Total Complaints
1 filings
DODGE RAM · model year
1983 DODGE RAM
1 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1983DODGERAM carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1983 RAM is structure:frame and members with 1 filings. Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 20 investigation files overlapping the 1983 RAM, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19991110STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
WHILE BACKING UP, (APPROX. 2 MILES/HR), THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL COLLAPSED! UPON INSPECTION, FOUND METAL FATIGUE IN THE FRAME AREA WHERE THE "LOWER CONTROL ARM" ATTACHES TO THE "FRAME". A LARGE SECTION OF THE FRAME RIPPED AWAY AT THE MATING AREA WHERE 4 BOLTS HOLD THE LOWER CONTROL ARM TO THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO MY RESIDENCE. 3 MECHANICS HAVE LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE, AND ALL 3 STATED, "THEY HAVE NEVER OBSERVED SUCH A DEFECT, AND SUGGESTED I CONTACT DODGE". I HAVE AND DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE IN MICHIGAN SAID, "THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY SUCH PROBLEM". THE MECHANICS BELIEVE THIS IS A "DESIGN FLAW" AND IS NOT REPAIRABALE BY REPLACING PARTS (COULD ONLY WELD THE FRAME - WHICH WOULD HAVE NO GUARENTEE OF NO FUTURE FAILURES. THE MECHANICS WERE SURPRISED AT HOW THIN THE METAL OF THE FRAME IS IN THAT AREA (THAT BEING THE DESIGN FLAW). IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING AT ANY NORMAL SPEED (65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY) THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED A TREMENDOUS CRASH, LOOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AN
Compare 1983DODGERAM to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1983 DODGE RAM have?▼
The 1983 DODGE RAM has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 DODGE RAM?▼
The most-complained component for the 1983 DODGE RAM is STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1983 DODGE RAM safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1983 DODGE RAM; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.