The Ram 1500 pickup truck is a favorite for fans and critics alike. Since the Ram truck has been around for so long, what are some of the most reliable Ram 1500 years? Experts ranked all of the best options, and these were some of the higher-ranked years in recent history.

What is the best full-size Ram pickup truck?

Edmunds ranks the Ram 1500 on the best full-size pickup truck list year after year. The experts use various tests to determine how a truck performs in areas such as fuel economy, safety, ride, and owner satisfaction.

For the newer trucks, these are often calculated as predicted reliability or satisfaction. Once a truck has a year or so on the road, these turn into actual reliability and satisfaction scores. For the Ram 1500, the years on the road have helped create a solid truck. Many of the trucks listed below are available and used with various miles.

For instance, the 2019 Ram 1500 has high reviews in most of the categories. It offered a smooth ride, a comfortable cabin, and plenty of technology throughout. It also didn’t get bad safety scores.

Is the 2017 Ram 1500 a reliable truck?

The 2017 Ram 1500 received an average score for reliability and a bit of a higher score for owner satisfaction. The fuel economy wasn’t great, but the overall driving experience was. Edmunds liked the cushioned ride quality.

The 2017 truck came with an eight-speed automatic transmutation. The standard engine was a 3.6L V6 (305 hp) or a 5.7L Hemi V8 (395 hp). This probably aided the one-star rating for fuel economy. There was also an option for diesel (3L V6 with 240 hp).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the truck four out of five stars for both driver and passenger frontal-crash safety. The IIHS front small overlap test on the driver’s side only received a “marginal” score, an area for improvement. A few recalls are open for this year, but Ram would easily fix the issues at the dealership.

Where did the 2019 Ram 1500 go wrong?

The 2019 Ram 1500 got a low score for reliability but a four out of five for owner satisfaction. It appears this year had few complaints from owners. From The NHTSA, the driver’s frontal-crash safety received five out of five stars. The passenger was at four out of five. All of the other ratings were labeled as “good.”

As noted in the reliability trouble spots section, the truck did well across the board. Engine major, cooling, transmission major/minor, and drive system all received a full five out of five stars. The engine minor category came in at four stars. One thing to note is that there are 21 recalls for it. The recalls cover everything from an improperly labeled spare tire, an instrument cluster that wasn’t properly lit, and a fractured rear driveshaft. Most of these would be corrected at the dealership free of charge.

Why not a 2020 Ram 1500?

For 2020, the 1500 had a lot of various trim options available. The truck received a three out of five for reliability and four out of five for owner satisfaction. From The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the driver’s frontal-crash safety received five out of five stars. The passenger was at four out of five, similar to 2019.

Experts gave the 2020 Ram truck great scores on transmission and acceleration, but it failed to impress with the fuel economy. It also has seven open recalls relating to windows, seat belts, and airbags.

If you plan to purchase any of these years, it would be a good idea to check out if the recalled items have been fixed. Places like AutoTrader or Kelley Blue Book will give you a good starting price for whichever year you pick.