2020 RAM 1500 Electrical System Problems

My 2020 Ram 1500 Laramie was parked in my garage. I started it to let it warm up before driving. The garage started filling with smoke and the smell of fire. I backed the truck out of the garage and noticed flames on my backup camera. The 7 way plug was on fire. I quickly shut the truck off as soon as I got it out of the garage. I put water on the fire to get it out before it took over the back end of the truck. I had drove the truck the day before and filled it up with gas so my life and my son's life was as risk knowing there is a electrical issue. It also was parked in our garage when it started smoking and it could of burnt the whole garage and house down if I didn't get it out of there as...

While driving the power plant generator for my engine failed without warning, causing my truck to stop working. There has to be a major issue with the part due to the fact that there is 6000 part back order that has been in going for over 2 years. Someone is going to get seriously injured if this part isn’t recalled and corrected. Having your car shut off at highway speeds is unacceptable. Part number 68623194AC. Ram knows there is a serious issue with this etorque power generator and is not doing anything to resolve the issues, nor making parts available to correct the issue. People trucks are now worthless lawn ornaments

While driving, the engine light turned on and the battery light. Truck started shaking and shut off. Lost complete power. Was right next to my driveway thankfully. Very unsafe situation as I have my wife, [XXX] and [XXX]. Had it towed via my insurance progressive. Mechanic confirmed it was the alternator which is a common problem for the etorque alternator ram rebel 2020. Order is back ordered by over 5,000 customers with no eta of getting the part. Very unsafe situation and now unfixable at this time. There should be accountability with Ram. No recalls have been issued, guidance, or reimbursement via Ram. Help would be greatly appreciated. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am reporting a suspected safety defect involving the Motor Generator Unit (MGU) used in the eTorque system on my Ram 1500. The vehicle experienced an MGU failure that resulted in abnormal electrical behavior, warning messages, and impaired drivability. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Ram dealership, which confirmed the MGU has failed and requires replacement. The MGU is currently on national backorder with no estimated availability date. As a result, the vehicle is inoperable or unsafe to operate and cannot be repaired in a reasonable timeframe. Why this is a safety concern: The MGU is critical to the vehicle’s starting, charging, and powertrain functions. Failure of this component presents safety risks including loss of propulsion, potential stalling or failure to restart, electrical system instability, and vehicle immobilization in traffic or unsafe locations. The extended inability to obtain replacement MGUs significantly increases these risks. Additional information: Based on dealer...

I own a 2020 Ram 1500 with approximately 61,000 miles. I started noticing a clicking/grinding around the motor area at around 59,000 miles. I brought the truck to a local mechanic, who diagnosed it as a possible alternator issue. He suggested bringing it to RAM service because it may be covered under warranty. I followed up by bringing it to RAM to diagnose the issue. After multiple visits, they could not pinpoint the issue, however recommended replacing the belts and adjusters. Over the course of the next month, the clicking/grinding got louder. I made another appointment with RAM, and while I was on my way over there the truck had catastrophic failure and seized all operations. Thankfully I wasn't going more then 20MPH or else something really bad could have happened. At that time, the truck was reading code U0594, which translates to "Invalid Data Received From Hybrid/EV Powertrain Control...

On [XXX] driving from Joplin MO to McQueeney Tx on [XXX] at approximately [XXX] voltage dropped to 10.3 in Waco TX. I was to get to safe area. Vehicle lost steering, low braking and dim lights. Purchase a new battery from local Wamart. Vehicle started, working good, upon entering San Marcus, Tx low voltage again 10.0 volts. Had to get off hwy and pulled into gas station. Vehicle completely dead. Has it towed McQueeney tx . Contacted dealer next day engine generator kit unavailable. Contacted Mopar, order part on 9/16/2025. Still to dated no updated from Mopar. When engine generator shut down you have no steering control and very low braking power. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this email to document a vehicle safety issue involving my 2020 Ram 1500 (5.7L eTorque). In November 2025, the vehicle experienced a failure of the eTorque motorized alternator / belt starter generator system, resulting in a loss of the electrical and charging system. As a result, the vehicle became non-drivable. The vehicle was delivered to an authorized Ram dealership on November 18, 2025, and has remained there continuously. The manufacturer (MOPAR / Stellantis) has confirmed the failure is warranty-covered, but has advised that the required part is on indefinite backorder with no firm ETA. As of the date of this email, the vehicle has been out of service for over 60 days and cannot be safely operated. This issue appears to be widely reported nationwide (I was told by Landers Dodge in Norman, OK that the part is on backorder, and that...

