2017 RAM ProMaster City Problems: 9 Known Issues

On the 2015-2022 RAM ProMaster City 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir II I4 (ED6), the only engine offered in the ProMaster City is the 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir II (FCA engine family ED6), the same long block used in the Jeep Cherokee/Renegade/Compass, Dodge Dart and Fiat 500X. The oil-control piston rings coke up and lose their seal, so oil passes into the combustion chamber and is burned. Consumption of 1-2 quarts per 1,000 miles is routinely reported by ProMaster City owners, and because the van has no oil level gauge and the low-oil warning strategy is late, delivery and fleet vans run the sump down between service intervals and seize or spin a bearing with little warning. Forum reports include a 2016 ProMaster City needing a complete engine replacement at roughly 61,000 miles. This is NOT the 3.0L diesel or 3.6L Pentastar story from the full-size ProMaster - that van's engines are unrelated and this defect does not apply to them.

On the 2015-2022 RAM ProMaster City 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir II I4 (ED6), the 2.4L Tigershark uses MultiAir II electrohydraulic intake valve actuation: a solenoid-and-oil assembly (the "brick") bolted to the cylinder head replaces a conventional intake cam lobe profile. Its oil galleries and per-cylinder solenoids are extremely intolerant of dirty or degraded oil, and on a van that is already burning oil and running long fleet intervals the galleries varnish and the solenoids stick. The result is a cylinder-specific misfire, very rough idle, hesitation and a power-limiting limp mode. Because the same 2.4L ED6 MultiAir II unit is shared with the Jeep Renegade and Cherokee, the failure pattern and the repair procedure are identical across those vehicles. This is distinct from the transmission shift complaints already documented on this van - the driveability fault here originates in the cylinder head, not the 9-speed.

On the 2015-2022 RAM ProMaster City, the RAM ProMaster City uses the ZF 9HP48 9-speed automatic transmission which is plagued with harsh shifting, delayed engagement, gear hunting, and premature failure. The transmission struggles with low-speed maneuvers, often jerking or hesitating during parking lot driving. Some owners report the transmission failing to shift out of first gear or getting stuck in gear. Multiple TSBs have been issued for shift quality calibration (TSB 21-008-18 REV.C). The 9HP has been the subject of class-action lawsuits across multiple Stellantis vehicles. TCM software updates may help but many trucks need valve body replacement ($1,200-2,000) or complete transmission rebuild ($3,000-5,000).

On the 2015-2022 RAM ProMaster City, the ProMaster City uses the ZF 9HP 9-speed automatic transmission that is shared with several Fiat Chrysler vehicles. This transmission is notorious for harsh 1-2 and 2-3 shifts, delayed downshifts, and a pronounced hesitation when accelerating from a stop. The TCM (Transmission Control Module) software struggles with the gear ratio spacing, and the transmission can feel confused in stop-and-go urban delivery driving. FCA/Stellantis has released numerous TCM software updates to address the shifting behavior.

On the 2015-2017 RAM ProMaster City, certain 2015-2017 RAM ProMaster City vans were supplied with a Kidde plastic-handle or push-button 'Pindicator' fire extinguisher covered by NHTSA recall 17V824000. Kidde determined the extinguishers can clog, which either prevents the unit from discharging as expected or makes activating it take excessive force. Some Kidde models can also eject the nozzle off the valve assembly hard enough to injure the person using it, leaving the extinguisher inoperable at the same moment. This is a piece of equipment carried in the van, not a fault in the ProMaster City's own systems — commercial operators who moved the extinguisher into the cargo area or handed the van between drivers should still check it. NHTSA lists every covered extinguisher model at https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf.

On the 2015-2018 RAM ProMaster City, the ProMaster City was recalled twice for a wrong tire and loading placard. NHTSA campaign 17V601000 (11,288 vehicles, 2015-2017) covered placards showing incorrect vehicle capacity weight, incorrect total number of occupants, incorrect tire pressure, and/or "None" for the spare tire size on vans that actually shipped with a full-size spare. NHTSA campaign 18V129000 (FCA campaign U17) covered 2018 vans whose placard listed the wrong permitted occupant count. On a work van bought specifically for payload, a wrong capacity or wrong cold inflation figure leads directly to overloading and to tires run at the wrong pressure - the mechanism behind heat-driven tire failure on loaded vans.

On the 2015-2022 RAM ProMaster City, the RAM ProMaster City experiences various electrical system failures including random stalling, no-start conditions, instrument cluster blackouts, and multiple warning lights illuminating simultaneously. The Body Control Module (BCM) and Powertrain Control Module (PCM) are common failure points. Some vehicles stall while driving with no warning, creating dangerous situations. NHTSA has received hundreds of stalling complaints. The alternator and battery drain issues compound the electrical problems. TSB 08-048-19 addresses instrument cluster and BCM communication faults. PCM replacement: $600-1,200; BCM replacement: $400-800.

On the 2015-2018 RAM ProMaster City 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir II I4 (ED6), the single electric cooling fan module used on the ProMaster City fails in two ways: the fan control relay/circuit drops out, and the plastic fan blade separates or the motor seizes. Owners report the fan literally melting off its motor. Because the 2.4L relies entirely on this one fan at low road speed, failure shows up first in stop-and-go delivery duty as a temperature gauge climbing at idle that recovers on the highway. CarComplaints ranks cooling-fan-relay malfunction with engine overheating as the worst reported defect on the 2015 model year, with reports around 24,000-25,000 miles and repair costs near $600-650. A ProMaster City owner documented the dealer replacing the relay for a P0481 code, only to have the van overheat again about 100 miles later because the fan motor itself was the failed part. The same fan module family is used on the Jeep Renegade. Note this is a separate defect from the full-size Ram ProMaster 3.0L diesel / 3.6L gas cooling fan seizure recall - that recall does not cover the City.

On the 2015-2022 RAM ProMaster City, the ProMaster City cargo van variant has rear swing-out doors that are opened and closed hundreds of times per week in commercial delivery use. The door hinge pins and bushings wear rapidly under this use, causing the doors to sag, become difficult to close, and eventually scrape against the body. The upper hinge on the driver-side rear door fails first because the door weight concentrates on the upper hinge when open. Worn hinges also prevent the doors from sealing properly, allowing water intrusion into the cargo area.