AI Damage2001 Dodge RAM Quad CAB: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Dodge RAM Quad CAB filed 118 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 118
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 47% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 7% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 3% of all complaints
- Structure: 56 complaints (47% of all).
- Suspension: 12 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 8 complaints (7% of all).
- Steering: 8 complaints (7% of all).
- Service brakes: 7 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 118 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 56 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 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.
2001 dodge ram 4x4 drivers side rear brake line rusted through creating a leak when trying to stop in driveway at home. Had bushes in front of parking spot blocked by railroad ties as a landscape divider. The truck ran into and partial through railroad ties into bushes to stop the truck. No repair made yet on truck.
I had complete frontal impact and air bag did not deploy. Truck is possibly being estimated a total loss. I hit and snapped a telephone pole, 3 cement barriers and a tree. Safety belt was being used.
1)front collision resulting in a complete front clip replacement. Air bags did not deploy. 3) dodge is reviewing claim.
While driving at 50 mph on a raining day consumer applied the brakes and vehicle slid and hit another vehicle, rear ending it. Upon impact,air bags failed to deploy. Driver sustained chest injuries.
During a head-on collision with another truck neither of the airbags in my 2001 dodge ram 1500 quad cab deployed. Combined speed at impact was around 60 mph and the damage to my truck was such that it was considered a total loss.
I found that the line going to the rear is rusted near the fuel tank and sprays brake fluid onto the fuel tank. Also a line for the front brakes coming down from the abs unit failed at the same time. I have brake fluid spraying everywhere. This caused a complete brake system failure.
After finally coasting to a stop I put truck in reverse - backed up in vacant part of the parking lot so I could put truck in drive and then swing wide into a parking stall and coast to a stop - however when I went to swing the truck I had absolutely no steering at all -front wheels would not turn. Had to have towed.
2001 dodge ram 2500 4 wd the strap that supports the rear of the gas tank snap. The rear of the gas tank was hanging down. Both straps had to be replace and the sraps were rusted real bad.
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 3,170 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RAM Quad CAB has 149 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 118, below average.
What to check before buying
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Dodge RAM Quad CAB?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, suspension, powertrain. Total complaints: 118. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (5%), rust, corrosion (4%), airbags did not deploy (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Dodge RAM Quad CAB?
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 2001 Dodge RAM Quad CAB 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 2001 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.