2020 Ram 3500 Transmission Problems
11 owner-reported transmission complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Transmission Recalls (2)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 2500 and 3500 Pickup vehicles equipped with six-speed automatic (68RFE) transmissions. A build up of pressure and heat inside the transmission may result in a transmission fluid leak from the dipstick tube.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission valve body separator plate and reprogram the powertrain control module. The recall began March 2, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W03.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
FCA US, LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Ram 2500 and 2020-2022 Ram 3500 vehicles. A build-up of pressure and heat inside the transmission may result in a transmission fluid leak from the dipstick tube.
Fix: Dealers will replace the transmission dipstick and transmission vent assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is ZA3.
Owner Complaints (11)
Your truck's gear shifter moved into Drive on its own while parked with the engine off, causing the vehicle to roll downhill and hit a tree. A child was in the truck at the time and used the steering wheel and shifter to climb in, but it's unclear if that action caused the shifter to move or if it shifted on its own. The collision caused significant damage to the passenger door, bumper, and truck bed. The issue likely involves the transmission shifter mechanism or its locking system, which may need inspection or replacement to prevent unintended gear shifts.
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Your parked truck shifted into Drive on its own while turned off, causing it to roll away before stopping. The dealer was unable to identify or repair the problem. This is a serious safety issue since your vehicle moved without your input.
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Your truck sometimes won't shift into Park or turn off the engine, which is a serious safety issue. The problem is intermittent and getting worse — it now shows the vehicle is in Drive while moving even when you've selected Park. The dealer has visited multiple times but can't reproduce the problem, and there are no diagnostic codes to help identify the issue. Similar transmission and software problems on your previous Ram truck eventually led to transmission failure, and you're noticing the same pattern starting with this vehicle.
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You received a recall notice for your 2020 Ram 3500's powertrain, but the dealership couldn't complete the repair because the required parts weren't available yet. The manufacturer acknowledged the delay and confirmed parts are still not in stock. You haven't experienced any actual failure with your vehicle yet.
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The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V835000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
My high pressure fuel pump went out while I was towing the 43 ft enclosed trailer causing the engine to shut down. I was able to get it home and onto a car hauling trailer took it to a dealership and confirmed the high pressure fuel pump was the culprit they informed me that they would not perform the safety recall because of a modification to the vehicle which has no bearing on the safety issues at hand I contacted FCA they encouraged me to take it to a different dealership which I did. I had to pay a tow truck to haul it to another dealership in which they told me they would do the recall however when they put my VIN number in their system my pickup had been blacklisted by the parent company Chrysler saying do not work on this vehicle for safety recalls. I at this point got quotes to have it done and it was extremely expensive to friend advised me to look into the law so I contacted a lawyer and they told me to file a complaint with NHTSA.
The vehicle does not always go in park. If you attempt to shut the engine off it will notify, If you left the engine running and get out of the vehicle it could roll away. This failure has happened more than 30 times. 3 times today.
We where driving down the highway and the drive shaft fell out the car. This took out my brake lines and my transmission harness. This caused major damage to my car and it almost killed my drivers because they were unable to stop with no brakes they had to go into a ditch to avoid hitting someone. I have spoken with some other owners and they had some of the same issues. My truck was taken care of and just left the shop the previous week. We did not hit anything it just appears that some of th bolts came apart. This is a flaw in th design because the truck should not fall apart going down the highway.
While leaving the veterinary office parking lot there is a short steep hill. As I started up the hill slowly as there are pedestrians around. About halfway up my truck starts rolling backwards as if the transmission has shifted into neutral I hit the brakes to stop and then start out again. This has happened about 5 times in the same place since I have owned the truck and one other place that also was a short steep driveway. I did take the truck to the dealership and they could not recreate the problem but they did do an update to the TCM. So far no problems.
DEF reservoir got low and light came on indicating about 300 miles until truck goes into limp mode 5 MPH. Added 1 gallon of DEF and the guage showed to be in the safe zone. The computer system never registered that fluid was added and truck went into limp mode on the way home. When in limp mode you are unable to move vehicle off the roadway in a safe manner or even drive on any roadway without major risk of getting hit. Truck has to be towed to a dealership to have the computer reset. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. Ironic that first responder and government vehicles with this same engine ect are omitted from the limp mode function due to safety concerns but not the general public.
Truck was with high pressure pump issues, spent $2600 in rental truck, $400 i. Towing truck and about one month with no truck, Chrysler still doesn't want to pay me back, this is my second truck with same issue, previous truck was a 2019 3500 ram having the same problem when truck was with only 4,000 miles on it. Now they repaired my truck but now i feel like my truck lose already torque, is using more diesel and more DEF.