There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2011 Ram 1500in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
5.7 Liter Hemi Lifter/Camshaft failure. Camshaft lobe has been completely ground down. Always been well maintained and taken care of also. Apparently this is a Major recurring issue with this year Ram 1500 with the 5.7L. Didn’t have any warning lights pop up on the dash either. I believe this is a safety hazard to myself and other drivers because it happens without warning and I lost 75% power of my truck on a major interstate and was almost rear ended by a semi truck hauling a heavy load. Luckily was able to swerve off onto the shoulder and save myself from a disaster.
DODGE RAM EXHUST MANIFOLD BOLTS HAVE BROKEN AND NOW ITS COSTING ME ALMOST $3000 DOLLARS TO GET FIXED WHEN DODGE SHOULD OF KNOWN THAT YOU CAN NOT PUT STEEL AND ALUMINUM TOGETHER
Exhaust manifold bolts breaking and leaking due to exhaust manifold is warping under high heat. Company will not repair this problem. As it is a recurring issue known as the hemi tick. With exhaust gas leaking at the manifold causing carbon monoxide to enter cab or vehicle. Before exiting the rear of the vehicle as designed.
There was complete Cam and Lifter failure and it can be inspected. I was driving on the freeway and suddenly all power was lost and the truck started shaking. Once we got off the freeway, the truck started shaking horribly when we hit 3k RPM. We became an obstruction in the road and driving was dangerous. It is reproduced and confirmed by the dealer. It has been inspected. The check engine went on the same time the truck started shaking.
The camshaft has balded on one of the cylinders. I first said I had a check engine light with a P0303 code. I replaced the spark plugs, the ignition coils, the fuel injector, and even the PCM. None of that fixed it. I was driving on the freeway when it started flashing the check engine light and the car lost all power so the RPMs don't like to go over 3k. The check engine light still flashes like crazy every time I turn it on and even touch the gas. I checked the vacuum lines and sensors and air lines. They are all perfect. Then I checked the compression and it is less than half of what it is supposed to be on just one cylinder. I looked at the camshaft and found that it was bald and not creating compression that way. I did some research on some forums and found this is really common for this year of Ram. This made it undrivable and unsafe without power. I haven't taken it to a dealership yet because I don't think I should pay for something that is a car malfunction across the board. https://www.ramforumz.com/threads/ram-hemi-cam-lifter-failure-thread.188978/
engine ticking,lifter and cam failure had it checked, engine stalled while driving in traffic almost had an accident,they used defective parts and fiat knew this and did nothing about it,this is a common problem in all these engines from 2009 to 2014
I was driving at highway speed. The vehicle suddenly lost power and began to shutter. It was difficult to control and the vehicle behind me had to swerve to the inside lane to avoid a rear end collision. Upon receipt and diagnosis from Olathe DCJ, they indicated there is a misfire in cylinder 5. Through a Google review, I discovered this is very common know issue. It costs anywhere from $3500-$15000 to resolve let alone the risk to life. In discussion with my service advisor (Mike), they perform this repair a couple of times a month. This is in one location in the Kansas City area. I can only imagine how widespread this issue is.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact initially received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V635000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Fuel System, Diesel). The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the recall was serviced. Recently, the contact stated that he noticed a fuel leak coming from the fuel heater. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that a plug on the connector had melted due to a defective O-ring. The mechanic linked the failure to the recall. The dealer was contacted by both the mechanic and the contact and both were informed that the recall was a one-time free repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 183,000.
The lifters are knocking and there's a tick in the engine. I've done some research and there's a whole forum regarding complaints for the Hemi's 5.7L engines in this specific year of my vehicle and other FCA vehicles, stating the notorious "Hemi tick" and the lifters going bad. Yes my vehicle is available for inspection because I can't afford the amount shops are trying to charge. If multiple vehicle's, made by FCA with the Hemi engine for models 2011, are having the same issue I would think it had to do with a manufacturing defect. The vehicle has caused a major vibration and jerking when I try to drive which could in turn cause me to wreck! My vehicle has been inspected at a shop. My check engine light is on and came on after hearing the tick in the engine for awhile previous to the light coming on. The lifters knocking started about a month ago.
Engine is giving a code that a lifter is bad. With only 170000 miles this should never be a problem unless there is a defect with the parts used to make the engine.
