1993 Dodge Ram 3500

Routine

Owners filed 20 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the exterior lighting › headlights › switch. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch5
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip3
000
Suspension › Front2
000
Steering › Gear Box (other Than Rack and Pinion)2
000
Wheels1
000
Structure › Frame and Members1
000
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum1
000
Seats1
000
Equipment › Electrical › Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Aug 7, 200350,010 milesWI

IGNITION SYSTEM FAILURE. THE KEY WILL TURN IN THE IGNITION, BUT WOULDN'T ENGAGE. PER DEALERSHIP IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED REPLACEMENT BECAUSE IT HAD BURNED OUT. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. DEALERSHIP HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE VEHICLE. *AK *CB *JB

Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch
Filed Aug 30, 1999LA

HEAD LIGHT SWITCH HAD TURNED RED HOT & MELTED CENTER CONNECTOR. WAS REPLACED AT LEAST 5 OTHER TIMES. THE LAST TIME SWITCH REPLACED, HAD TO BY PASS THE MIDDLE PRONG. TAKING BACK TO DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED & REPAIRED AGAIN. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum
Filed Jan 25, 1999NC

BRAKE DRUMS/SHOES FAILED.

Seats
Filed Jan 20, 1998AL

PASSENGER BUCKET SEAT FRAME BREAKS AT THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE SEAT TO THE FLOOR (ANCHOR), SEVERAL TIMES.

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Nov 28, 1997TX

WHILE WORKING ON VEHICLE NOTICED THAT THE FRAME AND STEERING BRACKET CRACKED. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under Dash
Filed Oct 17, 1997TX

WIRING HARNESS TO THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH IS INADEQUATE CASING THE SWITCH TO GET TOO HOT AND SHORT OUT RESULTING IN LIGHT FAILURES.

Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch
Filed Oct 14, 1997MS

HEAD LIGHT SWITCH FAILED.

Wheels
Filed Feb 11, 1997FL

PROBLEM WITH WHEELS CAUSE VIBRATION AT CERTAIN SPEEDS.

Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch
Filed Nov 19, 1996IA

THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAS BURNT OUT AS A RESULT OF THE CONNECTION TO THE TRAILER LIGHTS. *AK

Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Filed May 17, 1996FL

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THERE IS LOT OF PLAY, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *AK

Steering › Gear Box (other Than Rack and Pinion)
Filed Apr 12, 1996PA

STEERING GEAR BOX IS LEAKING STEERING FLUID, DEALER WILL REPLACE GEAR BOX. *AK

Steering › Gear Box (other Than Rack and Pinion)
Filed Oct 31, 1995TX

STEERING GEAR BOX BROKE AWAY FROM THE FRAME, WHILE DRIVING, REPLACE STEERING BOX AND NEW BRACKET. TT *JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Aug 9, 1995AZ

ABS BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED, RESULTING IN LONG STOPPING DISTANCE. TT

Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch
Filed Jul 29, 1995AR

THE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED AT 23,000 MILES IT FAILED AT 6,000 MILE LATER ONLY HAVE THE HEAD LIGHT BEAM . TT

Equipment › Electrical › Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.
Filed Jul 25, 1995DE

RADIO AND SPEAKER DON'T WORK . TT

Suspension › Front
Filed May 22, 1995AZ

NOTICE ROUGH VEHICLE. TT

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Apr 14, 1995FL

ABS BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY DOES NOT PERFORM PROPERLY, SOMETIMES INOPERATIVE. PLEASE DESCRIBE EACH INCIDENT(S). TT

Suspension › Front
Filed Feb 22, 1995FL

2ND TRUCK NOTICED A LOT OF VIBRATION IN VEHICLE FRONT END WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND UP, ALSO REPLACED FRONT TIRE TO NO AVAIL, IN FOR SERVICE 9 TIMES. TT

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Feb 10, 1995CA

ABS BRAKES FAILS TO STOP VEHICLE EFFECTIVELY WHEN APPLIED CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING/INOPERATIVE. REPAIRED ONCE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.

Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch
Filed Jan 4, 1995CA

HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAS GONE OUT THREE TIMES. TT

20 of 20 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2012
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2012366980Above average
2011225550Above average
2010150940Do not drive
2009105520Do not drive
200817311140Do not drive
200721014140Do not drive
20062571142Do not drive
2005196761Fatalities reported
2004214740Above average
2003286910Do not drive
200244100Routine
2001130130Routine
200058151Fatalities reported
1999104161Fatalities reported
19981051100Routine
19971251120Routine
19961241100Routine
1995108160Routine
199470170Routine
1993 — this page20000Routine
199210000Routine
19914000Routine

Compare every Ram 3500 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.