Case file · RAM-1500-2013-2018 · Cost ledger
Ram 1500 2013–2018 · Maintenance schedule & cost to maintain
Scheduled service only, not the documented problems (those are on the case file's problem list, with their own cost calculator). Every interval and cost range below is sourced, not estimated.
Where the manufacturer publishes separate normal and severe-condition schedules, this ledger defaults to the severe interval and says so. That's not us padding the numbers: a manufacturer's own severe-duty list usually describes ordinary driving, things like short trips, stop-and-go traffic, extended idling, dust or road salt. But the list is written per manufacturer and sometimes per model year, and some are far narrower than others, so each item's "why" text names what this manufacturer actually wrote and gives the normal-schedule number alongside it. Read the item, not this paragraph.
Track Ram 1500 2013–2018
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Cumulative cost
What routine maintenance adds up to, by mileage
Running total of the independent-shop cost ranges below. Each bar is everything due by that point, added to everything before it.
Solid bar = low estimate, tint = high estimate. This is a routine-maintenance floor, not a total cost of ownership. Fuel, insurance, tires, and any of the documented problems above are separate. Items that recur more than once per interval under a severe-duty schedule (an air filter due every 5k, say) are counted here at one occurrence, not the full repeat total. The real cumulative spend for a high-mileage severe-duty driver runs higher than this chart shows.
Parts below link to Amazon, and to eBay for tires. Those are affiliate links, so we may earn a commission if you buy. Your price is the same either way, and a commission never changes what this page says.
Every oil change indicator alert (at least every 10,000 mi or 12 months)
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Engine oil and filter, gas 3.6L, 4.7L and 5.7L (oil change indicator; 4,000 mi on Ram's Severe Duty test)
$180–$209Change it when the indicator says, never past 10,000 miles or 12 months. Ram's own Severe Duty test is narrow: 4,000 miles if the truck works in dusty, off-road use (2014 book) or also mostly idles (2015-2018 books). The 2013 book has no such line. 5W-20 to MS-6395: 6 qt on the 3.6L and 4.7L, 7 qt on the 5.7L. RepairPal's 2013 row: $180-$209.
Shop this part on the case file's parts desk → -
Engine oil and filter, 3.0L EcoDiesel (oil change indicator)
Same indicator rule and the same 10,000-mile, 12-month ceiling. The 2014, 2015 and 2018 diesel supplements print no Severe Duty line. On B6 to B20 biodiesel the cap drops to 8,000 miles or 6 months. Oil: 5W-30 synthetic low ash in the 2014-2016 supplements, 5W-40 synthetic in 2017-2018, 10.5 qt. Ram also says drain water from the fuel filter at every oil change.
Shop this part on the case file's parts desk → -
Tire rotation
$49–$72Ram ties rotation to every oil change alert, and says rotate at the first sign of irregular wear even if that comes sooner. On a 4x4 the books say four-wheel drive depends on tires of equal size, type and circumference on each wheel, so a replacement tire on a 4x4 has to match the other three. RepairPal: $49-$72 across 2013-2018.
Sources: Ram (2013 manual), Ram (2014 manual), Ram (2015 manual), Ram (2018 manual), Ram (2014 diesel supplement), Ram (2016 diesel supplement), Ram (2017 diesel supplement), Ram (2018 diesel supplement), RepairPal (oil change), RepairPal (rotation)
20,000 mi
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Cabin air filter (2017-2018 books only)
$75–$92The 2017 and 2018 books list it: replace every 20,000 miles. The 2013-2016 books never mention a cabin filter, so on those trucks check the parts card for the retrofit door before you buy an element. RepairPal rows for 2017-2018: $75-$92.
Parts for this job: Cabin air filter.
Sources: Ram (2017 manual), Ram (2018 manual), RepairPal
20,000-30,000 mi
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Front and rear axle fluid (severe-schedule default)
Ram inspects the axles on a grid and changes the fluid only for police, taxi, fleet, off-road or frequent trailer towing. That grid is every 20,000 miles in the 2013-2014 books and the 2014-2015 diesel supplements, every 30,000 in the 2015-2018 books' 1500 rows and the 2018 diesel supplement. No towing or off-road: inspect only, Ram sets no change.
