1996 Dodge Ram problems & reliability
625 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1996 Dodge Ram, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. 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.
36 complaints report injuries (49 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1996 Dodge Ram vehicles were involved in 70 fatal crashes with 47 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 170 | 27% |
| Power Train | 135 | 22% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 57 | 9% |
| Suspension | 49 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 47 | 8% |
| Steering | 43 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 38 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 32 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 5% |
| Tires | 29 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1996 Dodge Ram. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 97V068000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), 01V037000 (Vehicle Speed Control), and 00V135000 (Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Nov 25, 2024
“Tl*the contact owns a 1996 dodge ram. The contact noticed a chemical odor coming from the dashboard and the heater. The headlights flickered and the instrument panel lighting suddenly dimmed. The headlights went completely dim. The contact turned everything back on, but the headlights only illuminated for a few…”
Electrical System · filed Jan 28, 2009
“Tl*- the contact owns a 1996 dodge ram pickup. While driving at 55 mph the lights turned off. The contact was forced to stop the vehicle while it cooled off, and after approximately 15 minutes, the vehicles lights illuminated. Also, the failure caused the wiring harness to melt. The contact stated that this failure…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Apr 9, 2007
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SEAT BACK FAILURE
Defect Petition DP03006 · opened Sep 23, 2003 · closed Apr 8, 2004
- HOOD LATCH
Recall Query RQ00012 · opened May 3, 2000 · closed Apr 20, 2001 · led to recall 95V056000
- STEERING COLUMN FIRE
Defect Petition DP00002 · opened Jan 20, 2000 · closed Apr 24, 2000
- STEERING COLUMN FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA99027 · opened Sep 10, 1999 · closed May 30, 2000 · led to recall 00V135000
- IGNITION SWITCH
Preliminary Evaluation PE99031 · opened May 5, 1999 · closed Sep 10, 1999
- TRANSMISSION QUICK CONNECTORS
Recall Query RQ98002 · opened Mar 10, 1998 · open · led to recall 97V084000
- CLUTCH HYDRAULIC LINE
Engineering Analysis EA98005 · opened Feb 27, 1998 · closed May 24, 1999
- CLUTCH HYDRAULIC LINE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE97043 · opened Oct 20, 1997 · closed Feb 27, 1998 · led to recall 99V115000
Technical service bulletins
91 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1996 Dodge Ram. The 10 most recent:
Illuminated mil as the result of a diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0420 - catalyst efficiency, or may have failed a california smog or state I/m test but without an illuminated mil, or a rattling sound from the underside…
1100605 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 21, 2005
Flash programming failure recovery. *slc
1802002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2002
Subject regarding generic scan tool (gst), publication no. 81-170-00008 provided with this technical service bulletin to provide reference information when using generic scan tool on obdii vehicles. *tt
1801201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2001
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
Some customers may experience a situation in which the rear of the vehicle sits too high to attach their fifth wheel or goose neck trailer to the trailer hitch turnable. *jb
0200101 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 19, 2001
Subject regarding wire splice repairs. *sb
0800600REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 29, 2000
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
2300800B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 24, 2000
Concerns with a buzz noise coming from the front door speaker(s). *tt
081600 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 28, 2000
Subject pertaining to air filter service. *tt
090700 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2000
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 1996 Dodge Ram has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 1996 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.