2023 Ram 1500 Classic Safety and Reliability

The NHTSA gave the 2023 Ram 1500 Classic a safety rating of four-out-of-five stars overall. The IIHS crash-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 parking sensors. 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 2023 Ram 1500 Classic has not been recalled yet. The 2022 model was affected by eight recalls, for an inoperable defrosting and defogging system, a malfunctioning rearview camera image, an incorrect spare tire, missing airbag sensors, a tailgate that may open while driving, front seatbelt pretensioners that may fail, and twice for fuel-pump failures. Things get worse the further back you go, with a shocking 22 recalls for 2019 models. The 2023 Ram 1500 Classic's Quality & Reliability score at JD Power is a reasonable 80 out of 100 - but it's well down on the truck's 2021 score of 86. 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's basic warranty covers it for three years/36,000 miles, and it has a powertrain warranty of five years/60,000 miles. Roadside assistance is also covered for 60,000 miles or five years, and there is an unlimited-mile rust-through warranty for five years.