2009 Dodge Ram 4500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 Dodge Ram 4500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical240.0%
- Steering240.0%
- Exterior lighting120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE RAM 4500. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION FAILED TO START. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. ALSO, THE WIRES BURNED A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE FUSE BOX. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS AND PLUG HEAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.
1ST TIME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM HAPPENED WAS UNDER 36 THOUSAND MILES,, TURNED THE TRUCK OFF AND IT WOULD NOT START OR MAKE A SOUND,, HAD IT TOWED TO BOB WILLIAMS DODGE IN ROME GA.,,WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS IN MAIN WIRING HARNESS PLUG. THE SECOND TIME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM HAPPENED I WAS SITTING STILL WITH TRUCK IDILING IN A PARKING LOT FOR 3 OR 4 MINUTES THEN THE ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF AND I STARTED SMELLING SMOKE AND BURNT PLASTIC,,, HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO ED VOYLES IN MARIETTA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS PLUG THAT SHORTED OUT AGAIN AND CAUSED THE TIPM AND THE FUSE BOX AND THE CIRCUIT BOARD INSIDE THE FUSEBOX TO BURN A HOLE THRU THEM THE SIZE OF A BASEBALL,, THIS HAPPENED AT 96,000 MILES,,,, SO THEY PUT A BAND AID ON IT TO GET ME OUT THE DOOR ,,,I ASKED THEM IF THEY FOUND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THEY FOUND THE MAIN HARNESS PLUG SHORTED OUT BUT THATS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM... THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IS STARTING TO OCCUR AGAIN FOR THE 3RD TIME AT AROUND 130,000 MILES,,CRUISE CONTROL HAS QUIT WORKING ,,TAIL LIGHTS AND MARKER LIGHTS HAVE QUIT WORKING ON TRUCK,, TRAILER BRAKES AND TRAILER LIGHTS HAVE QUIT WORKING,,, FUEL GUAGE WILL QUIT WORKING AND DPF FULL LIGHT WILL COME ON BUT I CAN MOVE THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS PLUG HEAD AND THE FUEL GUAGE WILL START BACK TO WORK AND DPF FULL WARNING WILL GO OFF FOR A WHILE,,,I NEED HELP WITH THIS ONGOING ISSUE PLEASE
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY SUSPENSION/STEERING SNAPPED AND THE DEALER WILL NOT RELEASES THE VEHICLE TO ME AND TOLD ME TO CALL DODGE SINCE THERE IS AN OPEN RECALL ON IT. I HAVE CALLED 3 TIMES AND NOBODY CALLS BACK. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER SINCE SEPTEMBER 2015.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE RAM 4500. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 4 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED WAS TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIE ROD HAD DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT A RECALL APPLIED TO THE CONTACT'S VIN UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER:10V657000(STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY) BUT WAS REPAIRED ONE YEAR PRIOR TO THE RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED TO MAKE THE RECALL REPAIRS ON THE VEHICLE FOR A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
1ST TIME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM HAPPENED WAS UNDER 36 THOUSAND MILES,, TURNED THE TRUCK OFF AND IT WOULD NOT START OR MAKE A SOUND,, HAD IT TOWED TO BOB WILLIAMS DODGE IN ROME GA.,,WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS IN MAIN WIRING HARNESS PLUG. THE SECOND TIME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM HAPPENED I WAS SITTING STILL WITH TRUCK IDILING IN A PARKING LOT FOR 3 OR 4 MINUTES THEN THE ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF AND I STARTED SMELLING SMOKE AND BURNT PLASTIC,,, HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO ED VOYLES IN MARIETTA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS PLUG THAT SHORTED OUT AGAIN AND CAUSED THE TIPM AND THE FUSE BOX AND THE CIRCUIT BOARD INSIDE THE FUSEBOX TO BURN A HOLE THRU THEM THE SIZE OF A BASEBALL,, THIS HAPPENED AT 96,000 MILES,,,, SO THEY PUT A BAND AID ON IT TO GET ME OUT THE DOOR ,,,I ASKED THEM IF THEY FOUND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THEY FOUND THE MAIN HARNESS PLUG SHORTED OUT BUT THATS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM... THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IS STARTING TO OCCUR AGAIN FOR THE 3RD TIME AT AROUND 130,000 MILES,,CRUISE CONTROL HAS QUIT WORKING ,,TAIL LIGHTS AND MARKER LIGHTS HAVE QUIT WORKING ON TRUCK,, TRAILER BRAKES AND TRAILER LIGHTS HAVE QUIT WORKING,,, FUEL GUAGE WILL QUIT WORKING AND DPF FULL LIGHT WILL COME ON BUT I CAN MOVE THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS PLUG HEAD AND THE FUEL GUAGE WILL START BACK TO WORK AND DPF FULL WARNING WILL GO OFF FOR A WHILE,,,I NEED HELP WITH THIS ONGOING ISSUE PLEASE
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .