2021 Ram 1500 Diesel

Standard Pickup truck · diesel

★ Open to everyone — one of the ten most-registered models this year.

Fuel economy
26mpg1
23 city · 33 highway
CO₂ 384 g/mi · 239 g/km2
EPA
Fuel cost
—3
Power
260hp4
rated
EPA
Crash rating
—5
14 recall campaigns6
NHTSA
Test weight
5,500lb9
2,495 kg · EPA test class
EPA
Warranty
3yr10
36,000 mi
Ram
How much to run it26 mpg
Combined
26 mpg1EPA
EPA test cycle, combined · configuration 1500 HFE 2WD
City · highway
23 · 33EPA
EPA test cycle, mpg
Tailpipe CO₂
384 g/mi2EPA239 g/km
tailpipe rating, driven as rated on the test cycle · 239 g/km
Fuel cost
—3
not estimated
How it performs260 hp
Power
260 hp4EPArated
the rated figure — EPA test-car data
Engine
3.0 L, 6 cylindersEPA
as listed in the EPA fuel-economy file
Transmission
Automatic 8-spdEPA
as listed in the EPA fuel-economy file
Drive
Rear-wheel driveEPA
as listed in the EPA fuel-economy file
How safe14 recalls
Crash rating
—5NHTSA
Recall campaigns
146NHTSA
NHTSA recall register, campaigns naming 1500 (2021) · as of 2026-09-10
14 campaigns, what and when
  • 2021-02-01Service brakes, hydraulic · foundation components · master cylinder — A separated brake pedal can result in the driver being unable to apply the service brakes, increasing the risk of a crash. 21V037000
  • 2021-06-10Back over prevention · display function — A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. 21V438000
  • 2021-09-09Tires · temporary/emergency spare tire — A driver that relies on the incorrect spare tire inflation pressure on the tire placard label may inflate the spare tire incorrectly, increasing the risk of a crash. 21V698000
  • 2021-11-23Steering · steering control module — A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash. 21V918000
  • 2021-11-24Air bags · side/window · curtain — An air bag that deploys improperly can increase the risk of injury in a crash. 21V925000
  • 2022-08-25Back over prevention · display function — A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash. 22V638000
  • 2022-10-13Engine — An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. 22V767000
  • 2022-12-08Structure · body · tailgate · hinge and attachments — An unintended tailgate opening while driving may result in a loss of unsecured cargo, possibly creating a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash. 22V904000
  • 2023-02-09Back over prevention · display function — A rearview image that does not display while in reverse decreases the driver's visibility of the rear view, increasing the risk of injury or crash. 23V059000
  • 2024-09-05Electronic stability control (esc) · control module — Driving with a disabled electronic stability control system can increase the risk of a crash. 24V653000
  • 2024-10-10Visibility · rearview mirrors/devices — Detached mirror glass can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. 24V754000
  • 2025-05-08Air bags — A driver's side air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash. 25V298000
  • 2025-11-06Steering · steering control module — A driver's side air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash. 25V765000
  • 2026-07-30Seat belts · rear/other · anchorage — An improperly installed seat belt buckle anchor may fail to properly restrain occupants, increasing the risk of injury during a crash. 26V495000
Complaints per 10,000 built
61.957NHTSA99 complaints, 4 severe · 15,981 built
computed here: 99 complaints ÷ 15,981 built (NHTSA early-warning production, 2026 Q1); no publisher states the rate
What owners complain about
Engine49Fuel/propulsion system32Fuel system, gasoline23Electrical system17Unspecified9

See these complaints at NHTSA ↗

How big5,500 lb
Kerb weight
—8
EPA test weight
5,500 lb9EPA2,495 kg
EPA equivalent test weight class — the loaded class it was tested at, not kerb weight
Class
Standard Pickup truckEPA
the publisher's own vehicle class
Body
Pickup
as the register states it
Ownership3 yr / 36,000 mi
Warranty
3 years10Ram36,000 mi
Ram's published 2021 warranty statement, compiled into carstandings.com's warranty table
On the road in New York
22711NY DMV
NY DMV registration file, 2026-09-02

Notes and sources

  1. Fuel economy: EPA combined test-cycle figure for the configuration 1500 HFE 2WD (23 city, 33 highway). EPA data dated 2026-09-09, the latest modifiedOn date EPA records in vehicles.csv.↩
  2. CO₂: EPA's tailpipe rating for the car driven as rated on the test cycle — 384 g/mi, or 239 g/km.↩
  3. Fuel cost: not estimated. This site has no diesel price source yet, so no cost is computed for a diesel car.↩
  4. Power: 260 hp is the rated figure, from EPA test-car data.↩
  5. Crash rating: NHTSA rated vehicles under this nameplate, but the ratings differ between the configurations it tested and none of them is this car's, so no rating is stated.↩
  6. Recall campaigns: NHTSA's count for this variant (1500), as of 2026-09-10. Each is repaired free of charge by dealers.↩
  7. Complaints per 10,000 built: computed here from NHTSA's complaint count for the 1500 nameplate (99, of which 4 describe a crash, fire, injury or death) and the 15,981 vehicles NHTSA's own early-warning production reports place on it (2026 Q1). No publisher states the rate itself.↩
  8. Kerb weight: not published. No source states a curb weight for this car.↩
  9. EPA test weight: 5,500 lb (2,495 kg) is the equivalent test weight class EPA tested this configuration at, not the kerb weight.↩
  10. Warranty: 3 years or 36,000 miles, from Ram's published 2021 warranty statement, compiled into carstandings.com's warranty table.↩
  11. Registrations: 227 1500s of this model year on New York's roads, from the NY DMV registration file as of 2026-09-02.↩
  12. This car is measured on the diesel scale: miles per gallon, the tailpipe CO₂ rating and whole-car horsepower. MPGe and charge-weighted CO₂ are electric-scale quantities and do not apply to it.↩
  13. Price: no free, resellable source publishes a price for any 2021 car sold in the United States, so none is shown for any car in this market.↩

Sources: EPA · NHTSA — about these sources →