IllustrationTHERE IS A CRACK ACROSS THE WHOLE SHORT SIDE OF BED OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN USED TO HAUL ANYTHING.*AK *JB
1996 Dodge RAM 2500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Dodge RAM 2500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 275.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAM 2500 years →Counts vary with age, sales 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
00–25K
225–50K
1050–75K
975–100K
17100–150K
35150K+
73 reports with mileage · 218 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports15 fire reports8 injury reports
What owners actually said
291 reportsWHILE TURNING LEFT HEARD A POP. CONSUMER LOST ABILITY TO STEER. STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNING, BUT WHEELS WOULD NOT. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID ONLY ONE OF THE TWO MOUNTING TABS WERE WELDED. OTHER TAB WELDS FAILED TO DO SO DUE TO FATIGUE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER WAS HOOKED UP TO A STOCK TRAILOR WITH 20 SHEEP WEIGHING APROXIMATELY 4,000LBS. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT HITCH WAS AT A ANGLE. GOT DOWN UNDERNEATH TO FIND IT WAS CRACKED. CONSUMER WILL TAKE IT IN TO DEALER. *AK
CONTACTED CHRYSLER@1 800 424 9393 AND ADVISED THEM THERE WAS MANUFACTURER'S 970 FOR THIS THROTTLE CABLE. THEY ADVISED ME THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS CABLE ,AND REFERRED ME TO THE WARRANTY DEPT AT WHICH THEY ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY .PLEASE HELP THANKS. *AK
AUXILLIARY TRANSMISSION COOLING SYSTEM HOSES THAT RUN TO THE FRONT OF THE RADIATOR ARE TOO SHORT TO REACH BED OF AUXILLIARY RADIATOR, THIS CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK AND LOSE POWER AND MOMENTUM, CONSUMER STATES ALL DIESEL TRUCKS WITH AUXILLIARY TRANSMISSION COOLER'S HAVE THIS DEFECT. *SLC
THROTTLE CABLE, WHERE IT HOOKS ONTO FUEL INJECTION PUMP, IS UNRAFFLING, ACCORDING TO RECALL 01 V 037 000. THIS CAN CAUSE THROTTLE NOT TO RETURN TO IDLE.*AK CONSUMER STATES HE HAS REPLACED THROTTLE CABLE AND PAID FOR THE REPAIRS HE DID NOT THINK IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WITH THROTTLE CABLE FRAYED. *JB
TALKED W/ SEVERAL OTHER RAM OWNERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. DEALER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE MALFUNCTION WITH THE DIESEL . I FEEL THAT BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE VEHICLE WHEN FUELING THIS IS A SAFETY AS WELL AS AN ENVIRMENTAL HAZARD.
WHILE VEHICLE IS IN PARK, COULD MOVE THE PAWL FROM PARK TO DRIVE, BUT VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE, AND PROVIDING NO POWER.*AK
WHEN BRAKING VEHICLE PULLS TO LEFT OR RIGHT, AND IT IS VERY SERVERE AT TIMES.VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO REPAIR SHOP OVER 14 TIMES FOR PULLING.*AK THE VEHICLE HAD DEFECT, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNWILLING TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *YH
THE VEHICLE PULLS/DRIFTS TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKING URGENTLY AT ALL SPEEDS, THE ROTORS, DRUMS, AND TRACKING BAR HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. NLM
Official recalls
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 ↗
NHTSA investigations
2DP03006 · 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.
PE00048 · Loss Of Throttle Control
Opened Dec 11, 2000 · Closed Mar 7, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
ALLEGED THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE CAN FRAY OR SEVER DURING NORMAL USE RESULTING IN THE THROTTLE NOT RETURNING TO IDLE OR AN INABILITY TO ACCELERATE.