IllustrationIN 3/8/2006 I WAS DRIVING MY 97 DODGE RAM AND SUDDENLY I FELT A SHAKING IN REAR TIRES AND AFTER THAT I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN BRAKING BUT I LOST THE CONTROL OF MY TRUCK AND I SAW MY LEFT REAR TIRE PASSING BESIDE ME. THE NUTS WERE MISSING . I CAN SEE NOW THAT IT'S A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM. HOW IT CAN BE CORRECTED?
1997 Dodge RAM 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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 →361Owner 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
1997 Dodge RAM 1500
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 361 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)
- Structure: 70 reports
- Power Train: 56 reports
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 43 reports
- Fuel System, Gasoline: 26 reports
- Unknown Or Other: 26 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
80–25K
1325–50K
2750–75K
2475–100K
44100–150K
28150K+
144 reports with mileage · 217 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.
- Structure. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
31 crash reports14 fire reports24 injury reports
Wheels complaints
9 reportsTHE HUB WENT OUT ON THE VEHICLE AND WAS REPLACED IMMEDIATELY WITH A NEW ONE. DROVE APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES AND THE BRAND NEW HUB DID THE SAME EXACT THING. I CAN NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT KEEPS CAUSING THE ISSUE NOR CAN I AFFORD TO KEEP REPLACING THEM. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL DODGE RAMS OVER THE YEARS AND WHILE THE HUB DOES GO OUT ON THEM I …
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THE HUB WENT OUT ON THE VEHICLE AND WAS REPLACED IMMEDIATELY WITH A NEW ONE. DROVE APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES AND THE BRAND NEW HUB DID THE SAME EXACT THING. I CAN NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT KEEPS CAUSING THE ISSUE NOR CAN I AFFORD TO KEEP REPLACING THEM. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL DODGE RAMS OVER THE YEARS AND WHILE THE HUB DOES GO OUT ON THEM I HAVE NEVER HAD ONE GO OUT RIGHT AFTER PUTTING IT ON. I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH AND NOTICED THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS YEAR MODEL TRUCK. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
RIGHT FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF TRUCK WHILE GOING DOWN FREEWAY. THERE WAS A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END ABOUT 10 SECONDS BEFORE THE WHEEL CAME OFF. THE LUG BOLTS WERE ALL SHEARED. THERE IS NO APPARENT WEAR ON THE WHEEL OR RIM. WE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. HAD THIS BEEN ANOTH…
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RIGHT FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF TRUCK WHILE GOING DOWN FREEWAY. THERE WAS A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END ABOUT 10 SECONDS BEFORE THE WHEEL CAME OFF. THE LUG BOLTS WERE ALL SHEARED. THERE IS NO APPARENT WEAR ON THE WHEEL OR RIM. WE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. HAD THIS BEEN ANOTHER MILE DOWN THE ROAD, WE WOULD HAVE MET A ROCK WALL AND SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURY TO PASSENGERS. *AK
TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS HEADLIGHT SWITCH PROBLEMS FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY OXYGEN SENSORS PAINT CHIPPING AND FADING BURNS OIL WORST THAN ADVERTISED FUEL MILEAGE EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR PREMATURELY EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR PREMATURELY
WHEELS WERE LOCKING UP AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. HE TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC, HAD TO HAVE AXLE BEARING S REPLACED.*AK
WHEEL BEARING ARE GOING BAD ABOUT EVERY THREE MONTHS WE HAVE PUT 4 ON IN 2 YEARS. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO MANY MORE AT 200.00 EACH. DT
WHILE DRIVING ON ROAD AT 80MPH RIGHT REAR WHEEL CAME OFF. CONSUMER NARROWLY AVOIDED HAVING AN ACCIDENT.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ACCIDENT OCCURRED DUE TO WHEEL DISENGAGING FROM VEHICLE. THERE WERE 2 INJURIES. *AK CONSUMER ADDS THAT THE TIRE WAS SO HOT THAT A FIRE HAD STARTED IN THE MEDIAN. *TT
LEFT FRONT RIM HAS COLLAPSED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY, AND NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. *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.