TRUCK WAS DRIVING NORMALLY UNTIL GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY. AS TRUCK WAS DRIVING ON THE ON RAMP TO HIGHWAY AND TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC IT HIT 60MPH AND STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND ENGINE BOGGED DOWN, SLOWING THE TRUCK DOWN TO UNDER 60 MPH. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, FLASHING. SLOWED DOWN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF AND TRUCK DROVE FIND. AFTER PULLING OVER TO SIDE OF THE ROAD ENGINE SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. NO ISSUES. ATTEMPTED TO MERGE BACK INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC BUT AGAIN TRUCK SHOOK AND BOGGED DOWN ONCE REACHING 55MPH. TOOK INTO DEALERSHIP AND PLUGS AND COIL PACK WERE REPLACED. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE. CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WAS CHECKED AND IT WAS NOT PLUGGED AND FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS WAS ANOTHER RAM WITH A BAD LIFTER THAT CAUSE THE CAM SHAFT TO WEAR OUT. ENGINE WAS REPLACED. AFTER ENGINE WAS REPLACED THIS LED TO ISSUES WITH THE SEAL BETWEEN THE OIL PAN SEAL AND THE ENGINE. THE SEAL FAILED AND WAS LEAKING OIL. TOOK RIGHT BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY NOW HAVE HAD TO PUT TWO OIL SEALS ON. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AS THIS IS THE 4TH RAM I'VE HEARD OF LISTED IN THE LAST MONTH WITH THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE SIMILAR ISSUES NOTED RECENTLY ON THIS WEBSITE.
I WAS OPERATING MY VEHICLE WHEN IT PRESENTED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I UTILIZED A CODE READER TO DETERMINE IT WAS A CYLINDER 5 MISFIRE CODE. THE CODE DISAPPEARED AFTER ROUGHLY 30 SECONDS. ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE TRUCK STARTED VIOLENTLY SHAKING, CAUSING ME TO ALMOST LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD TO QUICKLY PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FROM THE MIDDLE LANE, ALMOST CAUSING MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS AS MY SPEED RAPIDLY DECREASED. THE SHAKING CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER TWO MINUTES AFTER WHICH IT STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE HOME BY TRAVELING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED AND KEEPING THE ENGINE SPEED UNDER 3000 RPM. THE ISSUE WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAILING CAMSHAFT AND LIFTERS CAUSING A MISFIRE AND THE LOSS OF POWER. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND I AM NOT ABLE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE FOR FEAR OF THE MISFIRE OCCURRING AGAIN AND ME LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.
The contact owns a 2011 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle began to shake forcefully. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated a week after the incident happened. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the camshaft and lifters needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact called and made the local dealer aware of the failure. The contact was unable to reach a representative with the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 145,600.
WHEN I TURNED MY VEHICLE OFF AND TOOK THE KEY OUT THE FUEL PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN FOR HOURS BECAUSE THE FUEL PUMP RELAY IS BAD. THIS TRUCK DOESN'T HAVE AN EXTERNAL FUEL PUMP RELAY LIKE MOST VEHICLES DO. BY HAVING A BAD INTERNAL RELAY IT CAN CAUSE GAS TO CONTINUE TO PUMP IN AN ACCIDENT AND IF THERE IS A FIRE THE FUEL WILL CONTINUE TO PUMP AND NOT SHUT OFF. ALSO BY THIS FUEL RELAY NOT SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL PUMP IT DRAINS MY BATTERY AND IT WILL BURN OUT THE FUEL PUMP.. THE BIGGEST CONCERN BY NOT HAVING AN EXTERNAL FUEL RELAY WHERE A PERSON CAN CHANGE IT IS THAT WHEN IT DON'T SHUT OFF AS YOUR DRIVING AND GET I AN ACCIDENT WHERE FIRE OR HEAT IS INVOLVED THIS COULD CAUSE AN EXPLOSION INJURY OR EVEN DEATH, BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THIS RELAY IS BAD AND CAN'T CHANGE IT WITHOUT CHANGING THE WHOLE FUSE BOX OR GETTING THE FUSE BOX REPLACED. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I PARKED THE CAR AND REMOVED KEY AND LEFT IT FOR 8 HOURS WHILE I WAS AT WORK. I CAME OUT TO A DEAD BATTERY, AFTER HOOKING UP JUMPER CABLES I COULD HEAR A HUMMING SOUND, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE THE FUEL PUMP CONTINUING TO PUMP GAS EVEN THOUGH KEY WAS OUT AND TRUCK WAS TURNED OFF... I KNOW DODGE RECALLED OTHER TYPES OF VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM.
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND THE CODE WAS A P305 WHICH IS AN ENGINE MISFIRE ON CYLINDER 5. WE HAD THE TRUCK LOOKED AT AND THE SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED THEN THE COIL PACKS NONE OF WHICH FIXED THE TRUCK. FINALLY THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE LIFTERS IN THE MOTOR FAILED WHICH DAMAGED THE CAM SHAFT. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE MOTOR IN THE TRUCK. THE DEALERSHIP EVEN SAID THAT THE PART WAS FAULTY AND DODGE CONTINUED TO USE THEM IN THE ENGINES.
