1996 Dodge RAM Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 170 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1996 Dodge RAM, 27% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 112,725 miles. The words owners use most often: “abs brakes” (15% of reports).
- 170service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- 112,725median miles at failure
- 18mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 16%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.
- ABS brakes: mentioned in 25 of 170 complaints (15%)
- Front brake: mentioned in 14 of 170 complaints (8%)
- Master cylinder: mentioned in 11 of 170 complaints (6%)
- Please describe: mentioned in 9 of 170 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 2 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 170 complaints, 18 mention a crash, 6 an injury.
Dodge RAM service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 RAM | 3 | 12% | 14,100 |
| 2007 RAM | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2005 RAM | 5 | 13% | 11,000 |
| 2004 RAM | 5 | 9% | 23,000 |
| 2003 RAM | 4 | 8% | 10,000 |
| 2002 RAM | 13 | 11% | 33,000 |
| 2001 RAM | 32 | 10% | 30,000 |
| 2000 RAM | 23 | 16% | 72,000 |
| 1999 RAM | 82 | 22% | 60,497 |
| 1998 RAM | 107 | 22% | 93,500 |
| 1997 RAM | 78 | 20% | 82,500 |
| 1996 RAM | 170 | 27% | 112,725 |
| 1995 RAM | 147 | 24% | 52,688 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines. The engine driven vacuum pump can allow engine oil into the vacuum hoses due to the absence of an internal check valve. The oil can cause the hose to deteriorate and partially collapse, reducing the vacuum supply to the brake booster.
Risk: Reduced power brake assist can result increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will add a vacuum pump check valve to the vacuum pump. In addition, the vacuum hose connected to the vacuum pump will be replaced with a hose that is engine oil resistant.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 1996 Dodge Ram. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 97V068000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), 01V037000 (Vehicle Speed Control), and 00V135000 (Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local…
The vehicle vacuum system became contaminated with oil. This effected the vehicle's hav system, brake booster and deteriorated all the vacuum hoses which caused the brakes to fail intermittently. *ph a recall was initiated for this problem but the consumer's vehicle was not included due to vin. The…
While driving at any speed vehicle took a long time to slow down when the brake pedal was pressed. Brake light stayed on, and oil was leaking into the vacuum system. *ak
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Dodge RAMs have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 170 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the 1996 Dodge RAM (27% of the 625 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 service brakes, hydraulic?
Yes: 1 safety recall list service brakes, hydraulic. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?
The median reported mileage is 112,725 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1996 Dodge RAM?
The most frequent phrase is “abs brakes”, in 25 of 170 complaints, followed by “front brake” (14).
Other 1996 Dodge RAM problems
See all 1996 Dodge RAM problems or service brakes, hydraulic problems across all RAM years.