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Reliability report · 2020 Ram 1500 · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,850/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The year the redesigned Ram settles down — less than half the complaints of 2019, with no single runaway problem, just the leaks and engine risks to check.

2020 is where the fifth-generation Ram 1500 finds its footing. Complaints fall to 605 from 2019's 1,444, the recall count drops to a normal level, and — importantly — no single issue dominates the recent file the way steering did in 2019. Instead it's a spread of moderate items: lingering rear-window and third-brake-light water leaks (still covered by the XL1 and XG1 warranty extensions), some electrical and battery-drain reports, and the beginnings of the engine story that grows in 2021.

That balance is why 2020 lands at Chirping: a good year of a good truck, with the work being ordinary diligence rather than damage control. Check for active leaks and confirm the extensions, cold-start the engine for a Hemi tick, note whether it's an eTorque truck (the 48-volt mild-hybrid adds a failure point), and verify the recalls are closed. Do that and 2020 is one of the safer fifth-generation buys.

Evidence: 605 NHTSA complaints · 13 recall campaigns · 3 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: 605 federal complaints — under half of 2019 — and a balanced file with no dominant failure: some steering, some electrical, some water leaks, some engine. The first-year fires are out. What's left is a normal used-truck checklist: confirm the leak extensions, listen to the engine, and verify the recalls.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

605

Federal complaints

13

Recalls (all populations)

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2020 Ram 1500 Crew PU/CC 2WD (NHTSA VehicleId 14255)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

Rear-window and third-brake-light water leaks

moderate

The early fifth-generation leak issue carries into 2020: water enters through a cracked rear-window (backlite) frame or the center high-mounted stop lamp, wetting the headliner and the back of the cab. Chrysler's XL1 (back glass) and XG1 (CHMSL) warranty extensions reseal or replace the affected part. Inspect the rear headliner, the area behind the seats, and the cab corners for staining and a musty smell, and confirm whether either extension was performed. (Confirm the coverage window in the bulletin.)

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2020 Ram 1500 · NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (warranty extensions XL1, XG1; CSN U21; recalls 20V622, 24V653)

5.7L Hemi cam-and-lifter tickmajor

  • 5.7L Hemi V8

The Hemi's valvetrain risk is a constant across the generation: a worn lifter and cam lobe tick and eventually misfire. Independent mechanics quote a cam-and-lifter repair at a minimum around $4,500, with full engine replacement often recommended once metal appears in the oil. A cold-start listen is the single most valuable check. A serpentine-belt-tensioner Customer Satisfaction Notification (U21) also applies to some 2020 trucks — worth a VIN check. Pentastar V6 trucks avoid the Hemi-specific risk.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2020 Ram 1500 · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (5.7 Hemi cam/lifter; eTorque MGU teardown)

~$4,500

Cam + lifter repair (mechanic-quoted minimum)

higher

Engine replacement (often recommended)

eTorque 48-volt mild-hybrid riskmoderate

  • eTorque (48-volt)

If the truck has eTorque, the 48-volt system runs off a belt-driven motor-generator unit (MGU) that independent mechanics describe as a known failure point, plus a 48-volt battery pack that can throw 'service required' and stop/start faults. Symptoms include power-loss hesitation and abrupt stop/start behavior. It's not universal, but on an eTorque 2020 it's worth confirming the system is fault-free and factoring the MGU into the price (see the 2021 report for detail). A non-eTorque Hemi or the V6 avoids it.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2020 Ram 1500 · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (5.7 Hemi cam/lifter; eTorque MGU teardown)

Electrical and battery drainmoderate

The recent file carries a steady thread of electrical complaints — battery drain and no-starts (the body-control module waking overnight), plus rearview-camera and radio glitches that drew their own software recalls (22V638). Usually a nuisance rather than a stranding, but a dead battery from parasitic drain is real. Confirm the truck starts reliably after sitting, exercise the electronics, and check the camera-software recall by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2020 Ram 1500 · NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (warranty extensions XL1, XG1; CSN U21; recalls 20V622, 24V653)

Safety recalls to confirmminor

2020 carries a manageable recall set to verify by VIN: a driver-side mirror whose glass can detach (20V622), a side-curtain airbag diffuser crimp (20V374), an occupant-restraint-controller airbag issue shared with 2019 (19V407), a floormat that can trap the accelerator on adjustable-pedal trucks (20V513), and the ABS/ESC software item (24V653). All are free fixes; just confirm completion.

