1997 Dodge Ram Pickup

Routine

Owners filed 17 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the structure. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Structure3
000
Vehicle Speed Control2
000
Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs1
000
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System1
000
Tires1
000
Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil Springs1
000
Suspension1
000
Structure › Body › Door1
000
Structure › Body1
000
Steering1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Structure
Filed Oct 29, 20111,400,000 milesSC

DASH BOARD CRACKED ON DRIVERS SIDE AND MIDDLE FROM WHERE IT MEETS WINDSHIELD TO THE FACE OF DASH. *TR

Tires
Filed Sep 12, 200829,000 milesMD

WHILE DRIVING ON US HIGHWAY 231 IN ALABAMA A GOOD YEAR TIRE (LT245/75R16E) TREADS SEPARATED AND CAUSED OVER $4,600.00 DOLLARS DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF MY DODGE RAM TRUCK. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE NEW AND WERE OEM EQUIPMENT . THEY WOULDN'T STAY IN BALANCE VERY LONG AFTER BEING BALANCED. GOOD YEAR TIRE AND RUBBER CO. HAS OFFERED ME $L89.00 FOR A NEW TIRE AND $200.00 FOR THE DEDUCTIBLE INSURANCE I PAID GEICO. I TOLD GOOD YEAR THAT I WANTED ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY OF THE TIRES. ALSO, THAT IF ONE TIRE COULD HAVE TREAD SEPARATION ANY ONE OF THE OTHER THREE TIRES COULD DO THE SAME THING AND THE NEXT TIME MORE THAN THE TRUCK BODY WOULD GET DAMAGED-HUMANE BODY'S MIGHT GET DAMAGED. FURTHER MORE, $L89.50 THEY HAVE OFFERED ME FOR A NEW TIRE WILL NOT BUY A TIRE FOR MY TRUCK THAT IS SAFE TO DRIVE ON A HIGHWAY. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED A PRICE OF $273.00 FOR THE RIGHT TIRE[S] FOR MY TRUCK. I HAVE BEEN SINCE JUNE 21, 2008, TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER WITH GOOD YEAR TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS DAYS TRAVELING TO TIRE COMPANY WORKING WITH GOOD YEAR{FOUR TRIPS}, GEICO{ONE TRIP} AND THREE TRIPS TO THE BODY SHOP THAT REPAIRED MY TRUCK. I LOST THE USE OF MY TRUCK FOR THREE WEEKS WHILE IT WAS BEING REPAIRED. I KNOW GOOD YEAR TIRE AND RUBBER CO. (THE LARGEST TIRE MANUFACTURE IN THE WORLD} IS NOT TREATING ME FAIRLY ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT. *TR

Structure
Filed May 1, 2007FL

WE OWN A 1997 DODGE RAM. THE DASHBOARD IN THE VEHICLE HAS BROKEN APART IN MANY LOCATIONS INCLUDING THE VIN NUMBER PLATE, WHICH IS NO LONGER VISIBLE. ON MANY OCCASIONS THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT. *TR

Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System
Filed Dec 19, 2006110,000 milesOK

AIR CONDITIONING VENT ALWAYS SWITCHES TO THE DEFROSTER AND BACK TO THE AC VENT. WHILE DRIVING IN THE SNOW AND ICE THE HEATER WAS ON, THE DEFROSTER VENT AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHES TO THE VENT ON THE FLOOR AND THE AC VENT CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD TO ICE UP CAUSING NO VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDOW. DID RUN OFF THE ROAD. IT'S BEEN DOING THIS EVER SINCE THAT DAY. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE THAT THE GARAGE ATTENDANT SAID. HAVE DEALT WITH THIS FOR ALONG TIME. TRUCK IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. SHARP!! THE REASON I AM REPORTING THIS TIME IS THAT I NEARLY ESCAPED FROM HITTING A TREE THIS LAST ICE STORM. DON'T WANT TO BE A STATISTIC. *NM

Steering
Filed Nov 30, 2005WA

DODGE RAM 3/4 TON 4X4, 1997 . . ALL VEHICLES I HAVE DRIVE. 5 OR 6, ALL HAVE STEERING WHEEL PLAN AND FRONT END WANDER. IN OTHER WORDS YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND TURN IT SOME MORE BEFORE THE VEHICLE ACTUAL TURNS. ITS LIKE THOSE OLD MOVIES YOU SEE WHERE PEOPLE ARE MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH ALL THE TIME. WELL THAT IS WHAT THESE DODGES DO . . THEY SHOULD ALL BE RECALLED AND FIXED . . ITS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. *NM

Electrical SystemFire
Filed Aug 12, 2005NM

1997 DODGE RAM 2500 CAUGHT ON FIRE. *MR THE FIRE OCCURRED UNDER THE SHIFTER AND OUTSIDE UNDER THE HOOD. THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE DASH SILENCER PAD. ON ANOTHER OCCASION AFTER REPAIRS, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION THE A/C, CRUISE CONTROL AND TACHOMETER HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE, THE ALTERNATOR WOULD NOT CHARGE, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD DIM AND THE BATTERY WOULD BE DISCHARGED. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE COMPUTER HAD SHORTED OUT DUE TO THE FIRE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. *SC

Structure › Body
Filed Jul 10, 200353,663 milesMA

THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE RUSTED. *NLM *TS *JB

Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch
Filed May 28, 200361,534 milesOK

