RoadVitals

1990 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.
23
Latest Oct 26, 2005
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.
7
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 23 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1990 Dodge Ram, most frequently naming the engine, interior & seats and transmission categories. 14 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

  • Engine313.0%
  • Interior & seats313.0%
  • Transmission313.0%
  • Driver assistance28.7%
  • Tires & wheels28.7%
  • Seat belts28.7%
  • Steering28.7%
  • 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

Seat belts
Filed Oct 26, 2005

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 95V1030000 CONCERNING THE FRONT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT SECURE THE OCCUPANT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE SHOULDER BELT STRAP WOULD NOT LOCK AND THE BUCKLE WOULD NOT STAY LATCHED. THIS HAPPENED EVERY TIME HE USED THE SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK (11/21/05) *SC

NHTSA ID
10140877
Incident
Aug 15, 2005
Mileage
17,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 23, 2002

WHILE JUMPING ANOTHER VEHICLE ENGINE SENSOR FAILED COMPLETELY. TOOK TO DEALER PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED AS OF YET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, AND VEHCILE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.*AK

NHTSA ID
8008332
Tires & wheels
Filed Mar 13, 2002

TREAD ON LEFT REAR TIRE SEPARATED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
8005565
Tires & wheels
Filed Jun 6, 2001

TIRE FAILURE. *AK (DOT NUMBER: 31X10.50R1 TIRESIZE: 31X10.50R1)

NHTSA ID
746483
Interior & seats
Filed Feb 15, 2001
Crash reported1 injury reported

VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AT 60 MPH. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SEATBACK COLLAPSED, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. *AK

NHTSA ID
880639
Incident
Jan 11, 1996
Interior & seats
Filed Jun 26, 2000
Fire reported

VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTSIDE AND IN FRONT OF HOUSE. CONSUMER WAS AWAKENED BY NEIGHBORS AND TOLD THAT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED. FIREMAN TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE AREA THE WIRING.*AK

NHTSA ID
864271
Incident
Jun 18, 2000
Engine
Filed Jun 6, 2000
Fire reported

POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE RESULTED IN VEHICLE FIRE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *MJS

NHTSA ID
552516
Incident
Apr 28, 2000
Electrical
Filed Sep 27, 1999
Fire reported

UNDERHOOD WIRING CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. DEALER HAS VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
848789

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.~

0900401

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

CUSTOMER MAY COMPLAIN OF HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION, GREY OIL SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST OR BREATHER TUBE, OR MECHANICAL KNOCKING. *TT

2100601

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE ATF+4. *TT *MJ

0800600REV

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SUBJECT REGARDING WIRE SPLICE REPAIRS. *SB

080600

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES A REVISED WIRE SPLICE PROCEDURE AND RELATED PARTS. *TT

081698

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

INFORMATION ON INSTALLATION OF RADIO TRANSMITTING EQUIPMENT. *AK

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
1990Viewing230044.4
1989280042.6
1988220042.6
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.