Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 155 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Dodge Ram 2500. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 155 · page 1 of 7
I PURCHASED A 2003 DODGE RAM 2500 5.7 V8 4WD. MY STEERING HAS GOTTEN REALLY LOOSE OVER THE LAST WEEK. I BROUGHT IT IN TO DEALERSHIP FOR A PREVIOUS RECALL. AND THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT MY STEERING GEAR WAS GOING OUT AND THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE BAD.
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WONT ACCELATE THEN LOOSE POWER , THEN AFEW A FEW MINUTES DRIVES GREAT THEN NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL NOT ACCELATE DRANGE LOSING POWER LIKE THAT
DASHBOARD HAS STARTED CRACKING AND SHARP PIECES OF PLASTIC HAVE BECOME LOOSE CREATING A POTENTIAL FOR THEM TO BECOME PROJECTILES IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. SEEMS MOST OF THE PLASTIC TRIM PIECES ARE BRITTLE INSIDE THE VEHICLES PASSENGER CABIN.
CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AND USED ACCELERATOR PETAL TO ACCELERATE, ENGINE RPM WENT TO MAX AND SPEED INCREASED 20 MPH AND CONTINUED. TAPPED ACCERATOR AND TURNED OF SPEED CONTROL, SPEED CONTINUED. PUT GEAR IN NEUTRAL AND WORKED MY WAY TO ROAD SIDE. FOUND THAT CABLE FRAYED AND JAMMED AT HIGH RPM. DISCONNECTED CABLE AND HAVE NOT FOUND REPLACEMENT CABLE YET. PART DISCONTINUED
THE PLASTIC DASHBOARD AND RELATED UNDERPINNINGS AND SUPORT STRUCTURE FOR EVERYTHING FROM PASSENGER AIRBAG,RADIO, CLIMATE CONTROL AND VENTS, HEADLIGHT, MIRROR DEFROSTER, GAUGE POD, ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC PLUG, ETC. BEGAN DISINTEGRATING IN LARGE SHARP PIECES WHILE DRIVING. THESE PIECES CUT WIRING AND FLES FOR ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING AND ARE DISTRACTING AND DANGEROUS IN MULTIPLE WAYS WORSE IF IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAD TO REMOVE RADIO, AND DISABLE AIRBAGS FOR SAFETY. REPLACEMENT PARTS ALONE ARE POTENTIALLY IN THE THOUSANDS, NOT INCLUDING LABOR AND WIRING HARNESS REPAIRS.
THE DASH HAS CRACKED INTO SEVERAL PIECES THAT ARE NOW A HAZZARD OF FLYING SHARDS IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. ALSO THERE ARE HOLES INT THE DASH WHERE THE PIECES HAVE BROKEN OUT THAT CAN ALLOW DEBRIS TO FALL INSIDE THE DASH THAT CAN CAUSE FIRES OR ELECTRICAL SHORTS.
I AM HEARING A POPPING SOUND WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, PLAY IN STEERING, TRUCK IS WOBBLING ALL OVER THE PLACE WHEN DRIVING ON UNEVEN ROADS, HISSING SOUND COMING FROM FRONT END WHEN ACCELERATING. PLAY IN STEERING GEAR BOX. THE CLICKING POPPING SOUND I HEAR WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL IS WHEN DRIVING OR NOT MOVING. I HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK PULL FAR RIGHT ON THE ROAD WHEN GOING ON UNEVEN ROADS.
DODGE RAM "DEATH WOBBLE" OR SHIMMY PHENOMENON, WHILE IN MOTION AND ENCOUNTERING HIGHWAY ROAD SURFACE CHANGES.
