The 2018 Ram ProMaster with the 3.6L Pentastar V6 is a purpose-built commercial van that suffers from catastrophic engine failures and transmission cooler problems, often requiring major repairs before 100,000 miles. These aren't minor issues—we're talking full rebuilds and thousands in parts and labor.
Symptoms: Sudden knocking or ticking noise from engine bay, Metal shavings in oil during routine change, Loss of compression in one or more cylinders, Check engine light with misfire codes, Smoke from exhaust, loss of power
Fix: This is the big one. The 3.6L in ProMasters has documented cylinder head failures, piston ring land fractures, and bearing failures that require either complete engine rebuild (pistons, rings, bearings, head gaskets—40-50 labor hours) or short block replacement (30-40 hours). Root cause often traced to oil system issues, overheating, or defective castings. Not a DIY job unless you have a full shop.
Estimated cost: $6,000-12,000
Transmission Oil Cooler Failure and Contamination
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 50,000-90,000 mi
Symptoms: Transmission slipping or harsh shifting, Pink or milky fluid in radiator overflow tank (coolant/ATF mixing), Transmission overheating warning, Radiator coolant loss with no external leaks, Transmission failure after recent coolant system work
Fix: The internal transmission cooler in the radiator fails, allowing coolant and ATF to mix. Once contaminated, the transmission needs a full flush or replacement, plus new radiator, cooler lines, and often converter. The 62TE/948TE transmission doesn't tolerate contamination. Radiator replacement alone is 3-4 hours, but if transmission is damaged, add 12-18 hours for R&R and rebuild.
Estimated cost: $800-1,500 for radiator/cooler; $3,500-6,000 if transmission damaged
Transmission Mount Failure
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunking when shifting from park to drive or reverse, Excessive vibration during acceleration, Visible sagging or separation of rubber mount, Transmission making contact with crossmember during hard acceleration
Fix: The rear transmission mount takes a beating on these front-wheel-drive vans, especially when loaded. Mount separates or tears, allowing excessive drivetrain movement. Replacement is straightforward but requires supporting the transmission—2-3 hours labor. OEM mount recommended over aftermarket, which fails faster.
Estimated cost: $350-600
Fuel Filter Clogging and Fuel System Issues
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: Hard starting or extended cranking, Loss of power under load or at highway speed, Engine stalling or sputtering, Check engine light with fuel system lean codes
Fix: ProMasters have an in-tank fuel filter that's not regularly serviced and can clog, especially with poor fuel quality. Replacement requires dropping the tank (4-5 hours labor). Also see fuel pump failures on these miles. Not as catastrophic as the engine problems, but leaves you stranded.
Estimated cost: $500-900
Radiator Assembly Failure (Recall-Related but Persistent)
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 40,000-90,000 mi
Symptoms: Coolant leaking from radiator seams or end tanks, Overheating in stop-and-go traffic, Visible cracks in plastic end tanks, Coolant smell from engine bay
Fix: Beyond the transmission cooler issue, the radiator itself has plastic end tank failures. There was a recall for some units, but many fail outside recall parameters. Replacement is 3-4 hours including coolant flush. Make sure to check transmission cooler integrity while you're in there.
Estimated cost: $600-1,200
Column Shifter Linkage Failure (Recall 18V-541)
Occasional · high severity
Symptoms: Shifter doesn't match actual gear position, Vehicle rolls when placed in park, Unable to shift out of park, Gear indicator shows wrong position
Fix: The column shift linkage can fail or become misaligned, creating a serious rollaway hazard. FCA issued recall 18V-541 for this. If not already done, get it checked—free under recall. If you're buying used and it hasn't been done, insist the dealer complete it. Repair is 1-2 hours for linkage replacement.
Estimated cost: $0 if recall; $200-400 if out-of-pocket
Owner tips
Check service history for the shifter linkage recall (18V-541) and transmission cooler replacement—these are critical
Inspect oil religiously for metal particles and watch for any consumption between changes—early warning for the engine failures
Budget $1,000/year minimum for unexpected repairs after 60k miles; these vans nickel-and-dime you, then hit you with a $10k engine
Consider aftermarket warranty if buying used over 50k miles—engine and transmission failures are too common and too expensive
Avoid extended idle time and ensure cooling system is properly maintained—overheating accelerates the engine problems
Hard pass unless you're getting it cheap enough to budget for an engine or transmission rebuild—the catastrophic failure rate on the 3.6L in these vans is unacceptable for the money.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY · 25V720000
2025-10-23
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2026 Ram ProMaster vehicles. The electrical circuit for the radiator fan may overheat.
