2012 Ram 2500 — Known Issues & Recalls

Your exhaust manifold on the passenger side has warped and broken one of its bolts, causing exhaust fumes to leak into your vehicle's cabin. This is a serious issue that requires immediate attention to prevent exposure to dangerous exhaust gases. The fix will involve replacing the exhaust manifold and its bolts to restore a proper seal.

Your truck's exhaust manifold bolts are warping and breaking because steel and aluminum expand at different rates when heated, causing an exhaust leak into the engine bay. Exhaust fumes are being drawn into your cabin through the heating and air conditioning system, creating a noticeable smell and potentially causing headaches from carbon monoxide exposure. You may notice a loud ticking noise along with strong exhaust odors inside the cab. Fixing this typically involves replacing the exhaust manifold bolts and possibly the manifold itself to prevent exhaust fumes from entering the cabin.

Your 2012 Ram 2500 Hemi engine developed a ticking sound that persists even after a tune-up, spark plug replacement, and distributor work. A dealership confirmed internal engine damage is causing the problem, and you've learned other Dodge owners report the same issue. Repair or replacement would cost between $8,000 and $10,000, and neither Dodge nor NHTSA has provided a solution. Fixing this will likely require engine rebuild or replacement.

Your engine has been making a ticking noise on the passenger side due to a warped exhaust manifold that broke two bolts in the engine block. This caused an exhaust leak before the oxygen sensor, which made your truck run rich and reduced fuel efficiency. The repair involved replacing the exhaust manifold, gasket, and bolts.

The bolts that attach your exhaust manifold to the engine are breaking off repeatedly. You'll first notice a tapping noise as the manifold comes loose, and then exhaust fumes may leak into the cabin, creating a safety and health hazard. This has happened three times on your truck despite only having 85,000 miles, requiring a dealer repair that included replacing the passenger-side cylinder head. The repair will involve removing the exhaust manifold, replacing the broken bolts, and potentially inspecting or replacing the cylinder head.

Your tie rod end broke while you were backing out of your driveway, making the steering unresponsive and the vehicle impossible to control safely. Fortunately, this happened at low speed rather than during highway driving. The repair will require replacing the broken tie rod end.

Your steering linkage fractured while making a right turn at low speed, causing you to lose steering control. The dealer found that your drag link and steering system needed replacement, and the drag link was repaired. This happened at 170,000 miles. Fixing this will involve replacing the damaged drag link and inspecting the entire steering system for additional wear or damage.

Your vehicle experienced violent shaking after driving over a bump in the road. A mechanic found that the reinforcement bracket above the front track bar bracket had failed and needed replacement. Even after repair, the same part failed again.

Your transmission's shift pin became stuck in the open position, causing your parked truck to shift into gear on its own and roll backward into a pole without anyone in the vehicle. This is the second time this defect has occurred, and it has caused serious damage. The issue relates to a known recall (T79/17V-821) that Dodge has not addressed.

Your parked Ram 2500 rolled away on its own while you were standing nearby with the key fob in hand, with no warning lights showing. The vehicle had about 220,000 miles on it at the time. This may be related to a known transmission issue, and you'll want to have a dealer inspect the transmission and parking brake system to determine why the vehicle didn't stay in park.

Your new Treadwright rear tires are failing prematurely with tread separation and broken belt defects. The first tire's tread separated from the casing within 100 miles, and the replacement tire developed a visible bubble in the sidewall at just 20 PSI (well below the 80 PSI operating pressure), indicating a broken belt. The manufacturer claimed the bubble was normal "overlap" and tried to convince you the tire was safe to use, despite clear evidence of a structural failure. Resolving this will likely require contacting the tire manufacturer for a full warranty replacement and potentially filing a complaint with the tire safety regulator.

Your truck's front tires experienced tread separation—where the tire tread starts peeling away from the tire body—causing bouncing while driving at highway speeds. This happened on both the passenger and driver side front tires within two weeks of each other, even though you weren't warned by any dashboard lights. The tire shop replaced both tires, but the underlying cause wasn't diagnosed. Addressing this may require inspecting your wheel alignment, suspension components, or tire pressure monitoring to prevent future tire failures.

Your truck's engine shut off while you were driving with no warning, making it difficult to steer and brake safely to the side of the road. The problem is traced to a loose or failing connection in the WIN (wireless integrated network) module, which causes the engine to cut out even while idling as if you had turned off the ignition. This sudden power loss is a serious safety hazard that happened without any prior symptoms.

While driving at 40-60 mph, your truck lost steering and braking power after hitting bumps in the road on several occasions. A mechanic found that the wireless ignition node module was faulty and retrieved a fault code. This loss of steering and braking while driving poses a serious safety risk. The issue may require replacement of the wireless ignition node module or related electrical components.

When driving at highway speeds over rough road seams or bridge transitions, your truck suddenly shakes violently — a condition called "death wobble" — affecting the steering wheel and entire vehicle. The shaking is severe enough to make it difficult to keep the truck on the road and only stops when you slow down below 30 mph. You've already replaced the stabilizer bar, gotten new tires, and had an alignment done, but the problem persists. The issue likely stems from worn suspension components that may need inspection and replacement by a mechanic.

Your passenger-side headlight keeps turning on and off intermittently, even though the wiring harness has been replaced twice. Additionally, your check engine light keeps coming back on for the evaporative emissions system, even after that component was replaced. These issues may require diagnostic testing to identify underlying electrical problems or a faulty sensor that's causing repeated failures.

Your 2012 RAM 2500's fuel tank developed broken tubes that prevent you from filling the tank. The dealership determined you need a complete fuel tank replacement, but Mopar no longer manufactures the original tank and the replacement available has the wrong configuration and doesn't fit your truck. You're left without an OEM solution despite having a Million Mile warranty.

Your truck is having trouble starting intermittently, and your airbag warning light is staying on. You took it to the dealer, but they didn't repair it. The issue started around 168,000 miles. A mechanic will need to diagnose the electrical system and airbag system to find out what's causing both problems.

While driving, your truck shakes severely enough that you need to pull over and stop for it to go away. The shaking was intense enough to feel like the truck might tip over.

Your vehicle has been turning off unexpectedly while driving, particularly after going over speed bumps. The ignition problems started intermittently but have gotten progressively worse, and now your engine quits without warning while you're on the road. This issue likely involves the ignition switch or electrical connections that need inspection and repair.