VinCanary

Reliability report · 2021 Ram 1500 · Updated July 2026

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)

Known issues

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

5.7L Hemi exhaust manifold bolts / cracked manifolds

major

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.

What to check

Pink and cleanServiced. Proceed.

Dark brownDamage underway.

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

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

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

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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

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