2016
New 2020
Used 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011

Ram 2500 Change Vehicle

Unlock Ratings
Looking for a true workhorse? Look no further than the Ram 2500. This big heavy-duty (HD) truck enjoys the same improvements that the Ram 1500 benefited from over the last few years. Namely, the coil-spring rear suspension delivers a ride that is a bit more civilized than those of competing heavy-duty trucks. The Ram also benefits from an easy-to-use infotainment system.
Alerts
There are 12 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.
2016
New 2020
Used 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011

Ram 2500

Reliability
See All
Owner Satisfaction
See All
Crash and Rollover Tests
IIHS Front Moderate Overlap NA
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver NA
IIHS Side Crash NA
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Driver
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Passenger
See All

Road Test Results

Performance
Acceleration Acceleration Acceleration tests are conducted on a smooth, flat pavement straightaway at the track. Time, speed, and distance measurements are taken with a precise GPS-based device that’s hooked to a data-logging computer.
0 to 60 mph 0 to 60 mph (sec.) The time in seconds that a vehicle takes to reach 60 mph from a standstill with the engine idling.
Transmission Transmission Transmission performance is determined by shifting smoothness, response, shifter action, and clutch actuation for manual transmissions.
Fuel Economy Fuel Economy We perform our own fuel-economy tests, independent of the government's often-quoted EPA figures and the manufacturers' claims. Using a precise fuel-flow measuring device spliced into the fuel line, we run two separate circuits to represent city and highway consumption.
CR's Overall Mileage CR's Overall Mileage CR's overall mileage is a composite of measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course and highway cruising; and CR's 150-mile test trip of mixed driving, if tested. In recent road tests, we've discontinued the 150-mile trip test.
CR's City Mileage CR's City Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course.
CR's Highway Mileage CR's Highway Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed highway cruising.
Annual Fuel Cost Annual Fuel Cost The cost and amount of fuel used in 12,000 miles and is calculated from CR's overall mileage.
Braking Braking The braking rating is a composite of wet and dry stopping distances and pedal feel. Braking distance is from 60 mph, with no wheels locked.
Emergency Handling Emergency Handling Several factors go into the rating, including the avoidance maneuver speed and confidence, as well as how the vehicle behaves when pushed to its limit.
Comfort / Convenience
Ride Ride Our expert judgment of how well the suspension isolates and absorbs road imperfections and how steady it keeps the body on various road surfaces.
Noise Noise Our expert judgment of the vehicle's interior noise level in everyday driving.
Front Seat Comfort Front Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the front seat is for drivers of various heights.
Rear Seat Comfort Rear Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the rear seat is for two passengers to sit across.
Interior Fit and Finish Interior Fit and Finish An expert evaluation of the interior quality and craftsmanship.
Trunk/Cargo Area Trunk/Cargo Area Our rating is based on the amount of luggage or cargo space that a vehicle has in the trunk or cargo area.

Owner Reports

Worse Better
Reliability History Reliability History The reliability charts are based on responses on hundreds of thousands of vehicles from our latest Annual Auto Survey. Consumer Reports subscribers reported on any serious problems they had with their vehicles during the past 12 months that they considered serious because of cost, failure, safety, or downtime, in any of the trouble spots included in the table below. The results are presented relative to the average model that year. Extra weight is given to the more serious areas such as major engine or transmission problems. Based on this data and further analysis, we predict reliability for the latest year. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
NA
2012
2013
NA
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
NA
Reliability Trouble Spots
Engine Major Engine Major Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.
NA
Engine Minor Engine Minor Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.
NA
Engine Cooling Engine Cooling Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.
NA
Transmission Major Transmission Major Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.
NA
View all Reliability
Owner Satisfaction Owner Satisfaction To learn about satisfaction, CR has collected survey data from our annual survey on more than half a million vehicles. Our subscribers provide great insights into their satisfaction by answering one simple question: If they had it to do all over again, would they definitely buy or lease the same model? In addition, respondents also rate their cars in six categories: driving experience, comfort, value, styling, audio, and climate systems. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
NA
Driving Experience Driving Experience Includes acceleration and handling
Comfort Comfort Includes seats, climate control, noise, and ride
Value Value Did you get what you wanted relative to the price you paid?
Styling Styling How it looks inside and out
View all Owner Satisfaction
Safety Equipment
ABS standard. ESC standard from 2012. Head protection air bags standard.
Road Test

Looking for a true workhorse? Look no further than the Ram 2500. This big heavy-duty (HD) truck enjoys the same improvements that the Ram 1500 benefited from over the last few years. Namely, the coil-spring rear suspension delivers a ride that is a bit more civilized than those of competing heavy-duty trucks. The Ram also benefits from an easy-to-use infotainment system.

Most HD buyers are likely to opt for the torque-rich 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel inline-six-cylinder engine instead of Chrysler's powerful 383-hp, 5.7-liter V8. This strong-pulling diesel is a bit noisy with some engine clatter, however. And, it's a different, more heavy-duty truck engine than the passenger-car oriented diesel engine offered on the Ram 1500. At any rate, our Cummins-equipped Ram delivered stump-pulling torque and was able to sprint the Ram 2500 to 60 mph in less than 9 seconds. We also measured 14 mpg overall -- about on par with other HD trucks.

