1996 Dodge RAM 3500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other RAM 3500 years
- About as many complaints as other years 12th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 124 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Dodge RAM 3500. That ranks 12th out of 18 RAM 3500 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (36 complaints, 29%), typically at around 103,753 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 10 fires, 3 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 124owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Dodge RAM 3500 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 36 | 29% | 103,753 | — | — |
| Power Train | 19 | 15% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 16 | 13% | 81,545 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 9% | 82,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 9% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 10 | 8% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 10 | 8% | 98,090 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 7% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 6% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 5% | 241,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 4% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 4% | 110,987 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 2% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 2% | 200,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 2% | 123,450 | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Dodge RAM 3500 recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:headlights:switch
Problem: Vehicle description: model 3500 light duty trucks only. Operation of the headlamps over an extended period of time can result in headlamp switch failure, causing the headlamps or park lamps to go out.
Risk: If the lights fail, a visibility problem could occur, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the headlamp switch including a relay in the park lamp wiring circuit.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Seat back failure (DP03006) — opened Sep 23, 2003, closed Apr 8, 2004.
- Loss of throttle control (PE00048) — opened Dec 11, 2000, closed Mar 7, 2001, led to recall 01V037000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Dash is all cracked up allowing sharp plastic projectiles in and about the cab that can cut you in a wreck sun getting on electrical wires destroying them and now shorts and sometimes dont work right
1996 dodge ram 3500. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle tire tread shreds off casing and causes severe damage to vehicle undercarriage. *smd *tr
"takata recall" the dash on my truck is all cracked up and i take very good care of my truck. Io came across an article about the dodge dash's i went right out side and pulled my dash cover back and took a look and to my surprise my dash is all cracked up in many piece's . And i have had it covered…
Heat caused the dash to dry out and crack into large jagged pieces, that could have fatal consequences if in any type of accident.
Death wobble. Violent shaking of the truck. Simply google "death wobble" and dodge truck. Hope you do something before someone does get killed.
Other Dodge RAM 3500 years
← 1995 RAM 3500 · 1997 RAM 3500 →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 RAM 3500 | 366 | 8 |
| 2011 RAM 3500 | 225 | 5 |
| 2010 RAM 3500 | 150 | 9 |
| 2009 RAM 3500 | 105 | 5 |
| 2008 RAM 3500 | 173 | 9 |
| 2007 RAM 3500 | 210 | 11 |
| 2006 RAM 3500 | 257 | 8 |
| 2005 RAM 3500 | 196 | 4 |
| 2004 RAM 3500 | 214 | 4 |
| 2003 RAM 3500 | 286 | 6 |
| 2002 RAM 3500 | 44 | 0 |
| 2001 RAM 3500 | 130 | 1 |
| 2000 RAM 3500 | 58 | 1 |
| 1999 RAM 3500 | 104 | 0 |
| 1998 RAM 3500 | 105 | 0 |
| 1997 RAM 3500 | 125 | 1 |
| 1996 | 124 | 1 |
| 1995 RAM 3500 | 108 | 1 |
See all Dodge RAM 3500 problems by year, every Dodge model, or the Dodge VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Dodge RAM 3500?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, power train, suspension problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 36 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Dodge RAM 3500?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Dodge RAM 3500 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other RAM 3500 model years, the 1996 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.