RF hub has now failed 3 times in the last 10 months. The last time they replaced the third brake like and now I am having the same issue. Dealership is telling me it’s the back window and that they will not pay for the problem to be fixed. Safety at risk by vehicle breaking down with no transportation on the side of the road. Problem has been confirmed by dealership which led to first repair. No warning prior to failure.

Sudden Loss of power steering after radiator fan shut off. Causing me to have to pull over and use all bodily force to turn the wheel

This is a 2020 Ram 1500 3.6L Big Horn. Blinker is constantly on for right turn when blinker arm is in neutral position. The only way to turn it off is to put the blinker arm down as if you are signaling a left turn. As such, I have no left turn signal. This could be dangerous for changing lanes especially on the highway. I have not brought this to a dealer yet and no one has looked at it yet except me. There was/is no warning signal. I have seen recall A2B/NHTSA 24E-082 which identifies two part numbers and also states that similar parts (SCCM) may be affected. I think I have a defective SCCM but there is no recall on my vehicle.

The alternator failed on my vehicle leaving the vehicle without any power in the middle of the interstate roadway having to manually pushed to the side of a very busy highway then towed to a repair shop afterwards. Simply put, my truck just killed in the middle of a interstate very shortly after having a low battery light come on. Speaking with the repair people at the Ram dealership there is no way to repair the alternator and they currently have over 5,000 of these on backorder from them going out in other vehicles with the same alternator. Warning lamps came on the dashboard but only about 30 minutes before the vehicle lost power and was unable to move.

The vehicle had 2 leaks; 1 at the rear cabin window and 1 at the rear brake light. Both of these areas are part of a TSB/class action lawsuit. Water was getting in and caused the module to go bad. The module not working in turn caused the battery to die and because of all the failed attempts and overloading the starter, the starter ended up going out after they started fixing the module.

After hearing a grinding noise coming from the engine, I took the vehicle (2020 RAM 1500 w/5.7L eTorque) to the dealer. It's been waiting for a replacement MGU (Motor Generator Unit) for over 3 weeks but I'm told it might take months to get a replacement part. Fortunately, I discovered this before having a breakdown on a busy highway or up in the mountains. Had that occured, I most certainly would have lost the ability to steer the truck and braking would have been diminished. I'm hoping this manufacturing defect is elevated to safety recall status in the hope of preventing future loss of life.

My truck was taken to the ram dealership in Conway, AR and they told me it needed an ABS Module and it was ordered and that was in January of 2025 so it has now been almost a year that the part (ABS Module) has been on back order and there is still no ETA. That is a serious issue and my truck that I have still been paying on is not fit to drive safely and hasn’t been since. Something needs to be done about that and time is very much of the essence!

The etorque generator stopped working, I can’t find the part in any dealership since it’s back ordered with no release date on more than 10,000 parts according to all the dealerships

ABS module needs replaced. It was recalled in all trucks except for this year model. It is currently on back order and I have been waiting for the part for almost a year! All emergency lights in the dash are on all the time and now when I am driving, the accelerator goes completely dead. It happens randomly and has happened multiple times now. The dealership has accessed this and stated that the ABS module will fix the problem. This is very dangerous and needs to be looked into. Why can’t they fix my truck?

The mgu/generator went out and left me stranded due to battery failure. I had no steering or power brakes. Everything electrical failed. Have been waiting for new mgu for 2 months.

The tensioner pulley seized up causing the serpentine belt to break and taking the MGU E Torque Alternator out. We have learned that there are no MGU parts available and we are one of 4000 waiting with no ETA available. You can’t buy a used one as they can not be reprogrammed to a different truck.

There is an issue with the turn signal and apparently all models 2021-beyond have this recall. The right turn signal will not turn on at all, and the left is always on when in neutral. This issue has come and gone but it’s been the case for the last few weeks again.

