2019 Ram 1500 — 3.0L Diesel

The 2019 Ram 1500 represents the launch year of a major redesign, and the federal data reflects the teething problems typical of a new generation. Complaints more than double from the prior model year (642 in 2018 to 1,449 in 2019), recalls nearly double (15 to 29), and technical service bulletins surge dramatically (497 to 1,169) — all signals of an automaker rapidly issuing patches for first-year production issues. The previous generation (2009–2018) followed a familiar arc: complaints peaked mid-cycle around 2014 at 1,734, then steadily declined to 642 by 2018, suggesting maturity was achieved just as the truck was replaced. Critically, the 2020 and 2021 model years show complaints dropping back to 610 and 655 respectively with recalls falling to 13–14, indicating that most of the 2019 redesign's problems were addressed in subsequent model years. The top complaint areas for 2019 — steering (251), electrical system (127), and power train (101) — combined with 74 crash complaints and 11 fire complaints, suggest these weren't merely cosmetic inconveniences. The data does not specify root causes for any of these categories. **Takeaway:** The 2019 Ram 1500 is a first-year redesign with a documented spike in complaints and recalls that was largely resolved by 2020; buyers should strongly prefer a 2020 or 2021 model over 2019 unless a thorough pre-purchase inspection and full recall-completion history confirm the specific unit has already had its steering, electrical, and powertrain issues addressed.