Seating
2 front, 3 rear
Drive Wheels
4WD , Rear
Warranty

In most cases, automotive warranties are based on the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. The dealership can tell you exactly how much warranty is left.

Read more about extended warranties
Body Styles
mega cab
regular cab
crew cab
Transmissions Available
  • 6-speed Automatic
  • 6-speed Manual
Engines Available
  • 5.7-liter V8 (383 hp)
  • 6.4-liter V8 (410 hp)
  • 6.7-liter 6 turbodiesel (370 hp)

Owner Reported Trouble Spots

The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2016 Ram 2500 owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

Transmission Minor

Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

What Owners Say

Rough shifting

"When cold the transmission would not shift out of second gear. Once warmed up it would operate normally"

James E., CO (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)
Transmission computer

"Computer needed flashed 2x with several updates"

Anonymous, FL (2016 Ram 2500 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)
Transmission leaks

"Transmission started to lead after six months. Was repaired under warranty"

James E., CO (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)
Transmission sensor or solenoid

"Sensor failed, truck would not go over 35 mph"

Anonymous, SC (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)
Load more

Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

What Owners Say

Alignment

"Informed that truck manufactured such that right front, outside tire wear would always be excessive and no re-alignment remedies were available."

Anonymous, CO (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.4-L V8)

"When I purchased the truck , it pulled to the right, bad. The dealership assured me it would be corrected. To get the truck to go staight , you had to hold the steering wheel at 10 o'clock. First service visit , alignment good , come back in 500miles. Second visit , we see the problem, let us contact Chrysler. Third visit , they had the truck for three weeks. The problem was from a nonadjustable part being out of alignment, caused by damage in shipping or not caught at the factory. S"

Derick T., LA (2016 Ram 2500 TRX 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)
Shocks or struts

"Shocks wore out and were leaking -- Manufacturer replaced the shocks after the 36,000 mile warranty expired. Warranty folks were exceptionally nice, professional, caring and competent."

Anonymous, GA (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

Display screen goes blank

"Only happened twice, but the screen goes blank. Seems to correct when I stop, put the truck in reverse ( which activates the backup camera ), and then all is good."

Fred D., TX (2016 Ram 2500 SLT 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)
In-dash navigation system (GPS)

"Search for destinations causes system to freeze. Map is intermittent which affects compass on steering wheel display"

Anthony B., AE (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)
Phone pairing (e.g., Bluetooth)

"Always syncing my iPhone phone book so voice command to call a particular person doesn’t work. Dodge claims it’s a iOS update issue."

Geoffrey F., CA (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

What Owners Say

Exhaust leaks

"exhaust came in to the cab"

Anonymous, WA (2016 Ram 2500 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)
Other/unsure

"Most of these issues were recalls and were taken care of by the dealer. I believe we have had a total of 4 recall notices since we have purchased the truck."

Cynthia W., CA (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

"one sensor was out. replaced under warranty"

Anonymous, CO (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.4-L V8)

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

What Owners Say

Emission control devices (includes EGR)

"Truck was using a large amount of coolant leak local dealer could not find leak. Another dealer found that the EGR had exploded damaging the coolant lines and the NOx sensor."

Anonymous, WV (2016 Ram 2500 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

"diesel engine has a def pump and it failed costing me 3200.00"

Anonymous, AB (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

"The DEF module and pump quit working."

Anonymous, IL (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Differential

"Bearings have been replaced twice, transmission over torques at 35 & 55 mph"

Kathleen W., SC (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)
Driveshaft or axle

"One of the recalls that we received on this Dodge truck related to the braking system would not engage and the truck would roll forward or backward despite being in the park position."

Cynthia W., CA (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

What Owners Say

Exterior lights (other than headlights)

"Left fog light and top cab lights flicker or otherwise did not work."

Kathleen B., NY (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)
Warning lights

"Front park sensor warning sounds unnecessarily."

Kathleen B., NY (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

What Owners Say

Loose exterior trim or moldings

"very minor, fixed by dealer with no issue"

Dave L., WA (2016 Ram 2500 ST 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

What Owners Say

Engine knock or ping

"The high pressure diesel pump got out of phase and made a clattering sound (like a tappet, but it was not a tappet). The problem is know to Chrysler and a repair procedure was documented. However, the dealer was not aware of the existing condition or the fix. After three trips to the dealer I pulled up the repair procedure myself (via the web) and took it to them. Once I was able to get the dealer's service department to look at it with me they were able to fix it in short order."

Gary H., SC (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

What Owners Say

Water pump

"The water pump failure is related to a recall of all water pumps for this engine. The replacement pump is still not available so repairs include putting the defective style pump back on the engine and hoping it doesn't fail !! very poor"

Anonymous, TX (2016 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

Body Integrity

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

What Owners Say

Seals and/or weather-stripping

"The rear window at the exterior cab brake light leaked and allowed water to soak the carpet under the back bench seat"

Anonymous, AL (2016 Ram 2500 SLT 6.7-L 6 Cyl diesel)

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

Power Equipment

Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system

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