The 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 216,314 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 1,370 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the structure. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
TIRES03V5040002003-12-10214 affected
Defect
ON CERTAIN 4X4 PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH THE SNOW PLOW PREPARATION PACKAGE, THE TIRES SUPPLIED ON SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATINGS THAT SLIGHTLY EXCEED THE MAXIMUM TIRE LOAD CAPACITY AS DEFINED IN FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 120, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN…
Remedy
DEALERS WILL PROVIDE REPLACEMENT P245/75R16 TIRES TO MEET THE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY SPECIFIED ON THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL AND ACCOMMODATE THE ADDITION OF A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE SNOW PLOW AND HARDWARE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 22, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-992-1997.
AIR BAGS01V1530002001-05-08216,100 affected
Defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PICKUP TRUCKS. SOUND DEADENER MATERIAL INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL COULD BECOME DETACHED FROM THE COVER AND HOUSING. NOTE: THE RAM PICKUP TRUCKS WERE BUILT AT THE WARREN ASSEMBLY PLANT ("S" IN THE 11TH VIN POSITION) FROM MAY 16, 2000 THROUGH OCTOBER 23, 2000; ST. LOUIS NORTH ASSEMBLY PLANT…
Consequence
WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE MATERIAL COULD INTERFERE WITH THE CLOCKSPRING RIBBON AND CAUSE AN OPEN CIRCUIT. THE DRIVER AIR BAG SYSTEM WILL BECOME DISABLED, AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP WILL ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 18, 2001. ALSO SOME 1997-200 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES THAT, ACCORDING TO WARRANTY RECORDS, HAVE HAD A SUSPECT REPLACEMENT CLOCKSPRING INSTALLED, WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON…
Complaints by component
STRUCTURE
483
4crashes2fires18injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
113
1crashes3fires6injuries
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
59
2crashes
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
56
1crashes11fires1injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
46
1crashes1injuries
AIR BAGS
45
15crashes1fires15injuries1deaths
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
38
27crashes21injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
35
23fires
TIRES
28
2crashes2injuries
STEERING
26
4crashes2injuries
Total complaints1,370
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“While driving and operating the heater, unbeknowst to me leaves/pine needles had come in through the fresh air cowl vent and built up on the heater blower resistor resulting in a fire. This design in dangerous as the default for the air intake is open and allows debris to enter and drop directly…”
“While driving and operating the heater, unbeknowst to me leaves/pine needles had come in through the fresh air cowl vent and built up on the heater blower resistor resulting in a fire. This design in dangerous as the default for the air intake is open and allows debris to enter and drop directly…”
“Passenger side airbag exploded while sitting in my yard.”
“The headlights no matter what bulbs I buy are extremely dim making it unsafe to drive at night. Now truck will not start for some unknown reason. It tries to turn over but will not crank. The mileage flashes no bus. I was literally only getting at best 8 miles per gallon.”
“The headlights no matter what bulbs I buy are extremely dim making it unsafe to drive at night. Now truck will not start for some unknown reason. It tries to turn over but will not crank. The mileage flashes no bus. I was literally only getting at best 8 miles per gallon.”
“The headlights no matter what bulbs I buy are extremely dim making it unsafe to drive at night. Now truck will not start for some unknown reason. It tries to turn over but will not crank. The mileage flashes no bus. I was literally only getting at best 8 miles per gallon.”
“Unknown, is all I know that I was checking the code on my truck and left truck on all night went out to start truck and battery was dead I got a jump from a friend and it started fine. I let it run for @20-30 minutes then I and my wife went to realo drug store about 3/4 of a mile from home to get…”
“Where the sway bar is bolted to the chassis has completely deteriorated causing sway bar to completely detach from both sides of the frame. This has caused it very difficult to steer and nearly impossible the more mph the vehicle goes. I own another vehicle nearly exactly the same but a 1998 dodge…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationPE00025 Opened 2000-07-06 · closed 2000-12-27
REAR SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGE DISENGAGEMENT
ALLEGE THAT BOTH REAR INBOARD SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGES WERE FOUND TO LACK PROPER ATTACHMENTS.
InvestigationPE08047 Opened 2008-07-25 · closed 2008-12-17
2000-2001 DODGE RAM PICKUP HOOD LATCH
THE AGENCY OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON 30 COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THAT THE HOODS ON MODEL YEAR (MY) 2000 AND 2001 DODGE RAM PICKUP TRUCKS FLEW UP AND BLOCKED THE DRIVER'S VISION.THESE VEHICLES HAVE A PRIMARY HOOD LATCH AND A SECONDARY (BACKUP) HOOD LATCH.THE SECONDARY LATCH IS DESIGNED TO SECURE THE HOOD IF THE…
InvestigationPE08047 Opened 2008-07-25 · closed 2008-12-17
2000-2001 DODGE RAM PICKUP HOOD LATCH
THE AGENCY OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON 30 COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THAT THE HOODS ON MODEL YEAR (MY) 2000 AND 2001 DODGE RAM PICKUP TRUCKS FLEW UP AND BLOCKED THE DRIVER'S VISION.THESE VEHICLES HAVE A PRIMARY HOOD LATCH AND A SECONDARY (BACKUP) HOOD LATCH.THE SECONDARY LATCH IS DESIGNED TO SECURE THE HOOD IF THE…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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