DODGE RAM VAN · model year

1993 DODGE RAM VAN

4 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1993DODGERAM VAN carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 1993 RAM VAN is parking brake:conventional with 1 filings, followed by unknown or other (1) and equipment:electrical (1). 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 1993 RAM VAN, 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.

4
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1

Recent Complaints

20100304SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) FRONT DISC BRAKES ONLY PARTIALLY RELEASED FROM LOCKED UP. STILL MOSTLY ON. DRAGGING EXCESSIVLY. DROVESAFELY HOME LESS THAN 3 MILES. LOTS OF HOT BRAKES ODOR. PARKED OVERNIGHT. NEXT MORNING NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PROBLEM THE NIGHT BEFORE. 1993 DODGE RAMVAN 3500 1TON MAXIVAN. VIN:[XXX] . GOT ON LINE TO TRY TO GET SOME INFO ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW TO CORRECT. FOUND INFO ON RECALL#93V082000 BRAKES/HYDRAULIC-ANTISKID SYSTEM 1993 DODGE RAMVAN3500 MAXIVAN. CONTACTED DAN BECKER, SERVICE ADVISOR AT STOCKTON DODGE INCORPORATION -DEALER:59548. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT THE SUBJECT OR OBJECT OF ANY RECALL. I MENTIONED THE INFO I FOUND ONLINE TO NO AVAIL. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE FACTS AS YOU KNOW THEM. WAS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON 1993 DODGE VANS? WAS THERE A RECALL? IS RECALL#93V082000 A BOGUS NUMBER? WAS MY VAN RECALLED AND REPAIRED? IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND MY VAN SHOULD HA

Mileage: 36,130

20040422CrashUNKNOWN OR OTHER

EVERY YEAR SINCE OCT. 2000 (BOUGHT THE VAN IN MARCH 2000) WHEN WE USE THE AC THE CHECK GUAGES LIGHT COMES ON, THE OIL PRESSURE DROPS AND THE ENGINE MAKES A TAPPING NOISE. IN OCT. OF 2000 WE WERE TOLD IT WAS THE PCM AND THEY REPLACED THAT ALONG WITH AN AC MODULE. TWICE THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD TO REPLACE THE SENDING UNIT AND OIL PRESSURE SWITCH (ONCE IN 2000 AND AGAIN ON JUNE 9, 2003). TWICE THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IN JUNE OF 2002 THIS SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN WE HAD TO REPLACE AN OUTPUT SPEED SENSOR. I WAS TOLD ONE OF THE SERVICEMEN AT SCHAEFER & STROMINGHER(JUNE 11, 2003) THAT IF I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY I SHOULD LOOK INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE (BETWEEN HIM, ME AND THE LAMPPOST). I CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE. HE HAD PULLED ALL OF OUR SERVICE RECORDS AND WAS TRYING TO BE AS HONEST AS HE COULD WITHOUT GETTING INTO TROUBLE.

20040422CrashEQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

EVERY YEAR SINCE OCT. 2000 (BOUGHT THE VAN IN MARCH 2000) WHEN WE USE THE AC THE CHECK GUAGES LIGHT COMES ON, THE OIL PRESSURE DROPS AND THE ENGINE MAKES A TAPPING NOISE. IN OCT. OF 2000 WE WERE TOLD IT WAS THE PCM AND THEY REPLACED THAT ALONG WITH AN AC MODULE. TWICE THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD TO REPLACE THE SENDING UNIT AND OIL PRESSURE SWITCH (ONCE IN 2000 AND AGAIN ON JUNE 9, 2003). TWICE THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IN JUNE OF 2002 THIS SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN WE HAD TO REPLACE AN OUTPUT SPEED SENSOR. I WAS TOLD ONE OF THE SERVICEMEN AT SCHAEFER & STROMINGHER(JUNE 11, 2003) THAT IF I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY I SHOULD LOOK INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE (BETWEEN HIM, ME AND THE LAMPPOST). I CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE. HE HAD PULLED ALL OF OUR SERVICE RECORDS AND WAS TRYING TO BE AS HONEST AS HE COULD WITHOUT GETTING INTO TROUBLE.

20000623CrashPARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL

CAR WAS IN PARK WITH EM. BRAKE ON, PARKED ON AN INCLINE. DRIVER LEFT CAR RUNNING FOR APPROX. 4 MINS. WHEN SHE RETURNED, SHE DECIDED NOT TO LEAVE AGAIN, SO REACHED IN AND TURNED KEY TO SHUT OF IGNITION. VAN ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN HILL. EMER. BRAKE WAS STILL ON. DRIVER FELL OUT OF CAR. CAR WENT DOWN EMBANKEMENT. HIT TREE AND CAME TO A STANDSTILL IN GULLY, STILL UPRIGHT. THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO UNDERCARRAIGE OF CAR. DRIVER RECEIVED ABRASIONS AND BRUISES, SPRAINED WRIST. WHEN THE CAR WAS EXAMINED WE COULD SEE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE STILL ENGAGED, BUT THE GEAR WAS IN DRIVE, INSTEAD OF PARK. *AK

Compare 1993DODGERAM VAN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1993 DODGE RAM VAN have?
The 1993 DODGE RAM VAN has 4 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 DODGE RAM VAN?
The most-complained component for the 1993 DODGE RAM VAN is PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL.
Is the 1993 DODGE RAM VAN 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.