out. The wiring harness has been replaced twice and it still does it. My check engine light keeps coming on for the evap system even though its been replaced.

20260104FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My passenger headlights keeps going in and out. The wiring harness has been replaced twice and it still does it. My check engine light keeps coming on for the evap system even though its been replaced.

20251106FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Our 2012 RAM 2500 truck with 135k miles, had it's fuel tank fail. The dealership in Oak Ridge, TN tested the vehicle and found that the gas tank tubes were broken causing us to not be able to fill the tank. The dealership recommended "NEED TO REPLACE GAS TANK". Mopar aka Stellantis does not make the fuel tank anymore, the "replacement" fuel tank does not work (completely wrong configuration), there is not an aftermarket tank. We have a Million Mile bumper to bumper warranty with MOPAR. "Customer Care" does not care.

20240626CrashPOWER TRAIN

Recall T79 or 17V-821 or break transmission shift pin stuck in open position. This is the 2nd time this has happened and serious damage has occurred to the vehicle. Dodge won't do anything about it. Vehicle was parked, turned off, no key. I came out of building and it shifted into gear on its own and rolled backwards into a pole.

20231026STEERING

The contact owns a 2012 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle drove over a bump in the roadway and started to shake violently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the reinforcement bracket over the front track bar bracket had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 205,000.

Mileage: 205,000

20230920POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2012 Ram 2500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle rolled away. The contact was standing near the vehicle with the key fob. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V821000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

Mileage: 220,000

20230714ENGINE

The contact owns a 2012 Ram 2500. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The contact also stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.

Mileage: 168,000

20230714ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2012 Ram 2500. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The contact also stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.

Mileage: 168,000

20230714AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2012 Ram 2500. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The contact also stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.

Mileage: 168,000

20230215TIRES

I purchased a pair of Treadwright warden tires for the rear of my wife’s truck. In less than 100 miles the tread separated from the casing on one of the tires. I caught it before it completely blew out and have pictures. The replacement they sent has a blown sidewall. I mounted it and a bubble started to form that was 1/2” high and 3” around with just 20psi, operating PSI for the tire is 80PSI. I immediately stopped inflation and contacted Treadwright. They tried to convince me that it was “overlap” and safe to use. I told them it is not over lap and showed them multiple pictures of the tire from different angles to prove it has a blown belt. They still insisted it was a serviceable tire. It’s not and I have pictures. I’ve used Treadwright tires for the last 5 or so years. Over the last year and a half to 2 years I’ve received 6 defective tires. All defects were fatal defects, all being broken belts. That’s 1 out of every 4.5 tires purchased. If I’ve received that

20230127ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving, my dodge shut off and it was hard to control my vehicle and come to a safe stop, out of the way of other motorists. Lost all power, as if I turned the key off while driving. Turns out that there is a weak/loss of connection in the WIN module. while the vehicle is running at idle, the truck will shut off as if I turned the key to the off position. This is dangerous and scary. There was no warning or heads up or any issues prior to this incident.

20230113STEERING

Tie rod end sheared/broke causing the vehicle to be un-stearable. Fortunately, it happened as I was backing out of my driveway.

20221220ENGINE

Exhaust Manifold on passenger side is leaking. It has a broken bolt due to manifold warping. This is causing exhaust to leak into the cab.

20221025TIRES:TREAD/BELT

The contact owns a 2012 RAM 2500 equipped with Kenda Tires, Tire Line: Klever, Tire Size: LT275/70/R18, DOT Number: 02T6NAANL12228260. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started bouncing. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact continued to drive back to the tire shop and was informed that the front passenger’s side tire was showing tread separation. The tire shop replaced the front passenger’s side tire. The contact stated that approximately two weeks later, he experienced the same failure with the front driver’s side tire. The contact took the vehicle back to the tire shop and had the front driver’s side tire replaced with the spear tire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that he had left a voicemail with the manufacturer but had not yet received a callback. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.

Mileage: 151,000

20221007SUSPENSION

When driving at highway speed, if I hit the seam between the road and a bridge and it is not smooth my truck goes into a, "Death wobble." The steering wheel and the whole truck shakes uncontrollably. I can barely keep it in the road. It will only stop when the vehicle slows below 30mph. This problem started about 48,000 miles, I only have a little over 56,000 now. I have changed the stabilizer, got new tires and an alignment. I will be taking it to a mechanic on the 17th but I really believe the manufacture should have a recall on this vehicle. It is very dangerous. I am not the only person to own one of these trucks and this happens to.

20220524ENGINE

The exhaust manifold bolts on both sides of the engine warp due to two different metals being put together under heat. Steel and aluminum expand at different temperatures. This causes the bolts to break off of the exhaust manifold creating an exhaust leak into the engine bay. Yes, this can be inspected upon request. The safety of myself and the general public is at risk due to the exhaust leak into the engine bay being pulled into the cab via the heating or airconditioning system. The exhaust fumes are pulled into the cab of the truck via the heating and airconditioning system. When running, the truck has a very noticeable smell inside the cab. It has caused me headaches as well. This poses a risk to the public if the driver were to pass out from said fumes. The problem can be reproduced and is a known issue with Dodge. It is very well documented online that this problem happens to nearly all Dodge Ram trucks. It has never been recalled because Dodge says its not a "safety" concern

20220227ENGINE

My Dodge Ram 2500, 2012 Hemi engine started making a ticking sound so got a tune up. The machinic changed the spark plugs and distributors around after I complained. Nothing he was able to do enable the truck to function properly. I spoke with the Dodge dealership, the spoken informed me that when Dodge merged with MERCEDE the problem persisted and to this date a fix was not provided. I spoke with other Dodge owner who experience the same problem. The engine was not functioning properly because of internal damage. The cost of repair would cost between $8K and $10K to replace or repair the engine. The dealership stated that NHTSA nor Dodge have provided a fix and that the problem still persist to this day.

20220212ENGINE

Engine has been making a ticking noise on the passenger side for the past few months. The passenger side exhaust manifold warped and broke two bolts in the engine block. This caused an exhaust leak and made the truck run rich due to the leak before oxygen sensor. Fuel efficiency declined. Replaced the exhaust manifold, gasket, and bolts to repair the problem.

20220122ENGINE

The bolts holding the exhaust manifold to the engine cylinder head, are breaking off. This has occurred in the past, on the drivers and passengers side. I had the problem repaired, by a dealer, which required the replacement of the passenger side cylinder head as well. This issue has re-occurred on the drivers side, which has been confirmed by a Ram dealer, as shown in the attached documentation. In every instance, the issue starts with a tapping noise, as the exhaust manifold pulls away from the head. Passengers in my truck have complained about the smell of exhaust fumes, which is a safety and health issue. This truck only has 85,000 miles, yet this is the 3rd incident of this issue occurring.

20210608ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2012 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-60 mph, on several occasions after driving over a bump in the roadway, the vehicle loss steering and braking functionality before the vehicle loss motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the wireless ignition node module was faulty. The mechanic retrieved a fault code. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the failure however, no assistance was offered. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V200000 (Electrical System). The failure mileage was 216,000.

Mileage: 216,000

Compare 2012DODGERAM 2500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 DODGE RAM 2500 have?
The 2012 DODGE RAM 2500 has 384 NHTSA complaints, 16 crashes, 24 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 DODGE RAM 2500?
The most-complained component for the 2012 DODGE RAM 2500 is STEERING with 109 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and ENGINE.
Is the 2012 DODGE RAM 2500 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.