2001 Dodge 1500 Owner Complaints

The contact owned a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while exiting a parking lot and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal floored, causing the contact to roll to a stop on the side of the road. The ABS and Brake Warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to drive at 2 MPH to their home. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the brake line had blown and replaced it where it had failed. Approximately 6 months later, the ABS and brake warning lights illuminated again. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed no leaks. When restarting the vehicle, the warning lights were no longer illuminated. While driving at an unknown speed, the ABS and brake lights illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to Meineke Car Care Center to a certified mechanic. The following morning, the lights were not illuminated. The vehicle was returned to Meineke Car Care Center, who stated that it may have been a computer glitch causing the lights to illuminate, then turn off when the vehicle was restarted. The contact had the brakes replaced as routine maintenance; however, after doing so, while driving in the rain at approximately 25 mph and attempting to apply the brakes, the brakes failed, causing the vehicle to rear-end the vehicle in front. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain injuries or require medical attention. The contact assumed the other driver had injuries, but could not confirm. A police report was filed. The contact was able to drive at a slow speed to their home. The ABS and Brake lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to Meineke Car Care Center, where it was diagnosed that the other brake line had blown. The front end and brake line, which had blown was repaired. After the vehicle had been repaired, when coming to a stoplight, the failure occurred again, causing the vehicle to crash a second time. There were no injuries, air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact drove the vehicle to Meineke Car Care Center, who was

NHTSA ID

11717773

Incident

Sep 13, 2012

Mileage

259,021 mi

While driving and operating the heater, unbeknowst to me leaves/pine needles had come in through the fresh air cowl vent and built up on the heater blower resistor resulting in a fire. This design in dangerous as the default for the air intake is open and allows debris to enter and drop directly into the fan and blower motor resistor. I've searched online and seen multiple reports of this issue. I have a video I can provide if contacted.

NHTSA ID

11700714

Incident

Nov 16, 2025

Passenger side airbag exploded while sitting in my yard.

NHTSA ID

11579853

Incident

Dec 21, 2023

The headlights no matter what bulbs I buy are extremely dim making it unsafe to drive at night. Now truck will not start for some unknown reason. It tries to turn over but will not crank. The mileage flashes NO BUS. I was literally only getting at best 8 miles per gallon.

NHTSA ID

11527071

Incident

Mar 26, 2023

2001 Dodge Ram Dashboard is an extreme safety hazard due to the cracking. I have owned this vehicle for 12 years and it's been garaged kept for 8 years. The dash started with a crack and then a hole was created when hitting a bump. Then I had a mechanic work on the heater, and the dash basically disintegrated when moving it. The holes on this dashboard are absurd. A review of safety information identified others who reported this problem to NHTSA and many more complaints on online message boards. This dashboard creates a safety issue for all personnel in the vehicle in case of an accident since projectiles (pieces of the dash that crumble) will fly. Also, there are other components under the dash that could create additional problems (ie-heater core spraying hot antifreeze after an accident). This is completely absurd. Keep in mind, my vehicle has less than 80K miles and the dash is getting worse.

NHTSA ID

11500666

Incident

Jan 1, 2013

unknown, Is all I know that I was checking the code on my truck and left truck on all night went out to start truck and battery was dead I got a jump from a friend and it started fine. I let it run for @20-30 minutes then I and my wife went to Realo drug store about 3/4 of a mile from home to get her meds. We pulled up and waiting and got the meds payed for and my wife said there is smoke coming from under the hood. The truck stopped running and I tried to start it back and it did not start. Started smoking more and more I told my wife to get out of the truck and she did the pharmacist came out and help push the truck away from the store. Started flaming up and I drove it to a safe place and finally got out of the truck wife was ok but I had smoke halation and had to go on rescue squad to ER they said along with smoke halation I had a burnt nose ,forehead and burnt throat. Please check about this. Thank you

NHTSA ID

11496364

Incident

Nov 18, 2022

Where the sway bar is bolted to the chassis has completely deteriorated causing sway bar to completely detach from both sides of the frame. This has caused it very difficult to steer and nearly impossible the more MPH the vehicle goes. I own another vehicle nearly exactly the same but a 1998 dodge ram 1500 vin number [XXX]. It to has the same exact problem. I believe that the quality of steel used in manufacturing the frame of these vehicles was not up to standards. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11482914

Incident

Sep 1, 2022

Shavent had funds to take to a shop but was told that the wrong fuel lines are on the truck

NHTSA ID

11447139

Incident

Jan 10, 2022

The contact owns a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the contact was making a turn and heard a loud grinding noise coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and took the vehicle out of gear and heard the grinding sound again. The contact was able to continue to drive to the residence. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the pinion nut was loosened and grinding into the rear axle. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact the vehicle was not safe to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

NHTSA ID

11437254

Incident

Jan 10, 2021

Mileage

220,000 mi

The dash has been cracking for years. It has now disintegrated into very small pieces. It has clogged up the air ducts. The small pieces have blown in my eyes, creating a driving safety hazard. Ample history and reporting of this matter has been filed. It is an extreme safety hazard. The responsibility is clearly a manufacturing defect.

