NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Ram 2500. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Service Antilock Braking System and Service Electronic Brake System will begin to constantly flash on the dash. It would display the ABS light and the Traction Control light. At this time it would also turn off cruise control while traveling down the highway. I purchased the truck with 62,000 miles on it on 12/28/2023 and the issue occurred on the way home and ever since. Since I was not aware of this issue, the truck slowed down and I was almost hit. I had to pull off the road to figure out what was going on.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that the ABS and the traction control warning lights were illuminated intermittently. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH and pulling a trailer, another vehicle pulled in front of the contact's vehicle. The contact slammed on the brakes, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended and crashed into the rear of the other vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy because the vehicle was equipped with a brush guard due to potential collisions with deer in the country area where the contact lived. The contact did not sustain injuries. The other driver sustained unknown injuries, and the other vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact's vehicle was driven away from the scene. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing a known failure, and the contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The following messages suddenly came up on my screen. Service electronic braking system, service ABS system. Then the following warning lights came on. Traction control warning, ABS light, tire pressure unavailable, parking sensors unavailable. The cruise control is also unavailable. It is winter here in MN and I thought it would be ok until I get it fixed, I will just use 4 wheel drive. 4 wheel drive is also not available. Am not able to get the vehicle repaired, parts on national back order for months. Do not have a backup vehicle. Have to drive an unsafe vehicle to and from work in winter conditions. Can’t lose my job.
ABS warning light comes on and message to get ABS serviced appears...took truck to local auto repair and they checked ABS and said ABS module was bad...tried to get part but was told it would be June 2024 ( 6 mos ) before part would be available...was told this was a common problem and it SHOULD be a recall on the module but so far no recall..I got on line and found out that this part is defective and can cause serious brake problems...Class action suit is in the works
My truck had warning lights come on in December 2023 saying to service the anti-lock braking system and the electronic brakes. I took it to a mechanic and I was told that the part would take at least 45 days to get. Now we're being told it will take 3 months to get because it is impossible to find. After researching this online, it is a nationwide problem for many Dodge Ram owners. These vehicles are out on the road needing this part to keep their brake systems from failing and it is impossible to get.
While driving, ABS system warning lights illuminated accompanied by intermittent alarm. ABS System Failure confirmed by selling dealer, further confirmed via Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA) TSB notice "C0020-01-ABS PUMP MOTOR CONTROL - GENERAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE." This TSB particularly confirms/advises both the HCU and the ABS be serviced / replaced. The original pump motor is no longer available and per dealer is being re-engineered due to defect. This failure is a significant risk to the vehicle operator, passengers, and the general public and should be remedied immediately at the manufacturer's expense via NHTSA / FCA initiated recall.
ABS HCU and control module repeat failures. Initial failure when vehicle purchased 12/20/19 (repaired by warranty replacement on 2/25/2020 @625 miles of the HCU and ABS control module). Current failure 12/18/2023 @ 6300 miles.) So the failure problem is recurrent. Failures are intermittent and cause deactivation of the ABS, ESC, and Cruise control systems. This results in sudden change (slowing) of vehicle speed upon cruise deactivation. Also the loss of ABS and ESC can be hazardous depending upon roadway conditions and vehicle operation at time of failures. Failures can persist for days or perhaps subside for a brief time. This vehicle problem apparently exists on more than one 2018 2500 RAM. When at the dealer for first failure repair, two other 2018 RAM 2500's were in service for the exact same issues. Also, replacement parts are back ordered taking months to arrive. Thank you. Very Truly, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Hcu system failed now trucks and system is messed up, can’t use cruise control and nervous too drive the truck for safety reasons. Dealer says it could be months for a new system
Abs light and traction control light will flash and beep intermittently when driving have researched a lot of people have the same issue newer models have been recalled for the same problem.
The display in the center console keeps asking if i want to update the clock. Nothing stops it from constantly popping up…going off… popping up. Truck only has 25000 miles
ABS and Traction control has been lost and have created a safety risk especially during inclement weather. The ABS pump or the ABS control Module is faulty in multiple years Ram vehicles. I believe based on forums there is a recall issue with these parts.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the ABS control module and hydraulic control module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,000.
I bought my truck, a Ram 2500 with the Cummins diesel engine in August 2018. When the truck had 20,000 miles on it the ABS and traction control lights, chimes and notice came on. I took it under warranty to the Dodge Ram dealer where I bought it. They did diagnostic tests and replaced the ABS control unit and ABS module under warranty. The truck now is out of warranty with 76,000 miles on it and the ABS and Traction Control lights, chimes and notice on the dash screen have returned. I will take it to a local Dodge Ram dealer and have the problem diagnosed soon. I feel that these issues are a safety concern and are due to faulty parts used by the vehicle manufacturer. As such, my vehicle should be included in a safety recall and fixed at the manufacturer's expense. Thank you.
