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Model file · DodgeUpdated · 17 sources

Selling a non-running Dodge Ram 1500

Owners filed 1,112 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500, and 516 of them name the structure. Yet for every model year from 1993 through 1999, NHTSA's data lists no recall campaign at all. The early trucks drew complaints without recalls; the 2003 and later trucks drew both.

A red 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 regular-cab short-bed pickup with chrome wheels, parked on a street in front of a house
Photo: Elise240SX · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years in EPA data
1994-2014
Complaints to NHTSA (Dodge records)
12,409
Year with the most complaints
2003 (1,171)
Recall campaigns
28
Component named most
Power train (1,971)
Recall campaigns on 1993-1999 trucks
None in this data

This page counts NHTSA records filed under Dodge, 12,409 complaints as of October 10, 2026. NHTSA files the 2009-2014 trucks under both Dodge and Ram, so those years look thinner here than they really are.

When your Ram 1500 is dead, stuck in place, or not worth one more repair, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Year-by-year counts

Recall campaigns overlap model years, so the column doesn't total. Model years 1993 through 1997 are grouped because none of them has a recall campaign in the data.

Model yearOwner complaintsRecall campaignsTop component (count)
1993-19979940Structure, power train, brakes
19985200Structure (98)
19996100Structure (226)
20005132Structure (235)
20011,1122Structure (516)
20028153Structure (257)
20031,1711Air bags (452)
20041,0995Air bags (362)
20051,1694Power train (426)
20067929Air bags (184)
20075174Air bags (164)
20085545Air bags (161)
20096702Power train (202)
20104864Power train (207)
20116894Electrical (174)
20126976Electrical (140)
201410Steering (1)

No 2013 records are filed under Dodge. NHTSA files these years under both Dodge and Ram, and this page counts only the Dodge records.

What the complaints point to

The EPA data gives model years but no generation dates for this truck, so the groups below follow the complaint patterns.

1994-2002: the structure years

Structure leads the complaints on each model year between 1997 and 2002, peaking at 516 on the 2001. Power train and brakes fill out most of the rest.

The first recalls arrive with the 2000 trucks. Recall 01V153000 covers 2000-2001 pickups whose steering wheel deadener could detach from its cover and housing; dealers replaced the clockspring. Recall 03V078000 covers 2002 trucks whose steering column connector had an undersized terminal for the blower motor, which could heat up with the fan on high.

2003-2008: air bags take over

Air bags lead the 2003 (452 of 1,171) and the 2004 (362 of 1,099), and they lead again from 2006 to 2008. NHTSA marks three inflator recalls DO NOT DRIVE:

  • 15V312000: passenger inflator on 2003 trucks; 385,686 vehicles, shared with the Ram 2500 and 3500.
  • 15V313000: driver inflator, 2004-2008 in this data.
  • 16V352000: passenger inflator, 2004-2008 in this data.

The last two each top 4 million vehicles across Ram, Durango, Chrysler 300 and other models, so those totals are not Ram 1500 counts. Recall 14V770000 also replaced passenger inflators on 2004-2005 trucks.

The 2005 breaks the pattern: 426 of its 1,169 complaints name the power train. Recall 14V796000 covers 2005 Ram 1500s whose rear axle pinion nut could loosen because of an undersized spline. The 2006 has the most campaigns of any year here, nine. They include 06V353000, for a passenger air bag that could deploy too hard with some rear-facing child seats, and 07V038000, for front wheel bearings built with too little grease. Mega Cab 4x4 trucks from 2006-2008 are also in tie rod campaign 13V528000, which mostly covers 2500 and 3500 trucks.

2009-2014: axles, shifters and fuel tanks

Power train leads the 2009 (202 of 670) and the 2010 (207 of 486). Recall 13V038000 is the pinion nut again: dealers added a retainer on 2009-2012 trucks, and the campaign also takes in 2009-2011 Dakotas.

Two more campaigns cover 2010-2012 trucks in this data. Recall 17V821000 (1,482,874 vehicles across many Ram models) reflashes the software and inspects the BTSI, replacing it if needed. Recall 18V160000 bolts a bracket to the frame to hold the fuel tank on 2009-2012 trucks registered in states named in the recall, including Connecticut, Delaware and Illinois. On the 2012, recall 15V459000 secures the steering wheel wiring on trucks with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center.

Fix the truck or let it go?

Price the repair, then look up what the same truck sells for running. If those numbers are close, the repair rarely pays.

  1. Check recalls. NHTSA's VIN search lists anything still open. Our open recall guide explains selling with one pending.
  2. Rear axle noise or a clunk on takeoff? The pinion nut recalls cover 2005 and 2009-2012 trucks.
  3. Rusted through underneath? See rotted frame before spending money on the rest.
  4. Not sure where to start? The junk truck guide covers what matters on a dead pickup.

Getting it sold, all in one piece

  1. Write down the VIN, mileage and what's broken. Note 2WD or 4WD and the cab style.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Describe where it's parked: driveway, field, shop lot. Say whether the wheels turn and if a tire is flat, so we send the right gear.
  4. Keep it whole. Don't pull the bed, tailgate or wheels.
  5. Have your ID and title in hand once the driver gets there. Plates and insurance afterward: after you sell.

Related Dodge pages: the Ram 2500, the Ram 3500, the Dakota and all Dodge models.

Questions people ask

Which Dodge Ram 1500 years have the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2003, with 1,171 as of October 10, 2026. The 2005 (1,169), 2001 (1,112) and 2004 (1,099) are close behind, then the 2002 (815). These counts use NHTSA records filed under Dodge only.
Why are there almost no complaints for 2013 and 2014 trucks?
NHTSA files 2009-2014 half-ton pickups under both Dodge and Ram, and this page counts only the Dodge records. The Dodge file shows a single 2014 complaint and none for 2013. Records filed under Ram are not counted here.
Will you buy a Ram 1500 with a do-not-drive air bag recall still open?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US; nobody drives it anywhere. Enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls ahead of time to see which campaigns still need doing.
Should I sell the bed, tailgate or wheels off first?
No. Sell the whole car as it sits. Parts that are already gone change the offer, so list them when you ask.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. EPA fuel economy data (model years and name variants) fueleconomy.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 01V153000: steering wheel sound deadener, 2000-2001 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 03V078000: steering column connector, 2002 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 15V312000: passenger air bag inflator, 2003 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 15V313000: driver air bag inflator, 2004-2008 nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 16V352000: passenger air bag inflator, 2004-2008 nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 14V770000: passenger air bag inflator, 2004-2005 nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 14V796000: rear axle pinion nut, 2005 nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 06V353000: passenger air bag and child seats, 2006 nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 07V038000: front wheel bearing grease, 2006 nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 13V528000: tie rod, 2006-2008 Mega Cab 4x4 nhtsa.gov
  14. NHTSA recall 13V038000: rear axle pinion nut, 2009-2012 nhtsa.gov
  15. NHTSA recall 17V821000: shifter interlock, 2010-2012 nhtsa.gov
  16. NHTSA recall 18V160000: fuel tank mounting, 2009-2012 nhtsa.gov
  17. NHTSA recall 15V459000: steering wheel wiring, 2012 nhtsa.gov