IllustrationVEHICLE WAS RUNNING ROUGH, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. MECHANIC REPLACED ONE OF THE FUEL INJECTORS. ALSO, SAID ENGINE HEAD WAS MOST LIKELY CRACKED.
1996 Dodge RAM 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 520.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAM 1500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
50–25K
225–50K
450–75K
2075–100K
29100–150K
24150K+
84 reports with mileage · 214 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports17 fire reports13 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
19 reportsWHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR INSIDE PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT. ONCE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF CONSUMER NOTICED GASOLINE FLOWING IN A STEADY STREAM FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
FUEL PUMP ON MY 1996 DODGE PICKUP FAILED TO PUMP GAS TO ENGINE IN AUGUST OF 2000, WHILE PARKED . THE COST OF REPLACEMENT WAS APPROX. 450.00 DOLLARS. I AM CONCERNED ONLY BECAUSE I PAID $25000.00 DOLLARS FOR THIS TRUCK AND FIGURED THAT IT SHOLUD OF LASTED AT LEAST 100,000 MILES. IT JUST IRRITATES ME THAT CHRYSLER WILL NOT, NOR HAV…
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FUEL PUMP ON MY 1996 DODGE PICKUP FAILED TO PUMP GAS TO ENGINE IN AUGUST OF 2000, WHILE PARKED . THE COST OF REPLACEMENT WAS APPROX. 450.00 DOLLARS. I AM CONCERNED ONLY BECAUSE I PAID $25000.00 DOLLARS FOR THIS TRUCK AND FIGURED THAT IT SHOLUD OF LASTED AT LEAST 100,000 MILES. IT JUST IRRITATES ME THAT CHRYSLER WILL NOT, NOR HAVE THEY OFFERED TO LOOK INTO THIS DEFECTIVE PART, FUEL PUMP. ALSO, TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING IN AUGUST OF 2000, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT CHRYSLER, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS (AUTOMATIC) WHEN SHIFTING INTO THIRD. THIS SHOULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY HASAZRD. *AK
MY TRUCK WOULD NOT START. FIRST I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A NEW BATTERY, THEN A FUEL PUMP AND FINALLY A NEW ECU. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ALL OF THESE COMPONENTS TO FAIL SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND SHUTDOWN. I WAS TOLD BY THE PARTS MAN AT DALLAS DODGE THAT THE ECUS ARE DESIGNED TO FAIL PRMATURELY. ANOTHER CUSTOMER …
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MY TRUCK WOULD NOT START. FIRST I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A NEW BATTERY, THEN A FUEL PUMP AND FINALLY A NEW ECU. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ALL OF THESE COMPONENTS TO FAIL SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND SHUTDOWN. I WAS TOLD BY THE PARTS MAN AT DALLAS DODGE THAT THE ECUS ARE DESIGNED TO FAIL PRMATURELY. ANOTHER CUSTOMER ALSO STATED THAT THE SAME COMPUTER IN MY TURCK IS INSTALLED IN A NUMBER OF CHRYLSER PRODUCTS AND THAT IT FAILS WHEN OTHER COMPONENTS FAIL (IN HIS CASE WHEN THE ABS FAILED).
THROTTLE CABLE FRAYED/STUCK. ALSO FUEL LINE LEAK, AND REPLACED FRONT BRAKES.
GREY WIRE FROM FUEL PUMP TO SENDING UNIT IN FUEL TANK FAILED, BAD CONNECTION OVER HEATED AND MELTED IN FUEL TANK. THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AS A RESULT.
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER A NEW FUEL ROLLOVER VALVE WAS INSTALLED AS PER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 748. DRIVER SUFFERED INJURIES, AND VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.
FUEL RAIL LINE DEFECTIVE.
THE BACK BRACKET WHICH HOLDS THE FUEL TANK, BROKE AND CAUSED THE TANK TO ALMOST FALLL OFF.*AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP03006 · Seat Back Failure
Opened Sep 23, 2003 · Closed Apr 8, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats; Seats:front Assembly:recliner
ODI HAS IDENTIFIED 30 INCIDENTS WHERE IT IS ALLEGED THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED IN A REAR IMPACT CRASH.THESE INCIDENTS ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO 23 INJURIES AND TWO DEATHS.THE DATA PRESENTED TO ODI SHOW THAT THE SEAT BACK STRENGTH OF THE FRONT SEATS COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207. SEATING SYSTEM.ACCORDING TO DAIMLERCHRYLSER THE FRONT SEATS WERE DESIGNED TO COLLAPSE REARWARD IN REAR IMPACT CRASHES AS PART OF THE ENERGY ABSORPTIONCAPABILITIES OF THE SEATING SYSTEM TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SERIOUS INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.RATES OF OCCURANCE WERE COMPARED TO PEER VEHICLES, AND IT WAS SHOWN THAT THE PERFORMACE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WAS COMPARABLE TO THOSE VEHICLES.IN VIEW OF THE FORGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION REMEDY OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS DEFINED BY THE PETITIONER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THERFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE THE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR FURTHER DETAILS, REFER TO ODI'S RESPONSE TO THE PETITION PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER VOL.69, NO. 60 , DATED MARCH 29, 2004.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seats
ODI HAS IDENTIFIED 30 INCIDENTS WHERE IT IS ALLEGED THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED IN A REAR IMPACT CRASH.THESE INCIDENTS ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO 23 INJURIES AND TWO DEATHS.THE DATA PRESENTED TO ODI SHOW THAT THE SEAT BACK STRENGTH OF THE FRONT SEATS COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207. SEATING SYSTEM.ACCORDING TO DAIMLERCHRYLSER THE FRONT SEATS WERE DESIGNED TO COLLAPSE REARWARD IN REAR IMPACT CRASHES AS PART OF THE ENERGY ABSORPTIONCAPABILITIES OF THE SEATING SYSTEM TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SERIOUS INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.RATES OF OCCURANCE WERE COMPARED TO PEER VEHICLES, AND IT WAS SHOWN THAT THE PERFORMACE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WAS COMPARABLE TO THOSE VEHICLES.IN VIEW OF THE FORGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION REMEDY OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS DEFINED BY THE PETITIONER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THERFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE THE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR FURTHER DETAILS, REFER TO ODI'S RESPONSE TO THE PETITION PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER VOL.69, NO. 60 , DATED MARCH 29, 2004.
Seats:front Assembly:recliner
ODI HAS IDENTIFIED 30 INCIDENTS WHERE IT IS ALLEGED THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED IN A REAR IMPACT CRASH.THESE INCIDENTS ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO 23 INJURIES AND TWO DEATHS.THE DATA PRESENTED TO ODI SHOW THAT THE SEAT BACK STRENGTH OF THE FRONT SEATS COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207. SEATING SYSTEM.ACCORDING TO DAIMLERCHRYLSER THE FRONT SEATS WERE DESIGNED TO COLLAPSE REARWARD IN REAR IMPACT CRASHES AS PART OF THE ENERGY ABSORPTIONCAPABILITIES OF THE SEATING SYSTEM TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SERIOUS INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.RATES OF OCCURANCE WERE COMPARED TO PEER VEHICLES, AND IT WAS SHOWN THAT THE PERFORMACE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WAS COMPARABLE TO THOSE VEHICLES.IN VIEW OF THE FORGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION REMEDY OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS DEFINED BY THE PETITIONER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THERFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE THE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR FURTHER DETAILS, REFER TO ODI'S RESPONSE TO THE PETITION PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER VOL.69, NO. 60 , DATED MARCH 29, 2004.