Total Complaints
21 filings
DODGE RAM · model year
1987 DODGE RAM
21 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987DODGERAM carries 21 consumer safety complaints 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1987 RAM is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 4 filings, followed by seats (3) and seat belts:front:anchorage (3). 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.
NHTSA currently has 20 investigation files overlapping the 1987 RAM, and 1 remain open. 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.
21
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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 4 |
| SEATS | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 3 |
| EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010320ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
PULLEY CAME OFF ALTERNATOR WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH. THIS CAUSED VEHICLE TO STOP DEAD. ALTERNATOR PULLEY WAS PRESSED ON, NOT BOLTED. THIS WAS DONE BY OZARKS AUTOMOTIVES LOCATED IN SPRINGFIELD, MO.*AK
20000911TIRES
THE TIRE WAS MOUNTED IN THE SPIRE TIRE HOLDER IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE SUNDAY NIGHT AND BLUE UP DAMAGING THE IN SIDE OF THE VEHICLE( DOT NUMBER: B3DD565455 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
19990814POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
THIS PAST FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 1999 I HAD A MAJOR FIRE BREAK OUT IN THE BACK OF MY TRUCK IT DESTORYED EVERYTHING THE FIRE WAS SO INTENSED IT MELTED MY LADDERS AND POWER TOOLS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOWN
19981020POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION POPPING OUT OF GEAR AND NOISE FROM REAR END.
19981020POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
DIFFERENTIAL FAILED.
19980429STRUCTURE:BODY
HEAT SHIELDS HAVE NEVER BEEN CORRECTED.
19980220SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELTS FAIL/LOCK, MIDDLE SEAT BELT DOES NOT LOCK AT ALL.
19970509SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
UPON COMPLETION OF THE RECALL, THE DRIVER'S LATCHING MECHANISM BECAME INOPERATIVE. DEALER REFUSES TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. DEALER: KEN PTHORM CHRYSLER. *AK
19970303SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE OCT.14-96, CALLED LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE, CALLED WHEN THEY WOULD BE IN, NO RESPONSE. CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY HAD ALL CONSUMERS INFORMATION, CHRYSLER INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD CALL WHEN PARTS CAME IN, NO RESPONSE. SERVICE RECALL NOTIFICATION # 655. *AK
19970303SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE # 655 FOR SEAT BELT ON 14-OCT-96, CALLED LOCAL DEALER, NO PARTS/WILL CALL BACK WHEN IN, JANUARY 1997 CALLED MANUFACTURER WHO HAD ALL CONSUMER INFORMATION, NO PARTS, WILL CALL WHEN IN, NO RESPONSE. *AK
19960923ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
FRONT ENGINE CROSSMEMBER HAD A-ARM MOUNTING PAD PULLED OUT OF WHERE A-ARM IS CONNECTED, CRACKING ORIGINAL WELDS, CREATING NOISE WHEN TURNING.
19960711SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BRCKLE RECALL REPAIRS REFUSED DUE TO DEALERSHIP NOT HAVING PAPERWORK ON RECALL.
19960711ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGINITION WIRING FAILURE. *SD
19960515SEATS
FAILURE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, FRAME RAIL CRACKED CAUSING THE STEEL TO PULL WAY FROM THE SEAT PE90-031C. *AK
19960515SEATS
FAILURE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, FRAME RAIL CRACKED CAUSING THE STEEL TO PULL WAY FROM THE SEAT PE90-031C. *AK
19960201SEATS
FRONT SEAT TRACK ANCHORS ARE LOOSE DUE TO BOLTS CONTINUE TO COME OUT. TT
19951219SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT, AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE BELT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. TT
19951219SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT, AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE BELT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. TT
19950608EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT
VEHICLE JACK PROBLEMS, PARALEGAL FOR CLIENT. *TW
19950525SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE. TT
Compare 1987DODGERAM to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 DODGE RAM have?▼
The 1987 DODGE RAM has 21 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 DODGE RAM?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 DODGE RAM is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE.
Is the 1987 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 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.