Your vehicle report
2001 Dodge RAM 1500
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 1,112
- Received Jul 2000 to Feb 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Dashboard cracks near passenger airbag485 complaints · 44% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares42 complaints · 3.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly42 complaints · 3.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V504000On certain 4X4 pickup trucks equipped with the snow plow preparation package, the tires supplied on some vehicles may have gross axle weight ratings that slightly exceed the maximum tire load capacity as defined in federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
- Recall #01V153000Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Sound deadener material inside the steering wheel could become detached from the cover and housing. Note: the ram pickup trucks were built at the warren assembly plant ("s" in the 11TH VIN position) from may 16, 2000 through october 23, 2000; st. Louis north assembly plant ("j" in the 11TH VIN position) from may 19, 2000 through october 23, 2000; lago alberto assembly plant ("m" in the 11TH VIN position) from may 23, 2000 through october 23, 2000; and saltillo assembly plant ("g" in the 11TH VIN position) from may 23, 2000 through october 23, 2000. Important: vehicles that have already had the proper clockspring installed, according to warranty records, have been excluded from this recall. In addition, 1997-2000 model year vehicles that have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed, according to warranty records, have been added to this recall.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 65 crashes, 35 fires, 80 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Dashboard cracks near passenger airbag
- Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares
- Hood latch fails and hood flies open
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 4 |
| 2001 | 42 |
| 2002 | 55 |
| 2003 | 60 |
| 2004 | 77 |
| 2005 | 66 |
| 2006 | 59 |
| 2007 | 166 |
| 2008 | 124 |
| 2009 | 104 |
| 2010 | 99 |
| 2011 | 64 |
| 2012 | 40 |
| 2013 | 26 |
| 2014 | 34 |
| 2015 | 23 |
| 2016 | 17 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| 2018 | 18 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 1,112 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dashboard cracks near passenger airbag | 485 | 44% | – | |
| Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares | 42 | 3.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 42 | 3.8% | – | NHTSA recall #01V153000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 41 | 3.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 37 | 3.3% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 34 | 3.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 33 | 3.0% | – | NHTSA recall #03V504000 |
| Hood latch fails and hood flies open | 25 | 2.3% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 25 | 2.3% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 20 | 1.8% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 18 | 1.6% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 17 | 1.5% | – | |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 17 | 1.5% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 16 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 13 | 1.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 9 | 0.8% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 7 | 0.6% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 7 | 0.6% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 7 | 0.6% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 7 | 0.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #03V504000December 10, 2003214 vehicles affected
tires
On certain 4X4 pickup trucks equipped with the snow plow preparation package, the tires supplied on some vehicles may have gross axle weight ratings that slightly exceed the maximum tire load capacity as defined in federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Remedy
Dealers will provide replacement P245/75R16 tires to meet the load carrying capacity specified on the vehicle certification label and accommodate the addition of a commercially available snow plow and hardware. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.
NHTSA recall #01V153000May 8, 2001216,100 vehicles affected
air bags
Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Sound deadener material inside the steering wheel could become detached from the cover and housing. Note: the Ram pickup trucks were built at the warren assembly plant ("s" in the 11TH VIN position) from may 16, 2000 through october 23, 2000; st. Louis north assembly plant ("j" in the 11TH VIN position) from may 19, 2000 through october 23, 2000; lago alberto assembly plant ("m" in the 11TH VIN position) from may 23, 2000 through october 23, 2000; and saltillo assembly plant ("g" in the 11TH VIN position) from may 23, 2000 through october 23, 2000. Important: vehicles that have already had the proper clockspring installed, according to warranty records, have been excluded from this recall. In addition, 1997-2000 model year vehicles that have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed, according to warranty records, have been added to this recall.
When this occurs, the material could interfere with the clockspring ribbon and cause an open circuit. The driver air bag system will become disabled, and the air bag warning lamp will illuminate on the instrument panel.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly. Owner notification began june 18, 2001. Also some 1997-200 model year vehicles that, according to warranty records, have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed, will also be included in this campaign. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2001 Dodge RAM 1500.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN