What breaks most · 1991 to 2012 model years
Dodge Ram 2500 problems by year
Owners have filed 6,197 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Dodge Ram 2500 across model years 1991 to 2012. Three years stand out: 2003 for steering complaints, 2006 for steering complaints and 2004 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 1991, 1992 and 1993.
- Years to check closely: 2003, 2006, 2004
- Fewest complaints: 1991, 1992, 1993
- Complaints on file
- 61971991 to 2012, all trims
- Worst year
- 2003646 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 341126 fires · 210 injuries · 10 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 73kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 88Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 2 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (7) | |
| 32 | 3 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (10) | |
| 39 | 2 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (13) | |
| 166 | 14 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (39) | |
| 265 | 18 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (59) | |
| 285 | 15 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (74) | |
| 211 | 9 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (36) | |
| 221 | 18 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (37) | |
| 308 | 19 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (69) | |
| 207 | 11 | 2 | Body and structure (56) | |
| 460 | 19 | 2 | Body and structure (180) | |
| 151 | 10 | 2 | Body and structure (40) | |
| 646 | 27 | 9 | Steering (154) | |
| 566 | 48 | 9 | Steering (133) | |
| 399 | 41 | 9 | Steering (147) | |
| 629 | 32 | 9 | Steering (220) | |
| 341 | 20 | 11 | Steering (192) | |
| 303 | 12 | 9 | Steering (172) | |
| 206 | 6 | 5 | Steering (153) | |
| 217 | 5 | 4 | Steering (148) | |
| 280 | 3 | 4 | Steering (205) | |
| 249 | 7 | 5 | Steering (102) |
What fails on the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 24% |
154 | 5 | Shop steering parts for the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 23% |
146 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 |
| Air bags | 21% |
134 | 5 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 19% |
120 | 4 | Shop suspension parts for the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 8% |
52 | 11 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
36 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 |
| Unknown or other | 5% |
33 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 4% |
25 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 |
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.
-
Death wobble created by various components that had been replaced prior and then charged to have it diagnosed. The vehicle was in motion when it occurred. There was a loss of control which was regained. Vehicle was traveling at 70 mph when it occurred and control was regained at 40 mph.
-
Federal mogul issued a recall on moog branded steering components associated to the parts that have been installed on my 2006 dodge ram 2500. Waiting on resolution and the way ahead to fix current issues being the failure could be life threatening.
-
When driving if engine stops running on my cummings diesel you can not steer at all and the brakes do not work theirs no way anyone could push the brake peddle down what you do then is push parking brake then shift to neutral then start engine hopefully
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 30, 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 Ram 2500 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003, 2006, 2004 carry the most filings on the Dodge Ram 2500. The 2003 alone has 646 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common Dodge Ram 2500 problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 154 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Dodge Ram 2500 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Dodge Ram 2500 complaints that include mileage is about 73,000 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.