Consequence: Electrical circuits that overheat increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cooling fan module and fuse. In addition dealers will provide an addendum for the manual and label for the power distribution center. Some interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 11, 2025. Some owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 11, 2025. Additional owner notification letters were mailed in January and March 2026. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's numbers for this recall are 67C, B3C, and C9C. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 30, 2025.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT · 20V582000
2020-10-15
Prime-Time Specialty Vehicles (Prime-Time) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Paratransit vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines. The transmission shifter cable may separate and disconnect from the transmission, causing the vehicle to not perform shifts intended by the driver and the gear shift lever position not matching the actual transmission gear.
Consequence: The driver may be unaware of the actual gear position and unintended vehicle movement can occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Prime-Time will notify owners instructing them to take their vehicles to Ram dealers for the necessary repairs, free of charge. Owners may contact Prime-Time customer service at 1-574-293-9191. Prime-Time's number for this recall is W00.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT · 20V036000
2020-01-23
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram ProMaster vehicles equipped 3.6L engines. The transmission shifter cable may separate and disconnect from the transmission, causing the vehicle to not perform shifts intended by the driver and the gear shift lever position not matching the actual transmission gear.
Consequence: The driver may be unaware of the actual gear position and unintended vehicle movement can occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission shift cable, free of charge. The recall began May 26, 2020. Owners may contact Ram Trucks at 1-866-726-4636. Chrysler's number for this recall is W00.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER · 19V818000
2019-11-15
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ram ProMaster vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel or 3.6L gasoline engines and air conditioning (A/C). The engine cooling fan may seize which can cause the cooling fan motor to overheat.
Consequence: An overheated fan motor increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Chrysler will inform owners, and dealers will replace the engine cooling fan module, free of charge. Interim owner notifications informing owners of the safety risk were mailed December 10, 2019. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. The recall began July 7, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB2.
EQUIPMENT · 19V428000
2019-06-11
Unicell Body Company Inc. (Unicell) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savanna, 2018-2019 Hino 155, Ford Econoline and Transit and Isuzu NPR, and 2018 Ram ProMaster-based vehicles equipped with ASA Electronics Voyager monitors used to display the back-up camera image. The affected monitors may revert back to the factory default settings which may cause the camera image to be reversed.
Consequence: The driver may inadvertently turn the wrong direction to avoid an object behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Unicell will work with ASA Electronics to notify owners and offer a remedy, free of charge. The recall began May 9, 2019. Owners may contact ASA Electronics customer service 1-800-384-4400 or Unicell at 1-716-853-8628.
SEATS · 19V333000
2019-04-29
New England Wheels (New England) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Ford Transit and 2014-2019 Ram Promaster 2500 and 3500 vehicles modified to be equipped with Freedman Go-ES Foldaway seats. When the back seat cushion is rotated from the stowed position to the upright position, the seat cushion may not remain locked into place when under load, such as in a crash or a sudden stop.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: New England has notified owners, directing them to contact Freedman for repairs to the foldaway seats, free of charge. The recall began May 27, 2019. Owners may contact Freedman customer service at 1-800-443-4540 or New England at 1-800-886-9247.
SEATS · 19V313000
2019-04-18
Mobility Transportation Services (MobilityTrans) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Ford Transit and Ram Promaster vehicles and 2014-2015 Ford Econoline vehicles modified to be equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats, part numbers 43705, 45467, 48923, and 75719. When the back seat cushion is rotated from the stowed position to the upright position, the seat cushion may not remain locked into place when under load, such as in a crash or a sudden stop.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: MobilityTrans will notify owners and Freedman Seating dealers will inspect and repair the foldaway seat, free of charge. The recall began May 19, 2019. Owners may contact Mobility Transportation Services customer service at 1-734-453-6452.
SEATS · 19V332000
2019-03-01
Prime-Time Specialty Vehicles (Prime-Time) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ram ProMaster and Ford Transit vehicles modified to be equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats. When the seat back cushion is rotated from the stowed position to the upright position, the seat cushion may not remain locked into place when under load, such as in a crash or a sudden stop.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Prime-Time Specialty Vehicles has notified owners, and Freedman dealers have inspected and repaired the foldaway seats, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2018. Owners may contact Freedman customer service at 1-800-443-4540 or Prime-Time Specialty Vehicles at 1-574-293-9191.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
Consequence: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW · 17V712000
2017-11-14
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Ram ProMaster vehicles. An incorrect rivet may have been used to attach the front door impact sensor which can cause the sensor housing to fracture.
Consequence: A fractured sensor could affect the deployment of the standard supplemental side airbags during certain side impact crashes, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front door impact pressure sensors, securing them with the correct rivets, free of charge. The recall began January 11 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T64.
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