IllustrationINSPECTED AND VERIFIED NO 5TH GEAR - TRANSMISSION HAS NO UETRASL WHERE 5TH SHOULD BE - SUSPECT NUT AND GEAR BACKED OFF - FOUND NUT AND GEAR BACKED OFF, THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR QUIET SOME TIME, THIS INFORMATION WAS TOLD US BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT MADE THE REPAIRS AND A PERSONAL FRIEND THAT IS A MECHANIC
1999 Dodge RAM 2500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
110–25K
2325–50K
3650–75K
3475–100K
47100–150K
25150K+
176 reports with mileage · 137 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 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports2 fire reports12 injury reports
Power Train complaints
35 reportsMY PICKUP WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF MY 18 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER CRAWLED IN THE PICKUP AND WAS ABLILE TO PUT PICKUP IN REVERSE WITH OUT PUSHING ON THE BRAKE AND THE PICKUP ROLLED DOWN A HILL CRASHING INTO A TRAILER WHILE MAY DAUGHTER IS BOUNCING AROUND INSIDE THE PICKUP COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE NO ONE WAS HURT JUST THE PICK…
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MY PICKUP WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF MY 18 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER CRAWLED IN THE PICKUP AND WAS ABLILE TO PUT PICKUP IN REVERSE WITH OUT PUSHING ON THE BRAKE AND THE PICKUP ROLLED DOWN A HILL CRASHING INTO A TRAILER WHILE MAY DAUGHTER IS BOUNCING AROUND INSIDE THE PICKUP COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE NO ONE WAS HURT JUST THE PICKUP AND TRAILER. *AK
6 SPEED STANDARD TRANSMISSION SEIZED UP WHILE DRIVING AT 10-15 MPH, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SKID TO A STOP AND COMPLETELY DIE WITHOUT WARNING.VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER, WHO WILL REPLACE TRANSMISSION WITH SAME DESIGN. AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER STATED TO CONSUMER THAT TRANSMISSION WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR A 24 VALVE DIESEL ENGINE.*AK …
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6 SPEED STANDARD TRANSMISSION SEIZED UP WHILE DRIVING AT 10-15 MPH, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SKID TO A STOP AND COMPLETELY DIE WITHOUT WARNING.VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER, WHO WILL REPLACE TRANSMISSION WITH SAME DESIGN. AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER STATED TO CONSUMER THAT TRANSMISSION WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR A 24 VALVE DIESEL ENGINE.*AK *SLC
VEHICLE COMES OUT OF GEAR AND THIS CAUSES LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT SENSOR MALFLUNCTIONS. *YH
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER FEELS LIKE VEHICLE SHIFTS FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR, AND SOMETIMES TRANSMISSION WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT APPLICATION OF POWER. *AK TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, THERE WAS A TSB REGARDING THE DIRECT CLUTCH INNER SEAL, MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THIS WAS WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. *SLC
SEVERAL COMPONENTS,TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY SOUNDS LIKE DRIVING ON SMALL RUMBLE STRIPS AT 45, TRUCK WONDERS AIMLESSLY SO MUCH IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP FROM GOING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ESPECIALLY IF ROAD IS A LITTLE ROUGH, ENGINE HAS A CONSTANT SPARK KNOCK, NEARLY IMPOSIBLE TO TOW OR PLOW,POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT W…
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SEVERAL COMPONENTS,TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY SOUNDS LIKE DRIVING ON SMALL RUMBLE STRIPS AT 45, TRUCK WONDERS AIMLESSLY SO MUCH IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP FROM GOING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ESPECIALLY IF ROAD IS A LITTLE ROUGH, ENGINE HAS A CONSTANT SPARK KNOCK, NEARLY IMPOSIBLE TO TOW OR PLOW,POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT WHILE TRYING TO PLOW FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT ALL. I HAVE TALKED TO MECHANICS ABOUT THE SPARKKNOCK AND RECOMMENDED BURNING HIGH OCTANE BUT THE MANUAL SUGGESTS IT WILL ACTUALLY RUN WORSE AND THEY ARE NOT RESPONABLE FOR ENGINE DAMAGE FROM SPARK KNOCK, WONDERING WAS ADMITTED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AND SAID IT IS ACCEPTABLE BY DODGE AND THAT'S JUST HOW THEY DRIVE, I ASKED ONE OF THE MECHANICS TO LOOK AT IT BEFORE I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF MAYBE I WAS JUST USED TO DRIVING MY OLD ONE, HE SAID IT NEEDED A LITTLE TIME TO BREAK-IN BECAUSE IT WAS A 2500 WITH A HEAVY DUTY SUSPENSION, IT IS STILL THE SAME AFTER ALMOST 11,000 MILES. *AK
1. AUTO TRANSMISSION DROPS OUT OF DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WHEN START FROM WASHBOARD ROAD SURFACE OR HIT BUMP WHILE DRIVING. DEALER (ED MOSES DODGE) SAYS THAT CHRYSLER RECOMMENDS DRIVING IN 2ND GEAR. THIS INFO IS NOT IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. 2. STEERING WILL NOT CENTER - ALWAYS PULLS R OR L. 2 ATTEMPTS BY DEALER TO REPAIR HAVE FAILE…
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1. AUTO TRANSMISSION DROPS OUT OF DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WHEN START FROM WASHBOARD ROAD SURFACE OR HIT BUMP WHILE DRIVING. DEALER (ED MOSES DODGE) SAYS THAT CHRYSLER RECOMMENDS DRIVING IN 2ND GEAR. THIS INFO IS NOT IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. 2. STEERING WILL NOT CENTER - ALWAYS PULLS R OR L. 2 ATTEMPTS BY DEALER TO REPAIR HAVE FAILED. UNSTABLE ON WASHBOARD ROAD.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSING VEHICLE TO LUNGE INTO GEAR FROM 1ST TO 2ND, SIMILAR TO SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *MJS
AT LOW SPEED TRANSMISSION SHIFTS OUT OF FIRST GEAR, THEN SUDDENLY ENGAGES AS RPM IS INCREASED. TRUCK SUDDENLY LUNGES FORWARD. *AK
SUDDEN ACCELERATION ; WHILE TRAVELLING SLOWLY TRANSMISSION WILL DISENGEGE FROM FIRST GEAR, AS ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED, TRANSMISSION WILL ENGAGE SUDDENLY, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LUNGE FORWARD. *AK
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
1PE99069 · Oversensitive Steering
Opened Nov 8, 1999 · Closed Mar 27, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
ODI has received 14 consumer complaints concerning steering control concerns.Complainants typically alleged that the steering is loose, oversensitive, or has excessive play.They further alleged that this phenomena contributes to the vehicle wondering back and forth and being difficult to maintain in its lane.The majority of the complaints are on vehicles which are equipped with the V-10 or diesel engine.A preliminary evaluation will be conducted to assess the safety aspects of this matter.