NHTSA ID

11434348

Incident

Sep 25, 2005

2001 Dodge RAM has a severely deteriorated dashboard. It has been this way since 2004. I am concerned that pieces of the cracked and damaged dashboard could become dangerous projectiles in the event of a crash with airbag deployment. The damaged pieces on the truck’s dashboard are very sharp, so they could cause serious injury if they broke loose and became a projectile in a crash. It is simply amazing that a recall has not been issued up to this date. We've waited so long for this to be resolved. A dangerous manufacturing flaw!

NHTSA ID

11429893

Incident

Dec 1, 2004

There have been three times now in the last two years, six-eight months of which I never drove the vehicle due to being repaired. I was driving at about 60-70mph. At which time there were no odd or sudden noises, no warning at all when the trucks acceleration goes way up till I let of the gas pedal, go to pull over while two of the three times, my drive shaft is bouncing between the road and underneath the truck which could have bounced up into another vehicle's windshield, radiator or whatever and could have actually hurt or even killed someone. Thank God nothing like that ever happened. After inspecting the problem, in which all three cases, the transfer case has broken off part of the tailshaft of the transmission and once, even broke part of the transfer case to. After trying to look up the problem on line, the exact same problem seems to have happened to several people from several different states and even one same instance from the same small town that I'm in. All the same instances that I've seen have been from the same type of vehicle from the years of 1995-2001. It just seems like a wide spread problem to me

NHTSA ID

11423443

Incident

Jul 1, 2021

THE DASH IN MY 2001 DODGE RAM HAS CRACKED AND PIECES AND SOME BREAK OFF AND FLY AROUND THE CAB OF MY TRUCK WHILE IN MOTION.. I HAVE 13 GRAND CHILDREN AND SOME PIECES FLY IN THE BACK SEAT. CAN ANYONE DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS AT ALL BEFORE ANYONE GETS HURT? ITS NOT MY FAULT THAT DODGE BOUGHT CHEAP EFFECTIVE DASH BOARDS, PLEASE LOOK IN TO THIS IT WOULD HELP A LOT TO GET A REPLACMENT. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

11407544

Incident

Sep 15, 2003

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED TWICE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE STILL RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 198,000.

NHTSA ID

11406884

Incident

Nov 16, 2020

Mileage

198,000 mi

SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY OR BUSY ROAD AND THE ENGINE GETS TO NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE, THE ENGINE STALLS AND SHUTS OFF. THEN I HAVE TO MANEUVER IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LET IT COOL OFF APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AND THEN IT CRANKS BACK UP AND I CAN DRIVE 5 MINUTES AND IT DOES THE SAME THING AGAIN, VERY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ID

11406817

Incident

Apr 5, 2021

Mileage

198,000 mi

I TURNED THE KEY TO START THE ENGINE AND AS IT STARTED CRANKING SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE DEFROSTER AND THEN FIRE STARTED COMING OUT THE ENGINE HOOD. LUCKILY I HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY AND OPENED THE HOOD AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. WONDERED WHERE THE FIRE STARTED SO TRIED STARTING AGAIN AND FIRE STARTED IMMEDIATELY AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE OR ON TOP OF THE BELL HOUSING. I ALSO SMELLED FUEL. THE TRUCK WAS NEXT TO MY GARAGE AND HAD BEEN DRIVEN A FEW DAYS EARLIER. IF I HAD NOT PUT OUT THE FIRE MY WHOLE HOUSE COULD HAVE BURNED DOWN. I DONATED THE TRUCK TO WHEELS 4 VETS.

