Dodge Ram 1500
Owners filed 12,423 complaints across 23 model years of the Dodge Ram 1500. The 2005 drew the most (1,173).
Model years23
Complaints12,423
Recalls83
Fires246
Deaths29
Which Dodge Ram 1500 years should you avoid?
Going by 12,423 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Dodge Ram 1500 years to avoid are 1998.
- 19982.5× the usual share of fires, crashes and deaths for a car of its age (16 fires, 66 crashes, 8 deaths).
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every Dodge Ram 1500 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Steering | Routine | |
| 2012 | 698 | 7 | 10 | 32 | Electrical System | Above average | |
| 2011 | 689 | 4 | 7 | 28 | Electrical System | Above average | |
| 2010 | 488 | 4 | 3 | 26 | Power Train | Above average | |
| 2009 | 670 | 2 | 2 | 29 | Power Train | Above average | |
| 2008 | 554 | 8 | 6 | 40 | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2007 | 517 | 7 | 8 | 32 | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2006 | 792 | 12 | 8 | 43 | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2005 | 1,173 | 7 | 16 | 109 | Power Train | Do not drive | |
| 2004 | 1,099 | 8 | 29 | 84 | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2003 | 1,171 | 5 | 12 | 76 | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2002 | 815 | 6 | 14 | 55 | Structure | Fatalities reported | |
| 2001 | 1,112 | 3 | 35 | 65 | Structure | Fatalities reported | |
| 2000 | 513 | 3 | 8 | 37 | Structure | Above average | |
| 1999 | 610 | 1 | 19 | 64 | Structure | Fatalities reported | |
| 1998Avoid | 520 | 1 | 16 | 66 | Structure | Fatalities reported | |
| 1997 | 361 | 1 | 14 | 31 | Structure | Fatalities reported | |
| 1996 | 298 | 1 | 17 | 18 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Fatalities reported | |
| 1995 | 213 | 1 | 14 | 13 | Structure | Above average | |
| 1994 | 116 | 1 | 7 | 11 | Electrical System › Ignition › Switch | Routine | |
| 1993 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum | Routine | |
| 1992 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1991 | 7 | 0 | — | — | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.