DODGE RAM 3500 · model year

1993 DODGE RAM 3500

26 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 1993DODGERAM 3500 carries 26 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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1993 RAM 3500 is exterior lighting:headlights:switch with 5 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (3) and suspension:front (3). 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 1993 RAM 3500, 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.

26
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

26 filings

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

ComponentCount
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP3
SUSPENSION:FRONT3
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)2
WHEELS2
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM1
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS1
STEERING1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD1
SEATS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM1

Recent Complaints

20030717ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

IGNITION SYSTEM FAILURE. THE KEY WILL TURN IN THE IGNITION, BUT WOULDN'T ENGAGE. PER DEALERSHIP IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED REPLACEMENT BECAUSE IT HAD BURNED OUT. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. DEALERSHIP HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE VEHICLE. *AK *CB *JB

Mileage: 50,010

19990830EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

HEAD LIGHT SWITCH HAD TURNED RED HOT & MELTED CENTER CONNECTOR. WAS REPLACED AT LEAST 5 OTHER TIMES. THE LAST TIME SWITCH REPLACED, HAD TO BY PASS THE MIDDLE PRONG. TAKING BACK TO DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED & REPAIRED AGAIN. *AK

19990406WHEELS

DEFECTIVE WHEELS CAUSE VEHICLE TO RIDE ROUGH, TIRES HAVE BEEN BALANCED SEVERAL TIMES AND REPLACED, PROBLEM CONTINUES.

19990201SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM

BRAKE DRUMS/SHOES FAILED.

19980429ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

WIRING HARNESS TO THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH IS INADEQUATE CASING THE SWITCH TO GET TOO HOT AND SHORT OUT RESULTING IN LIGHT FAILURES.

19980302SEATS

PASSENGER BUCKET SEAT FRAME BREAKS AT THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE SEAT TO THE FLOOR (ANCHOR), SEVERAL TIMES.

19971204EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

HEAD LIGHT SWITCH FAILED.

19971204ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WIRING HARNESS FAILED.

19971128STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

WHILE WORKING ON VEHICLE NOTICED THAT THE FRAME AND STEERING BRACKET CRACKED. *AK

19971128STEERING

WHILE WORKING ON VEHICLE NOTICED THAT THE FRAME AND STEERING BRACKET CRACKED. *AK

19970527WHEELS

PROBLEM WITH WHEELS CAUSE VIBRATION AT CERTAIN SPEEDS.

19961119EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAS BURNT OUT AS A RESULT OF THE CONNECTION TO THE TRAILER LIGHTS. *AK

19960517STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THERE IS LOT OF PLAY, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *AK

19960412STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

STEERING GEAR BOX IS LEAKING STEERING FLUID, DEALER WILL REPLACE GEAR BOX. *AK

19951031STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

STEERING GEAR BOX BROKE AWAY FROM THE FRAME, WHILE DRIVING, REPLACE STEERING BOX AND NEW BRACKET. TT *JB

19950809SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ABS BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED, RESULTING IN LONG STOPPING DISTANCE. TT

19950729EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

THE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED AT 23,000 MILES IT FAILED AT 6,000 MILE LATER ONLY HAVE THE HEAD LIGHT BEAM . TT

19950725EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

RADIO AND SPEAKER DON'T WORK . TT

19950725SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

BOTH FRONT ROTORS WERE OUT OF ROUND. *AK

19950725SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM

REAR DRUM OUT OF ROUND. *AK

Compare 1993DODGERAM 3500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1993 DODGE RAM 3500 have?
The 1993 DODGE RAM 3500 has 26 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 DODGE RAM 3500?
The most-complained component for the 1993 DODGE RAM 3500 is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and SUSPENSION:FRONT.
Is the 1993 DODGE RAM 3500 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 1993 DODGE RAM 3500; 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.