2022 Ram 1500 Classic Safety and Reliability

The NHTSA gave the Ram a four-out-of-five star overall rating for crash safety. The IIHS tested the 1500 in 2018, which is essentially the same truck as the 1500 Classic we have today, and the results were distinctly average - the truck achieved only Marginal ratings for roof strength and the small overlap front driver-side test.

Again, safety features - both standard and optional - reveal the 1500 Classic's age. All versions come with six airbags, electronic stability control, tire pressure monitoring, four-wheel antilock brakes, and a rearview camera. Moving up to the Warlock adds the ParkSense rear park assist system. On all trims, you can get trailer-tow mirrors and trailer brake control. However, after that, the 1500 Classic seriously lags behind the segment leaders. Features like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and lane departure warning aren't available at all.

So far, the 2022 Ram 1500 Classic has been affected by one recall for an inoperable defrosting and defogging system which can obviously reduce visibility. This is better than in 2021, however, where five recalls were issued at the time of writing. These problems were for a side curtain airbag that may not deploy, a malfunctioning rearview camera image, an incorrect spare tire, and a master cylinder push rod that could disconnect. For the master cylinder recall, the NHTSA has warned owners not to drive affected vehicles at all until the issue can be resolved. Things get worse the further back you go, with eight recalls applying to 2022 models and a shocking 22 recalls for 2019 models. Despite this, the 2021 Ram 1500 Classic somehow managed a quality and reliability score of 86/100 according to J.D. Power. Considering that the whole point of the Ram 1500 Classic's continued existence is based around it being an affordable and dependable workhorse, the number of recalls is especially disappointing.

Should anything go wrong - and based on its recall history, a lot can - the Ram 1500 Classic is covered by a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Roadside assistance is also covered for 60,000 miles or five years, and there is an unlimited-mile rust-through warranty for five years.