The yearly figures on this page are ServiceSage Auto estimates of maintenance plus typical repairs for a 1500 driven about 12,000 miles a year in average conditions. They are not quotes, not manufacturer figures, and not an average of what our own users have spent - we do not have enough logged costs to publish that.
How they are built: the 10-year total is the midpoint between RepairPal's average annual repair cost (times ten) and CarEdge's published 10-year maintenance and repair total. Each year's share of that total follows CarEdge's own year-by-year curve, and the major-repair percentages for years 1-10 are CarEdge's. Years 11 and 12 are our extrapolation beyond any published data.
Your own number will differ with the engine, mileage, climate, how the car is driven and who does the work.
The service intervals behind each year come from the owner's manual - see the RAM 1500 maintenance schedule.
Sources
Lower-confidence figures
| Year | Estimated annual maintenance cost |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | $515 |
| Year 2 | $600 |
| Year 3 | $765 |
| Year 4 | $980 |
| Year 5 | $1185 |
| Year 6 | $1560 |
| Year 7 | $1730 |
| Year 8 | $1815 |
| Year 9 | $1890 |
| Year 10 | $1960 |
| Year 11 | $2035 |
| Year 12 | $2110 |
At 15,000 miles a year and the U.S. average of $4.28 a gallon (EIA, week of Oct 19, 2026), a 2025 Ram 1500 4WD 3.6L V6 (EPA 21 mpg combined) burns about $3,060 of gas a year - about $4,308 in California and $2,646 in Texas.
Maintenance + fuel per year: about $4,360 at the U.S. average gas price - this page's $1,300 average maintenance (years 1-10 of the cost table) plus $3,060 of gas.
Compare the true cost to own in your state
Fuel economy: EPA combined rating (fueleconomy.gov). Gas prices: EIA weekly retail regular gasoline, week of Oct 19, 2026; EIA prices nine states on their own, and every other state uses its EIA regional average. Today's price - no inflation over the years you own it.
| Generation | Engine | Est. annual cost | Known issues | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Gen DS (2015-2018) | 3.6L Pentastar V6 / 5.7L HEMI V8 / 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 (8HP 8-speed) | $1,100-$1,500 | HEMI tick: the MDS cylinder-deactivation lifters and camshaft are the subject of long-running owner complaints and class-action litigation against FCA (Petro v. FCA US LLC) - a lifter/cam job is a heads-off repair; Broken exhaust manifold bolts are a well-known HEMI pattern; RepairPal estimates the manifold gasket job at $332-$473, and it climbs when bolts snap off in the head; The 3.0L EcoDiesel of these years is bound up in the FCA emissions consent decree - verify software and warranty status on any used one | Cheapest buy-in; the 3.6L Pentastar avoids both the MDS lifter and the 16-plug tune-up |
| 5th Gen DT (2019-2024) | 3.6L Pentastar eTorque / 5.7L HEMI eTorque / 3.0L EcoDiesel (2020-2023) / 6.2L supercharged TRX | $1,200-$1,600 | Long recall list - among them a 2020-2023 EcoDiesel high-pressure fuel pump failure campaign (NHTSA 22V767) and a powertrain control module stall recall (23V265); all free at a dealer; The 48V eTorque mild-hybrid adds a belt-starter-generator and its own battery, warranted 8 years/100,000 miles; HEMI lifter and manifold-bolt watch items carry over; the Pentastar V6 remains the low-cost engine | The best-riding full-size truck of its era - pick the Pentastar eTorque if running cost is the priority |
| DT refresh (2025-2026) | 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo I6 (420 hp / 540 hp RHO); 5.7L HEMI V8 returns for 2026 | Too new for reliable data | The Hurricane twin-turbo I6 is a new engine family with no long-term cost record yet - verify its service parts and intervals against a current dealer catalogue rather than assuming HEMI/Pentastar interchange; Boosted direct-injection engines historically run shorter plug intervals than the naturally aspirated HEMI - confirm with the owner's manual; The 5.7L HEMI returns for 2026 by customer demand, bringing its known service profile back with it | Buyers who want the newest truck - but there is no 10-year cost history for the Hurricane yet |
