IllustrationWHILE TRAVELING ON I-5 IN PORTLAND, OREGON, I LOST CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, IT WHEN INTO A "DEAD PEDAL MODE". I WAS ON A VERY BUSY SECTION OF THIS INTERSTATE AND HAD TO IMMEDIATELY FIND A LOCAL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD NEXT TO AN ON RAMP. IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT WAS AN ELECTRONIC PROBLEM.
2002 Dodge RAM 2500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Dodge RAM 2500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 275.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAM 2500 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
170–25K
2225–50K
2650–75K
1775–100K
20100–150K
12150K+
114 reports with mileage · 41 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.
- Structure. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
155 reportsDEATH WOBBLE. EXPERIENCE WHEN HITTING SMALL/MINOR BUMPS IN THE ROAD OR RAILROAD TRACKS. VIOLENT SHAKING CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO TRY TO COME TO A STOP. SHAKING IS SO VIOLENT THAT THE DRIVER IS BOUNCED AROUND IN THE SEAT, MOMENTARILY AIRBORNE A…
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DEATH WOBBLE. EXPERIENCE WHEN HITTING SMALL/MINOR BUMPS IN THE ROAD OR RAILROAD TRACKS. VIOLENT SHAKING CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO TRY TO COME TO A STOP. SHAKING IS SO VIOLENT THAT THE DRIVER IS BOUNCED AROUND IN THE SEAT, MOMENTARILY AIRBORNE AND ITESM IN THE TRUCK FLY AROUND. LAWSUIT WAS ISSUSED ON 2004 AND NEWER MODELS BUT AFFECTS OLDER MODELS AS WELL. WE NOW HAVE PAID $900 IN PARTS TO FIX THE "DEATH WOBBLE" THAT HAD WE KNOWN WAS AN ISSUE, WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THE TRUCK. COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE WHEN IT IS OUR DAILY DRIVER AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PARK IT AND PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE TO REPLACE IT WITH. CANNOT SELL IN CURRENTY CONDITION HAVING A "DEATH WOBBLE". NO GUARANTEE THAT THE PURCHASED PARTS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM.
THE DASHBOARD HAS LITERALLY BROKEN INTO PIECES AND SHARDS 3 YEARS AFTER WE PURCHASED THE TRUCK. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WE HAVE GREAT CONCERNS FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE DRIVING AND/OR RIDING IN THE VEHICLE. THE SHARDS ARE VERY SHARP AND COULD EITHER PUNCTURE THE AIRBAG OR CAUSE HARM TO AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE EVENT OF A…
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THE DASHBOARD HAS LITERALLY BROKEN INTO PIECES AND SHARDS 3 YEARS AFTER WE PURCHASED THE TRUCK. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WE HAVE GREAT CONCERNS FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE DRIVING AND/OR RIDING IN THE VEHICLE. THE SHARDS ARE VERY SHARP AND COULD EITHER PUNCTURE THE AIRBAG OR CAUSE HARM TO AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE MANY VEHICLES WITHIN A PERIOD OF YEARS MADE BY THIS MANUFACTURER THAT HAVE ALL HAD THIS SIMILAR ISSUE. IT IS OBVIOUSLY DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE PLASTIC USED IN THE DASHBOARDS AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT OFFERED A RECALL FOR THIS REAL SAFETY ISSUE. WOULD THEY SETTLE FOR THIS WITH THEMSELVES OR THEIR LOVED ONES IN A VEHICLE WITH THIS ISSUE. THE DASHBOARD IS LITERALLY DISINTEGRATING.
THE DASH IS CRACKING AND DISINTEGRATING AND THE SHARP SHARDS OF THE PLASTIC DASH PIECES ARE A SAFETY HAZARD.
DASH STARTED CRACKING IN 2009 AND PIECES ARE FALLING OFF. THE CRACKED DASH AND LOOSE PIECES ARE DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS BODILY HARM IF I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE YEARS AGO.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING; HOWEVER, THE SPECIFICS OF THE DIAGNOSIS COULD NOT BE PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROX…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING; HOWEVER, THE SPECIFICS OF THE DIAGNOSIS COULD NOT BE PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.
DASH CRACKING SEVERELY. IF AIRBAG DEPLOYS PLASTIC SHARDS WILL IMPALE PASSENGER AND/OR DRIVER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS FRACTURED IN SEVERAL AREAS. THE FAILURE STARTED SMALL, BUT WORSENED PROGRESSIVELY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS FAILURE AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 198,000.
THE DASHBOARD IS CRACKING BADLY AND CRUMBLING. LARGE HOLES ARE FORMING AND BROKEN PIECES OF PLASTIC FROM THE DASH ARE FALLING INTO THE DASH AREA. THE DEALER WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT IT TOOK A GREATER AMOUNT OF DISTANCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT IT TOOK A GREATER AMOUNT OF DISTANCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.