Sources: NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (warranty extensions XL1, XG1; CSN U21; recalls 20V622, 24V653)

Rear-window and third-brake-light leaks are still around on 2020 — Chrysler covers both with warranty extensions if you catch them.
3 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Ram dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 20V622Driver-side mirror glass can detach and lose the reflective surface (2020); mirror glass replaced free.open
  2. 20V374Side-curtain airbag diffuser may be improperly crimped and detach on deployment (2020); airbag assemblies replaced free.open
  3. 19V407Occupant-restraint-controller memory can corrupt and disable airbags/pretensioners (2019–2020); ORC reprogrammed/replaced free.open
  4. 20V513Floormat can trap the accelerator pedal on adjustable-pedal trucks (2019–2020); floormat modified free.open
  5. 22V638Radio software may prevent the rearview image from displaying (2020–2021); software updated free.open
  6. 24V653ABS module software can disable electronic stability control (2019, 2021–2024 — with 2020 populations); software updated free.open
  7. 22V767Diesel-only: high-pressure fuel pump can fail and stall the engine (2020–2022 diesel); pump replaced free.open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2020 1500

Four sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

22 MPG combined (20 city / 25 highway) for the Hybrid RWD, 3.6L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 41651 (1500 2WD).
Other builds EPA lists: RWD, 5.7L (midgrade fuel) 17 MPG · 4WD, 5.7L (midgrade fuel) 17 MPG · Hybrid RWD, 5.7L (midgrade fuel) 19 MPG · Hybrid 4WD, 5.7L (midgrade fuel) 19 MPG.

$2,850/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Crash losses

Collision losses run about average here. Neither a red flag nor a discount at the insurer.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI collision losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report R-23). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Ram 1500 crew cab SWB 4WD.
Other series: Ram 1500 crew cab SWB 99 · Ram 1500 quad cab 4WD 86 · Ram 1500 crew cab LWB 4WD 93 · Ram 1500 Classic ext. cab 4WD 93 · Ram 1500 quad cab 89 · Ram 1500 Classic ext. cab 105 · Ram 1500 Classic crew cab SWB 4WD 96 · Ram 1500 Classic crew cab SWB 103 · Ram 1500 Classic crew cab LWB 100 · Ram 1500 crew cab LWB 92 · Ram 1500 Classic crew cab LWB 4WD 130 · Ram 1500 Classic SWB 101 · Ram 1500 Classic LWB 92, where 100 = average.

95 vs 100

5% below average

Theft

Stolen about 51% more often than the average vehicle. Worth pricing comprehensive coverage before you buy, not after.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report WT-22). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Ram 1500 crew cab SWB 4WD.
Other series: Ram 1500 crew cab SWB 149 · Ram 1500 quad cab 4WD 78 · Ram 1500 crew cab LWB 4WD 42 · Ram 1500 Classic ext. cab 4WD 44 · Ram 1500 quad cab 185 · Ram 1500 Classic ext. cab 122, where 100 = average.

151 vs 100

51% above average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Cam + lifter repair (mechanic-quoted minimum)~$4,500
Engine replacement (often recommended)higher
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Inspect the rear headliner, cab corners, and behind the seats for water staining; confirm the XL1 (back glass) and XG1 (third-brake-light) leak extensions were performed.
  2. 02Cold-start and listen for a Hemi valvetrain tick; a persistent tick points to a cam/lifter job (~$4,500+) or engine.
  3. 03If it's an eTorque truck, confirm the 48-volt system is fault-free and price in the MGU as a known failure point.
  4. 04Verify the truck starts reliably after sitting overnight (battery drain) and exercise the camera/radio; check recall 22V638.
  5. 05Confirm the mirror (20V622), airbag (20V374, 19V407), floormat (20V513), and ABS/ESC (24V653) recalls by VIN.
  6. 06If it's a 3.0L EcoDiesel, confirm the high-pressure-fuel-pump recall (22V767).

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