CONSTANT & iNTERMITTENT system notification (Dash lights and chime tones) of required ABS serving, Traction Control failure, and DISCONNECT of Speed Control system. The problem has been on going for past 15,000 miles. NOTE: Took vehicle to RAM Dealer in Kerrville Texas and they determined no problems despite dashboard messages and lights. Dealer states that they are NOT aware of ANY issues with ABS and Traction Control on any of the 2018 RAM 2500 vehicles.
ABS/Traction Control dash light comes on and off randomly all the time. The sound is infuriating and kicks off cruise control. Today I came over a hill on highway and there were cars stopped in all lanes ahead. I stepped on the brakes hard and the abs didn't work causing the tires to lock up. I did not hear or feel the normal pulsing in the pedal. I feel there is an actual problem with the abs system and not just an annoying chime and light on the dash. There are thousands of threads about this problem online and I feel that it is cause for a recall. I checked with local dealer and the parts are extremely limited supply because of all the people with the same problem.
The abs and traction control keep going in and out and is very unsafe to drive such a large truck. I called dealership and they don’t have the abs module and haven’t had it for over a year. So they know it’s an issue and can’t give us any since manufacturer is at fault. My abs and traction don’t work. Thank you
Two years into owning this truck the ABS control unit went out (a known issue) and was repaired by the dealership under factory warranty. Two years following that repair, same issue; however, this time the issue is more severe. The intermittent service ABS system light/alarm is not as delayed between alarms and during normal braking the brake pedal firmness changes. On one occasion the pedal was so firm almost couldn't depress it and when I did, it locked up the back tires. This braking system should not be trusted and emergency braking with it... let's just say that Fred Flintstone braking system could be a better system. Available for inspection: yes. On going issue since Spring 2021 (I took delivery of the truck in Jan 2019)
ABS Service Light and warning bell keep coming on. I've had this fixed twice and appears looking at forums that investigation is under way as part is failing on most all 2017-18 Ram 2500 trucks. Please make Dodge to replace under recall.
At around 74,000 miles in December of 2023, a warning to "Service Electronic Braking System" and "Service Antilock Brake System" started to show up on the screen of my 2018 Ram 2500 6.7. The truck was taken to a Ram dealership and the fix to the problem was determined to be replacement of the ABS module in addition to replacement of the HCU. Apparently, the ABS module is faulty and is causing the HCU to go bad so both need to be replaced. Replacing only the HCU will not fix the problem. The truck has not yet been repaired as a new ABS module is not available until June of 2024. When driving, the on screen errors come up frequently at all driving speeds and the error is present the majority of the time while driving.
Warning light stating service electronic brake system and ABS light comes on. Being in northern Iowa during winter could cause loss of control during breaking. Took vehicle to dealer that determined the ABS module was malfunctioning. Left vehicle with dealer from December 2023 to April 2024 because dealer stated they were waiting on the part. Then let me know they could not get the part. Mopar currently states the part is unavailable. I am left with a vehicle that could malfunction at anytime and no way to fix it.
Loss of ABS/traction control. Electrical failure ABS pump motor. Loss of braking ability. Vehicle has very low mileage, less the 3,000 miles.
abs pump motor control-general electrical failure Going down the road it will flash service abs brake failure( something to that effect) then instrument lights abs, traction control come on with constant chime beeping. If you are on cruise control it will quit.. also abs and traction control don't work and will not engage.Not very safe to drive in wet conditions. Took to dealer ( code 45806) and person pulled code dtc C0020-01 stored abs pump motor control-general electrical failure. Was told need up to 5 days to diagnose problem and with holidays I will wait til after Jan 1 to take it in. Problem comes and goes but will come on everytime I drive it then after a restart it might go away. Dealer visit was 12-18-2023 time 12:41 pm dealer code 45806 will have the info.
ABS warning light comes on and off again. Each time it comes on, the cruise control turns off. This continues to happen -- going on and off. This is unsafe as the trucks cruise control stops functioning without warning.
2018 Powerwagon intermittent abs traction control light dinging on and off randomly. Does it more in bad weather. During dry sunny days sometimes it never comes on. From what I can tell I don’t seem to have any problem with my brakes.
Took my Vehicle to dealer for abs and traction light displayed on dash. Dealer states my truck needs a new HCU and control module. At 28,000 miles these same parts had to be replaced for same issue. The truck now has 63,000 miles. To top it off abs, cruise control and 4x4 does not work or quits working when this warning is displayed. It’s absolutely ridiculous how many ram 2500-3500 owners are having this issue over and over. I would hope you all will step up and demand a recall be performed.
The ABS controller has been replaced twice and has now gone out again. When this happens it turns off the ABS, traction control and cruise control.
Service Electronic Braking System error message repeatedly and randomly started coming on and chiming beginning in December 2023. Have tried to get a new ABS Pump and Module to no avail since parts are not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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 stated that while operating the vehicle, the ABS and traction control warning lights remained illuminated. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, added force was needed on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The failure mileage was 40,000.
