1999 Dodge Ram problems & reliability
366 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Dodge Ram, alongside 5 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.
32 complaints report injuries (45 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Dodge Ram vehicles were involved in 147 fatal crashes with 85 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 | 82 | 22% |
| Power Train | 53 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 40 | 11% |
| Steering | 40 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 37 | 10% |
| Suspension | 36 | 10% |
| Tires | 20 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 17 | 5% |
| Structure | 17 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 15 | 4% |
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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 79,000 miles (middle 50% between 51,250 and 97,750 miles), based on 38 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1999 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated he noticed a strong odor of gasoline inside the vehicle and the gasoline was leaking from the fuel pump. The contact stated he diagnosed the failure himself and noticed the rubber cap was defective. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The contact stated he…”
Fuel System, Other · filed Aug 17, 2022
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 dodge ram . The contact stated that when the vehicle was turned, on there was a very strong fuel odor. The contact noticed that there was fuel leaking from the fuel hose that connected between the left and right fuel injector rails. . The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Apr 26, 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 dodge ram. While the vehicle was parked the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the front drivers side frame was extremely corroded. The contact stated the steering box, sway bar, pitman arm, spring and shock assembly, and bumper were all connected to the section of the frame that was…”
Structure · filed Aug 3, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
117 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Dodge Ram. The 10 most recent:
Catalytic converter warranty coverage customer reminder letter. *tt
0601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
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
Generic cummins engine control module (pcm) procedure. *tt this bulletin replaced 18-030-03. *tt this bulletin replaced 18-030-03a dated 10/17/03. To also include 2005 ram truck. *tt
1803003A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2004
Generic cummins engine control module (pcm) procedure. *tt
1803003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 29, 2003
Engine knock or rattle sound when climbing a long grade and towing a heavy trailer. *tt
0900802 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 21, 2002
Revision of flash process for new engine control module (ecm) from cummins. *slc this bulletin supersedes bulletin 18-019-02 dated june 17, 2002. *tt
1801902A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2002
Information on tampering with vp44 fuel pump on cummins diesel engine. *tt
1400202A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2002
Subject regarding revision in diagnostic procedures and labor operation times for re transmissions. *tt
2100202 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 8, 2002
Information on tampering with vp44 fuel pump on cummins diesel engines. *tt
1400202 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2002
Flash programming failure recovery. *slc
1802002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2002
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 1999 Dodge Ram has 5 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 1999 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 79,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.