2004 Dodge RAM 2500: common problems

Owners of the 2004 Dodge RAM 2500 filed 582 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 582
involving a crash: 49

What fails most often

1 Steering 24% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 19% of all complaints
3 Suspension 18% of all complaints
4 Air bags 15% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
6 Structure 6% of all complaints
7 Visibility 5% of all complaints
8 Exterior lighting 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Steering: 140 complaints (24% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 110 complaints (19% of all), 39 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 106 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Air bags: 90 complaints (15% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 47 complaints (8% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 582 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

vibration83 · 14%
knocking, grinding or other noise21 · 4%
headlights and tail lights18 · 3%
steering or power steering problems18 · 3%
stalls while driving16 · 3%
rust, corrosion13 · 2%
smoke, burning smell, fire13 · 2%
A/C or heater12 · 2%
windows, sunroof12 · 2%
rollaway, parking brake11 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Steering	140	4
Powertrain	110	39
Suspension	106	1
Air bags	90	2
Electrical system	47	2
Structure	35	0
Visibility	30	1
Exterior lighting	26	0
Engine and cooling	24	0
Fuel system	22	1
Service brakes	18	0
Vehicle speed control	17	1
Engine	13	1
Wheels	13	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

In the past 6 months my steering and suspension components failed causing me to wreck and also somehow my engine bay deteriorated in turn having started a fire
Electrical system · crash · 2026-08-12 · NHTSA complaint #11756595
While driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle vibrated and crashed into a ditch. The failure recurred several times. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin and failure mileage were not available.
Steering · crash · 2016-01-28 · NHTSA complaint #10822811
Both driver and passenger airbags did not deploy at impact! Vehicle is a total loss due to the outcome of the collision. Vehicle struck a barn and exited out of it until struck a massive tree which finally stopped the truck.
Air bags · crash · 2015-10-27 · NHTSA complaint #10786298
I have a 2004 dodge ram 2500 cummin diesel pick up,when I put into park with motor running I left the truck to check on a wreak my pick up rolled back into a tractor trailer causing damage to the rear corner panel of my truck.
Powertrain · crash · 2007-02-09 · NHTSA complaint #10182119
Tl* - the contact has a 2004 dodge ram 2500 diesel motor automatic truck, on a dry pavement on a flat surface, he stopped, and when he put the truck into park and got out of the truck it jumped out of park into reverse and rolled down the driveway and struck a vehicle that was following it , resulting in a total of…
Powertrain · crash · 2007-01-03 · NHTSA complaint #10177700
The steering wheel locks up and I am unable to brake. The truck has already landed in a ditch and posted a major traffic hazard when these episodes occur. In addition, many times my five year old son is with me.
Steering · crash · 2006-06-08 · NHTSA complaint #10159362
I have had my truck in several times to get the ac fixed and it still is not right. I don't know if I should keep the vehicle or sell it. I was never notified of the problem. I had it in the dealership and they said nothing about it. I feel I have a lemon.
Powertrain · crash · 2006-03-26 · NHTSA complaint #10153735
When driving over some overpasses on highways the "bump" causes the whole front end to shake and makes steering very hard to maintain. I have heard this called "the Dodge death wobble" and has been reported by many other Dodge Ram owners. I have had all of the ball joints and tie rod replaced.
Steering · 2022-07-21 · NHTSA complaint #11475198

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

200432
200554
200650
200728
200827
200919
201041
201144
201231
201324
201459
201577
201642
201729
20185
20198
20203
20211
20223
20231
20264

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 612 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).

On average one model year of the RAM 2500 has 293 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 582, above average.

What to check before buying

Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Dodge RAM 2500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, powertrain, suspension. Total complaints: 582. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (14%), knocking, grinding or other noise (4%), headlights and tail lights (3%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.