1996 Dodge RAM 1500 Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500, 17% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 106,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “transmission failed” (12% of reports).
- 52power train complaints
- 106,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 47%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 6 of 52 complaints (12%)
- Please provide: mentioned in 6 of 52 complaints (12%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 9 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 52 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury.
Dodge RAM 1500 power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 RAM 1500 | 92 | 13% | 65,500 |
| 2011 RAM 1500 | 176 | 26% | 44,000 |
| 2010 RAM 1500 | 229 | 47% | 60,000 |
| 2009 RAM 1500 | 231 | 34% | 69,000 |
| 2008 RAM 1500 | 73 | 13% | 84,459 |
| 2007 RAM 1500 | 61 | 12% | 63,500 |
| 2006 RAM 1500 | 100 | 13% | 89,500 |
| 2005 RAM 1500 | 593 | 51% | 110,967 |
| 2004 RAM 1500 | 181 | 16% | 120,678 |
| 2003 RAM 1500 | 125 | 11% | 74,000 |
| 2002 RAM 1500 | 99 | 12% | 82,500 |
| 2001 RAM 1500 | 95 | 9% | 57,570 |
| 2000 RAM 1500 | 45 | 9% | 60,000 |
| 1999 RAM 1500 | 59 | 10% | 70,000 |
| 1998 RAM 1500 | 85 | 16% | 90,000 |
| 1997 RAM 1500 | 56 | 16% | 70,001 |
| 1996 RAM 1500 | 52 | 17% | 106,000 |
| 1995 RAM 1500 | 30 | 14% | 86,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My ball joints, tie rods, steering box, all that has to do with those areas have serious issues and dodge needs to fox them for free put them under the recall dept so they can be. Steering wheel very loose tons of play very dangerous.
Transmission keeps slipping. It shifts really hard then it doesn't want to shift later on. *tr
Normal driving into mountains and auto transmission shifted out of overdrive and would not shift back, even down hill. Checked fluid and very hot and started to smelled burnt. Has been shifting hard. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Dodge RAM 1500s have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 52 owner complaints about power train for the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 (17% of the 298 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 106,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission failed”, in 6 of 52 complaints, followed by “please provide” (6).
See all 1996 Dodge RAM 1500 problems or power train problems across all RAM 1500 years.