TL* THE CONTACT WAS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. WHILE A MOTHER WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500 WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE TWO YEAR OLD PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE SHIFTED THE VEHICLE FROM THE PARK POSITION INTO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AND CAUSED THE MOTHER TO FALL. THE CHILD SUBSEQUENTLY FELL OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS RUN OVER BY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL. THE CHILD WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE NEARBY HOSPITAL. THE CHILD WAS PRONOUNCED DECEASED UPON ARRIVAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE POLICE REPORT NUMBER WAS: 2017-6489. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE SHIFT INTERLOCK FUNCTION FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,013. .UPDATED 09/07/17 *BF *JS
TRUCK GARAGE KEPT FOR 10 OF ITS 14 YEARS. CURRENT MILEAGE 2017 = 90,000. AUG 2014 DASH BOARD BEGAN TO CRACK AND FALL APART - TRUCK HAD ONLY 79,950 MILES! PLASTIC PIECES FALL INTO DASH HOLES AND GET STUCK UNDER DASH AMONGST STEERING WHEEL, ELECTRICAL WIRES/CONTROLS, ETC. PLASTIC PIECES CAN FALL AT ANY TIME WHETHER IN MOTION OR STATIONARY.
WHILE TRAVELING ON I-5 IN PORTLAND, OREGON, I LOST CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, IT WHEN INTO A "DEAD PEDAL MODE". I WAS ON A VERY BUSY SECTION OF THIS INTERSTATE AND HAD TO IMMEDIATELY FIND A LOCAL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD NEXT TO AN ON RAMP. IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT WAS AN ELECTRONIC PROBLEM.
DEATH WOBBLE. EXPERIENCE WHEN HITTING SMALL/MINOR BUMPS IN THE ROAD OR RAILROAD TRACKS. VIOLENT SHAKING CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO TRY TO COME TO A STOP. SHAKING IS SO VIOLENT THAT THE DRIVER IS BOUNCED AROUND IN THE SEAT, MOMENTARILY AIRBORNE AND ITESM IN THE TRUCK FLY AROUND. LAWSUIT WAS ISSUSED ON 2004 AND NEWER MODELS BUT AFFECTS OLDER MODELS AS WELL. WE NOW HAVE PAID $900 IN PARTS TO FIX THE "DEATH WOBBLE" THAT HAD WE KNOWN WAS AN ISSUE, WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THE TRUCK. COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE WHEN IT IS OUR DAILY DRIVER AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PARK IT AND PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE TO REPLACE IT WITH. CANNOT SELL IN CURRENTY CONDITION HAVING A "DEATH WOBBLE". NO GUARANTEE THAT THE PURCHASED PARTS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM.
THE DASHBOARD HAS LITERALLY BROKEN INTO PIECES AND SHARDS 3 YEARS AFTER WE PURCHASED THE TRUCK. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WE HAVE GREAT CONCERNS FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE DRIVING AND/OR RIDING IN THE VEHICLE. THE SHARDS ARE VERY SHARP AND COULD EITHER PUNCTURE THE AIRBAG OR CAUSE HARM TO AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE MANY VEHICLES WITHIN A PERIOD OF YEARS MADE BY THIS MANUFACTURER THAT HAVE ALL HAD THIS SIMILAR ISSUE. IT IS OBVIOUSLY DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE PLASTIC USED IN THE DASHBOARDS AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT OFFERED A RECALL FOR THIS REAL SAFETY ISSUE. WOULD THEY SETTLE FOR THIS WITH THEMSELVES OR THEIR LOVED ONES IN A VEHICLE WITH THIS ISSUE. THE DASHBOARD IS LITERALLY DISINTEGRATING.
THE DASH IS CRACKING AND DISINTEGRATING AND THE SHARP SHARDS OF THE PLASTIC DASH PIECES ARE A SAFETY HAZARD.
DASH STARTED CRACKING IN 2009 AND PIECES ARE FALLING OFF. THE CRACKED DASH AND LOOSE PIECES ARE DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS BODILY HARM IF I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE YEARS AGO.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING; HOWEVER, THE SPECIFICS OF THE DIAGNOSIS COULD NOT BE PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.
DASH CRACKING SEVERELY. IF AIRBAG DEPLOYS PLASTIC SHARDS WILL IMPALE PASSENGER AND/OR DRIVER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS FRACTURED IN SEVERAL AREAS. THE FAILURE STARTED SMALL, BUT WORSENED PROGRESSIVELY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS FAILURE AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 198,000.
THE DASHBOARD IS CRACKING BADLY AND CRUMBLING. LARGE HOLES ARE FORMING AND BROKEN PIECES OF PLASTIC FROM THE DASH ARE FALLING INTO THE DASH AREA. THE DEALER WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT IT TOOK A GREATER AMOUNT OF DISTANCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD HAD A HOLE THAT WAS INCREASING IN SIZE AND IT WAS COLLAPSING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.
