1988 Dodge Ram Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1988 Dodge Ram. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 27 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the seat belts. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Transmission failure. *ak”
“Vehicle was parked and running, and without prior warning, vehicle slipped into another gear and rolled back, hitting another vehicle.*ak”
“Shortly after cold start vehicle caught fire. Was completely consumed. *ak”
“Due to failure of turn switch, I was ticketed for no brake lights and turn signals, and forced to have $366.48 in repairs for a faulty switch that should have been recalled at initial release of vehicle in 1988.*ak”
“On august 6, 2000, traveling north on I-75 near bellview forida I experienced a complete tread separation on the right rear tire. The tread tore away from the tire casing while traveling at a rate of 75 mph leaving the tire still inflated with the steel belts showing. The vehicle ran over the…”
“When it's raining or water gets into the distributor through the engine, the vehicle cuts completely off. Dealer has not seen. *ak”
“Left upper control arm crossmember rusted through causing the coil spring to push up through the top.”
“Steering wheel has play in it, and driver had to move it like a foot before anything happened,. Speed approximately 25-60 mph, no change in wet or dry pavements, no warranty on vehicle. Dealer contacted and tightened bolts, costs were $62. Consumer states that the cost was too much. *ak”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1988 Dodge Ram as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.