1991 Dodge Ram problems & reliability
51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 11 | 22% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 10 | 20% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 14% |
| Power Train | 6 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 10% |
| Tires | 5 | 10% |
| Suspension | 3 | 6% |
| Equipment | 2 | 4% |
| Structure | 2 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 2% |
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
“Dt*: the contact stated while applying air to the left rear tire the contact noticed a bubble in the sidewall, at that time the tire blew up. There were injuries and the contact went to the hospital. The tire is cooper master craft as iv. The size is 23575r15. The dealership has been informed. There is a recall…”
Tires · filed Apr 19, 2006
“While making a right turn consumer noticed that the steering wheel was loose while turning. Consumer was able to maintain control, and drove vehicle to the dealer. Mechanic informed consumer that the problem could not duplicated. *ak”
Steering · filed Dec 14, 2004
“Consumer stated that the summit trail climber, manufactured by kelly-springfield company, 8 tires were defective, the rubber is tearing apart from some type of circular seam, the service station examined the tires and stated, they are dangerous and need replacing immediately but the representatives of…”
Tires · filed Jul 2, 2002
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE95004 · opened Jan 19, 1995 · closed May 11, 1995 · led to recall 95V089000
- ROLL-OVER/VENT VALVE LEAK
Preliminary Evaluation PE93038 · opened Apr 22, 1993 · closed Aug 31, 1993
Technical service bulletins
14 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Dodge Ram. The 10 most recent:
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
TIMING CHAIN NOISE. *TW
090797 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 27, 1997
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 1991 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 1991 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.