2016 RAM 3500 Electrical System Problems
9 NHTSA complaints on file
Electrical System Issues in the 2016 RAM 3500
9 electrical system complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2016 RAM 3500. Of these, 0 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, and 0 resulted in injury.
9
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
All Electrical System Complaints
I have a complaint that needs to be addressed. On Sept. 11 2025 I had a fire in the cab of my 2016 Ram 3500 truck while it was sitting in my drive way. It was not even running. The fire was not very big and it could have been repaired. So I called FCA and opened a case with them. They informed me that I needed to bring my truck into the closest dealership so that it could be inspected. So I then called and set up and appt for Sept. 12, 2025. I had my truck towed to the dealership and upon arrival my husband who took the truck was told to take it off the trailer. So they took it off the trailer. They informed me that a woman went to the truck, opened the door and stated “ well that’s a gonna be a total loss,”...
On Sept. 11, 2025 my truck parked in my drive way. It was parked there all night. When I opened the doors to get in smoke and flames started coming out. The center console was on fire. The next day on Sept. 12, 2025 while at the dealership to have the truck inspected it caught fire again further burning the center console, the passenger seat and the roof. The dealership told us there is nothing they could do so we had to have the truck towed back to my home. Sunday night on Sept. 14,2025, I heard a loud pop noise and when I walked outside the entire cab of the truck was engulfed in flames. We had to call the fire department and they had to come put the fire out. Each of the incidences started spontaneously when the truck was just sitting parked.
ON THE SCREEN IT COMES UP (NOT ALL THE TIME) IT COMES UP SERVICE ELECTRONIC BRAKING SYSTEM AND CHECK TRAILER BRAKES( NO TRAILER) & EXHAUST BRAKE AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL COME OUT. I HAVE HAD MY TRUCK INTO LARRY MILLER IN BOISE 3-4 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM THEY SAY THEY CANNOT FIX IT BECAUSE IT IS NOT DOING IT THEN. IT WAS DOING IT ONE DAY I STOPPED AT PETERSEN DEALERSHIP AND THEY DID A PRINT OUT WITH WHAT IT IS DOING BUT SAID THEY COULDN'T FIX IT BECAUSE I BOUGHT TRUCK AT LARRY MILLER. SO I TOOK THE READ OUT TO LARRY MILLER THEY SAID IT'S NOT DOING IT NOW SO SORRY CAN'T FIX IT! THE TRUCK HAS 32,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS, THE TRUCK IS 3 YEARS OLD. ALSO, I HAVE HAD 5 RECALLS IN 3 YEARS I HAVE NO FAITH...
REAR DRIVERS WINDOW FALLS DOWN WITHOUT THE SWITCH BEING ACTIVATED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 3500. AFTER TOWING A FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE HOURS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO IMMEDIATELY RESTART AFTER BEING SHUT OFF AND IN THE PARK POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT LATER HEARD A LOUD BOOMING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE FAILING TO DRIVE FORWARD. A SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS PERFORMED ON THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER (STAFFORD DODGE LOCATED IN FREDRICKSBURG, VIRGINIA) WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.
ON 1/17/2017 I TOOK MY 2016 RAM 3500 INTO THE SELLING DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT (DWAYNE LANE'S EVERETT, WA) TO CHECK FOR THE CAUSE OF A "CHECK TRAILER WIRING" VISUAL AND AUDIBLE WARNING WHICH HAD BEEN PRESENT INTERMITTENTLY WITH BRAKE PEDAL APPLICATION SINCE SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE (NEW). WHEN PRESENT, THE DEFECT WOULD OCCUR IF THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION, PARTICULARLY IN DAMP ROAD CONDITIONS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT, BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF NON-FACTORY OPTIONS, THEY WOULD NOT WORK ON THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT WAS RETURNED TO STOCK CONDITION (MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY ACT VIOLATION) BASED ON THE ADVICE OF CHRYSLER/FCA. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO INSTALLED THE CAMPER WIRING, WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THE THE BLUE WIRE FROM THE BRAKE CONTROLLER TO THE FACTORY INSTALLED 7-PRONG PLUG WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AT THE RAM FACTORY, CAUSING THE FAULT CODE AND A POTENTIAL MALFUNCTION OF...
THE INTEGRATED TRAILER BREAK CONTROLLER DOES NOT STOP A HEAVY TRAILER PROPERLY. TESTS HAVE SHOWN THAT WHEN THE BREAK IS APPLIED THE CONTROLLER ONLY SENDS 7VOLTS TO THE TRAILER BREAKS. ADJUSTING THE GAIN TO THE MAXIMUM 10 SETTING HAS NO AFFECT. THE DEALER AND CHRYSLER SAY THE SYSTEM IS WORKING AS IT IS PROGRAMMED TO. IT IS DIFFICULT TO STOP THE TRUCK AND TRAILER IN A REASONABLE DISTANCE. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO COME UP WITH A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOME ONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 DODGE RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, WATER LEAKED FROM THE SUN ROOF WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HAVE ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE REPAIRED, BUT THE ISSUE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 DODGE RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO DISPLAY THE PROPER MILEAGE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,060.
Other 2016 RAM 3500 Problem Areas
Steering
25 complaints
Engine
20 complaints
Wheels
20 complaints
Power Train
18 complaints
Unknown Or Other
16 complaints
Service Brakes
11 complaints
Suspension
9 complaints
Air Bags
8 complaints
Fuelpropulsion System
7 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control
7 complaints
Structurebody
3 complaints
Tires
3 complaints
Exterior Lighting
2 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control
2 complaints
Back Over Prevention Rearview System Braking
1 complaint
Back Over Prevention Sensing System Camera
1 complaint
Back Over Prevention Warnings
1 complaint
Electrical Systeminstrument Panelspeedometerodometer
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Cooling
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingenginediesel
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasolineturbosupercharger
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust System
1 complaint
Latcheslockslinkages
1 complaint
Latcheslockslinkagesdoorslatch
1 complaint
Seat Belts
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulic
1 complaint
Steeringlinkages
1 complaint
Tiressidewall
1 complaint
Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly
1 complaint