DASH BOARD IS CRUMBLING EXPOSING NUMEROUS CONTROLS, GAUGES, WIRING, AND AIRBAG COMPONENTS WHICH IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. THE A/C HAS SEIZED TO WORK ANYMORE DUE TO ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WHICH IS SPREADING TO OTHER CONTROL GAUGES AND COMPONENTS. THE SAFETY OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS NOW A CONCERN. *TR
IN DECEMBER,2011, I PURCHASED 2 EQUALIZER SPORT A/P TIRES. IN AUGUST 2013 , ONE OF THEM HAD A TREAD SEPARATION, WHICH I CAUGHT AND REPLACED IT BEFORE A BIGGER PROBLEM. IN MARCH, 2014 THE TREAD OF THE SECOND TIRE CAME OFF COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING. IT DAMAGED MY VEHICLE. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT MY WIFE AND I WERE NOT HURT AS WE WERE TOWING A 12,000 POUND 5TH WHEEL RV. FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE ABOUT THE SECOND INCIDENT. *TR
THIS DIESEL TRUCK WAS STARTED IN ORDER TO LET IT WARM UP. OWNER WENT INTO A BUILDING TO RETRIEVE A PAIR OF GLOVES AND RETURNED 5 MIN LATER TO FIND THE VEHICLE ON FIRE. SMOKE WAS POURING OUT OF THE FRONT COWL AT THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD. ENTRY TO THE VEHICLE WAS ATTEMPTED IN ORDER TO PUT THE FIRE OUT HOWEVER THE LOCKING MECHANISM KEPT THE DOORS SHUT SO ENTRY COULD NOT BE ATTAINED. THE TRUCK WAS ON FIRE AND IT HAD LOCKED THE DOORS. THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW HAD TO BE BUSTED OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN ORDER TO GAIN ENTRY. ONCE THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED THE PROBLEM AREA WAS EVIDENT. THE ENTIRE HEATER BLOWER AREA WAS MELTED. *TR
DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE GOING ABOUT 75 MPH I NEEDED TO BRAKE BUT NOTICED THE TRUCK WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN AND THE RPM WERE NOT REDUCING, IN FACT THEY WERE INCREASING. DESPITE ME NOT HAVING MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL THE TRUCK WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. I HAD TO USE EXTREME PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES AND PULL OFF THE ROAD TO GET THE TRUCK TO SLOW DOWN. ONCE SLOWED IF I RELEASED PRESSURE OFF THE BRAKES THE TRUCK WOULD START TO ACCELERATE. I PUT THE TRUCK INTO PARK AND THE RPM WENT UP TO 5000 AND STAYED. I TURN OFF THE TRUCK AND TURNED IT BACK ON TO FIND THE RPMS IMMEDIATELY GO UP TO 5000 RPMS. I TURNED OFF THE TRUCK GOT OUT AND NOTICED SMOKE AND HEAT COMING OUT FROM MY WHEELS, DUE TO THE EXTREME BRAKING REQUIRED TO STOP THE TRUCK. KNOWING SOMETHING OF CARS I DECIDED TO LOOK AT THE THROTTLE BODY TO SEE IF IT WAS JAMMED OPEN AND REMOVED AIR FILTER ASSEMBLE. WHEN I REMOVED THE AIR FILTER ASSEMBLY I FOUND THE AIR FILTER ASSEMBLE O-RING (THE SEAL THAT GOES BETWEEN THE THROTTLE BODY AND AIR FILTER ASSEMBLY) JAMMED BETWEEN THE THROTTLE BODY HOUSING AND VALVE, VALVE WAS ABOUT 45 DEGREES FROM THE CLOSED POSITION. PART OF THE SEAL WAS STILL BETWEEN THE AIR FILTER ASSEMBLY AND THROTTLE BODY HOUSING AND THE OTHER PART WAS JAMMED IN THE THROTTLE BODY. I REASSEMBLED THE AIR FILTER ASSEMBLY WITHOUT TO SEAL AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE ROTORS AND FRONT BRAKE PADS DUE TO THE EXTREME BRAKING OF THE INCIDENT. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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