NHTSA ID

11360192

Incident

Sep 11, 2020

Mileage

144,000 mi

MY 2001 DODGE RAN HAS A BROKEN AND CRACKED DASH BOARD PARTS OF THE DASH WILL FLY OFF AND HIT THINGS,PEOPLE ECT AND I THINK IT WILL HURT THE PEOPLE I LOVE LIKE MY GRANDKIDS,WIFE ECT. I THINK IT SHOULD BE RECALLED BECAUSE SOMEONE (DRIVER) MIGHT GET HIT IN THE FACE AND LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SOMEONE GETS HURT OR EVEN KILLED FROM THIS CRACKED DASHBOARD THAT IS NOT THE OWNERS FAULT. THANK YOU AND PLEASE CAN YOU RECALL THIS DASHBOARD?

NHTSA ID

11300259

Incident

Sep 12, 2008

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS VERY LOOSE AND MOVED A LOT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. ALSO, THE GEAR INDICATOR DISPLAYED DIFFERENT GEARS EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE DRIVE POSITION. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11245461

Incident

Jul 1, 2018

Mileage

400,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASH BOARD WAS DISINTEGRATING. PIECES OF THE DASHBOARD WERE PENETRATING THROUGH THE HEATER VACUUM SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSED THE HEATER NOT TO WORK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000.

NHTSA ID

11203980

Incident

Oct 1, 2018

Mileage

163,000 mi

DASH PANEL HAS CRACKED BADLY TO THE POINT PIECES HAVE FALLEN OUT EXPOSING WIRES, CONNECTORS, DUCTS AND OTHER UNDER-DASH COMPONENTS. I AM CONCERNED THIS MAY AFFECT INFLATION OF AIR BAGS AND POTENTIAL FOR PIECES OF CRACKED DASH TO CAUSE SEVERE INJURY IN THE EVENT OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. DASH PANEL CRACKING ON THESE MODELS IS WELL KNOWN TO CHRYSLER, AND HAS DRAWN NATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION (EG NEW YORK TIMES, 2013). CHRYSLER HAS APPARENTLY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ITS LIABILITY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11193458

Incident

Jan 22, 2014

DASHBOARD FALLING APART; SHARP/JAGGED PIECES OF DASH CUTTING INTO ELECTRICAL WIRING CAUSING SHORTS, FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT ON BOARD TRUCK; WHILE DRIVING ON STREET, HIGHWAYS IN MOTION STRAIGHT-LINE AND TURNING.

NHTSA ID

11186553

Incident

Jan 21, 2017

Mileage

175,000 mi

I'M WORRIED THAT THE AIR BAG ON PASSENGER SIDE IS DEFECTIVE AS THE STRANGEST NOISE IS COMING FROM BEHIND THE DASH LIKE A RUBBER BAND IS TIGHTENING AND THEN CLICKING ON AND OFF. DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. I'VE ALSO HAD MY TRUCK IN FOR THE STEERING BEFORE AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN RIGHT. NOW THE HOOD WILL NOT SHUT RIGHT. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A LEMON. I FIGHT TO KEEP IT ON THE ROAD. IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE 36,000 MILES ON IT. I'M WONDERING WHAT RECALLS I'VE MISSED SO I'M CHECKING. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID

11169946

Incident

Dec 15, 2018

Mileage

35,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SUDDENLY BECAME STUCK AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO KEEP ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED ONCE IT WAS RESTARTED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER (VICTORY DODGE, 64 GREENSBURG ST, DELMONT, PA) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ID

11153981

Incident

Nov 1, 2018

Mileage

60,000 mi

DISINTEGRATION OF DASHBOARD PLASTICS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR DODGE TRUCKS IN THIS TIMEFRAME. IF THIS VEHICLE WERE TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT SUFFICIENT TO DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS, SHARP PLASTIC SHARDS WOULD BE PROPELLED EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING THE FACE AND EYES.

NHTSA ID

11129672

Incident

Sep 1, 2013

Mileage

90,000 mi

THE HOOD LATCH BEHIND THE GRILL BROKE OR FAILED. MY HOOD FLEW UP AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND SHATTERED MY WINDSHIELD. THE HOOD AND HINGES ARE BENT. IT FELT LIKE I HIT A BRICK WALL. I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. I GRADUALLY GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I COULD NOT PULL THE HOOD DOWN. A GENTLEMAN STOPPED TO HELP ME AND WE GOT THE HOOD DOWN BUT IT WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE HOOD HAD TO BE SECURED WITH A BUNGEE CORD. MY TRUCK WAS TOWED AND IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP. THEY WILL BE REPLACING THE HOOD, WINDSHIELD AND HOOD LATCH. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION I WAS PUT IN FROM A FAULTY HOOD LATCH.

NHTSA ID

11129443

Incident

Sep 10, 2018

Mileage

143,394 mi