IllustrationMY BALL JOINTS, TIE RODS, STEERING BOX, ALL THAT HAS TO DO WITH THOSE AREAS HAVE SERIOUS ISSUES AND DODGE NEEDS TO FOX THEM FOR FREE PUT THEM UNDER THE RECALL DEPT SO THEY CAN BE. STEERING WHEEL VERY LOOSE TONS OF PLAY VERY DANGEROUS.
1996 Dodge RAM 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 520.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →298Owner complaints
Model-year median: 520
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
1InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1996 Dodge RAM 1500
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 298 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 1 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Power Train: 52 reports
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 46 reports
- Structure: 35 reports
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 32 reports
- Suspension: 27 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAM 1500 years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
50–25K
225–50K
450–75K
2075–100K
29100–150K
24150K+
84 reports with mileage · 214 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports17 fire reports13 injury reports
Wheels complaints
7 reportsSIGMA TIRES STAMPEDE TIRES -265 75 16 AT SPLITTING TREAD AND COMING APART -TOLD RECALL ONLY LAST TEN* YEARS**-NOTHING TO DO AND NO REPLACEMENT-TIRE KINGDOM* TRUCK VIBRATES AND SHAKES, LOUD THUD,THUD, NOISE(IN MOTION) AFFECTS STEERING AS WOBBLES ALWAYS*HAD ISSUES AS ROUGH**RIDING OVER THE YEARS AND NEVER KNEW WHY*
1996 DODGE RAM 1500 LOST LEFT REAR WHEEL AND THE WHEEL STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. BF (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0569-91.*JB UPDATED 12/10/10 *BF
NOTHING LEADING UP TO EVENT EITHER INCIDENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SECONDS BEFORE TIRE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE BECAUSE BOLTS WERE SHEARED OFF, THERE WAS A SLIGHT VIBRATION. FIRST INCIDENT IN 1999, BOLTS SHEARED OFF FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 25 MPH, NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO TRUCK, REPAIRED AND HAD NO FURTHER P…
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NOTHING LEADING UP TO EVENT EITHER INCIDENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SECONDS BEFORE TIRE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE BECAUSE BOLTS WERE SHEARED OFF, THERE WAS A SLIGHT VIBRATION. FIRST INCIDENT IN 1999, BOLTS SHEARED OFF FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 25 MPH, NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO TRUCK, REPAIRED AND HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS UNTIL 2005 WHEN TRAVELING 65 MPH BOLTS AGAIN SHEARED OFF FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE, AGAIN VIBRATIONS ABOUT A MINUTE BEFORE TIRE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE. THIS TIME THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE, FORTUNATELY NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED TO THOSE IN VEHICLE OR OTHERS. CURRENTLY TRUCK IS IN FOR REPAIR, AGAIN USING CERTIFIED CHRYSLER PARTS, AND THEY ARE NEW AND INSTALLED CORRECTLY. WILL NEED AUTOBODY REPAIR THIS TIME DUE TO OTHER DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO VEHICLE. NEW TIRES WERE PUT ON CORRECTLY ABOUT 4000 MILES AGO WITH NO PROBLEMS TO THIS POINT EITHER. *NM
WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH PASSENGER'S FRONT WHEEL DISCONNECTED FOM VEHICLE. MECHANIC DETERMINED BOLTS HAD SHEARED OFF.*AK
TRAVELING ON I-81 APPROX. 65MPH, IN PASSING LANE HEARD NOISE IN FRONT END, MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE, NOISE SORT OF SUBSIDED THEN BECAME VERY LOUD AND HARD TO CONTROL STEERING, STARTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND SIGNALED TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY THEN A VERY LOUD BOOM , DOUBLE SLAM , TIRE AND WHEEL FLEW AND ROLLED FORWARD OFF THE ROAD.…
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TRAVELING ON I-81 APPROX. 65MPH, IN PASSING LANE HEARD NOISE IN FRONT END, MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE, NOISE SORT OF SUBSIDED THEN BECAME VERY LOUD AND HARD TO CONTROL STEERING, STARTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND SIGNALED TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY THEN A VERY LOUD BOOM , DOUBLE SLAM , TIRE AND WHEEL FLEW AND ROLLED FORWARD OFF THE ROAD. NOTIFIED BY A RELATIVE THE NEXT DAY THAT A LUG WAS FOUND INTACT OUTSIDE IN-LAWS RESIDENCE.*AK
