IllustrationTHE DEFECTIVE A/C WIRING GETS EXTREMELY HOT WHICH CAUSES SMOKE AND FIRE. REPLACED THE SWITCH TWICE. PROBLEM OCCURRING AGAIN. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
1990 Dodge RAM
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Dodge RAM do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 27.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAM 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
Limited mileage data: 1 of 23 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports5 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
23 reportsCOMPLETE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACED AND STILL FAILS.
VEHICLE ANDERS, FEELS VERY LOOSE AND DRIFTS FROM LANE TO LANE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
THE FRAME BROKE OFF FROM THE UNDERBODY OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO BE PINNED BETWEEN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED FROM PARK TO REVERSE TO GET OCCUPANT FROM BETWEEN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN FOR SERVICE. *AK
ENGINE FIRE. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)
BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEATS FALL BACK WHEN PULLING FORWARD. *AK
ACCELERATOR CABLE SEPARATES. *DSH
AS STEERING COUPLER WEARS OU, MORE PLAY SHOWS UP IN STEERING WHEEL, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE IN A TURN. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SKD
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.