NAR 05/28/2003 *MR THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH MELTED AND BECAME NONO-FUNCTIONAL. *CB

Suspension
Filed Apr 25, 200336,346 milesMS

!)AT 36,246 MILES, BOLTS HOLDING TIE RODS TO STEERING BOX BROKE WHILE I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE. HAD TO FIGHT DODGE TO COVER UNDER WARRANTY. ORIGINALLY HAD VEHICLE IN FOR 'WANDERING STEERING' BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THEY REPLACED STEERING BOX, TIE RODS, BALL JOINTS, IDLER ARM AND OTHER RELATED COMPONETS. 2)18,276 MILES LATER, SAME DEALERSHIP STATES NEEDS NEW TIE RODS, IDLER ARM, PITMAN ARM, AND BALL JOINTS ON LEFT FRONT. FEEL THESE PARTS SHOULD BE REPLACED FREE AS THEY REPLACED THEMSELVES ONLY 18,000 MILES AGO. HAVE PROVIDED PROPER MAINTENANCE. IN THE MEANTIME, GETTING THESE AREAS GREASED AND EXAMINED AS DIRECTED IN OWNERS MANUAL BY CERTIFIED MECHANICS. 3)SAME DEALERSHIP THIS WEEK REPLACED HEADER AND MANIFOLD GASKETS STATING THEY WERE BURNED UP DUE TO OUR USING PLATINUM TIP SPARK PLUGS WHICH SUPPOSEDLY CAUSED GASKETS TO BURN UP AND ALLOW OIL TO LEAK INTO CYLINDER. ($459)THEY ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC COVERTER (UNDER WARRANTY). THROUGH RESEARCH ON INTERNET, HAVE FOUND THAT THE INTAKE ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSES EXACT PROBLEMS I WAS CHARGED FOR. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM, HAVE DOCUMENTATION THAT VEHICLE WAS IN THEIR SHOP ON OR AROUND THE TIME AT LEAST 2 OF THESE BULLETINS WERE ISSUED WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS THEY WERE TOLD TO LOOK FOR (OVERHEATING, SMELLING OF BURNING COMING FROM ENGINE, SMELL OF RAW GAS INSIDE VEHICLE). AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, THEY HAVE NEVER CHECKED OR REPLACED THE INTAKE. VEHICLE: 1997 DODGE RAM EXTENDED CAB LA

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Feb 3, 200325,502 milesFL

CONSUMER STATES AFTER THEY HAD THE RECALL 02 V 161 000 FOR THE THROTTLE LEAKAGE DONE ,THE STEERING WHEEL IS INOPERATIVE. THERE'S FUEL LEAKAGE, AND THE ODOMETER READ A DECREASE IN THE MILEAGE. PH

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jan 8, 2003MI

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED UP HILL AND NO WITH WARNING TRANSMISSION WILL DECELERATE EVEN WHEN FOOT IS ON ACCELERATOR, AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS.....*AK

Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs
Filed May 21, 2002IN

AFTER A ROUTINE TIRE ROTATION REPAIR, THE DEALER FAILED TO PROPERLY RETIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS RESULTING IN A NEAR CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT, AS A RESULT OF THIS THE CONSUMER IS HESITANT TO ACCEPT SERVICE AT ANY DAIMLER CHRYSLER ORGANIZATION. NLM

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Hood › Latch
Filed Apr 19, 2002FL

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 01V040000 NOTIFICATION FOR THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH REPLACEMENT, HOWEVER RECALL WORK HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED DUE TO SCHEDULING PROBLEMS WITH DEALERSHIP. *TT

Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil Springs
Filed Apr 16, 2002CA

COIL SPRING HAS BROKEN AWAY FROM FRAME.*AK

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Apr 1, 2001OH

DRIVER SIDE DOOR SHEET METAL CRACKED WHERE LATCH MECHANISM IS ATTACHED. *JB

Structure
Filed Apr 7, 2000OK

EVERY TIME IT RAINS, I HAVE STANDING WATER IN THE CAB OF THE TRUCK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM "REPAIRED" 4 TIMES, AND IT HADS OCCURED AGAIN. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME TILL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE TRUCK FAIL DUE TO EXPOSURE TO WATER. I AM EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED WITH THE DODGE TRUCK, AND ACCORDING TO THE DEALER , THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM, AS THEY HAVE HAD MANY TRUCKS WITH THE SAME TROUBLE IN THEIR AREA, NOT TO MENTION COUNTRY WIDE. THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING FROM CHANGING OUT THE REAR WINDOW (3 TIMES), TO REPLACING THE SEAL AND HOUSING SURROUNDING THE BRAKE LIGHT ABOVE THE REAR WINDOW. ALL OF THESE 'ATTEMPTS' HAVE FAILED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WE NEED HELP IN GETTING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM REMEDIED PROMPTLY , BEFORE MORE DAMAGE PRESENTS ITSELF IN TOTAL SHUTDOWN OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (OR WORSE) WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFO IF NEEDED. THANK YOU.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Sep 1, 1998OR

FRONT BRAKES FAILED CAUSING PULSATION.

17 of 17 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1999
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
200314010Routine
200222110Routine
200120000Routine
20008000Routine
199933000Routine
199818010Routine
1997 — this page17010Routine
19966001Fatalities reported
19957020Routine
19942000Routine
19923000Routine

Compare every Ram Pickup 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.