FRONT DRIVER LUGS AND BOLTS STRAPPED OFF, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO COME OFF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. *AK
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
1DP03006 · Seat Back Failure
Opened Sep 23, 2003 · Closed Apr 8, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats; Seats:front Assembly:recliner
ODI HAS IDENTIFIED 30 INCIDENTS WHERE IT IS ALLEGED THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED IN A REAR IMPACT CRASH.THESE INCIDENTS ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO 23 INJURIES AND TWO DEATHS.THE DATA PRESENTED TO ODI SHOW THAT THE SEAT BACK STRENGTH OF THE FRONT SEATS COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207. SEATING SYSTEM.ACCORDING TO DAIMLERCHRYLSER THE FRONT SEATS WERE DESIGNED TO COLLAPSE REARWARD IN REAR IMPACT CRASHES AS PART OF THE ENERGY ABSORPTIONCAPABILITIES OF THE SEATING SYSTEM TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SERIOUS INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.RATES OF OCCURANCE WERE COMPARED TO PEER VEHICLES, AND IT WAS SHOWN THAT THE PERFORMACE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WAS COMPARABLE TO THOSE VEHICLES.IN VIEW OF THE FORGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION REMEDY OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS DEFINED BY THE PETITIONER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THERFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE THE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR FURTHER DETAILS, REFER TO ODI'S RESPONSE TO THE PETITION PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER VOL.69, NO. 60 , DATED MARCH 29, 2004.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seats
ODI HAS IDENTIFIED 30 INCIDENTS WHERE IT IS ALLEGED THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED IN A REAR IMPACT CRASH.THESE INCIDENTS ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO 23 INJURIES AND TWO DEATHS.THE DATA PRESENTED TO ODI SHOW THAT THE SEAT BACK STRENGTH OF THE FRONT SEATS COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207. SEATING SYSTEM.ACCORDING TO DAIMLERCHRYLSER THE FRONT SEATS WERE DESIGNED TO COLLAPSE REARWARD IN REAR IMPACT CRASHES AS PART OF THE ENERGY ABSORPTIONCAPABILITIES OF THE SEATING SYSTEM TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SERIOUS INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.RATES OF OCCURANCE WERE COMPARED TO PEER VEHICLES, AND IT WAS SHOWN THAT THE PERFORMACE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WAS COMPARABLE TO THOSE VEHICLES.IN VIEW OF THE FORGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION REMEDY OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS DEFINED BY THE PETITIONER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THERFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE THE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR FURTHER DETAILS, REFER TO ODI'S RESPONSE TO THE PETITION PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER VOL.69, NO. 60 , DATED MARCH 29, 2004.
Seats:front Assembly:recliner
ODI HAS IDENTIFIED 30 INCIDENTS WHERE IT IS ALLEGED THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED IN A REAR IMPACT CRASH.THESE INCIDENTS ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO 23 INJURIES AND TWO DEATHS.THE DATA PRESENTED TO ODI SHOW THAT THE SEAT BACK STRENGTH OF THE FRONT SEATS COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207. SEATING SYSTEM.ACCORDING TO DAIMLERCHRYLSER THE FRONT SEATS WERE DESIGNED TO COLLAPSE REARWARD IN REAR IMPACT CRASHES AS PART OF THE ENERGY ABSORPTIONCAPABILITIES OF THE SEATING SYSTEM TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SERIOUS INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.RATES OF OCCURANCE WERE COMPARED TO PEER VEHICLES, AND IT WAS SHOWN THAT THE PERFORMACE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WAS COMPARABLE TO THOSE VEHICLES.IN VIEW OF THE FORGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION REMEDY OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS DEFINED BY THE PETITIONER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THERFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE THE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR FURTHER DETAILS, REFER TO ODI'S RESPONSE TO THE PETITION PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER VOL.69, NO. 60 , DATED MARCH 29, 2004.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.