The contact owns a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the hood flew open and struck the windshield. The contact immediately veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that the hood was bent, and the windshield was cracked due to the failure. The contact was able to drive to the residence at a slow speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 01V040000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The dealer informed the contact that he would be charged a repair fee for the replacement of the hood, the grill, the windshield, and components; however, the parts were not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 152,000.
The worst 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission52
- Brakes46
- Body35
- Engine32
- Suspension27
- Electrical26
- Steering24
- Fuel system20
- Lights13
- Tires12
- Acceleration11
- Locks11
- Airbags10
- Visibility10
- Seats7
- Wheels7
- Seat belts3
Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500
Headlights 14Brake failure 13Fire or smoke 13Transmission failure 13ABS 11Overheating 9Pulling 9Tire blowout 7Fuel pump 6Slipping 5Won't shift 5
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Seat back failure
Odi has identified 30 incidents where it is alleged the seat back collapsed in a rear impact crash.these incidents are alleged to have contributed to 23 injuries and two deaths.the data presented to odi show that the seat back strength of the front seats comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207. Seating system.according to daimlerchrylser the front seats were designed to collapse rearward in rear impact crashes as part of the energy absorptioncapabilities of the seating system to reduce the chance of serious injury to the occupant.rates of occurance were compared to peer vehicles, and it was shown that the performace of the subject vehicle was comparable to those vehicles.in view of the forgoing, it is unlikely that the federal safety agency would issue an order for the notification remedy of a safety defect in the subject vehicles as defined by the petitioner at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therfore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency's limited resources to best accomplish the agency's mission, the petition is denied.for further details, refer to odi's response to the petition published in the federal register vol.69, no. 60 , dated march 29, 2004.
DP03006
Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 9
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
1996 Dodge RAM 1500 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.9L 6‑cyl | RWD | 13-15 | 17-19 | 14-16 |
| 5.2L 8‑cyl | RWD | 12-13 | 16-17 | 14-15 |
| 5.2L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 11-12 | 15-16 | 12-14 |
| 5.9L 8‑cyl | RWD | 11 | 16 | 13 |
| 5.9L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 10 | 14 | 12 |
What 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while refueling the vehicle, he noticed that fuel leaking underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, and the mechanic stated that the rollover valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 138,000.
Headlight switch overheats and the plastic start to melting
My ball joints, tie rods, steering box, all that has to do with those areas have serious issues and dodge needs to fox them for free put them under the recall dept so they can be. Steering wheel very loose tons of play very dangerous.
Sigma tires stampede tires -265 75 16 at splitting tread and coming apart -told recall only last ten* years**-nothing to do and no replacement-tire kingdom* truck vibrates and shakes, loud thud,thud, noise(in motion) affects steering as wobbles always*had issues as rough**riding over the years and never knew why*
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 dodge ram 1500 equipped with sigma stampede radial at/s tires, size 265/75r16. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle shook from side to side. The contact noticed that the steel tread on all four tires was torn apart. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The tires were not original equipment. The manufacturer was notified and stated that nothing could be done. The dot number and VIN were not available. The tire and vehicle failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The entire dashboard is crumbling leaving sharp plastic fling arond and open wires in the dash net issue the dash is actually disintegrating to dust called no help out of warranty we have other cars that are older and no such problem has ever make our dash turn to dust .
On 1/27/2018 my dash board shattered while I was attempting to wipe clean it with moist towel. I bought this vehicle used from dodge dealership in june 1998 with 45120 miles. At present it has only 83000 approx. The vehicle at the time was stationary. I have the photos, unfortunately I do not know how to upload it.
Takata recall the wiring for headlight switch burnt up and switch melted I saw a lot of the same problems on the internet but no recall on the 1500 just the 3500 for the same problem
Ignition wiring failed
Compare the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500
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Questions about the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500
Is the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 reliable?
Owners have filed 296 complaints about the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500, fewer than a typical RAM 1500 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 52 complaints, typically around 106,000 miles. Next is brakes (46).
How many recalls does the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Dodge RAM 1500 have bad transmission?
The Dodge RAM 1500 model years with the most transmission complaints are 2005 (595 complaints), 2009 (231 complaints) and 2010 (229 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 get?
Official estimates for the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 range from 12 to 16 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.9L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 13-15 city and 17-19 highway.
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