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Reliability report · 2021 Ram 1500 · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,850/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

A mature, well-sorted truck on paper — but 2021 is where the engine becomes the story: Hemi manifold bolts, lifter tick, and eTorque failures.

By 2021 the fifth-generation Ram 1500 is a polished truck — the first-year recalls of 2019 are gone, the water leaks have largely settled — but the complaint file has shifted decisively to the engine. The loudest cluster is 5.7L Hemi exhaust manifolds cracking and manifold bolts snapping (owners report fumes in the cab and 'known issue' from dealers), alongside the cross-generation cam-and-lifter tick and, on eTorque trucks, failures of the 48-volt motor-generator unit. A dedicated recall (23V265) addresses a 5.7 eTorque PCM fault that can stall the engine.

None of this is walk-away economics — most is diagnosable on a careful inspection and some is covered — but the pattern is expensive enough, and avoidable enough with the right checks, to put 2021 at Squawking. Cold-start and listen for both a manifold tick (a light exhaust leak that grows) and a valvetrain tick (the lifter). Decide deliberately between engines: a non-eTorque Hemi avoids the 48-volt MGU risk, and the Pentastar V6 avoids the Hemi valvetrain risk entirely.

Evidence: 653 NHTSA complaints · 14 recall campaigns · 3 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Squawking

What that means: 653 federal complaints, and the recent file leans hard on the engine: cracked exhaust manifolds and broken manifold bolts, the 5.7 Hemi lifter tick, eTorque motor-generator failures, and a stall recall on the 5.7 eTorque (23V265). The truck is otherwise refined; the discipline is all under the hood.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

653

Federal complaints

14

Recalls (all populations)

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2021 Ram 1500 Crew PU/CC 2WD (NHTSA VehicleId 15484)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

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

5.7L Hemi exhaust manifold bolts / cracked manifolds

major
  • 5.7L Hemi V8

The loudest 2021 complaint. The 5.7 Hemi's exhaust-manifold bolts snap and the manifolds crack — owners report a tick that grows louder over time and, in the worst cases, exhaust fumes leaking into the cab, with dealers acknowledging it as a known issue. It's a leak repair that gets more involved (and more expensive) the longer it's left. On the test drive, cold-start and listen for a tick that's loudest when the engine is cold and eases as it warms — the classic manifold-leak signature — distinct from the deeper valvetrain lifter tick.

This is a 5.7L Hemi V8 problem. The eTorque (48-volt) and 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 don’t share it.

Which engine is in the one you found? →

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Ram 1500 · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (5.7 Hemi manifold/cam/lifter; eTorque MGU teardown)

eTorque 48-volt motor-generator (MGU) failuremajor

  • eTorque (48-volt)

On eTorque trucks, the 48-volt mild-hybrid runs off a belt-driven motor-generator unit that independent mechanics call 'notoriously known for going bad' — essentially a complex alternator-plus-motor that stop/start duty wears hard. Owners report the dealer condemning the eTorque and advising against driving. Repair costs vary widely by shop: one mechanic recounts a job another shop quoted around $5,000 (nearly totaling the truck) that an independent did for under $1,000. A separate PCM recall (23V265) covers a 5.7 eTorque fuel-mixture fault that can stall the engine. A non-eTorque Hemi or the Pentastar V6 avoids this system entirely.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Ram 1500 · NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recall 23V265; CSN W82; camera/airbag recalls) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (5.7 Hemi manifold/cam/lifter; eTorque MGU teardown)

under $1,000

MGU/eTorque repair — independent (mechanic-cited)

~$5,000

MGU/eTorque repair — dealer quote (mechanic-cited)

5.7L Hemi cam-and-lifter tickmajor

  • 5.7L Hemi V8

The Hemi's valvetrain risk runs alongside the manifold issue: a worn hydraulic lifter and cam lobe tick and eventually misfire, sometimes with low oil pressure and, in the worst reports, catastrophic engine failure. Independent mechanics quote a cam-and-lifter repair at a minimum around $4,500, with engine replacement often recommended once metal shows in the oil. The recent file also carries oil-pan corrosion and stall-with-no-warning reports. Cold-start and listen for a deep valvetrain tick separate from the manifold leak.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Ram 1500 · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (5.7 Hemi manifold/cam/lifter; eTorque MGU teardown)

~$4,500

Cam + lifter repair (mechanic-quoted minimum)

higher

Engine replacement (often recommended)

Electrical, alternator, and brake itemsmoderate

Behind the engine, the recent file carries electrical complaints (battery drain, no-start) and reports of alternator failure with long backorders. Chrysler ran a front-brake-caliper-piston Customer Satisfaction Notification (W82) on some 2021 trucks. Confirm the truck starts reliably after sitting, check charging-system health, and VIN-check the brake CSN. The rearview-camera software recalls (21V438/21V918/23V059) also apply — confirm the reverse image displays.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Ram 1500 · NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recall 23V265; CSN W82; camera/airbag recalls)

Safety recalls to confirmminor

2021's recall set to verify by VIN: the rearview-camera TRSCM software chain (21V438 → 21V918 → 23V059), the ABS-module/ESC software item (24V653), a driver-airbag connector (25V298), and a steering-column-control-module airbag issue (25V765, 2021–2022). All are free fixes; just confirm completion. (Note: a park-it brake-pedal-clip recall, 21V037, applies only to the 1500 Classic SLT, not this fifth-generation truck.)

Sources: NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recall 23V265; CSN W82; camera/airbag recalls)

Both exhaust manifolds cracked and the bolts broke — exhaust fumes leaking into the cab. The dealer said it's a known issue.
3 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

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

  1. 23V2655.7L eTorque PCM software can cause an incorrect fuel mixture and engine stall (2021); PCM calibration updated free.open
  2. 23V059Trailer-reverse-steering module may block the rearview image in reverse (2021–2023, supersedes 21V438/21V918); software updated free.open
  3. 24V653ABS module software can disable electronic stability control (2019, 2021–2024); software updated free.open
  4. 25V298Driver airbag may be improperly connected and not deploy (2019–2024); connectors secured free.open
  5. 25V765Steering-column control module can prevent driver-airbag deployment (2021–2022); module replaced free.open
  6. 21V698Incorrect-size spare tire may not match the placard (2021); spare replaced 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 — 2021 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 43006 (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.

MGU/eTorque repair — independent (mechanic-cited)under $1,000
MGU/eTorque repair — dealer quote (mechanic-cited)~$5,000
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.

Shopping this year?

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Cold-start and listen for a manifold tick (loud cold, eases warm — cracked manifolds / broken bolts) — the top 2021 complaint, with fumes-in-cab in the worst cases.
  2. 02Listen separately for a deeper valvetrain lifter tick; a persistent one 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 (dealer quotes ~$5,000; independents far less); verify stall recall 23V265.
  4. 04Check charging-system health (alternator backorder reports) and that the truck starts after sitting overnight.
  5. 05VIN-check the front-brake-caliper CSN (W82) and confirm the rearview-camera (23V059) and airbag (24V653, 25V298, 25V765) recalls are done.
  6. 06Prefer a non-eTorque Hemi to avoid the MGU, or the Pentastar V6 to avoid the Hemi valvetrain risk entirely.

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