RoadVitals

1988 Dodge Ram

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
22
Latest Sep 18, 2001
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
5
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 22 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Dodge Ram, most frequently naming the engine, seat belts and tires & wheels 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine417.4%
  • Seat belts313.0%
  • Tires & wheels313.0%
  • Transmission313.0%
  • Steering28.7%
  • Driver assistance28.7%
  • Other / unspecified14.3%
  • Fuel system14.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

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.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 22
Transmission
Filed Sep 18, 2001

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN PARKING GEAR IT MAKES HORRIBLE AND BUMPING NOISE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
896463
Transmission
Filed Aug 31, 2001
Crash reported

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ID
895622
Incident
Aug 8, 2001
Transmission
Filed Aug 8, 2001
Crash reported

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND RUNNING, AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, VEHICLE SLIPPED INTO ANOTHER GEAR AND ROLLED BACK, HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID
893899
Incident
Jul 1, 2001
Engine
Filed Mar 24, 2001
Fire reported

SHORTLY AFTER COLD START VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. WAS COMPLETELY CONSUMED. *AK

NHTSA ID
742967
Incident
Mar 10, 2001
Exterior lighting
Filed Dec 4, 2000

DUE TO FAILURE OF TURN SWITCH, I WAS TICKETED FOR NO BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS, AND FORCED TO HAVE $366.48 IN REPAIRS FOR A FAULTY SWITCH THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AT INITIAL RELEASE OF VEHICLE IN 1988.*AK

NHTSA ID
737294
Incident
Oct 16, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 24, 2000

3 YEARS AGO, I WAS RETURNING FROM HOUSTON TX WHEN THE TREAD ON THE LEFT FRONT TIRE OF MY DODGE RAM CHARGER PEELED OFF. FORTUNETALLY, THE PIECES OF THE TIRE WENT UNDER THE TRUCK AND OUT THE BACK. WHEN I STOPPED AND CHECKED THE TIRE, IT WAS INFLATED YET MISSING ALL OF THE TREAD MINUS THE WALLS. THERE WAS NO SERIOUS DAMAGE, NOR AM I LOOKING FOR ANY COMPENSATION. BUT GIVEN THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION REGARDING FIRESTONE TIRES, I FELT IT COULDN'T HURT TO SUBMIT THIS. I AM NOT SURE HOW OLD THE TIRES WERE WHEN WE BOUGHT THE TRUCK IN 1996 (USED). AFTER THE INCIDENT, I REPLACED ALL THE TIRES (SPARE INCLUDED) WITH BRAND NEW *COUGH* FIRESTONE TIRES, AND SOLD THE TRUCK IN APRIL.( DOT NUMBER: )

NHTSA ID
728928
Incident
Oct 10, 1997
Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 24, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported

ON AUGUST 6, 2000, TRAVELING NORTH ON I-75 NEAR BELLVIEW FORIDA I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE TREAD TORE AWAY FROM THE TIRE CASING WHILE TRAVELING AT A RATE OF 75 MPH LEAVING THE TIRE STILL INFLATED WITH THE STEEL BELTS SHOWING. THE VEHICLE RAN OVER THE SEPARATED TREAD THROWING THE MATERIAL INTO THE UNDERBODY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TAILPIPE /MUFFLER ASSEMBLY. THE FORCE OF THE INCIDENT CAUSED THE RIGHT REAR OF THE VEHICLE TO JUMP UPWARDS APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET CAUSING A UNCONTROLLED SKID INTO THE LEFT LANE SLIGHTLY ONTO THE LEFT PAVEMENT EDGE AND THEN BACK INTO RIGHT LANE AND CONTINUED OFF THE LEFT EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT. AS THE WHEEL TWISTED DURING THE SKIDDING I EITHER SPRAINED OR BROKE MY RIGHT WRIST . THE ACCIDENT CAUSED NO DAMAGE TO OTHER VEHICLES OR PROPERTY AND A LETTER DESCRIBING THE ACCIDENT WAS HAND DELIVERED TO OLSON TIRE, COUNTRYSIDE OFFICE, CLEARWATER FLORIDA. THE VEHICLE'S OTHER TIRES ARE THE SAME MAKE AND SIZE BUT ARE MADE IN CANADA AND NOT BEARING THE DOT VDHL CODE, EACH TIRE HAS APPROXIMATELY TWO THIRDS REMAING TREAD AS COMPARED TO NEW AND ALL TIRES WERE INFLATED PROPLERLY. I VISITED THE OLSON STORE TWICE MAKING AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE TIRE INSPECTED EXLAINING THE DEFECTIVE TIRE WAS AVAILABLE TO SEE, HOWEVER THE EMPLOYEE DECLINED TO LOOK AT THE TIRE INSTRUCTING ME TO BRING IT BACK WHEN NEW TIRES WERE AVAILABLE. HE WAS NOT IMPRESSED THAT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS DAMAGED AND MAY BE A SAFETY HAZARD WITH EXHAUST FUMES , NEITHER DID HE ADVISE WHAT INFORMATION MIGHT BE NEEDED REGARDING THE WRIST INJURY.THE TIRE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AND I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR REPAIRS TO THE EXHAUST AND HAVE SCHEDULED A PHYSICIAN OFFICE VISIT TO EXAMINE AND XRAY WRIST IF REQUIRED.( DOT NUMBER: VDHL1PY157 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

NHTSA ID
728862
Incident
Aug 6, 2000
Suspension
Filed Mar 18, 1999

LEFT UPPER CONTROL ARM CROSSMEMBER RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING THE COIL SPRING TO PUSH UP THROUGH THE TOP.

NHTSA ID
544439
Incident
Jan 1, 1999

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

9002688

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.~

190393

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Dodge Ram by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2011041—
2010275159.7
2009961—
2008254156.1
2007174049.2
2006254046.7
2005405053.1
2004587261.0
2003537159.0
20021166158.4
200131814162.0
200014711163.4
199936613056.1
199848317057.4
199739811565.2
199662514966.6
1995611161066.9
1994469221366.6
1993541247.9
1992582153.5
1991513258.5
1990230044.4
1989280042.6
1988Viewing220042.6
1987180029.9
1986180049.3
1985100041.8
1984200—
1983100—
1982000—
1981200—
1980000—
1979300—
1977200—
1976100—

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.