2016 Ram 1500 Service Brakes Problems

NHTSA component category: SERVICE BRAKES · data through 07/12/2026

221Service Brakes complaints

14.7%Of all 1,502 complaints

#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How service brakes ranks on this vehicle

STEERING300 · 20%

ENGINE291 · 19.4%

SERVICE BRAKES221 · 14.7%

POWER TRAIN199 · 13.2%

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM187 · 12.5%

Share of the 1,502 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2016 Ram 1500 overview page.

What owners report

“THE OEM TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER DOES NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH BRAKING POWER TO A TOWED TRAILER. THE TOWED SINGLE AXLE TRAVEL TRAILER WEIGHS JUST UNDER 4,000LBS…”NHTSA complaint 11031826 — filed 10/05/2017

“MY TRUCK ROLLED BACK ABOUT 6 FT IN MY DRIVE WAY WHILE IT WAS PARKED ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER GETTING OUT THE TRUCK. I MOVED…”NHTSA complaint 10949677 — filed 02/05/2017

“MY 2016 RAM 1500 BIG HORN CREW CAB 4X4 ROLLED AWAY AFTER BEING PARKED. IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES THEN I HEARD…”NHTSA complaint 10938780 — filed 12/30/2016

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Service Brakes complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2016 Ram 1500 have service brakes problems?

Service Brakes is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 2016 Ram 1500: 221 of 1,502 complaints on file (14.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2016 Ram 1500 have in total?

1,502 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 90 involved a crash, 35 involved a fire, 72 reported injuries, and 5 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's service brakes category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the SERVICE BRAKES category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.