What breaks most · 1992 to 2002 model years
Dodge Pickup problems by year
Owners have filed 91 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Dodge Pickup across model years 1992 to 2002. Three years stand out: 1996 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints, 1995 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints and 1998 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 1997, 2000 and 1992.
- Years to check closely: 1996, 1995, 1998
- Fewest complaints: 1997, 2000, 1992
- Complaints on file
- 911992 to 2002, all trims
- Worst year
- 199626 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 35 fires · 3 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 95kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 8Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Suspension (2) | |
| 8 | 0 | 1 | Suspension (3) | |
| 23 | 1 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (6) | |
| 26 | 1 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (6) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Exterior lighting (1) | |
| 15 | 1 | 1 | Air bags (3) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Body and structure (4) | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | Body and structure (3) | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | Body and structure (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Body and structure (1) |
What fails on the 1996 Dodge Pickup
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 23% |
6 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 19% |
5 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 12% |
3 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 12% |
3 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 12% |
3 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 12% |
3 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Tires | 8% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Owner has to constantly pumped the brakes in order for the vehicle to stop, vehicle has ABS. The truck has been at the dealer three times for the same problem. Owner was not eligible for the lemon law. *ak
-
Heard noise, replaced several parts of the braking system repeatedly, replaced pads and one rotor at 32,097 miles, calipers at 36,097 miles, and pads at 48,120 miles. *ak
-
There was a power steering leak, took vehicle to the dealer, and they couldn't remedy the problem. Also, while driving vehicle wandered to the left. Power steering leak has since been repaired, but vehicle still drifts off center. *ak *ml
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Dodge Pickup years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1996, 1995, 1998 carry the most filings on the Dodge Pickup. The 1996 alone has 26 complaints, led by brakes (hydraulic).
What is the most common Dodge Pickup problem?
On the 1996 model year, the most-reported component is brakes (hydraulic) with 6 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Dodge Pickup problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Dodge Pickup complaints that include mileage is about 95,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.