| Service | DIY cost | Shop cost | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil Change (5W-20 synthetic) | $45-$80 | $85-$140 | 10,000 mi (8k EcoDiesel, 6k TRX) |
| Mopar Oil Filter (MO-349) | $8-$16 | incl. | Every oil change |
| Engine Air Filter | $22-$45 | $55-$95 | Every 30,000 mi |
| Cabin Air Filter | $14-$30 | $45-$85 | Every 20,000 mi |
| Spark Plugs (16 on HEMI, 12 on V6) | $70-$150 | $300-$650 | Every 100,000 mi |
| Transmission Fluid (ZF 8-speed) | $110-$190 | $300-$550 | Lifetime fill (change only if contaminated) |
| Front + Rear Axle Fluid (4WD) | $55-$110 | $210-$400 | Inspect every 30k; change then only for towing, off-road or fleet use |
| Transfer Case Fluid (4WD) | $30-$60 | $110-$200 | 120,000 mi (60,000 mi for towing or fleet use) |
| Fuel Filters (3.0L EcoDiesel) | $70-$130 | $200-$360 | Every 20,000 mi |
| Exhaust Manifold Gasket (HEMI) | $40-$90 | $332-$473 | As needed - broken bolts |
| Front Brake Pads + Rotors | $150-$280 | $400-$700 | Every 40,000-70,000 mi |
| Tires (set of 4) | $900-$1,500 | +install | Every 40,000-60,000 mi |
The honest answer is that it depends on which source you trust. RepairPal puts the fleet-wide average at $691 a year and ranks the RAM 1500 first among 17 full-size trucks for reliability. CarEdge projects $19,201 over 10 years, about $1,920 a year. That is a 2.8x gap - the widest of any model we cover - so we use the midpoint, roughly $13,000 over 10 years or $1,300 a year, and tell you the range rather than hiding it. Engine choice moves your own number more than anything else.
There are two different noises with very different bills. A tick that is loudest on a cold start and fades as the engine warms is usually a broken exhaust manifold bolt; RepairPal estimates the exhaust manifold gasket job at $332-$473. A tick that persists once warm, often with a misfire code, points at an MDS cylinder-deactivation lifter, which means the heads come off and the camshaft is usually replaced too - a repair independent shops commonly quote in the low thousands. Getting the diagnosis right before authorising work is the single most valuable thing a HEMI owner can do.
The 3.6L Pentastar V6. It uses 12 spark plugs rather than the 5.7L HEMI's 16, has no MDS cylinder-deactivation lifters, and needs no diesel fuel filters. The 3.0L EcoDiesel adds 20,000-mile fuel filters and a recall history including a high-pressure fuel pump campaign (NHTSA 22V767), and the 6.2L supercharged TRX runs a 6,000-mile oil interval on 0W-40. The 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo I6 that replaced most V8s for 2025 has no long-term cost record yet.
Not on a schedule. Ram's 2016-2026 manuals say the ZF 8-speed's factory fill "will provide satisfactory lubrication for the life of the vehicle. Routine fluid and filter changes are not required" - change it only if it is contaminated or the transmission is opened up. The driveline items are the transfer case (120,000 miles, or 60,000 for frequent towing or fleet use) and the axles (inspected every 30,000 miles, changed then for towing, off-road or fleet use). Together that is $85-$170 of fluid DIY against a driveline rebuild.
DIYing oil, filters, brake fluid, brakes, and the axle, transfer-case and transmission fluids saves roughly $3,000-$4,500 over 10 years - around a third off the all-shop bill. The truck has good underbody access and the driveline services in particular save $200-$400 each time they come around.
Compare purchase price, fuel and resale - see the break-even year. Open the break-even calculator.