2018 Ram 3500 Electrical System Problems

My vehicle is included in safety recall 24V-896 for a defective HCU (Hydraulic Control Unit). I have contacted the dealership multiple times, but the replacement part is never available. This recall affects critical safety systems including ABS and Electronic Stability Control. Despite being a safety recall, there is no estimated timeline for repair due to part unavailability. I am concerned about driving a vehicle with an unresolved safety defect. The manufacturer has been unable to provide the recall repair for an extended period.

After stopping at the local dealer monthly concerning this safety recall I am told every time that the part is not available. I am left driving this truck in an unsafe state and am concerned for public safety as well as my own. No assistance is ever offered and there is no eta on when to expect the needed parts. This is a known issue that a safety recall has been issued for but RAM is taking no action to correct.

While towing 10,000 lb trailer vehicle displayed indicators that traction control and ABS were failing. I've taken vehicle to dealer 5 times since recall and it's now over 1 year and Chrysler failed to remedy recalled defective part 68143491AA. Chrysler complaint case no. 95672952 filed on 2/16/26. Chrysler HAS in fact produced the replacement part No. 68143491AB - supersedes failed part no. above. Local dealers have qty 9 of part locally in stock and sell to public for $500. After calling many parts dept sources, I learned dealers are lying and telling current owners no remedy available under recall so that Chrysler can prioritize replacing Ram trucks traded in to dealers so they can fix under recall and make those vehicles sellable by dealers as highest priority for parts. However, dealers are also willing to sell the new part to consumers at full msrp at parts counter + labor in service center. So they make eligible customers pay full price up front and fight to get reimbursed later after being out nearly $1000 to fix Chrysler's problem. I get that there may not be enough parts on hand for every recalled unit - yet. But there are enough now at dealers that when a truck comes in to dealer service center with proven HCU failure indicators (traction control and ABS warning lights) those customers should be given the recall part with labor as required of Chrysler. In my case, brake failure warning lights were documented 7 months ago at North Fort Worth Auto Nation dealer service center under invoice #187541. So, there is no excuse why I'm now being lied to and told they don't have new part 68143491AB when parts mgr told me himself they have 8 parts in stock at that dealership alone as of 2/16/26. NHTSA is allowing Chrysler to self-regulate on this without sufficient oversight. After a year plus since first recall notice there is NO excuse why current owners should be denied available parts to fix this known major safety issue.

My HCU has failed I had a car pull into my lane on the freeway and my truck and fifth wheel slid for a long period of time. After the close call I contacted the dealership and they said they have no parts to fix the recall. I also contacted the FCA customer care 1 800 853 1403. After many calls and lost calls the Indian man told me it was totally safe to drive my truck he has no clue what a fifth wheel trailer is. I now have a 12400 mile truck i only use to pull my trailer sitting in limbo waiting to be repaired. Seems like when the truck goes through all the chimes and flashing lights I lose my cruise control and trailer brake function how is this safe?

On May 3, 2025, while driving my 2018 RAM 2500 with approximately 46,000 miles, the check engine light came on and the engine immediately experienced a significant loss of power. The vehicle entered a limp mode condition, drastically reducing speed and acceleration. I was forced to pull into a nearby business as the truck could not maintain safe highway speeds, creating a traffic hazard and contributing to congestion. The vehicle was diagnosed by a repair facility as having a failed turbo actuator, a critical component in regulating turbo boost and engine power delivery. After researching this issue, I have found numerous similar complaints and reports from other RAM truck owners on various owner forums and websites, indicating this may be a recurring and potentially widespread defect in these vehicles. Given that this failure occurred at relatively low mileage, caused a hazardous driving condition, and seems to be a commonly reported problem, I believe this issue warrants investigation by NHTSA for potential safety risks and manufacturer accountability. No injuries or property damage occurred, but the incident posed a significant safety risk to myself and other drivers.

