1989 Dodge Ram problems & reliability
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Dodge Ram. 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 9 | 32% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 21% |
| Power Train | 3 | 11% |
| Tires | 3 | 11% |
| Seats | 2 | 7% |
| Steering | 2 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 4% |
| Structure | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While traveling 70 mph rear passenger's side tire blew out. Consumer managed to pull over. Cause has yet to be determined. Tire size p26570r16. *ak”
Tires · filed Oct 15, 2003
“After fueling van there is no registration on the dashboard of fuel gauge. Mechanic has replaced fuel gauge and needle 3 times, however it still malfunctioned. *ak consumer stated electrical work was done to the gas gauge.*jb”
Electrical System · filed Feb 28, 2002
“Fuel tank has pulled away from hold and fuel leaks on the ground from small hold on top of fuel tank. *ak”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Aug 28, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
12 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Dodge Ram. The 10 most recent:
68069384A$, R8069384A$, 68086182A$, R8027067A$, RL002012A$ - Gasket, Cylinder Head Cover Before replacing injectors for Diagnostic Trouble Codes P0201, P0202, P0203, P0204, P0205, and/or P0206, please make sure that the…
9002688 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 13, 2013
Customer may complain of high oil consumption, grey oil smoke coming out of the exhaust or breather tube, or mechanical knocking. *tt
0900401 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 18, 2001
Automatic transmission fluid usage atf+4. *tt *mj
2100601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2001
Subject regarding wire splice repairs. *sb
0800600REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 29, 2000
This bulletin provides a revised wire splice procedure and related parts. *tt
080600 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2000
Information on installation of radio transmitting equipment. *ak
081698 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 1998
Concerns with engine coolant usage. *nlm
070397 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 9, 1997
Various car owner's have expressed interest in using engine coolants made with propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol. *yc
070397 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 9, 1997
Information on transmission cooler reverse flushing with cooler bypass kit installed. *nlm
210797 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 21, 1997
Difficult to clean light colored "chalky" residue from plastic body components that are molded in black. *tw
230397 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 14, 1997
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 Dodge Ram in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 1989 Dodge Ram?
- · 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.