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2002 Dodge RAM Pickup

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

Limited mileage data: 14 of 22 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports

What owners actually said

22 reports
Mileage unknown · Dec 28, 2010
Structure

CRACKING OF DASHBOARD, AFTER READING THE COMPLAINTS ON HERE AND NUMEROUS OTHER SITES IT APPEARS TO BE A TREND THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT. I HAVE CUT MY HAND ONCE ALREADY ON MINE AND THERE IS NO TELLING HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ALSO. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10372653

57,000 miles · Sep 20, 2010
Structure

MY DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP HAS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION IN THE FROM OF A CRACKING AND BROKEN DASHBOARD. I WOULD HATE TO THINK OF COMING IN CONTACT WITH IT IN A COLLISION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10356382

30,000 miles · Feb 4, 2010
EquipmentService Brakes, Hydraulic

DODGE RAM 2002 3500 TRUCK THE BRAKE DISC PADS COME UNGLUED FROM THE BACKING PLATE DEFECT WAS FOUND ON 3 OF THE 4 BRAKE DISC PADS. DODGE IS USING POOR OR THE WRONG GLUE THERE WAS LOTS OF LIFE IN THE DISC PADS AND WAS UNDER 30,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10305339

50,000 miles · May 1, 2009
Power TrainStructureVisibility

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM PICKUP. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V555000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT). THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED TWO OTHER DEALERS AND THEY STATED …

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM PICKUP. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V555000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT). THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED TWO OTHER DEALERS AND THEY STATED THE SAME THING. HE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR FOUR MONTHS AND THE VEHICLE STILL HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DASH WAS SEVERELY CRACKED IN 3 PLACES AND THE WINDSHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 05/01/14

NHTSA ODI #10267478

65,000 miles · Jul 28, 2008
Structure

2002 DODGE RAM 1500 CRACKED DASHBOARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10236181

54,615 miles · Apr 8, 2008
Power TrainInjury

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM PICKUP. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN TO ROLL FORWARD. INSTINCTLY, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO JUMP IN THE VEHICLE TO STOP IT, BUT SHE FELL AND WAS DRAGGED. THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER HER LEFT LEG, WHICH RESULTED IN HER BEING HOSPITALIZED FOR THREE MONTHS. THE CONTACT RECENTLY DISCOVERED N…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM PICKUP. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN TO ROLL FORWARD. INSTINCTLY, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO JUMP IN THE VEHICLE TO STOP IT, BUT SHE FELL AND WAS DRAGGED. THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER HER LEFT LEG, WHICH RESULTED IN HER BEING HOSPITALIZED FOR THREE MONTHS. THE CONTACT RECENTLY DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V555000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,690 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,615. UPDATED 04/28/08. *LJ

NHTSA ODI #10223702

69,000 miles · Feb 15, 2008
Electrical SystemPower TrainStructure

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V555000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT). THE VEHICLE REMAINED PARKED AT THE DEALER THE ENTIRE DAY WITHOUT BEING REPAIRED. THE DEALER DID NOT PROVIDE AN EXPLANA…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V555000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT). THE VEHICLE REMAINED PARKED AT THE DEALER THE ENTIRE DAY WITHOUT BEING REPAIRED. THE DEALER DID NOT PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY EXPERIENCED A FAILURE ONCE BEFORE AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL, BUT COULD NOT GIVE ANY DETAILS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 69,000. UPDATED 03-11-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED PAINT WAS FADING ON VEHICLE AND HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SHIFT ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. UPDATED 03/11/08 *TR

NHTSA ODI #10218117

30,000 miles · Dec 14, 2007
Structure

I PURCHASED A 2002 DODGE RAM AS NEW IN NOVEMBER OF 2001. WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS (APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES) FROM PURCHASE, MY DASHBOARD STARTED TO CRACK. WITHIN A YEAR OF SEEING THE FIRST CRACKS, PARTS OF THE DASH HAD LITERALLY TURNED TO GRAVEL. PIECES HAVE DROPPED DOWN AND INTO THE COMPONENTS THAT ARE BENEATH THE DASH, AN…

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I PURCHASED A 2002 DODGE RAM AS NEW IN NOVEMBER OF 2001. WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS (APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES) FROM PURCHASE, MY DASHBOARD STARTED TO CRACK. WITHIN A YEAR OF SEEING THE FIRST CRACKS, PARTS OF THE DASH HAD LITERALLY TURNED TO GRAVEL. PIECES HAVE DROPPED DOWN AND INTO THE COMPONENTS THAT ARE BENEATH THE DASH, AND I AM AFRAID OF WHAT OTHER PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY SAFETY RELATED, MIGHT ARISE FROM THE CRACKING DASHBOARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10211880

39,000 miles · Jul 30, 2007
Structure

2002 DODGE RAM 1500 DASHBOARD CRACKS JUST APPEARED IN A TRUCK THAT IS IN SHOWROOM CONDITION SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE AIR BAG GOES OFF IN AN ACCIDENT IT COULD CAUSE MORE INJURY THEN IT WOULD PREVENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10197897

75,000 miles · May 13, 2007
Structure

DASHB OARD ON 2002 DODGE RAM PICKUP CRACKING AND FALLING APART. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10190602

Official recalls

1

07V555000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift

Dec 4, 2007

ON CERTAIN VAN AND PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE IGNITION/PARK SHIFT INTERLOCK SYSTEM MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE. THIS CAN ALLOW THE SHIFTER TO BE MOVED OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION WITH THE IGNITION KEY REMOVED (OR IN THE "LOCK" POSITION). THIS CAN ALSO ALLOW THE IGNITION KEY TO BE REMOVED WHEN THE SHIFTER HAS NOT BEEN PLACED IN THE "PARK" POSITION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: EITHER OF THESE CONDITIONS COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY CAUSING A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE GEARSHIFT BLOCKER AND BRACKET ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

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

1

PE02096 · Rear Axle Failure

Opened Dec 26, 2002 · Closed May 15, 2003

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train:axle Assembly; Power Train:driveline:differential Unit

SEE ATTACHED REPORT.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Power Train:axle Assembly

SEE ATTACHED REPORT.

Power Train:driveline:differential Unit

SEE ATTACHED REPORT.