- Rear axle oil changed inside the generation: the 2013-2016 books call for Mopar 75W-140 synthetic (MS-8985), the 2017-2018 books 75W-90 (MS-A0160). Limited-slip rear axles take 5 oz of Mopar limited slip additive in every book. The 4x4 front axle is 75W-85 GL-5 throughout.
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Fuel filter, 3.0L EcoDiesel
Every 30,000 miles in the 2014 and 2015 supplements. The 2018 supplement tightens it to every second oil change, never past 20,000 miles. On B6 to B20 biodiesel: 20,000 miles max in 2014-2015, 16,000 in 2018. The only 2016 and 2017 copies we found are truncated, so check your own book for those years.
Sources: Ram (2013 manual), Ram (2016 manual), Ram (2017 manual), Ram (2018 manual), Ram (2014 diesel supplement), Ram (2018 diesel supplement)
30,000 mi
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Engine air filter
$78–$95Every 30,000 miles in every 2013-2018 gas book and the 2014, 2015 and 2018 diesel supplements, with no shorter number. For dusty or off-road use Ram adds an inspection at every oil change alert. The EcoDiesel takes its own filter, see the diesel card. RepairPal: $78-$95 across 2013-2018.
Parts for this job: Engine air filter (gas), Engine air filter (diesel).
All options on the parts desk →Engine air filter (gas)
Engine air filter (diesel)
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Spark plugs, 2013 5.7L Hemi and 4.7L V8 (2013 book)
$420–$892The 2013 book replaces 5.7L plugs every 30,000 miles. On the 4.7L it splits them: top (intake) row every 30,000, side (exhaust) row at 90,000, ignition cables at 100,000. In the 2014-2018 books the 5.7L goes to 100,000, see that line. Ram says plug intervals are mileage only. 5.7L gap 0.043 in.
Shop this part on the case file's parts desk →
Sources: Ram (2013 manual), Ram (2018 diesel supplement), RepairPal (air filter), RepairPal (spark plugs)
60,000 mi
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Six-speed automatic fluid and filters (severe-schedule default)
$184–$414Only the six-speed (the 65RFE, on the 4.7L and some 5.7L trucks in Ram's 2013 and 2018 towing charts) has a schedule: 60,000 miles for police, taxi, fleet or frequent trailer towing, 120,000 otherwise. ATF+4. The 2014-2018 rows say six-speed only. The 2013 row names no transmission. RepairPal rows do not split by transmission: $184-$414.
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Eight-speed automatic fluid (no Ram interval)
The 2014-2018 books say the factory fluid lasts the life of the vehicle under normal conditions and routine changes are not required, only after contamination or a teardown. The 2013 book names the 8-speed's fluid but gives it no change rule. A drain and refill is beyond Ram's book, and uses Mopar ZF 8&9 Speed ATF.
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Transfer case fluid, 4x4 (severe-schedule default)
Every 2013-2018 gas book and the 2014, 2015 and 2018 diesel supplements: change at 60,000 miles for police, taxi, fleet or frequent trailer towing, otherwise at 120,000, with inspections at 30,000, 90,000 and 150,000. Mopar BW44-44 fluid. No cost is given.
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Front brake pads (wear-based)
$327–$384Ram sets no mileage: it inspects pads, rotors and hoses at every oil change alert and the linings on the 20,000-mile grid. Towing and stop-and-go city use wear them fastest. RepairPal rows for 2014-2018: $327-$384.
Parts for this job: Front brake pads.
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Shocks and struts (wear-based, no Ram interval)
$485–$6,206Ram inspects the front suspension every 20,000 miles and sets no replacement. Worn shocks cup the tires even on a straight alignment, and new ones need an alignment after. RepairPal rows: $485-$1,006 for 2013-2014 but $2,675-$6,206 for 2015-2018, a jump the page does not explain.
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CV axle boots, 4x4 (inspect); CV axle (replace if a boot has torn)
$1,226–$1,306Ram inspects the CV joints every 30,000 miles. A torn front boot slings grease onto the brakes and lets grit into the joint, so a cheap boot job now saves the axle later. RepairPal lists axle shaft replacement at $1,226-$1,306 across 2013-2018.
