RAM 4500 · model year

2017 RAM 4500

5 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports, and 7 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2017RAM4500 carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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 2017 4500 is power train with 1 filings, followed by suspension (1) and air bags (1). 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. This model year has 7 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 7 investigation files overlapping the 2017 4500, and 4 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.

5
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN1
SUSPENSION1
AIR BAGS1
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1

Recalls (7)

24V89600027/11/2024

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. The hydraulic control unit (HCU) may fail, which can cause the anti-lock brake (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), and traction control systems to fai

21V39800027/05/2021

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2021 RAM 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. Incorrect information in the Service and Owner's Manuals may cause the flanged lug nuts to be over-tightened, which could result in a broken wheel stud and possible whe

17V82400021/12/2017

EQUIPMENT

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling various Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM vehicles equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf. These extinguishers ma

17V82100020/12/2017

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT

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 trucks, all equipped with a column shifter.

18V33200017/05/2018

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler

17V56200012/09/2017

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2013-2017 RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, equipped with Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engines that have Concentric-brand water pumps without a vent hole. These water pumps may leak coolant.

18V10000008/02/2018

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 RAM 1500, 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, all equipped with a column shifter. Pushing the brake pedal for prolonged periods when the vehicle is running and in PARK may cause the Brake Transmission Sh

Recent Complaints

20250818SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 4500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

20211020CrashSUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2017 RAM 4500. The contact stated while towing 3 vehicles and driving 60 mph, when the front of the vehicle began to vibrate. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he continued driving but began to change to the right lane when he heard a loud abnormal noise coming from under the vehicle. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the ditch. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated no one was injured or sought medical attention. No police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transfer case to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 280,000.

Mileage: 280,000

20211020CrashAIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2017 RAM 4500. The contact stated while towing 3 vehicles and driving 60 mph, when the front of the vehicle began to vibrate. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he continued driving but began to change to the right lane when he heard a loud abnormal noise coming from under the vehicle. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the ditch. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated no one was injured or sought medical attention. No police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transfer case to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 280,000.

Mileage: 280,000

20211020CrashPOWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)

The contact owns a 2017 RAM 4500. The contact stated while towing 3 vehicles and driving 60 mph, when the front of the vehicle began to vibrate. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he continued driving but began to change to the right lane when he heard a loud abnormal noise coming from under the vehicle. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the ditch. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated no one was injured or sought medical attention. No police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transfer case to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 280,000.

Mileage: 280,000

20190118POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 RAM 4500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION ERRONEOUSLY SWITCHED INTO NEUTRAL AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. DURING THE FAILURE, THE SERVICE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE DISPLAY INDICATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS STILL IN THE DRIVE POSITION. AFTER SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND BACK INTO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SPITZER DODGE (30101 S. DIXIE HWY, HOMESTEAD, FL) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. ..*BF DETERMINED IT WAS A RELAY AND SPITZER FIXED IT UNDER WARRANTY. NO ISSUES SINCE JANUARY 2019.*JB

Mileage: 20,000

Compare 2017RAM4500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 4 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2017 RAM 4500 have?
The 2017 RAM 4500 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2017 RAM 4500?
Yes, the 2017 RAM 4500 has 7 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 RAM 4500?
The most-complained component for the 2017 RAM 4500 is POWER TRAIN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION and AIR BAGS.
Is the 2017 RAM 4500 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.