Selling an old Dodge Ram 50 pickup
Seat belts are the story of this truck in NHTSA's files: 21 of the 32 complaints owners filed about the Ram 50 name them, counted as of October 10, 2026. Nothing else comes close. Brakes are next with 3.
- Made by
- Mitsubishi Motors, Okazaki, Japan
- Model years in EPA data
- 1984-1993
- Drive
- Rear-wheel or four-wheel drive
- Complaints to NHTSA
- 32
- Complaints naming seat belts
- 21
- Recall campaigns
- 2
If yours is rusting in a side yard with a buckle that won't latch, it can still go as one piece. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and you can sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.
A Mitsubishi with a Dodge badge
Wikipedia lists Mitsubishi Motors as the maker. The first two generations of the Ram 50 came from Mitsubishi's Nagoya plant in Okazaki, Japan, and Mitsubishi also sold it as the Mighty Max. EPA's data shows two-wheel-drive Ram 50 pickups and four-wheel-drive Power Ram 50s.
1984-1986: first generation
Wikipedia's first-generation truck was built from 1978 to 1986, with 1.6- and 2.0-liter fours. Recall 84V157000 covers 1984-1985 trucks whose oil pressure sending unit could leak oil; it was replaced free. That campaign counted 6,755 vehicles. NHTSA holds 2 complaints across 1985 and 1986, and none for 1984.
1987-1993: second generation
Wikipedia's second generation was built from 1986 to 1996, with 2.0-, 2.4- and 2.6-liter fours. This is where the complaints sit: 30 of the 32, almost all of them about belts on the 1987-1989 trucks.
Recall 95V103003 explains why. On 1986-1991 trucks, a front buckle's red release button, the one marked "PRESS", may crack apart. On the Ram 50, broken bits could drop into the latch and lock it up, so owners were asked to inspect both front buckles. With 920,000 vehicles in that recall, it likely goes far beyond the Ram 50.
NHTSA has no complaints on file for 1992 or 1993.
The numbers by year
We took these numbers from NHTSA owner complaints on record October 10, 2026.
| Year | Complaints | Seat belts | Recalls | Other parts named |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Fuel system 1 |
| 1986 | 1 | 1 | 1 | none |
| 1987 | 9 | 9 | 1 | none |
| 1988 | 9 | 6 | 1 | Engine 1, tires 1 (1 crash, 1 injured) |
| 1989 | 5 | 4 | 1 | Unknown or other 1 |
| 1990 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Brakes 2, electrical 1 |
| 1991 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Electrical, brakes, structure (1 fire) |
Is it worth fixing?
Check the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup, and test both front buckles on a 1986-1991 truck. Beyond that, every Ram 50 is decades old. If it's been parked a long time, read sitting for years. If rust has reached the frame, see rotted frame. For trucks in general, see junk truck or SUV.
How to sell it whole
Have the VIN and say whether it's a Ram 50 or a four-wheel-drive Power Ram 50. Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008. Give us the location and say whether it could be rolled up onto a flatbed. Leave the engine and wheels on, and keep the title handy for the driver. A missing title has its own guide: selling with no title.
Questions people ask
- Who built the Dodge Ram 50?
- Mitsubishi. Wikipedia lists Mitsubishi Motors as the maker and the Nagoya plant in Okazaki, Japan, as where the first two generations were assembled. Mitsubishi sold its own version as the Mighty Max.
- What is the Ram 50 seat belt recall?
- Recall 95V103003 covers 1986-1991 trucks. Red plastic buttons stamped PRESS on the front buckles can snap, and broken bits can keep the buckle from working. NHTSA's notice asks owners to inspect both. It is a 920,000-vehicle campaign, so other models are likely in it.
- Will you take a Ram 50 that doesn't run?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, small trucks included, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Mention whether it's a Power Ram 50 with four-wheel drive.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.
- EPA fuel economy data: Dodge Ram 50 and Power Ram 50, 1984-1993 fueleconomy.gov
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 84V157000: oil pressure sending unit, 1984-1985 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 95V103003: front seat belt buckle release buttons, 1986-1991 nhtsa.gov
- Wikipedia: Dodge Ram 50 / Mitsubishi Triton (maker, plants, engines) en.wikipedia.org