2008 Dodge Ram problems & reliability
25 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 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.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2008 Dodge Ram vehicles were involved in 208 fatal crashes with 95 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 6 | 24% |
| Power Train | 4 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 12% |
| Engine | 3 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 12% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 8% |
| Structure | 2 | 8% |
| Tires | 2 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 4% |
| Equipment | 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
“The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that he heard an abnormal noise in the front driver’s side wheel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the wheel bearing failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired…”
Suspension · filed Feb 15, 2023
“The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V529000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of…”
Steering · filed Aug 19, 2022
“The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated the engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who stated the sensor needed to be replaced as well as the harness. The vehicle had not been repaired due to the parts being on back order. The manufacturer was not…”
Engine · filed Aug 15, 2022
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Outer Tie Rod Failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE11009 · opened Apr 4, 2011 · closed Feb 6, 2012 · led to recall 11V350000
Technical service bulletins
3 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Dodge Ram.
Dodge: electronic fuel control actuator (fca) available for service/new diagnostics available for dtc p0251. Engine surges at idle or mil illumination. Further investigation may identify dtc p0251-cp3 pump regulator…
SB-14-001-10 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 2, 2010
Dodge: revised diagnostic and repair procedures for dtc p2262-turbocharger boost pressure not detected-mechanical. Recent pcm calibration updates have improved the robustness to this dtc through updated diagnostic…
SB-09-002-09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 13, 2009
Chrysler:dodge: approximately 2969 vehicles, equipped with an automatic transmission, may have been shipped with a gearshift cable that may slip out of adjustment and not allow low gear selection. *pe
RRT-08-097 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 17, 2008
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 2008 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 2008 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.