The stereo malfunctioned on several occasions, I have taken it to the dealer and had a new stereo put in. My safety was at risk because the radio started jumping from station to station and calling people in my contact list. All of these increased concerns and my driving was impacted. This made it impossible to drive safely due to this issue. I had to pull over each time and disconnect my Bluetooth and unplug my phone for hands free driving. This issue caused a very unsafe and distracted event. Yes this has been confirmed. It has not been inspected by the police; this is a huge issue with these trucks there are several complaints that have been turned in. There were no warnings. The radio would work fine and then start going off on a tangent, there is no way to even turn off the radio to prevent this from happening. This needs to be covered by Dodge Ram, this issue is unsafe and could cause an accident.

On March 3rd, This dealership replaced the stop sale safety recall on our Commercial vehicle (C4B) with a part that was not created for our truck. This resulted in hydraulic brake fluid spewing out of the HCU all over significant areas under the hood, including the ABS Module and wiring. Upon realizing the HCU was spewing hydraulic brake fluid, we brought the truck back on March 7th, and again, the dealership replaced the HCU with the incorrect part (but assuring us it was the actual part for this specific recall) and Sam (service advisor) told us they would also be replacing the ABS Module and the wiring associated, as the ABS module had also been recently replaced and was still covered under warranty. When we received the car back, Sam (service advisor) explained that they would like the truck back at a later date to replace the wiring - that they have already replaced the ABS module so we will still see the ABS light, but only because the wiring needs to be redone.  We picked up our truck on Friday March 8th, and when my fiancé began his route on [XXX] with his trailer attached, he made it about 20 miles before his truck completely shut down mid-drive while on a busy road- forcing him to have to coast over a 4 lane roadway and into a ditch avoiding collision of oncoming traffic with his trailer and equipment attached. We discovered that the mechanics had fraudulently replaced our HCU with another trucks HCU and had to force the recall through Mopar's reimbursement process, as it was rejected multiple times because the remedy is not currently available therefore unable to be completed. I have attached the full story in a PDF document for further information.  Phone: [XXX] Email: [XXX] contact me for any information you may need in addition to this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

HI, My 2018 RAM 3500, had had a Anti-lock brake control module light on and off about a hundred times a day for the past year, I just spoke to the Ram Service manager at Leith Ram in Wendel NC and she told me that Ram has no fix for this part, and it has been on backorder for over 2.5 years, you can have total brake failure with this part being defective, how has the NTSB not stepped in and put some pressure on them to get this fixed, there are hundreds of thousands of trucks out there with this problem. Why is it being allowed to continue for years and years without a solution??

Constant service electronic braking system and service ABS warning lights, loss of all traction control. It started as a intermittent loss of of these systems and now it is a total loss. There is nothing I can do to make it go away or function correctly. I took it to the dealer to talk about the recall and asked if I could go ahead and pay to have the replacement parts installed and they told me everything was unavailable. This problem has been going on for over two months. It is unsafe, now I don't have any ABS or traction control in the middle of the winter, this is the worst possible time this could happen. How can there not be a alternative solution? Someone is going to crash and get killed.

Recall C4B with known issue and known remedy but “no parts available.” Contacted RAM and with no parts they have no solution. You can rent an auto out of pocket and possibly be reimbursed. No option for buyback or solution. Recall came out 12/5/2024.

