Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 18 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 Dodge Ram, most frequently naming the seat belts, tires & wheels and electrical categories. 2 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 1995 | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 1995 | 1 | 2 |
| Sep 1995 | 1 | 3 |
| May 1996 | 1 | 4 |
| Oct 1996 | 2 | 6 |
| Dec 1996 | 1 | 7 |
| Feb 1997 | 1 | 8 |
| Aug 1997 | 1 | 9 |
| Nov 1997 | 1 | 10 |
| Sep 1998 | 1 | 11 |
| Aug 2000 | 3 | 14 |
| Jan 2001 | 1 | 15 |
| Jun 2001 | 1 | 16 |
| Jul 2002 | 1 | 17 |
| Jul 2003 | 1 | 18 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
VEHICLE ENGINE FIRE. NAR 07/02/2003.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF GAS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AFTER PUTTING SOME FUEL IN IT, A FIRE ERUPTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *NM
WHILE IN MOTION, CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CONSUMER STOPPED VEHICLE AND REALIZED THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT THE SCENE INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE WIRING TO THE AUDIO EQUIPMENT FROM THE BATTERY. *JG
TIRE TREAD AND BELT SEPARATION. BELTS EXPOSED; RAPID DEFLATION. TIRE DESTROYED. NOT THE FIRST SIMILAR PROBLEM I'VE HAD WITH THIS MODEL OF TIRE. IT HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE A FEW YEARS AGO. *AK (DOT NUMBER: M3H3 AKYX TIRESIZE: 205-70R15)
THERE IS A SEAT BELT RECALL FOR SEAT BELT COMING UNLATCHED WHILE DRIVING. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN ALTHOUGH IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
FUEL TANK SEEMS TO BE LEAKING FROM THE BOTTOM AND NEAR THE SEAM OF THE TANK. IF AN IGNITION SOURE WAS PRESENT IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE. THIS WAS FOUND WHEN OIL WAS BEING CHANGED. ABOUT A YEAR AGO, FUEL WAS LEAKNG FROM FILLER TUBE. OWNER WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND A REPLACEMENT. FUEL TANK HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. OWNER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM VISITING FRIENDS WHO LIVE ABOUT 13 MILES FROM ME ON A HOT SUN. AFTERNOON ON A 2-LANE COUNTRY ROAD. I BEGAN TO NOTICE SOME SWAY ON THE CURVES ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY HOME. AS I WAS DRIVING INTO THE CITY LIMITS I REALIZED THE REAR TIRE HAD GONE FLAT BUT DROVE ABOUT 1 BLOCK SO I COULD PULL OFF SAFELY. AS A RESULT THE TIRE RECEIVED SOME DAMAGE WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FLAT. I HAD IT REPLACED AT THE SAME FIRESTONE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM BUT WAS PUZZLED BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO BE VERY CHEWED UP FOR THE SHORT DISTANCE I CONTINUED TO DRIVE ONCE I NOTICED THE FLAT. THE TIRE WAS ONE OF FOUR I BOUGHT TOGETHER LESS THAN A YEAR AGO BUT THE ONE WHICH WENT FLAT WAS REPLACED BEFORE WORD OF THE PROBLEMS WITH SIMILAR TIRES WAS PUBLICIZED. I AM STILL DRIVING ON THE OTHER 3 PLUS THE REPLACEMENT. I AM VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE ONE OF THE TIRES (LEFT FRONT) HAS NEVER HELD AIR WELL, IN SPITE OF TAKING IT BACK FOR REMOUNTING, AND IT IS ONCE AGAIN LOSING AIR REGULARLY WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP IT PROPERLY INFLATED. THE EARLIEST APPOINTMENT I COULD GET AT ANOTHER LOCAL FIRESTONE STORE IS SEPT. 9. THE ONLY DOCUMENTATION WHICH MIGHT BE AVAILABLE OF THIS EVENT, BESIDES MY RECEIPTS, WOULD BE THE AAA RECORDS WHEN I CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE WITH CHANGING THE TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
NO SUMMARY
CENTER SEAT BELT WAS NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED AFTER RECALL REPAIR.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; EQUIPMENT
68069384A$, R8069384A$, 68086182A$, R8027067A$, RL002012A$ - Gasket, Cylinder Head Cover Before replacing injectors for Diagnostic Trouble Codes P0201, P0202, P0203, P0204, P0205, and/or P0206, please make sure that the wiring loom and/or connector in the valve cover gasket is not the root cause to your concern. In addition, make sure that the wiring attaching nuts are torqued to their proper value.~
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING COLUMN COUPLER SERVICE. *TW
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — |
| 2010 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 59.7 |
| 2009 | 9 | 6 | 1 | — |
| 2008 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 56.1 |
| 2007 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 49.2 |
| 2006 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 46.7 |
| 2005 | 40 | 5 | 0 | 53.1 |
| 2004 | 58 | 7 | 2 | 61.0 |
| 2003 | 53 | 7 | 1 | 59.0 |
| 2002 | 116 | 6 | 1 | 58.4 |
| 2001 | 318 | 14 | 1 | 62.0 |
| 2000 | 147 | 11 | 1 | 63.4 |
| 1999 | 366 | 13 | 0 | 56.1 |
| 1998 | 483 | 17 | 0 | 57.4 |
| 1997 | 398 | 11 | 5 | 65.2 |
| 1996 | 625 | 14 | 9 | 66.6 |
| 1995 | 611 | 16 | 10 | 66.9 |
| 1994 | 469 | 22 | 13 | 66.6 |
| 1993 | 54 | 1 | 2 | 47.9 |
| 1992 | 58 | 2 | 1 | 53.5 |
| 1991 | 51 | 3 | 2 | 58.5 |
| 1990 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 44.4 |
| 1989 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 42.6 |
| 1988 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 42.6 |
| 1987 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 29.9 |
| 1986Viewing | 18 | 0 | 0 | 49.3 |
| 1985 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 41.8 |
| 1984 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.