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2022 Ram 3500 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
74%
136 of 184 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

74% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2022 Ram 3500 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.

Worse than 94% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 6 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 72%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2022 Ram 3500 have transmission problems?

Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 136 of 184 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2022 Ram 3500 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (74%), and the largest group is filed under power train (114). For comparison, the 2021 scores 43%. On a test drive, check for shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
136
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
190
this model year
Fires reported
5
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
12
4 crashes · 7 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN114 · 60%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM23 · 12%
ENGINE23 · 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER16 · 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM14 · 7%
SERVICE BRAKES12 · 6%

The years either side

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2022 compares with other Ram 3500 years

Of the 10 Ram 3500 years with enough complaints to score, the 2022 is the worst on engine and transmission share (74%). The best is the 2018 (5%). By volume, the 2022 drew 190 complaints (136 drivetrain), against 62 for the 2021 and 17 for the 2023.

Ram 3500 years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2022 Ram 3500

  • The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2022 Ram 3500 said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
  • What the repair costs. Typical transmission repair ranges, to price into your offer.
  • Cleaner alternatives. Similar cars and nearby years with a better record.
  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE11/29/2022CRASH1 INJURED
The transmission spontaneously slipped out of park and went into reverse. My safety was close to critically impacted. When it began to roll on its own, I was scooped by the driver door and dragged several yards until the truck impacted another vehicle and came to a stop. I very likely could have been killed. If anyon…

One of 136 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2022 Ram 3500 engine and transmission recalls

Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2022 Ram 3500 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 12 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

power train: automatic transmission22V835000 · Nov 2022

FCA US, LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Ram 2500 and 2020-2022 Ram 3500 vehicles. A build-up of pressure and heat inside the transmission may result in a transmission fluid leak from the dipstick tube.

Risk: Leaking transmission fluid may contact an ignition source within the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: Dealers will replace the transmission dipstick and transmission vent assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at…

engine and engine cooling: engine: engine control module (ecu/ecm)22V642000 · Aug 2022

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022 Ram 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, Ram 2500, and 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles equipped with Cummins 6.7L turbo diesel engines. The engine control module (ECM) may have been built with a misaligned capacitor that can short-circuit, resulting in an internal loss of communication.

Risk: An internal loss of communication can result in a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the ECM, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 20, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z87.

10 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal25V765000 · Nov 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Ram 3500, Ram 4500, and Ram 5500 vehicles. The steering column control module may cause the driver's side air bag not to…
back over prevention: sensing system: camera24V436000 · Jun 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Dodge Durango, 2021-2023 Chrysler Pacifica, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, 2022 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, Chrysler Voyager, 2022-2023 Jeep Compass, Grand…
electronic stability control (esc): control module24V415000 · Jun 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022 Dodge Durango and Ram 2500 and 3500 vehicles. Due to a software malfunction, the ABS control module may disable the electronic stability control…
back over prevention: display function23V654000 · Sep 2023
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Ram 1500, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with GVWR less than 10,000 lbs., and 2022-2024 Ram 2500 vehicles. The radio software may prevent the rearview…
electrical system: wiring: relays/solenoids23V060000 · Feb 2023
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Ram 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, and 4500, 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles equipped with a Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engine. An electrical short may…
structure: body: tailgate: hinge and attachments22V904000 · Dec 2022
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickup trucks. The tailgate may not latch properly due to misaligned tailgate strikers, which could result in the…
back over prevention: display function22V407000 · Jun 2022
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022 Ram 1500, 2500 pickup trucks, and 3500 Cab Chassis vehicles with GVWR less than 10,000 lbs. The radio software may prevent the rearview image from…
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module22V140000 · Mar 2022
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ram 2500 and 2021-2022 Dodge Durango vehicles, and 2019-2022 3500 cab chassis with GVWR less than 10,000 lbs. The ABS control module software…
air bags: side/window: curtain21V925000 · Nov 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Ram 2500, Ram 3500, and 2021 Ram 1500 Classic pickup trucks. The side air bag inflatable curtain (SABIC) assemblies may have been manufactured…
electrical system: wiring: relays/solenoids21V798000 · Oct 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Ram 3500, 2500 pickup trucks, and Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 cab chassis vehicles equipped with Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engines. An electrical…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2022 Ram 3500? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2022 Ram 3500

Does the 2022 Ram 3500 have transmission problems?

Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 136 of 184 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2022 Ram 3500 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (74%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the transmission and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

What is the most common problem with the 2022 Ram 3500?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2022 Ram 3500 is power train: 114 of 190 complaints (60%) name it, followed by electrical system (23) and engine (23). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap.

Is the 2022 Ram 3500 reliable?

On the engine and transmission, owner complaints point to a weak spot: 74% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain (very high signal). That is worse than 94% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 10 Ram 3500 years we score, it ranks worst. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2022 Ram 3500?

Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2022 Ram 3500 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 12 in total: 22V835000 (power train: automatic transmission), 22V642000 (engine and engine cooling: engine: engine control module (ecu/ecm)). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Ram 3500 years are better?

Among the Ram 3500 years we track, the 2018 (5%), the 2017 (17%) and the 2016 (33%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2022 (74%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/ram-3500

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.