2002 Dodge Ram problems & reliability
116 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Dodge Ram, alongside 2 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.
12 complaints report injuries (15 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Dodge Ram vehicles were involved in 164 fatal crashes with 78 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 17 | 15% |
| Suspension | 16 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 15 | 13% |
| Structure | 15 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 13 | 11% |
| Visibility | 11 | 9% |
| Steering | 8 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 4% |
| Equipment | 5 | 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 39,600 miles (middle 50% between 14,000 and 60,000 miles), based on 33 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at various speeds, the ABS warning light illuminated and the vehicle seized. The contact managed to coast the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and place the vehicle in park. The contact exit the vehicle to inspect the…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 26, 2021
“The dashboard started cracking around 60,000 miles. It has continued to crack and all of the plastic vent covers have fallen apart into the vents. I have now found out that the insulation in the dash is dry rotting and falling into the a/c vents and causing problems with the a/c motor. This could potentially cause an…”
Structure · filed Apr 24, 2012
“1) electrical problems. Lights kept going in and out 2) dash cracking and crumbling. Pieces falling into air vents and preventing windshield from defrosting! Dangerous! Could cause an accident. Dash is in such bad shape that if passenger air bag were to be deployed it could kill someone due to flying pieces of hard…”
Electrical System · filed Jan 20, 2012
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
64 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Dodge Ram. The 10 most recent:
Positive crankcase ventilation (pcv) system freezes in extreme cold ambient temperatures -- involves installing revised pcv system components. *nj
2500108 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2008
Trailer towing mirror - new mirror glass locking tab - new removal procedure. *kb
2301307 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2007
Powertrain control module initialization. *kb
0803006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 25, 2006
Rear suspension vibration while driving at highway speeds. *tt
06003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 2, 2006
Positive crankcase ventilation (pcv) system freezes in extreme cold ambient temperatures. *tt
2500106 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2006
New water pump for 3.7l engine - no longer common with 4.7l. Advanced service information #05-002. *tt
05002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 28, 2005
Powertrain control module initialization. *sc
0801505 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 2, 2005
Minimun rear rotor thickness. *eh
10182004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 2004
Stabilizer bar link nut torque specs changed. *eh
10182004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 2004
Maintenance schedule information. *eh
10182004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 2004
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 has 2 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 2002 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 39,600 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.