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Control arm bushings (wear-based, no Ram interval)
Ram lists no bushing check by name, only the front suspension and tie rod ends every 20,000 miles. Worn bushings are why a fresh alignment will not hold, so check them before paying for one. Rubber hardens with age on low-mileage trucks too. No cost is given.
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Motor mounts (inspect, wear-based)
$409–$660No Ram interval, and our research found no documented mount weak point for this generation. Rubber mounts wear with age and torque, and a collapsed one lets the engine move, which loads the other mounts and the exhaust joints. Symptoms: a clunk into drive or reverse, vibration at idle in gear. RepairPal rows: $597-$660 for 2013-2016, $409-$449 for 2017-2018.
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Wheel alignment (after tires or suspension work)
$183–$269Not a Ram mileage item. Get one with new tires and after shock, bushing or steering work, or the new parts wear unevenly. RepairPal: $183-$269 across 2013-2018.
- On a truck with the optional air suspension, Ram's books say Wheel Alignment Mode must be enabled before an alignment, so the system stops re-leveling the truck mid-job. Tell the shop before it starts.
Sources: Ram (2013 manual), Ram (2016 manual), Ram (2018 manual), Ram (2013 towing chart), Ram (2018 towing chart), RepairPal (transmission fluid), RepairPal (brake pads), RepairPal (shocks, struts), RepairPal (axle shaft), RepairPal (engine mount), RepairPal (alignment)
100,000 mi
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Spark plugs, 3.6L (all years) and 5.7L Hemi (2014-2018 books)
$420–$892Every 100,000 miles, mileage only. The 3.6L is at 100,000 in every 2013-2018 book, the 5.7L in the 2014-2018 books; 2013 5.7L trucks are on 30,000, see that line. Gap 0.043 in on both engines in the 2013 and 2014 books; the 2015-2018 books print no gap. RepairPal rows do not split by engine: $420-$892.
Shop this part on the case file's parts desk → -
Accessory drive belt, 3.0L EcoDiesel (replace)
$134–$163The 2014, 2015 and 2018 diesel supplements replace it at 100,000 miles. RepairPal's serpentine belt rows, not split by engine: $134-$163 across 2013-2018.
Shop this part on the case file's parts desk → -
Accessory drive belt, gas engines (inspect, no Ram mileage)
$134–$163The gas books set no belt mileage. The 2015-2018 books list what forces a replacement: cracks along a rib, chunking, frayed cords, glazing or noise. Cracks across the ribs are normal. RepairPal: $134-$163 across 2013-2018.
Shop this part on the case file's parts desk →
Sources: Ram (2014 manual), Ram (2016 manual), Ram (2014 diesel supplement), Ram (2018 diesel supplement), RepairPal (spark plugs), RepairPal (serpentine belt)
150,000 mi or 10 years
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Coolant drain, flush and refill (OAT)
$360–$766Every 2013-2018 gas book and the 2014, 2015 and 2018 diesel supplements: 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. OAT coolant only: Ram warns that mixing in HOAT or 'globally compatible' coolant means a full drain, flush and refill. RepairPal rows: $360-$434 for 2013, $633-$707 for 2014, $692-$766 for 2015-2018.
Sources: Ram (2013 manual), Ram (2016 manual), Ram (2014 diesel supplement), RepairPal
No Ram interval (test the fluid at every brake job)
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Brake fluid
$85–$125Ram's 2013-2018 books print no brake fluid change interval. They give only the grade: DOT 3, or DOT 4 if DOT 3 is not available. Have it tested at each brake job and flushed when it fails the test. RepairPal brake bleed rows for 2014-2018: $85-$125.
Sources: Ram (2013 manual), Ram (2018 manual), RepairPal
5 years (any mileage)
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Battery
$980–$1,009Load-test from year 3 and replace by year 5, before it strands you. Ram's books inspect and clean the terminals at every oil change alert. Match the group size and CCA on the parts card, and compare warranty terms, which differ by seller. RepairPal rows: $980-$1,009 for 2013-2018.
Parts for this job: Battery.
Sources: Ram (2018 manual), RepairPal
Parts links go to Amazon, and to eBay for tires. Affiliate links, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Confirm fitment against your VIN before ordering, mid-generation changes exist.