The 2013 Ram pickup truck has its share of reported issues, including rollaway, airbag malfunctions, and infotainment system hacking. But with fewer than 600 complaints across more than 350,000 units sold, it stands as one of the more dependable trucks on the road today.
Key Points
- The 2013 Ram 1500 pickup truck has 12 recalls, nearly 600 complaints, and two investigations (one still open for vehicle rollaway) registered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Among the biggest concerns for 2013 Ram pickup owners are problematic airbags that have been recalled three times. Twice for unnecessary deployment, and once for failure to deploy.
- Parking brake failure may lead to vehicle rollaway, but the incidence rate is low, despite the investigation on the matter remaining open.
- More than one million Chrysler vehicles, including the 2013 Ram, were affected by infotainment system security vulnerabilities, leaving the system open to hackers.
- Annual repair costs for the vehicle average around $700, making the 2013 Ram pickup a fairly dependable used auto.
2013 Ram Pickup Truck Has Been Recalled for Airbag Issues Three Times, But Complaints Persist Into 2022
Two separate recalls were issued due to inadvertent airbag deployment. One recall was for side airbags, and the other for driver airbags. A third recall was launched over side curtain airbags that may fail to deploy in a rollover.
The first recall was focused on side-impact calibrations that were overly sensitive, leading to unnecessary airbag deployment. In the second recall, a steering wheel wiring harness could rub against the airbag module and deploy the airbags.
The 2013 Ram 1500 pickup truck’s third recall is specifically related to a malfunctioning vehicle rollover sensor that could prevent the side curtain airbags from activating in a rollover accident.
In a recent owner complaint registered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one driver reports that the airbags failed to deploy in a head-on collision, despite the illumination of the airbag warning lights. So, this matter might not be completely settled just yet.
2013 Ram 1500’s Parking Brake Failure May Lead to Vehicle Rollaway, With an Investigation Remaining Open Despite a Recall
Early on, an issue was identified where the parking brake cable could malfunction, allowing the vehicle to rollaway. The problem derives from an incorrectly-set cable equalizer that may lead to the parking brake not adequately holding the car in place on a 20% grade.
A recall was issued over the rollaway issue in 2013 and again in 2017. Complaints have been few and far between since then, but there remains an open NHTSA investigation on the matter, launched in 2016.
According to the NHTSA, 25 crashes have been alleged with nine injuries. However, none of the claims “indicate that the parking brake was engaged at the time of the roll-away incident.”
In short, this is a potentially severe issue, but without a lot of data to go on.
2013 Ram 1500 pickup truck owners have also filed complaints over the vehicle’s service brakes. The NHTSA complaints cover a range of malfunctions, from the brakes failing to release, to the anti-lock brake system warning lights activating without cause.
Radio Software Vulnerabilities May Open up Uconnect to Hackers, but the Software Update Seems to Have Worked
In 2015, nearly 1.5 million Chrysler vehicles were recalled for radio software security vulnerabilities. Around the same time, an investigation into those vulnerabilities was launched. The concern was that the radios could be easily hijacked by hackers.
Given how intertwined the infotainment system is with the rest of the vehicles in mid-2010s autos, this isn’t just a security issue but a safety concern as well. Reported issues pertaining to Uconnect radio hacks included engine stalls and unintended acceleration.
Thankfully, the fix was easy enough, with the manufacturer simply mailing drivers USB drives with software updates. The investigation was closed in 2016, with the FCA determining that the USB patch had eliminated vulnerabilities in the radio system.
The 2013 Ram is a Reliable Used Pickup, Despite, or Maybe Thanks to, the High Rate of Recall
Though the 2013 Ram pickup has been hit with an average of more than one recall a year since its launch, complaints number fewer than 600. Given that Ram sold around 350,000 units that year, this puts the incident rate at around one in 500.
A high number of recalls may help to explain Ram’s low rate of complaints. By being proactive and getting ahead of potential issues like faulty airbags and fidgety parking brakes after the first few complaints, the automaker generally managed to take control of the most common issues before they became overly common.
Given the vehicle’s age, it might not be easy to find a 2013 Ram pickup with fewer than 200,000 miles on the odometer, but if you do, you could be looking at another five to 10 years of service as long as you keep it in good condition.
A 2013 full-size Ram may be more reliable than a lot of the brand-new pickups you’ll find on the road today. Just check your VIN and claim those recalls.
Photos: Stellantis
