Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1996 record →
ABS BRAKES FAILED WHEN TRYING TO STOP AT LIGHT, APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKES WHEN COMING TO A BUMPY STOP, HIT CAR IN REAR, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE.*AK
WHEN PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR THE TRUCK HESITATED AND THEN IT ACCELERATED. .*AK
TRANSFER CASE AND UNIVERSAL JOINT BROKE.
CONSUMER HAS A 1995 MODE, MANUFACTURER GAVE CONSUMER A 1996, THE PROBLEM IS THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THERE WAS NO STEERING CONTROL ON BOTH TRUCKS, STILL HAVING SAME PROBLEM .*AK *SLC
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE ABS BRAKES FAILED. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION AT 25 MPH. A SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED TWICE.*AK
WHEN PUSHING UP ON LEVER LOCATED ON THE BACKS OF DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S SEATS, FINGERS ARE PINCHED, CAUSING BLISTERS.
FAILURE ON THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG, CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AND THE DIRVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
DURING FRONTAL IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, ALSO ABS BRAKES FAILED. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LOCKED UP. PLEASE DESCRIBE.*AK
ABS BRAKES FAILED WITH BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR, ALSO 3RD SIDEVIEW MIRROR BLURS VISSION. *AK
ABS/REAR WHEEL: WHEN COMING TO A STOP, BRAKING TAKES EXTREMELY LONG TIME TO STOP, DRIVER LITERALLY HAS TO STAND ON BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP, CAUSED ACCIDENT, VEHICLE RAN INTO LIGHT POST.*AK
FRONT BRAKE PADS/CALIPERS FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL TO THE RIGHT, ALSO STEERING WHEEL OFF CENTER. *AK
FAILURE OF THE ABS BRAKES, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER ASSIST, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR.*AK
GOING TO A CAMP GROUND ON DIRT ROAD, HAULING A TRAILER, GOING DOWN A HILL, DRIVER TRIED TO APPLY BRAKES (ABS), HAD NO BRAKES, RAN INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE W/TRAILER, THE OTHER VEHICLE LITERALLY STOPPED THE VEHICLE AT BOTTOM OF HILL.*AK AFTER INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS FAULTY. *SLC
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. WHEN THE ABS BRAKES ARE APPLIED, A SEVERE PULL TO THE RIGHT IS EXPERIENCED.*AK
IGNITION SWITCH FAIULURE, THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE SWITCH AND CAN NOT GET THE KEY OUT. *AK
BRAKE ROTORS/PADS/MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE/PULLING TO ONE SIDE.
ABS; WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. LOST ALL BRAKING POWER, ALSO REPLACED LEAKING MASTER CYLINDER/BOOSTER . *AK
APPLIED BRAKES, FRONT BRAKES COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED, DRIVER HEARD LOUD NOISE, NOTICED LOSS OF STOPPING POWER PRIOR TO FAILURE, NO OTHER PRIOR WARNING. DROVE VERY SLOWLY UNTIL CAME TO STOP, NO ACCIDENT.*AK
BRAKE PROBLEM CAUSES VEHICLE TO PULL TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED.
TRANSMISSION SLIPS IN/OUT OF THIRD GEAR.
WHEN BACKING THE TRUCK THERE WERE NO BRAKES WHEN GOING FORWARD, VEHICLE HAS ABS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES . PLEASE DESCIBE.*AK
DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT, VEHICLE WENT INTO A TREE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN AT A 12:00 POSITION VEHICLE HIT A POLE AND BROKE IT IN HALF AT APPROX. 35-45MPH. DRIVER HAD FACIAL INJURIES. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN DAMP WEATHER, THE FRONT BRAKES LOCK UP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE.*AK
ROUTING OF TRANSFER HOSES CAUSE HOSES TO BURN/MELT ON EXHAUST/4 WHEEL DRIVE TO FAIL.
WHILE IDLING, TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE ,CAUSE UNKNOWN. LEFT ARM AND LEG WERE BURNT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
INSULATION FROM UNDER THE HOOD BURNT. DURING VEHICLE OPERATION.*AK
REAR SPRINGS INSUFFICIENT TO TOW TRAILER, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.
DUE TO NO FRONT SUSPENSION, THE VEHICLE FRONT TIRES ARE WEARING OFTEN. *AK
ABS: ANTI-LOCK BRAKES/NORMAL BRAKE LIGHT ON DASHBOARD REMAINS ILLUMINATED;RESET WHEN ENGINE IS OFF, COMES BACK ON UPON STARTUP, CAUSING ABS TO FAIL. *AK
BOX HAS SEPARATED AND CAUSED TAILGATE TO FALL FROM THE TRUCK. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
ABS, BRAKES MAKE A LOUD NOISE WHEN COMING TO A STOP, VEHICLE WILL JUMP WHEN COMING TO A STOP, ALSO REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS/ WINDSHIELD WIPR BLADE/REARVIEW MIRROR. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE STEERING CAME APART. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE UPPER UNIVERSAL JOINT DROPPED OFF THE STEERING SHAFT, CAUSING NO STEERING CONTROL, THE STEERING SHAFT AND UNIVERSAL JOINT WERE NOT ASSEMBLED PROPERLY AT THE FACTORY, UPPER UNIVERSAL JOINT WAS BARELY STUCK ONTO THE END OF THE STEERING SHAFT, THE UNIVERSAL JOINT WAS STUCK ONTO THE SHAFT ONLY UP TO THE AREA OF THE UPPER UNIVERSAL JOINT. *SLC
FAILURE ON THE FRONT DISC BRAKES, NEED TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKES AND PADS AND SHOES TO OFTEN. *AK
ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE WHEN COMING OFF EXIT. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE STEERED TO THE LEFT. ALMOST CAUSED AN IDENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
ABS; RAN INTO THE BACK OF A VEHICLE BECAUSE BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE TRUCK. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
TRUCK WAS IN PARK, DRIVER GOT OUT TRUCK, TRUCK JUMPED INTO REVERSE, RAN OVER DRIVER'S LEG. LEG WAS LOST. HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE THEN. *AK
VEHICLE SLIPPED FROM PARK INTO REVERSE WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. *AK
EPA STANDARD. ONBOARD COMPUTER REDESIGNED FOR 1999, DOESN'T PROVIDE PROPER READING TO ENGINE, RESULTING IN HESITATION AND STALLING. *AK
ASK FOR EXT 455. BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY SOMETHING POPPED, NOTICED LIGHT ON DASH PANEL. LOSS TOTAL BRAKE AND ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. *AK
W/ALL AROUND ABS BRAKES; PERFORMANCE WHEN APPLIED RESULTS IN EXCESSIVE PULLING IN EITHER DIRECTION W/CAUSE UNKNOWN. PADS, ROTORS AND CALIPERS REPLACED. *AK
CONSUMER STARTED TRUCK AND THE FUEL LINE CLIP CAME LOOSE AND ALL THE GASOLINE SPILLED OUT, PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
AT 50 MPH THE REAR END SHAKES. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
WHEEL LUG BOLTS BROKE, ON THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WHILE DRIVING. *AK
THE ABS SYSTEM WILL NOT STOP THE VEHICLE AT ALL. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
ABS BRAKING SYSTEM NOT WORKING PROPERLY, EXPERIENCING WEAK/MUSHY BRAKE PEDAL. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN MORE DETAILS. *AK
DRIVING AT SPEED OF 35MPH, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, DRIVER SIDE LAP/SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RETRACT/ABS BRAKES LOCKED UP. *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1996 Dodge Ram → · Every Ram year → · How the figures are calculated →