IllustrationTRANSMISSION IS BEING REPLACED FOR THIRD TIME.TRANSMISSION DOESN'T GIVE A DIAGNOSTIC READING. *AK
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
What owners actually said
298 reportsWHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, APPLIED BRAKES WHICH FAILED DUE TO MALFUNCTION OF FRONT ROTORS, CONSUMER APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO GAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE.*AK *SLC
WHILE 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
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DEALER AND WARRANTEE PEOPLE CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEMS, THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD TO KEEP DRIVING UNTIL THE PROBLEM REOCCURS. *JG
THIS IS TWICE THE FIRST GEAR HAS GONE OUT, BOTH TIMES AFTER A RADIATOR FLUSH, I WAS INFORMED BY A REFERRAL FROM A DODGE DEALERSHIP THAT THE RADIATORS ARE GETTING CLOGGED AND CAUSING THE TRANMISSION TO OVER HEAT AND BY THE TIME THE PROBLEM IS FIGURED OUT A NEW TRANSMISSION IN NEEDED AS WELL AS A NEW RADIATOR, APPROXIMATE COST TO …
Read full complaint
THIS IS TWICE THE FIRST GEAR HAS GONE OUT, BOTH TIMES AFTER A RADIATOR FLUSH, I WAS INFORMED BY A REFERRAL FROM A DODGE DEALERSHIP THAT THE RADIATORS ARE GETTING CLOGGED AND CAUSING THE TRANMISSION TO OVER HEAT AND BY THE TIME THE PROBLEM IS FIGURED OUT A NEW TRANSMISSION IN NEEDED AS WELL AS A NEW RADIATOR, APPROXIMATE COST TO THE CONSUMER, IN THE RANGE OF $3500.00. THE RECALL FOR THE CLAMPS THAT WERE CHANGED ON THE COOLANT LINES TO PREVENT THEM FROM MELTING WAS A GOOD IDEA BUT THEY FORGOT ONE THING, A BLOW OUT VALVE FOR THE TRANMISSION SO WHEN IT GETS HOT IT CAN RELEIVE PRESSURE AND HEAT BEFORE IT BURNS THE TRANSMISSION.
HEADLIGHT SWITCH GOT HOT AND MELTED ITSELF AND THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR CAUSING HEADLIGHTS TO QUIT WROKING WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. DASH WAS EXTREMELY HOT ABOVE SWITCH. NO OTHER ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT ADDED TO HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT. CONTACTED CHRYSLER BUT THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I HAVE THE FAILED COMPONENTS AND CAN PROV…
Read full complaint
HEADLIGHT SWITCH GOT HOT AND MELTED ITSELF AND THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR CAUSING HEADLIGHTS TO QUIT WROKING WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. DASH WAS EXTREMELY HOT ABOVE SWITCH. NO OTHER ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT ADDED TO HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT. CONTACTED CHRYSLER BUT THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I HAVE THE FAILED COMPONENTS AND CAN PROVIDE THEM OR PICTURES IF REQUIRED. REPLACEMENT SWITCH ALSO INCLUDED A CONNECTOR AND PIGTAIL. IS THIS BECAUSE THEY SEE THIS PROBLEM A LOT? NORMALLY YOU WOULD HAVE TO BUY PARTS SEPARATELY.*AK
01 V 040 000/HOOD LATCH: DEALER; JIM BAIER CHRYSLER; FORT MADISON, IA; PHONE # 319/372-1012 REFUSED TO HONOR RECALL NOTICE. CONSUMER WAS TOLD TO TAKE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
FRAME OF VEHICLE IS CRACKING IN REAR, AND TRAILER HITCH IS CRACKED. A PRIVATE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK
WHILE APPLYING BRAKES AT 35 MPH VEHICLE WOULD SLOW DOWN, BUT NOT STOP. VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUALLY GO ON, EVEN WITH BOTH FEET ON PEDAL. VEHICLE BEEN TO DEALER SHOP ON SIX OCCASIONS, AND UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FUTHER INFORMATION.*AK
IN LATE NOVEMBER, VEHICLE BEGAN EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE, SOMETIMES IT WOULD SLIP, AND IT WOULD HANG IN FORWARD GEARS, CAUSING A VERY ROUGH OR HARD SHIFT, DEALER STATED TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED AT CONSUMERS COST, CONSUMER FEELS SOME GOODWILL REFUND SHOULD BE GIVEN. *SLC
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.