YearToAvoid

2020 Ram 1500 Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 62 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2020 Ram 1500, 10% of that year's 628 total complaints. Owners report failure to shift out of first gear, delayed throttle response, and sudden rolling or stalling, with a median failure mileage of 22,000 and no related recall on file.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
62
10% of 628
Crashes reported
3
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
22,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Transmission fails to shift out of first gear during acceleration, sometimes reaching high RPM before the driver can react.
  • Vehicle rolls forward unexpectedly while parked and idling, in one case leading to a fatal crash.
  • Drivetrain shows a multi-second delay before responding to throttle input when accelerating from a stop or resuming speed after coasting.
  • Vehicle abruptly stops without warning while reversing.
  • Rear axle and driveshaft reportedly lose lubrication and seize, causing loss of control at highway speed.
  • Ecodiesel throttle pedal fails to respond when accelerating out of a turn.

When 2020 Ram 1500 transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Dec 19, 2019, latest Aug 5, 2026.

2020 Ram 1500 transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month4Dec 2019Mar 2021Feb 2023Oct 2023May 2024Feb 2025Sep 2025Mar 2026
62 complaints filed with NHTSA from Dec 2019 to Aug 2026; peak Jan 2026 (4).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2020 Ram 1500

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by 1500 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20099 (24%)
  2. 201386 (7%)
  3. 2014191 (11%)
  4. 2015225 (16%)
  5. 2016202 (13%)
  6. 201798 (11%)
  7. 201859 (9%)
  8. 2019205 (14%)
  9. 202062 (10%)
  10. 202198 (14%)
  11. 2022101 (17%)
  12. 202328 (14%)
  13. 202414 (19%)
  14. 202547 (13%)

Frequently asked questions

How many 2020 Ram 1500 owners reported transmission or powertrain problems?
NHTSA lists 62 complaints in the Transmission & Powertrain category for the 2020 Ram 1500, which is 10% of the 628 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2020 Ram 1500 transmission or drivetrain?
No related recalls are listed in the data for the 2020 Ram 1500 transmission or powertrain, despite owner reports describing symptoms similar to recalls issued on other Ram model years.
At what mileage do 2020 Ram 1500 transmission problems usually show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 22,000 miles.
Were there any crashes linked to 2020 Ram 1500 powertrain complaints?
NHTSA data shows 3 crashes and 0 fires tied to Transmission & Powertrain complaints on the 2020 Ram 1500, with 0 injuries recorded.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.