Skip to main content
VinCanary

Reliability report · 2023 Ram 1500 · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,850/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The newest and by far the quietest Ram year we cover — the same engine to listen to, but a fraction of the complaints.

On the numbers, 2023 is the standout year of the Ram set: 179 complaints, well under a third of 2022's total, helped by being the newest and mostly still in warranty. The recent file is short and led by electrical and powertrain items, plus a small cluster of driver-assist complaints (unexpected automatic-braking events). By 2023 the water-leak era is behind the truck and the recall list is shorter.

It lands at Chirping rather than Squawking because the volume is low and most of the truck is still covered, but it isn't a blank check: a 2023 recall (24V413) covers a transmission control-unit weld that can leak fluid onto the electronics and cause a loss of drive power or park, and the 5.7L Hemi's manifold-bolt and lifter risks travel with every year of this engine. Confirm the transmission recall, cold-start for a tick, and check remaining warranty — do that and 2023 is a sensible, low-drama buy.

Evidence: 179 NHTSA complaints · 10 recall campaigns · 3 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: 179 federal complaints — less than a third of 2022 and the fewest of any Ram year here — with electrical, powertrain, and some driver-assist (phantom-braking) reports leading a short file. A transmission recall and the familiar Hemi checks still apply, but this is the calmest, most-in-warranty year in the range.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

179

Federal complaints

10

Recalls (all populations)

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2023 Ram 1500 Crew Cab PU/CC RWD (NHTSA VehicleId 17269)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

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

Transmission control-unit weld — recall 24V413

major
  • 8-speed automatic (all engines)

The notable 2023 mechanical recall: an insufficient weld in the transmission control unit can let transmission fluid leak onto electrical components, causing a loss of drive power or loss of the park function. The remedy replaces the valve body and control unit free. Loss of drive or park is a genuine safety issue, so the task is confirming by VIN that the recall was completed — and, if not, treating it as a must-fix before purchase. Test-drive for clean shifts and reliable park engagement.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Ram 1500 (body-style-aggregated) · NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recalls 24V413, 24V199, 23V799, 24V729, 24V653)

5.7L Hemi manifold bolts and lifter tickmajor

  • 5.7L Hemi V8

The Hemi's cross-generation risks don't skip the newest year: exhaust-manifold bolts can snap (a cold-start tick that grows) and the cam-and-lifter valvetrain can wear (a deeper tick, then misfire). Independent mechanics quote a cam-and-lifter repair at a minimum around $4,500, with engine replacement often recommended once metal appears — though on a 2023 much of this may still be covered by the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Cold-start and listen; a Pentastar V6 avoids the Hemi-specific risk, and note that from 2023 the Hemi came only in eTorque form.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Ram 1500 (body-style-aggregated) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (5.7 Hemi manifold/cam/lifter; eTorque MGU teardown)

~$4,500

Cam + lifter repair if out of coverage (mechanic-quoted min)

higher

Engine replacement (often recommended)

eTorque 48-volt systemmoderate

  • eTorque (48-volt)

From 2023 the 5.7L Hemi came only with eTorque, so the 48-volt mild-hybrid is standard on Hemi trucks. Its motor-generator unit (MGU) is the known failure point mechanics flag, with 48-volt battery-pack faults throwing 'service required' and stop/start errors. On a 2023 much of this is still in warranty, which helps, but confirm the system is fault-free and factor the MGU into long-term ownership. The Pentastar V6 avoids the 48-volt system.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Ram 1500 (body-style-aggregated) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (5.7 Hemi manifold/cam/lifter; eTorque MGU teardown)

Electrical and driver-assist complaintsmoderate

The short recent file is led by electrical items (battery drain, no-start, infotainment) and includes a small but repeated cluster of driver-assist complaints — unexpected automatic-emergency-braking or forward-collision events. Phantom-braking reports are usually intermittent and software-related rather than a mechanical fault, but they're worth taking seriously on a test drive. Confirm reliable starting after sitting, exercise the electronics and cameras, and note how the driver aids behave.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Ram 1500 (body-style-aggregated)

Steering-column-module and other safety recallsminor

2023 carries a set of steering-column-control-module recalls to confirm by VIN: a welding defect that can prevent driver-airbag deployment (24V199), a high-beam/turn-signal fault (23V799), and a turn-signal self-canceling issue (24V729), plus the ABS-module/ESC software item (24V653), the shared driver-airbag connector recall (25V298), and rearview-camera software (23V059). All are free fixes; just confirm they're done.

Sources: NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recalls 24V413, 24V199, 23V799, 24V729, 24V653)

A transmission recall for 2023: an insufficient weld can let fluid leak onto the electronics, causing a loss of drive power or loss of park.
3 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

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

  1. 24V413Insufficient weld in the transmission control unit can leak fluid onto electronics, causing loss of drive power or park (2023); valve body and control unit replaced free.open
  2. 24V199Steering-column control module may be improperly welded and prevent driver-airbag deployment (2023–2024); module inspected/replaced free.open
  3. 23V799Steering-column control module can cross high beams and turn signals and disable self-cancel (2023); SCCM software updated / module replaced free.open
  4. 24V729Turn-signal self-canceling feature may not work (2023–2024); SCCM inspected/replaced free.open
  5. 23V059Trailer-reverse-steering module may block the rearview image in reverse (2021–2023); software updated free.open
  6. 24V653ABS module software can disable electronic stability control (2019, 2021–2024); software updated free.open
  7. 25V298Driver airbag may be improperly connected and not deploy (2019–2024); connectors secured free.open
  8. 23V263Diesel-only: high-pressure fuel pump can fail and stall the engine (2022–2023 diesel); pump/components 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 — 2023 1500

Three 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 46224 (1500 2WD).
Other builds EPA lists: RWD, 5.7L (midgrade fuel) 17 MPG · 4WD, 5.7L (midgrade fuel) 17 MPG · Hybrid 4WD, 5.7L (midgrade fuel) 19 MPG · Hybrid RWD, 5.7L (midgrade fuel) 20 MPG.

$2,850/yr

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

Theft

Stolen roughly 5× as often as the average vehicle. Worth pricing comprehensive coverage before you buy, not after.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2022–24 models, published May 2025 (report WT-24). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Ram 1500 crew cab SWB 4WD.
Other series: Ram 1500 crew cab SWB 141 · Ram 1500 quad cab 4WD 87 · Ram 1500 crew cab LWB 4WD 115 · Ram 1500 quad cab 125, where 100 = average.

524 vs 100

5× average — off this chart

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 if out of coverage (mechanic-quoted min)~$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?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

Form not loading? Open it directly →

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.

Form not loading? Open it directly →

Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Confirm the transmission recall 24V413 (loss of drive/park from a control-unit fluid leak) was completed by VIN; test-drive for clean shifts and reliable park.
  2. 02Cold-start and listen for a Hemi manifold tick and a valvetrain lifter tick; scan for misfire codes.
  3. 03Confirm remaining 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty — on a 2023 it changes the math on any engine or transmission item.
  4. 04If it's an eTorque Hemi (standard from 2023), confirm the 48-volt system is fault-free.
  5. 05Note how the driver aids behave on the drive (a small phantom-braking complaint cluster exists); exercise the electronics and confirm reliable starting.
  6. 06Verify the steering-column (24V199, 23V799, 24V729), ABS/ESC (24V653), and airbag (25V298) recalls are closed by VIN.

Own one already?

The canary watches your VIN — new recalls and the mileage where known issues start.

Watch my VIN — free

vincanary.com/ram/1500/2023