MODEL
Ram 5500
NHTSA safety across every Ram 5500 model year we cover.
Across the 4 model years of the Ram 5500 we cover (2019 to 2022), no year has an NHTSA crash-test score on record. 27 recalls have been issued across those years.
The Ram 5500 is a Class 5 heavy-duty commercial chassis cab, built for serious vocational work rather than everyday family hauling. Aimed squarely at contractors, municipalities, and fleet operators who need a platform for upfitted bodies like dump beds, service cranes, and tow rigs, this is a purpose-built working truck that operates in a very different safety universe than a typical consumer pickup.
From a pure safety-data standpoint, the Ram 5500 presents a challenging picture for shoppers who rely on crash-test scores. NHTSA did not conduct crash testing on the 5500 for any model year in our 2019 to 2022 coverage window, which means there is no Safety Index, no star ratings, and no independent structural performance data to reference. Buyers are working without that safety net entirely. What the data does show is a significant recall footprint: 27 recalls across four model years is a high count for any vehicle, and four of those campaigns carried park-outside or do-not-drive severity designations, meaning federal regulators judged the underlying defects serious enough to warrant keeping the truck away from structures or off the road altogether. That is a flag no fleet manager or owner-operator should overlook. Owner complaints total 48 across the coverage window, with three reported crashes, three fire-related allegations, and six injury claims. These are unverified, but the fire-related complaints are worth noting given the severity of that risk in a working-truck context. The honest bottom line here is straightforward: the Ram 5500 is a capable vocational platform, but its safety profile is defined almost entirely by its recall history rather than crash-test performance. Prospective buyers should run every VIN through NHTSA's recall database before purchase and stay current on all open campaigns.
WHAT REVIEWERS SAYReviewers generally regard the Ram 5500 as a no-nonsense vocational chassis that prioritizes payload capacity and upfit flexibility over interior refinement or driving comfort. Most acknowledge the cabin is utilitarian by design, with modest materials and a driving experience tuned for work-site practicality rather than road manners. Value is typically assessed through the lens of fleet cost and upfit compatibility rather than consumer-market comparisons.
- The Ram 5500 was not crash-tested by NHTSA for any model year from 2019 to 2022, so there are no star ratings or Safety Index scores available to guide your purchase decision.
- Twenty-seven recalls across the 2019 to 2022 model years is a substantial count. Four of those campaigns were serious enough to carry park-outside or do-not-drive designations from federal regulators, signaling elevated risk if the defects go unaddressed.
- Owner complaints include three fire-related allegations across the coverage window. In a heavy-duty commercial truck that may carry flammable materials or operate in remote work environments, any fire-risk recall or complaint pattern deserves immediate attention before putting the truck into service.
- Because this is a commercial chassis cab that is often sold and upfitted through multiple hands, buyers of used examples should verify that all open recall work has been completed on the specific VIN, not just the model year in general, using the free NHTSA VIN lookup tool at nhtsa.gov.
Most-recalled year on record: 2020 Ram 5500 with 9 recalls.