2008 Dodge Ram 5500 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 2008 Dodge Ram 5500, 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
- Steering1680.0%
- Airbags15.0%
- Electrical15.0%
- Engine15.0%
- Suspension15.0%
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
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE RAM 5500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V527000 (STEERING). THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE RAM 5500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V527000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
I RECEIVED 2 RECALL NOTICES. I HAVE SPENT HOURS TRYING TO WORK WITH CHRYSLER TO FIND A DEALERSHIP THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO FIX AND ALIGN MY TOW TRUCK. THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND A DEALERSHIP WITHIN 145 MILES OF MY HOME. FROM WHAT I HAVE FOUND OUT, THEY HAVE SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS THAT SELL MY TYPE OF TOW TRUCK..BUT NONE ARE ABLE TO SERVICE AND ALIGN MY TOW TRUCK. I FEEL THAT THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. PLEASE ADVISE. [XXX]. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY LIGHTS STARTED TO FAIL THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TRUCKS ELECTRICAL ALL WENT OUT WHILE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND WOULD NOT START BACK UP WITH NO POWER I HAD TO STRUGGLE TO GET THE TRUCK STOPPED THE FUSE BOX CAUGHT FIRE NOTHING ELSE WAS DAMAGED. THE DEALERSHIP WAYS IT IS THE BED MANUFACTURES FAULT. THIS BED MANUFACTURE CM IN MADIL OK SERVICES ALL TRUCKS NOT JUST DODGE AND HAS NOT HAD THIS ISSUE ON ANY BUT DODGE THE FUSE BOX OVER LOADS AND SHORTS OUT. I HAVE TO SPEND 1300 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS NOT TO MENTION A WEEK OF NO PAY AS MY TRUCK MAKES ME MONEY. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE RAM 5500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND ALL WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE ENGINE STALLED BUT FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE RAM 5500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V527000 (SUSPENSION) WAS RECEIVED IN DECEMBER OF 2013. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REMEDY WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND NO ESTIMATED TIME FOR RECEIVING THE PARTS COULD BE PROVIDED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
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 .