Total Complaints
1370 filings
DODGE RAM 1500 · model year
1370 NHTSA complaints, 84 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2001DODGERAM 1500 carries 1370 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 84 crashes, 58 fires, 100 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2001 RAM 1500 is structure with 483 filings, followed by unknown or other (113) and power train:automatic transmission (59). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2001 RAM 1500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
1370 filings
Crashes Reported
84 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | 483 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 113 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 59 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 56 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 46 |
| AIR BAGS | 45 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 38 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 35 |
| TIRES | 28 |
| STEERING | 26 |
| SUSPENSION | 23 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 20 |
| POWER TRAIN | 16 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 15 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT | 15 |
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT K&N FUEL PERFORMANCE KITS, P/NOS. 57-1509, 57-1511, 57-1511-1, 57-1517, 57-1517-1, 57-1527, AND 57-1530. ALSO, A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THESE KITS WERE SOLD UNDER THE MOPAR PERFORMANCE PARTS BRAND NAME (P/NOS. P5007069 AND P5007070). ALL KITS WERE MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 20, 1999,
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 VEH
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 NORT
The contact owned a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while exiting a parking lot and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal floored, causing the contact to roll to a stop on the side of the road. The ABS and Brake Warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to drive at 2 MPH to their home. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the brake line had blown and replaced it where it had failed. Approximately 6 months later, the ABS and brake warning lights illuminated again. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed no leaks. When restarting the vehicle, the warning lights were no longer illuminated. While driving at an unknown speed, the ABS and brake lights illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to Meineke Car Care Center to a certified mechanic. The following morning, the lights were not illuminated. The vehicle was returned to Meineke Car Care Center, who stated that it may have been a computer glitch causing the lights to illuminat
While driving and operating the heater, unbeknowst to me leaves/pine needles had come in through the fresh air cowl vent and built up on the heater blower resistor resulting in a fire. This design in dangerous as the default for the air intake is open and allows debris to enter and drop directly into the fan and blower motor resistor. I've searched online and seen multiple reports of this issue. I have a video I can provide if contacted.
While driving and operating the heater, unbeknowst to me leaves/pine needles had come in through the fresh air cowl vent and built up on the heater blower resistor resulting in a fire. This design in dangerous as the default for the air intake is open and allows debris to enter and drop directly into the fan and blower motor resistor. I've searched online and seen multiple reports of this issue. I have a video I can provide if contacted.
Passenger side airbag exploded while sitting in my yard.
The headlights no matter what bulbs I buy are extremely dim making it unsafe to drive at night. Now truck will not start for some unknown reason. It tries to turn over but will not crank. The mileage flashes NO BUS. I was literally only getting at best 8 miles per gallon.
The headlights no matter what bulbs I buy are extremely dim making it unsafe to drive at night. Now truck will not start for some unknown reason. It tries to turn over but will not crank. The mileage flashes NO BUS. I was literally only getting at best 8 miles per gallon.
The headlights no matter what bulbs I buy are extremely dim making it unsafe to drive at night. Now truck will not start for some unknown reason. It tries to turn over but will not crank. The mileage flashes NO BUS. I was literally only getting at best 8 miles per gallon.
2001 Dodge Ram Dashboard is an extreme safety hazard due to the cracking. I have owned this vehicle for 12 years and it's been garaged kept for 8 years. The dash started with a crack and then a hole was created when hitting a bump. Then I had a mechanic work on the heater, and the dash basically disintegrated when moving it. The holes on this dashboard are absurd. A review of safety information identified others who reported this problem to NHTSA and many more complaints on online message boards. This dashboard creates a safety issue for all personnel in the vehicle in case of an accident since projectiles (pieces of the dash that crumble) will fly. Also, there are other components under the dash that could create additional problems (ie-heater core spraying hot antifreeze after an accident). This is completely absurd. Keep in mind, my vehicle has less than 80K miles and the dash is getting worse.
2001 Dodge Ram Dashboard is an extreme safety hazard due to the cracking. I have owned this vehicle for 12 years and it's been garaged kept for 8 years. The dash started with a crack and then a hole was created when hitting a bump. Then I had a mechanic work on the heater, and the dash basically disintegrated when moving it. The holes on this dashboard are absurd. A review of safety information identified others who reported this problem to NHTSA and many more complaints on online message boards. This dashboard creates a safety issue for all personnel in the vehicle in case of an accident since projectiles (pieces of the dash that crumble) will fly. Also, there are other components under the dash that could create additional problems (ie-heater core spraying hot antifreeze after an accident). This is completely absurd. Keep in mind, my vehicle has less than 80K miles and the dash is getting worse.
unknown, Is all I know that I was checking the code on my truck and left truck on all night went out to start truck and battery was dead I got a jump from a friend and it started fine. I let it run for @20-30 minutes then I and my wife went to Realo drug store about 3/4 of a mile from home to get her meds. We pulled up and waiting and got the meds payed for and my wife said there is smoke coming from under the hood. The truck stopped running and I tried to start it back and it did not start. Started smoking more and more I told my wife to get out of the truck and she did the pharmacist came out and help push the truck away from the store. Started flaming up and I drove it to a safe place and finally got out of the truck wife was ok but I had smoke halation and had to go on rescue squad to ER they said along with smoke halation I had a burnt nose ,forehead and burnt throat. Please check about this. Thank you
Where the sway bar is bolted to the chassis has completely deteriorated causing sway bar to completely detach from both sides of the frame. This has caused it very difficult to steer and nearly impossible the more MPH the vehicle goes. I own another vehicle nearly exactly the same but a 1998 dodge ram 1500 vin number [XXX]. It to has the same exact problem. I believe that the quality of steel used in manufacturing the frame of these vehicles was not up to standards. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Where the sway bar is bolted to the chassis has completely deteriorated causing sway bar to completely detach from both sides of the frame. This has caused it very difficult to steer and nearly impossible the more MPH the vehicle goes. I own another vehicle nearly exactly the same but a 1998 dodge ram 1500 vin number [XXX]. It to has the same exact problem. I believe that the quality of steel used in manufacturing the frame of these vehicles was not up to standards. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Shavent had funds to take to a shop but was told that the wrong fuel lines are on the truck
The contact owns a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the contact was making a turn and heard a loud grinding noise coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and took the vehicle out of gear and heard the grinding sound again. The contact was able to continue to drive to the residence. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the pinion nut was loosened and grinding into the rear axle. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact the vehicle was not safe to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.
Mileage: 220,000
The dash has been cracking for years. It has now disintegrated into very small pieces. It has clogged up the air ducts. The small pieces have blown in my eyes, creating a driving safety hazard. Ample history and reporting of this matter has been filed. It is an extreme safety hazard. The responsibility is clearly a manufacturing defect.
2001 Dodge RAM has a severely deteriorated dashboard. It has been this way since 2004. I am concerned that pieces of the cracked and damaged dashboard could become dangerous projectiles in the event of a crash with airbag deployment. The damaged pieces on the truckâs dashboard are very sharp, so they could cause serious injury if they broke loose and became a projectile in a crash. It is simply amazing that a recall has not been issued up to this date. We've waited so long for this to be resolved. A dangerous manufacturing flaw!
There have been three times now in the last two years, six-eight months of which I never drove the vehicle due to being repaired. I was driving at about 60-70mph. At which time there were no odd or sudden noises, no warning at all when the trucks acceleration goes way up till I let of the gas pedal, go to pull over while two of the three times, my drive shaft is bouncing between the road and underneath the truck which could have bounced up into another vehicle's windshield, radiator or whatever and could have actually hurt or even killed someone. Thank God nothing like that ever happened. After inspecting the problem, in which all three cases, the transfer case has broken off part of the tailshaft of the transmission and once, even broke part of the transfer case to. After trying to look up the problem on line, the exact same problem seems to have happened to several people from several different states and even one same instance from the same small town that I'm in. All the same insta
THE DASH IN MY 2001 DODGE RAM HAS CRACKED AND PIECES AND SOME BREAK OFF AND FLY AROUND THE CAB OF MY TRUCK WHILE IN MOTION.. I HAVE 13 GRAND CHILDREN AND SOME PIECES FLY IN THE BACK SEAT. CAN ANYONE DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS AT ALL BEFORE ANYONE GETS HURT? ITS NOT MY FAULT THAT DODGE BOUGHT CHEAP EFFECTIVE DASH BOARDS, PLEASE LOOK IN TO THIS IT WOULD HELP A LOT TO GET A REPLACMENT. THANK YOU
SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY OR BUSY ROAD AND THE ENGINE GETS TO NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE, THE ENGINE STALLS AND SHUTS OFF. THEN I HAVE TO MANEUVER IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LET IT COOL OFF APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AND THEN IT CRANKS BACK UP AND I CAN DRIVE 5 MINUTES AND IT DOES THE SAME THING AGAIN, VERY DANGEROUS.
Mileage: 198,000
SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY OR BUSY ROAD AND THE ENGINE GETS TO NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE, THE ENGINE STALLS AND SHUTS OFF. THEN I HAVE TO MANEUVER IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LET IT COOL OFF APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AND THEN IT CRANKS BACK UP AND I CAN DRIVE 5 MINUTES AND IT DOES THE SAME THING AGAIN, VERY DANGEROUS.
Mileage: 198,000
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.