I purchased a brand new 2020 Ram 1500 with 5.7-liter hemi ETORQUE engine in 2020. The vehicle had been making a squealing noise since before 40k miles. Dealership was unable to identify issue on numerous occasions. On 4/8/2024, with vehicle mileage at 74k miles, the noise worsened to a point where the vehicle was not drivable. They identified the "Alternator" (MGU) to the etorque needed to be replaced. The part was on back order and did not arrive until 6/24/2025. At which the dealership replaced the part and expedited the return of the vehicle without proper assurance that the replaced part, fixed the vehicles problem. Less than 375 miles later, a system battery saver came up on the dash. Turning off all electronics in the vehicle including but not limited to A/C and radio. Temps were more than 100 at this time. Within less than 550 miles, the vehicle lost...

My 2020 Ram 1500 etorque had a major breakdown. My husband was driving down the highway in a construction zone when he lost power steering, power brakes and then the vehicle totally shut down. He had to steer it to the side of the highway, barely making it. We had the vehicle towed to the dealership who ran diagnostics on it and told us the Mechanical Generator Unit (MGU) needed to be replaced. The major issue: the MGU could not be found anywhere in the US. They wasn't able to order / backorder from anywhere. They said it could take months or longer to get the part. We couldn't go indefinitely without our truck so the dealer recommended we trade it in. That was our only option so that was what we were forced to do. We did not want another vehicle!! Ours was paid off.

Turn signal does not shut off regardless of the position of the turn signal switch. Appears to be an issue with the SSCM. The malfunction makes safe turning/lane-changing impossible. It has been confirmed by the dealership but has not been inspected. There was no forewarning prior to the malfunction and no indication besides the malfunction itself.

The Emission Device 'Active Grill Shutters' have failed for a 2nd time, with a MIL on my perfectly maintained, once at 38K, then again on 9/10/25 @45K mile truck. A Google search leads to likely 100's of other Ram 1500 Owners reporting the same issue and resultant MIL. The prominent cause of the issue appears to be the Electrical Connector. Some reports indicate seriously melted wires, and I assume a fire risk if not corrected. The dealer says it's a $525 repair. Please help me and 100's of others with this serious issue. Also I noticed a Similar Recall Action on Nissan for Active Shutters.

The Engine Generator Kit - Mopar part# (68623194AB) failed which drained the battery and when I stopped at a red light it put me in park and I couldn’t get into gear to move the truck, a tractor trailer almost hit me while sitting in the roadway. If I order this part which is on back order for over a month I will be the 4,601 person this has happened to. I feel this is a recall safety concern. Thank you.

On June 26, 2025 there was heavy thunderstorms throughout our area. I was driving to my office to pick up an item and all of a sudden my dashboard lit up with numerous error messages. I turned the truck off and could not get it to start again. I had to have it towed to the dealership and they cleaned some electrical connectors and returned it to me. My wife picked it up and on the drive home the windshield wipers went off and she also had numerous error messages on the dashboard so we returned it to the dealership. They replaced some modules as they found rust and returned the truck to me. When I went to the dealership to pick it up the truck would not start. They then said there was some corrosion in the star connectors and some moisture behind the radio. They replaced parts and...

2020 RAM 1500 with a bad MGU (Motor-Generator Unit). Dealer says they have 2 trucks already waiting on the same part since January. There is a massive backlog and Chrysler is not offering anything on when this will be available. It's on an "engineering hold". It will eventually fail in these trucks and render them inoperable. Waiting 8-9 months for a part should never be an option in any scenario. This is also covered under the Federal Emissions Warranty.

Generator/altenator. MGU system. Vehicle was hard to crank at store. After it cranked it seemed fine until I went to pull into traffic. Then it completely died In the middle of the road where I was nearly t boned by a garbage truck. All power was gone. No lights, no radio not a thing worked. After 10 minutes waiting in my wife, it cranked. I was driving home and it started smelling something burning like rubber in the cab. Apparently it was the battery in the back seat over heating. It never crunk again and is now in the shop after being towed. MGU failure and burnt batteries. On back order for months is what I am hearing.

RAM has a bad design on MGU's, new ones and old ones are failing, whining, causing engine spudder and no movement at times. Can't purchase one because RAM has them on "Engineering HOLD". Therefore they no they have an issue, not offer a replacement. I have been advised if they become available I'm looking at $2,000 for an alternator. That is insane.

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 1500 Promaster. The contact stated that after parking and turning the vehicle off, he left it for approximately 10 minutes. The vehicle spontaneously caught fire. The contact was alerted that his vehicle was on fire. The contact noticed that the passenger-side headlight had smoke and flames four feet high. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The contact and a bystander extinguished the fire. There were no reported injuries. A call was made to 911 emergency services regarding the incident. The fire and police departments were on the scene. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined the failure was due to the wire harness and headlight assembly. A claim was submitted to the insurance company. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted regarding the failure and left 7...

My control knob is not responding to my truck and I cannot open doors or turn it on and it’s asking me for anti theft code all of a sudden. I took it to the dealer and they say alote of trucks are having the same problem. They say It could be the module reader. Now my truck is not reacting to nothing at all.

I am writing to report a serious and dangerous issue with my 2020 Ram 1500. The vehicle has been randomly shutting off while I am driving, often accompanied by a strange acceleration or revving sound just before the engine dies. This has occurred multiple times without warning, creating an extremely unsafe driving situation. The issue happens at random and cannot be easily reproduced on demand, which I understand may make it difficult to diagnose. However, it is important to emphasize that this is a major safety risk that could easily result in a crash or injury.

Parts number 68623194AB, generator kit for alternator. This part went out on my Ram, Ram is backed up for months on this part. There are more than 10,000 vehicles with this problem. Im also being told that the product is not being produced at the moment, which puts my vehicle out of commission until the part arrives.

Ram issued a TSB 23-098-23 REV. A for the rear window leaking. Water has soaked the inside around the air bags all down the rear seats and floor. I’m concerned the issue could have damaged my air bags and the electrical in the vehicle. Vehicle rear window has been replaced in 2023. Still leaking water in around the rear airbags.

Replaced the RFH Hub twice in this vehicle do to water damage. 1st time under warranty, the 2nd out of pocket. Noticed the second time they replaced the Backlit light seal under an extended warranty (XL1 Warranty) where the water came in from. Both repair receipts enclosed and a picture of another vehicle they were replacing the seal while picking up my repaired vehicle. Investigation revealed, they use to fix the back siding window seal which cost $1300, but they replaced the Backlit at $25, now I'm on the hook for $1081.71 and change. $936.71, for the repair, $144.00 for the tow, the same spot it was towed from the first time it happen. Both times it had rained heavily. Filed a reimbursement case with FCA, Case#93175918, they have yet to get back to me.

My truck would engage the emergency braking without any objects near. Battery needed to be replaced due to not charging. The etorque is making noise and vibrating.

Sitting in traffic, truck started overheating. Gauge was jumping all over. Truck had to be turned off

There was a griding under the hood and may lights went out. The dealer said my ETORQUE/alternator needed to be replace. That was done approximately 4/10/25 under an extended MO PAR warranty. Since getting the truck back, it has stalled on me 3 separate times, all at red lights. Twice when the 'auto stop' was engaged and then the car lurched forward after the stall had occurred for about 2 seconds, the third time the 'auto stop' was off, and the stall occurred for about 4 seconds, the car rolled backwards even though it was in drive and then it lurched forward and went. Dealership can't replicate the issue so they are telling me can't fix anything. I am very worried that the car will stall on me at another light or on the highway and something very terrible will happen.

So I am driving on the freeway 70mph and I get a message on my dash that says service shifter then every single light on the dash came on and started to make a beeping noise. I pulled over on the side of the freeway and then all the lights dissappear except check engine. I continued to drive to next exit and this time all lights came on again and truck appeared to be shutting off and turning back on while driving, steering wheel got hard to move all while all lights turning on, on dash. I have taken to shop 3 times first time they told me it was battery so I purchased battery and diagnostic fee for 600. Still continued to have issues even after replacing battery. Then they tell me they don't know what's causing this issue and the truck hasn't been fixed. I'll let the truck...

MGU failure leading to car battery being completely drained and unable to run until replaced. Started with bearing noise coming from MGU alternator. Then check engine light came on. Before long a low voltage alarm appeared and was able to safely pull over before truck died. Truck is now unable to be driven until replacement of MGU. Dealer has been unable to source part for over a month and could be at least another month before part is ready to come in. Issue appears to be pretty common on 5.7 L Hemi E-torque Ram 1500's as was told part on back order at this time for over 3,000 other customers

The alternator generator is making us squeaky noise. I’m afraid that it’s gonna seize as I drive and I’ll lose power of the brakes and the steering checked with the dealer. They don’t have the part. They don’t know when they’re gonna be able to get it the part. I called junkyards call other auto parts stores. No one has got it’ I also went in the Mopar website and they also don’t have it

Steering became sluggish, jerky and erratic. Started sounding like the power steering pump was struggling/straining. I put it in the shop and they claim it’s the eps and rack and pinion gone bad. It is being replaced. How unsafe is this at low or highway speed? How many other complaints are there on this same subject and part? 2019 eps was recalled. How do I find out if I have 2019 parts in my 2020. I know sometimes they are interchangeable. I look forward to hearing from you.

