Recalls (5)
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2021 Ram 5500. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Listed for 2021 Ram 5500. Not checked against your VIN.
Driver's Air Bag May Not Deploy/FMVSS 208
Air bags · frontal
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- 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 deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Consequence
- A driver's side air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the steering column control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 11, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 14C. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 13, 2025.
29.7% repairedof 532 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 25V765000
Listed for 2021 Ram 5500. Not checked against your VIN.
Park outside: fire risk. NHTSA advises parking outside and away from buildings until the recall repair is done.
Engine Compartment Fire
Electrical system · wiring · relays/solenoids
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- 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 occur in the heater grid relay with the ignition on or off.
- Consequence
- An electrical short in the relay can result in an engine compartment fire with the ignition on or off, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the relay, free of charge. This will be a Phased campaign. Phase 1 will include 2023 model year vehicles. FCA US will notify dealers on or about 3/23/2023 and begin notifying owners on or about 4/5/2023. Phase 2 will include 2022 model year vehicles and Phase 3 will include 2021 model year vehicles. FCA US will notify dealers and owners on or about 4/27/2023 for Phase 2 and 5/11/2023 for Phase 3. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed March 28, 2023. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 13A. This recall is an expansion of and supersedes recall number 21V-798.
82.6% repairedof 302,067 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 23V060000
Listed for 2021 Ram 5500. Not checked against your VIN.
Park outside: fire risk. NHTSA advises parking outside and away from buildings until the recall repair is done.
Electrical Short in Relay May Cause Fire
Electrical system · wiring · relays/solenoids
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- 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 short in the relay may cause a vehicle fire with the ignition on or off.
- Consequence
- A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to park these vehicles outside of buildings or structures, and not near other vehicles, until the vehicle has been remedied. Dealers will inspect and, if needed, replace the Solid State Intake Heater Grid Relay ("Relay"); if FCA US Recall ID Y08 (NHTSA Recall ID 21V-163) is open, then insulating material will be applied to the Relay after inspection. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y76. This recall has been superseded by 23V060.
Repair progress not yet reported131,177 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V798000
Listed for 2021 Ram 5500. Not checked against your VIN.
Wheel Studs May Break
Wheels · lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2021 RAM 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. Incorrect information in the Service and Owner's Manuals may cause the flanged lug nuts to be over-tightened, which could result in a broken wheel stud and possible wheel separation.
- Consequence
- Wheel separation can cause a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the torque specification in the owner's manual and other published service documents. Dealers will also inspect the vehicle's wheel studs, replacing them if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 30, 2021. Campaign Y36 owner notification letters were mailed on November 30, 2021. Campaign Y26 owner notification letters were mailed on December 1, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US's numbers for this recall are Y26 and Y36.
59.4% repairedof 447,985 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V398000
Listed for 2021 Ram 5500. Not checked against your VIN.
Relay May Short and Cause Fire
Electrical system
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Ram 2500, 3500, and 3500, 4500, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles equipped with a Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engine. An electrical short may occur in the Solid State Intake Heater Grid Relay, which could result in a vehicle fire.
- Consequence
- A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and, if needed, replace the Solid State Intake Heater Grid Relay ("Relay"); if FCA US Recall ID Y08 (NHTSA Recall ID 21V-163) is open, then insulating material will be applied to the Relay after inspection. Customers are advised to not park these vehicles inside of buildings or structures, or near other vehicles until the vehicle has the final repair completed. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y76. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Y08. This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-798.
Repair progress not yet reported19,214 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V163000
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (4)
4 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The electrical system is mentioned most often.
1involved a crash
2involved a fire
0injuries reported
0deaths reported
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 2 | 50% |
| Firerelated | 1 | 25% |
| Service brakes | 1 | 25% |
| Suspension | 1 | 25% |
| Wheels | 1 | 25% |
How 2021 compares with other 5500 years
Best and worst 5500 years →201411
201513
201617
201721
201838
201912
20208
20214
202226
20252
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 11 | 10 |
| 2015 | 13 | 8 |
| 2016 | 17 | 7 |
| 2017 | 21 | 7 |
| 2018 | 38 | 8 |
| 2019 | 12 | 9 |
| 2020 | 8 | 9 |
| 2021 | 4 | 5 |
| 2022 | 26 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 | 4 |
This year (2021)Other yearsStill collecting reports
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Looking at a 2021 5500 for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2021 Ram 5500 FAQ
How many recalls does the 2021 Ram 5500 have?
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns: 25V765000 (air bag), 23V060000 (electrical), 21V798000 (electrical), 21V398000 (wheel), 21V163000 (electrical). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2021 Ram 5500 problems?
Owners filed 4 complaints with NHTSA. Electrical system (2), Firerelated (1), Service brakes (1) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
How does the 2021 5500 compare with other years?
Among the 2014–2021 Ram 5500 model years at least five years old, the 2021 drew the fewest complaints (4) and the 2018 the most (38). The 2021 drew 4. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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