BACK IN AUGUST OF 2019 I BOUGHT MY CAR TO THE BROWNS 112 DEALERSHIP AND GOT WORK DONE TO PUT IN A NEW ENGINE IN THE CAR THIS WORK TOOK OVER 4 MONTHS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NEVER OFF THE CAR NOW A YEAR LATER ALMOST AND THE CAR IS GIVIN ME THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE SHAKING AND NOW THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THAT 27,000 ON THE NEW ENGINE THE PROBLEM IS MINE AND THAT I WRECK THE CAR WHICH I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW I DID THIS
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME OUT AND VEHICLE BECAME SLUGGISH ON HIGHWAY. CYLINDERS MISSFIRING. LIFTER NOISE SO REMOVED AND REPLACED CAMSHAFT AND SOLENOID. FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES ONLINE: HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/DODGE/RAM_1500/2011/ENGINE/LIFTER_AND_CAM_ISSUE.SHTML AND HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/DODGE/RAM_1500/2011/ENGINE/LIFTER_AND_CAM_ISSUE-2.SHTML
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. LOST POWER AND HAD TO PULL OVER DUE TO VIBRATION. COULD NOT DRIVE EVEN CLOSE TO THE SPEED LIMIT AND CAUSED A TRAFFIC BACKUP WHILE DRIVING IT TO THE DEALER. CODE WS P0305. MISFIRE ON CYLINDER 5. THE DEALER CHANGED PLUGS, AND COIL PACK. RESET CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. DROVE 12 MILES AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. RETURNED TO DEALER. MECHANIC STATED IT WAS WORN CAM. ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR IS 4500-5000. THIS TRUCK ONLY HAS 140,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE TAKEN EXTRA CARE WITH THIS VEHICLE. I'M RETIRED AND I PLANNED ON THIS BEING MY LAST TRUCK. UPON INVESTIGATION THERE ARE LITERALLY 10000'S OF THESE ENGINES BREAKING IN THIS MANNER. IT'S NOT ONLY TRUCKS BUT IN ALL OF THE VARIOUS CHRYSLER VEHICLES. THIS STARTED WITH THE FIRST MODEL 5.7 HEMI. THERE IS NO COMMENT OR HELP FROM CHRYSLER. THIS ENGINE FAILURE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY NHTSA. INDIVIDUALS HAVE LITTLE POWER TO DO ANYTHING WHICH IS WHY WE RELY ON GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS NHTSA TO MAKE OUR COLLECTIVE VOICES HEARD. I'M POSITIVE THAT YOU HAVE THOUSANDS OF REGISTERED COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE YET YOU HAVE DONE DO NOTHING? I KNOW THIS WILL MEAN MILLIONS TO CHRYSLER. DO THEY HAVE THE NHTSA IN IT'S POCKET? SURE SEEMS TO BE THE CASE SINCE YOU ARE NOT REPRESENTING THE US CITIZENS HARMED BY CHRYSLER USING FAULTY PARTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE 5.7 HEMI. WHERE IS THE QUALITY CONTROL? THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND IF CHRYSLER HAD QUALITY CONTROL ON THE PARTS THEY USE. I THOUGHT THIS WAS MANDATORY. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE TO SEE HOW YOU ARE WIGGLING OUT OF THIS. *TR
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD SLOWING DOWN HEADING TOWARDS A STOPLIGHT AND MY 2011 DODGE RAM STOPPED AT THE STOPLIGHT AND WOULD NOT TURN OVER IT WOULD CRANK BUT WOULD NOT START. SO I HAD TO PUSH THE TRUCK INTO A PARKING LOT CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK AND FURTHER INSPECT THE VEHICLE. UPON LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE AND LEFT LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD I NOTICED COOLANT LEAKING BUT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVE 3 1/2 HOURS LATER I STARTED TALKING TO HIM AND TOGETHER HIS OPINION OF WHAT HAPPEN POSSIBLE TIMING OR HEAD GASKET BLOWN HEAD GASKET BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE THERE WAS NO LEAKAGE I STILL HAVE COMPRESSION SPARK AND FUEL COMING TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED ALL THE WAY BACK TO MY PROPERTY WHERE MY BROTHER-IN-LAW ASSISTED WHO HAS BEEN A MECHANIC FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS HAS STARTED GOING THROUGH IT WE HAVE NOTICED SOME SIMILAR RECALLS WITH THE TIMING CHAIN ISSUES WHICH WE BELIEVE THAT IS THE ISSUE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE COMPRESSION AND SPARK IGNITION AND FUEL IN THE VEHICLE. IF YOU CAN PLEASESHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS I WOULD REALLY ENJOY HEARING BACK SO I CAN FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE TRUCK AND MAY BE A POSSIBLE RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE.
LIFTER FAILURES IN ENGINE, EVEN WHEN MAINTAINED. IN MOTION WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED, CITY DRIVING. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO COMPLETELY STALL WHEN IN MOTION. KNOWN MECHANICAL FAILURE BY RAM/DODGE, BUT THEY HAVE TAKEN NO ACTION. THIS IS 5.7 HEMI ENGINES. REGARDING RAM 1500. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026