AI Damage1997 Dodge RAM 2500: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Dodge RAM 2500 filed 213 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 213
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 12% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 9% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 37 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 32 complaints (15% of all).
- Tires: 26 complaints (12% of all).
- Suspension: 20 complaints (9% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 19 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 213 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 37 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
More details include severe truck shaking and loss of control of the vehicle. To see this happen on camera, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6h5eh261gw. Millions of people are having this problem!! It has even been reported with jeep wranglers.
Within a few weeks I experienced a brake failure when I hit the brakes hard. I managed to change lanes to avoid an accident and tried many times after that to get the brakes to fail. But it didn't happen again until almost a year later. Same result, no accident and couldn't repeat the problem.
While proceeding to leave the mall parking lot the accelerator pedal became stuck. As a result the vehicle accelerated out of control and crashed into a parked car. The dealership has been contacted.
There is a safety standard requiring head restraints to prevent or reduce whiplash injuries yet there is apparently no standard that requires the seat back holding such head restraint to remain standing upright during an accident where such head restraint would be needed. I was rear ended on an expressway.
Consumer hit a railing on an icy road, and the air bag did not deploy.
Consumer was involved in a in head on collision traveling at very high speed in which the driver's side air bag did not deploy, resulting in injuries to the driver's side occupant. Also vehicle totaled. Please provide any further details.
Truck rear ended another vehicle, and the air bags did not deploy. Also, the passenger's seat lock did not hold.
Dean mud terrain radial sxt lt265/75r16 manufactured january 2006. Tire's with 22,000 miles. Tread separated from casing causing a bubble, tire replaced. Second tire had a blowout three weeks later after tire inspection.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,915 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RAM 2500 has 293 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 213, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
- RAM 2500 199116 sources
- RAM 2500 199232 sources
- RAM 2500 199339 sources
- RAM 2500 1994168 sources
- RAM 2500 1995267 sources
- RAM 2500 1996291 sources
- RAM 2500 1998225 sources
- RAM 2500 1999313 sources
- RAM 2500 2000211 sources
- RAM 2500 2001469 sources
- RAM 2500 2002155 sources
- RAM 2500 2003661 sources
- RAM 2500 2004582 sources
- RAM 2500 2005422 sources
- RAM 2500 2006670 sources
- RAM 2500 2007362 sources
- RAM 2500 2008317 sources
- RAM 2500 2009214 sources
- RAM 2500 2010236 sources
- RAM 2500 2011298 sources
- RAM 2500 2012283 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Dodge RAM 2500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, powertrain, tires. Total complaints: 213. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), rust, corrosion (5%), tires: bulges, blowouts (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Dodge RAM 2500?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Dodge RAM 2500 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.