Most common 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 problems
Share of the 213 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Ram 1500 complaints by model year
Best Ram 1500 years: 1997, 2005, 1998. Years to avoid: 2001. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 1995 Dodge Ram 1500:
Alleged failure of steering pitman shaft
Steering box output (pitman) shaft breakage resulting in loss of control.
Headlight circuit
The headlamp switch in the subject vehicles can over-heat and fail resulting in loss of head lamps and possibly other lights.daimlerchrysler conducted a series of tests and determined that the 3500 series is prone to generating head lamp switch temperatures in excess of the switch lubricant threshold of 100 degrees centigrade.when this occurs, the lubricant solidifies and adheres to the switch contach surfaces…
Seat back failure
Odi has identified 30 incidents where it is alleged the seat back collapsed in a rear impact crash.these incidents are alleged to have contributed to 23 injuries and two deaths.the data presented to odi show that the seat back strength of the front seats comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207.
Steering column separation
Mr. Larry a. Sackey submitted a petition to the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) by letter dated April 18, 2003, requesting that nhtsafurther investigate the defective collapsible steering shaft system on 1987-1995 vehicles manufactured by the daimlerchrysler corporation.in part because of 49 cfr ? 30120(g), NHTSA has decided to limit the scope of the petition vehicles to 1993-1995 models,…
What 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 owners say
Body & structure all 36 →
The dash on my 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 is broken into pieces and getting worse I am worried about wires shorting out and causeing a fire and also the paint is almost gone from the roof and hood of the truck I have seen both issuses on many other Dodge trucks and think something should be done to compensate owners for the cost of repaires to there trucks its not our fault its a manufacture defect
When I started driving the truck the dash was just cracked up then I had to change the heater core and while putting the dash back in it broke all up and now there are sharp edges all across the top at this time the truck was parked and the yard but now how it is while driving I have to hold the radio and the gauges back
Electrical system all 31 →
On 3/09/05 we bought a 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup from lee Dodge in farmingdale, ny. On 7/01/05 the vehicle began to have smoke come out of the steering column and then proceeded to ignite into flames. The entire truck was engulfed in minutes and this truck was totalled. After this incident we found out that there was a recall back in the year 2000 for ignition wires that were overheating! The Dodge manufacturer informed us that the recalls were never done and it was very possible that this problem caused the fire and is sending an inspector on 7/10/05 to determine this fact. According to the manufacturer lee Dodge was responsible to have done all the recalls before they sold the vehicle. Lee Dodge has been unresponsive to date. This truck is a total loss and our neighbor's tree went up in flames as well. It could have been our homes as well as family members inside the vehicle. …
On 3/09/05 we bought a 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup from lee Dodge in farmingdale, ny. On 7/01/05 the vehicle began to have smoke come out of the steering column and then proceeded to ignite into flames. The entire truck was engulfed in minutes and this truck was totalled. After this incident we found out that there was a recall back in the year 2000 for ignition wires that were overheating! The Dodge manufacturer informed us that the recalls were never done and it was very possible that this problem caused the fire and is sending an inspector on 7/10/05 to determine this fact. According to the manufacturer lee Dodge was responsible to have done all the recalls before they sold the vehicle. Lee Dodge has been unresponsive to date. This truck is a total loss and our neighbor's tree went up in flames as well. It could have been our homes as well as family members inside the vehicle. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 30 →
I stopped my 1995 Dodge Ram pickup, put it in park, and got out of the truck to talk to a man to get directions to a pharmacy nearby. I talked to the man for a minute or so and he told me that my truck was beginning to roll. In my attempt to stop the truck that was rolling backwards toward a busy street, I fell and the front tire on the pickup ran over both of my legs. The truck had slipped from park into reverse. This resulted in a broken fibula in my left leg with deep cuts on my left ankle. The right leg was severely cut all the way to the bone and required 32 stitches and my right ankle was also deeply cut. After running me over the pickup then hit a car. I was hospitalized for a total of 19 days. I am still experiencing severe problems with both of my legs. My truck then ran into a car.
Transmission failure due to faulty transmission cooler and lines. Transmission overheated and fluid leaked out and caught fire on highway. The selling dealership was contacted and they stated that there were no known defects with trans or cooler. Replaced transmission at a garage. That trans melted down after fifty miles. Bought second trans in the next town. It melted down after 150 miles. Third reansmission shop went to a local dealer and replaced the defective cooler assembly and the third transmission operated without problem. Dodge never notified me of the recall, resulting in thousands of dollars of loss. I only discovered the recall when a canadian dealership asked if I had the recall performed. Something must be done about these dishonest Dodge dealers.
1995 Dodge Ram 1500 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 20 / 16 |
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
| 5.2L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 16 / 14 |
| 5.2L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.2L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 11 / 16 / 13 |
| 5.9L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 11 / 15 / 12 |
| 5.2L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 11 / 15 / 12 |
| 5.9L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 10 / 14 / 12 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 a good car?
Based on 213 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1995 Ram 1500 rates better than average: 69% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Ram 1500 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1995 Dodge Ram 1500?
The body & structure — 36 complaints, 17% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the electrical system (31) and transmission & drivetrain (30).
How many recalls does the 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1995 Dodge Ram 1500. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Dodge Ram 1500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1997, 2005 and 1998. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001. See the full Dodge Ram 1500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 120,000 miles; 10% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.