Stellantis is unable to provide a timey remedy for NHTSA Recall Number24V-896. The hydraulic control unit ("HCU") is susceptible to failure or malfunction which may result in a reduction or change of Anti-Lock Brake System ("ABS")/Electronic Stability Control ("ESC") /Traction Control performance. A failing HCU will initially result in the intermittent loss of ABS/Traction control progressing to permanent loss. The loss of ABS/ESC/Traction control may cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. Driving the vehicle is a safety risk to me and the public. The vehicle is garaged at an authorized dealership since 2/13/25 and has resulted in a loss of income totaling $40,000 as the truck was used for transporting heavy loads. Additionally, I have paid $9,000 towards the monthly truck note and insurance for a vehicle that I cannot drive. Stellantis has not provided an adequate solution, and they are ill-equipped to be a manufacturer of vehicles in the United States. Stellantis is actively misrepresenting safety information to the public without any regard for the public’s safety. Out of an abundance of caution, I filed Better Business Bureau complaint case #[XXX] on [XXX] with the Detroit and Eastern Michigan office after Stellantis advised me that the 2018 Ram 3500 was safe to drive even though the recall was not repaired. Stellantis’ response can be viewed by the public at the Better Business Bureau of Detroit and Eastern Michigan’s website. It reads as follows: “We issued this recall out of our commitment to your safety and recommend that you complete the repair as soon as the remedy becomes available. However, please rest assured that you can continue driving your vehicle safely in the meantime." They made 5.5 billion in profit in 2024 and they won't deal fairly regarding a rental vehicle. On 7/17 they told me they would reimburse up to $60 then 8 days later they said up to $50. When I submitted my rental receipts they said their system is down. Stop them INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ABS and Electric Brake failure. Second time this has been fixed. Once at roughly 30,000 miles and now again at 48,000 miles. Paperwork from dealer on both failures is “Internal Pump Failure EL001, Replace HCU. Replace old part SKU with new version…68143491AB” I entered a similar claim with you on this the first time it failed. It seems Chrysler Dodge Ram knows there is an issue based on them using an updated part this time vs last time. Also lots of internet chat forums talking about this issue. Since this is ABS / electric brakes I would think it would be a relatively serious safety concern on their part and with NHTSA. Why is there no recall on this yet? Aside from the obvious of preventing potential fatalities the cost of these pump failures is over $1,000 each time it happens. Thanks in advance for your help

On my 2018 RAM 3500 Duel rear wheel truck the ABS Pump Motor Control Unit is throwing a common code and warning lights intermittently that other year models have (C0020-01). This code has been confirmed by my dealer several times and this truck does not fall under any recalls for the ABS systems. I pull a 40 camper with this truck and with out the ABS and Traction control it could be very dangerous to myself and and others. I have spoken to FCA and they only told me that my VIN does not fall under any more recall then what has already been done. I do not know what needs to get done to have FCA fix this problem or release parts to get it fixed.

Intermittent chime and warning that anti lock brake needs servicing. Cruise control does not work when notice is displayed and chiming. warning comes and goes randomly After researching this problem it appears that this is a regular problem on this year ram truck I will report and take to the dealer if problem remains.

ABS-Hydraulic Control Unit failure, pump motor control electrical failure. Confirmed/ Diagnosed by dealer. Messages on dash info screen: "service electronic braking system", "ABS failure", warning lights : Traction Control and ABS failure. Safety risk when warning message appears: ABS, Traction Control and Cruise Control are non- functional.

The ABS system failure and traction control lights came on and have been coming on intermittently. This failure has caused the vehicle not to retain cruise control and brake and stability control being reduced or potentially off could result in an accident. Upon research, this is a very common and costly issue not covered by warranty work, this seems to be something Ram should fix as it is a safety issue.

Intermittent issues with the cruise control system and the ABS electronic braking system. The lights will flash on and off and the beeping is constant. If beating on the side of steering wheel will allow you to turn cruise control, then the ABS system will be okay for unknown reasons it will start flashing again and cancel the cruise control and the system will start flashing check the ABS electronic braking systems.

ABS service light comes on and off - this seems to be a chronic problem

We receive a ABS/ECS, electronic brake control warning intermittently. This also makes the cruise control shutoff. We had the ABS control module replaced once at roughly 12000 miles under warranty but it now is giving the same warnings and the truck currently has 22000 miles on it. My dealer stated this was a known issue and stated it’s fairly common on my model truck

Service abs/ service electronic brake system/ traction control alarm flashing on/off intermittently with no specific times or conditions. This first happened in may 2024 on a 6 hour road trip. Occasionally I can take it on a short trip and it may not flash the message during that trip and at other times it is constantly going on and off. I have not had this looked at by the dealer. I have read the codes using my personal scanner and it shows C0020-01 (Active) ABS Pump Motor Control- General Electrical Failure. I do not drive this vehicle daily and I can not relate it to wear and tear because the vehicle only has 23,900 miles on it.