Dodge Ram 1500
Owners filed 12,411 complaints across 23 model years of the Dodge Ram 1500. The 2003 drew the most (1,170); the 2014 the fewest (1).
Model years23
Complaints12,411
Recalls83
Fires246
Deaths29
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 | 697 | 7 | 10 | 32 | Electrical System | Above average | |
| 2011 | 688 | 4 | 7 | 28 | Electrical System | Above average | |
| 2010 | 486 | 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 | 1,168 | 7 | 16 | 108 | Power Train | Do not drive | |
| 2004 | 1,097 | 8 | 29 | 84 | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2003 | 1,170 | 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 | |
| 1998 | 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 |
Which Dodge Ram 1500 years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2003 is the weakest year on record, with 1,170 complaints concentrated in the air bags. It carries 5 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.