2002 Dodge Ram Pickup problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Dodge Ram Pickup, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 8 | 36% |
| Power Train | 6 | 27% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 14% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 5% |
| Suspension | 1 | 5% |
| Trailer Hitches | 1 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 12 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Cracking of dashboard, after reading the complaints on here and numerous other sites it appears to be a trend that needs to be looked at. I have cut my hand once already on mine and there is no telling how many other people have also. *tr”
Structure · filed Dec 28, 2010
“My dodge ram 1500 pickup has a very unsafe condition in the from of a cracking and broken dashboard. I would hate to think of coming in contact with it in a collision. *tr”
Structure · filed Sep 20, 2010
“Dodge ram 2002 3500 truck the brake disc pads come unglued from the backing plate defect was found on 3 of the 4 brake disc pads. Dodge is using poor or the wrong glue there was lots of life in the disc pads and was under 30,000 miles on the truck. *tr”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Feb 4, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- REAR AXLE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE02096 · opened Dec 26, 2002 · closed May 15, 2003
Technical service bulletins
8 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Dodge Ram Pickup.
Part Description: Insulator on Lever Assy Manual Valve - Valve Body - RWD Transmission Issue Description: The manual valve insulator, attaching rivet and instruction sheet are now available as a kit. If the insulator…
9002849 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 2014
Revised power steering system bleeding procedures. *sc
1900805 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 2, 2005
Air conditioning (a/c) cooling coil odor. *tt
2401305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2005
Emissions recall e07-canister purge hoses. The canister purge hoses on about 7,800 of the above vehicles may develop cracks over time and release evaporative hydrocarbon (hc) which could exceed federal emission…
07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2005
Seat belt cinch bar service for various models including 2004 models. *tt
0801003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 25, 2003
Diesel fuel transfer pump diagnosis. *tt
1400203 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 11, 2003
Subject regarding safety systems - vehicle modifications / repair. *tt
0801701 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2001
Subject regarding airbag / clock spring service for various models including 2002 model year jeep liberty. *tt
0801001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2001
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2002 Dodge Ram Pickup has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2002 Dodge Ram Pickup?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.