Driving down the road, my auto start stop failure light appeared on dash, followed by a check engine light and a battery light. Tried to pull over on the side of the road when I lost all electrical components including power steering, ac, radio etc. the truck slammed itself into park abruptly and turned itself off. I was stranded on the side of the road and nearly got hit by passing cars several times as I was in a curve in the road. After further investigation it has been determined that the bearings inside of the generator (part number: 68623194AB) went out. The part needed to fix the truck is not being made by the supplier and I have been nearly 2 months and counting paying for a truck to sit and look pretty as the truck is completely unusable. One dealership told me this part was on back order...

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle shut off; however, the vehicle kept running for several more feet. The contact attempted to bring the vehicle to a stop. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. While the vehicle was at the residence and turned off, the alarm sounded. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, but it was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000. The VIN was not available.

Suddenly engine light, tps and shifter turned on , I restarted the vehicle and disappeared but later my truck did not start and it is dead

The 48V Belt Starter Generator failed on my 2020 Ram 1500 with the 5.7L eTorque system. It caused my truck to stall in the middle of a busy intersection at a red light. The battery drained fast, and I couldn’t move the truck out of the way. I was stuck in a dangerous spot cars were coming around a turn at 45–55 mph, and since my hazard lights started dying too, I had to get out in the rain and wave people away so they wouldn’t hit me. I was honestly afraid for my life. I ended up calling 911 and my insurance to get towed out of there. Before it happened, I saw a battery warning and something about the battery system. A mechanic and a dealer confirmed the issue was the 48V generator. I started calling around for the part, and every dealer I spoke with told me...

Truck was responding perfectly fine until we stop to watch a movie at the theater last night. After the movie I turn on the truck and notice my power steering was not working and everything else on my truck works fine.

There is a high whining noise followed by a loss of power steering. There is a recall for the EPs system that stopped in 2019; however, 2020 is still using the same part. The recall should be extended to cover all vehicles manufactured using the part numbers associated with this issue. My truck is only at 50k miles, never off-roaded or abused, and maintained religiously by my personal mechanic. I was driving at 78 mph, and the steering locked up due to this issue. This created a hazardous scenario for me. The wheel released moments later, causing me to overcorrect and almost hit another car traveling on the highway in the adjacent lane. This has happened several times over the past week. I have adjusted my driving style until I can afford this VERY costly repair.

Around 86,000 miles, a metallic like noise that one would associate with a worn bearing began within what i determine to be the E-torque MGU. Subtle at first, but you could tell something wasn't the same with the sounds you hear within the engine. Between then and my current 88,800 miles, the metallic sounds has gotten more aggressive, which is logical to assume that might happen if a bearing part is wearing down. Just today, 3/21/2025, an uncomfortable rattle sound and visible vibration of the MGU unit appeared suddenly, making me uncomfortable to drive the vehicle any further without immediate repair for fear of risking un-necessary damage to other critical engine componenets.

Motor Generator Unit is making a whining noise, confirmed by the dealership that it's a bearing within the unit going bad. Per the dealer the MGU is on national indefinite backorder and from my research have been since at least January. If the MGU goes bad it shuts the vehicle down. Can be very dangerous if driving on a busy interstate or highway to suddenly lose power or possibly strand you on a road in bad weather. The backorder for this item seems to be a reoccuring issue.

Installed trailer brake assist. When we shut the truck off, the brake lights came on and stayed on. Assured by B&B trailer of St Augustine, Fl that it was an issue with the truck and not the part. Other issues have come up- dash lights also come on when turned off, backup camera, remote start, rear defrost, cig lighter plug, rear speakers, and A/C stopped working. Took it to Daytona Dodge on 1/29/25 where they diagnosed the ABS module had failed. They did a system reset and everything was ok until we had to disconnect the battery again- had to install a switch on the battery so lights staying on doesn’t kill the battery. Was told they’d let us know when a new part came in- mid February. Called Ram HQ on 2/17- case # [XXX] and that was no help. Referenced recall 85B and she said it was for...