ABS light come on and the service antilock brake system light comes on and NO cruise control, happening all the time so NO ABS systems and in south dakota that is a big problem and no parts for 8 months now comes on when you hit a bump all the time 68 times driving 50 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
The radio screen has delaminating which causes random pushing of buttons on the display. This is a known issue with dodge radios and has been labeled as “ghost screen”. This is a major concern during the day as well at night while trying to drive. The distraction from the constant screen changing is a major concern. It is unavoidable to focus on the screen instead of the road while this is happening. Dodge knows of this problem and the repair cost is unaffordable. I feel for the safety of drivers and people on the road, this needs to be addressed. I have videos of this occurring but am not able to upload videos, only photos which do not show the event happening. I would like the chance to be contacted so I can share the video of this happening to express my concern, as well as the concern of many others. Thank you
ABS electronic braking system failure.
Traction control light and ABS light periodically comes an on off. Screen reads service brake system.
ABS system fails at randomly disabling the abs brake system and the cruise control.
My brakes went out in November 2020 with a bad hydraulic brake control and hydraulic control unit. The parts were replaced and everything was fine until December 2023. The same alarm came up that the truck brakes had failed. I took the truck back to the dealer who fixed it. They notified me that there is a known problem with these parts and there are no parts available. They ordered the parts for me, it is now April 22, 2024, and they still say there are no parts available. I also had contacted another dealer who stated the same situation, there are no parts available, and that the brake issues are an ongoing problem that Dodge is not taking care of. My truck is unsafe, there are tens of thousands of these trucks that are unsafe. The manufacturer should be made to correct the problems and fix the trucks.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS and Traction Control warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the ACU, causing a general electrical failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 50,000.
I just bought a 2018 ram 2500 tradesman yesterday and had the abs light came on today and stayed on. Read comments online and was advise to report this issue as a safety issue and possible class action law suit potential. Seems like many people have the same issue even with a barely use vehicle.
My ABS module is faulty and there are no available replacements. RAM is aware of this issue when I called my dealership and they have no solution. The ABS is all screwed up and people are reporting this all over the internet. RAM needs to address this situation with their customers and fix the faulty ABS repair module.
The truck intermittently shows an alarm for failure of the abs braking system. This suddenly shuts off the cruse control and disables the abs. The loss of cruse control caused the truck to suddenly drop in speed in a highway traffic situation, which nearly caused a car behind me to hit me. The loss of abs leaves the truck vulnerable to brake related accidents in slippery or wet weather. I contacted a dealer for the replacement parts and they told me they would not be available until a new generation of abs module and hydraulic control unit were available. I believe the NHTSA should demand a recall for this extensive and dangerous issue.
Abs module is out again. Second time in just over a year since I replaced it last time. This is an ongoing issue and numerous people locally are complaining, so national has to be thousands. Ram is aware of the issue but not fixing.
This truck has an intermittent "service electronic brake system, service automatic brake system" caution message displaying on the vehicle dash. It has become more frequent and disables the cruise control, stability traction control, and ABS. The same issue happened in May 2021 and was addressed with the dealer at that time with code C0020-01. Under warranty the ABS module and HCU were replaced and the problem was corrected til December 2023. This same issue happened again showing code C0020-01. The truck is no longer under warranty and the dealer states that I will have to pay for this repair. This seems like a common issue on these trucks and needs to be addressed with the manufacturer. I have included the invoice from repair in 2021.
Abs and traction control not working, told it’s the hcu due too problematic oem parts
ABS and traction control lights are on, scanned and got code c002-01. Unsure if system is working. Verified by shop, needs a new hcu but none available to fix, no time line on when parts will be available.
ABS light and traction control warning on dash. Truck has been in shop previously for the same issue. This causes my truck to lose cruise control at highway speeds and to not have traction control capabilities when driving on wet roads. I will be taking the truck back in to the shop this week as this is occurring at all times and does not stop dinging.
Abs control module had went out twice in 3 years and hydrolic unit causing brakes to fail
brake warning light flashes warning alarm sounds. . disables the trailer brake. this one safety concern and makes my vehicle unavailable for towing abs disabled as well. Dealers says HCU is suspected . Parts are not readily available.
Abs and traction control malfunction light goes on and off.
ABS system service light comes on, along with message on dash. When this happens, loss of abs brakes. Took to local dealer, was told faulty abs sensor, but none were available at this time. I have a 2018 Ram 2500 sitting in my driveway because it’s not safe to drive
ABS Brake system failure. Multiple reports of ‘17-‘18 yr models with exact problems.
I have a 2018 Ram 2500. Service anti-lock brakes message is intermittently coming on and off. This occurs every few seconds while driving the truck. I took the truck to a repair facility and was displaying a code for the ABS/hydraulic control unit. I learned that there is not a known replacement to solve the issue. I have connected with other Ram owners who are dealing with the same issue while replacing unit multiple times. Ram needs to address this issue, I and along with many others are driving with no anti-lock brakes.