2000 Dodge RAM 3500: common problems

Owners of the 2000 Dodge RAM 3500 filed 58 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and structure. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 58
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Suspension 19% of all complaints
2 Structure 16% of all complaints
3 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
8 Steering 9% of all complaints

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

Suspension: 11 complaints (19% of all).
Structure: 9 complaints (16% of all).
Fuel system: 8 complaints (14% of all).
Powertrain: 8 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 7 complaints (12% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 58 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire6 · 10%
fuel system, fuel smell4 · 7%
knocking, grinding or other noise2 · 3%
rust, corrosion2 · 3%
stalls while driving2 · 3%
vibration2 · 3%
airbags did not deploy1 · 2%
brake failure1 · 2%
A/C or heater1 · 2%
headlights and tail lights1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Suspension	11	0
Structure	9	0
Fuel system	8	0
Powertrain	8	2
Electrical system	7	0
Engine and cooling	5	0
Service brakes	5	0
Steering	5	0
Air bags	2	2
Equipment	2	1
Visibility	2	0
Engine	1	0
Seats	1	0
Tires	1	0

What owners report

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

Had a car pull out in front of me and air bags did not deploy in crash. Excessive front end damage, insurance totaled truck. Also had a friend 2 weeks prior involved in a crash with excessive front end damage, insurance totaled his truck and his air bags did not deploy. His truck was a 2006 ram 3500.
Air bags · crash · 2014-04-23 · NHTSA complaint #10584352
My truck popped out of park,ran through it's parking brake, the door knocked me down and the front tire of my dodge 3500 ran over both of my legs and my arm. It broke my legs but did not brake my arm. I am still recovering.
Powertrain · crash · 2012-07-27 · NHTSA complaint #10467939
Consumer's vehicle was involved in a head on collision while driving between 30-35 mph. Upon impact, none of the frontal air bags deployed. Driver sustained bruises to right knee, when it hit the dashboard, and whiplash. Vehicle is currently at the body shop.
Air bags · crash · 2004-06-04 · NHTSA complaint #10075681
Transmission problem that dodge has know about for years and refuses to repair- automatic transmission, governor solenoid, and sensor causing no transmission up-shift. These have been failing on vehicles for many years and estimates are 4 out of 5 fail before 100,000 miles.
Powertrain · crash · 2004-04-04 · NHTSA complaint #10064532
The cracking has done nothing but get worse. The dash has begun having chucks of broken plastic fall off into the instrumentation and on the floor. It has disproportionately devalued the truck. The dash should be replaced by dodge along with the bezel on the instrument cluster which has 2 cracks in it.
Structure · 2015-04-03 · NHTSA complaint #10703573
Dodge case # [xxx] cracked dashboard due to defective plastic when truck was manufactured in 2000. Vehicle was parked in an insulated enclosed garage except when being driven. Due to the severe cracks, sharp pieces could potentially fly through the cab upon impact during an accident causing serious to fatal cuts.
Structure · 2013-07-07 · NHTSA complaint #10523592
The contact stated that he heard a knocking noise coming from the engine while driving at all speeds. The failure also occurred while stopped. The vehicle was taken to three different repair shops and the contact was informed that the motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.
Engine · 2012-07-11 · NHTSA complaint #10465201
Consumer states dodge ram 3500 diesel popped out of park causing injuries the consumer stated the door of the vehicle hit her and the truck ran over her, breaking both of her legs.
Powertrain · 2012-06-12 · NHTSA complaint #10461528

When owners complained

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

20008
20014
20026
20034
20049
20051
20063
20075
20085
20091
20103
20112
20124
20131
20141
20151

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,955 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).

On average one model year of the RAM 3500 has 134 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 58, below average.

What to check before buying

Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2000 Dodge RAM 3500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, structure, fuel system. Total complaints: 58. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (10%), fuel system, fuel smell (7%), knocking, grinding or other noise (3%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 Dodge RAM 3500?

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 2000 Dodge RAM 3500 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 2000 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.