Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact was driving 65 MPH and noticed a loss of power in the vehicle. The contact then noticed smoke and flames shooting from under the hood. The contact safely merged off the roadway and exited the burning vehicle. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an impound lot. The vehicle remains were not inspected to determine the cause of the fire. The manufacturer was not notified of the incident. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 123,000.
Sludge build up in engine stopping up the oil pan pick up,causing truck to loose oil pressure. Now at 121000 miles the transmission blew. The truck has been losing oil pressure from the sludge since I bought it new in 1996, I was told several times by the dealer,this was caused by the lacquer that the engine builder used to ship the engine to the USA, 318cui built in Japan. The dealer cleaned the engine several times, the last time was in July 2003 costing about $1000 to me. I have been getting the run around from Dodge and the dealer, since the truck was under warranty when this first started and now at 121000 miles the transmission blew up. The sludge build up has happened 4 times over the past years, seems like about every 30000 miles, instead of fixing truck all they did was cleanup the mess afterward. …
I own a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.2 liter engine. The engine oil light would flicker when stopped at a stop sign in drive. I took it to the Dodge dealership and they said that the engine would have to be replaced due to the wear. I have used mobile 1 synthetic oil since the breakin oil and never let the oil in the vehicle over 4,000 miles. Each time the oil filter was also changed. The vehicle has 106,000 miles on it and the engine replacement is costing me $4.700. I've been told that the 5.2 liter engine does not handle synthetic oil well. The oil does not return to the oil pan fast enough to keep the bottom of the engine lubricated. I find this hard to believe but I've never wore out an engine before. My question is how can an engine wear out when it was taken such good care of? …
Vehicle is on fourth engine and only 44,000 miles on present engine. Dealer says engine is out of warranty. Excessive blow by from engine. Check engine light comes on. Sensors have been replaced but problem still occurs. Also the truck wanders on the road, and has a rumbling rattle noise on front passenger side that sounds like its coming from the shocks area. But my mechanic says shocks are OK. The dealer did not check into problem when I purchased the truck but it is listed as complaint when the first engine was replaced. Have replaced tracking bar, u-joints, rear springs, stabilizer shock & tires. When going over bumps on highway vehicle jerks the steering wheel to side rail fast giving a fishtail effect. Drive shaft has also been replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500. When the engine was started, the rear of the vehicle emitted a fuel odor and fuel leaked from the fuel tank. The contact stated that the vehicle shook while the engine was running. The contact received a recall notice for the fuel tank rollover valve. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the vehicle already received the recall repair; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage and NHTSA campaign number were unknown.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500. The eighth cylinder on the engine is failing and the engine head is also cracked. The vehicle was previously repaired; however, the failure continued to occur. The contact paid $700 for the previous repairs. The dealer stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact is aware of the safety risk involved. The current and failure mileage were 114,000. The VIN is not available at this time.
This truck burned from the back end my son was driving and went off the road on the right side and when he returned to pavement the truck went sideways down the road and then went off on the left side and crashed and burned, burning my son and a friend to death. What was so bad I received a recall notice of a problem with the rollover valve approxomately 2-3 weeks after the accident happened.
While driving from cold start engine performed roughly, and smoke came out of the exhaust tail pipe. Consumer changed fuel, but there was no improvement in performance. Consumer was told by a dealer that the intake plenum gasket was the cause. Consumer was aware of others with same problem.
This is twice the first gear has gone out, both times after a radiator flush, I was informed by a referral from a Dodge dealership that the radiators are getting clogged and causing the tranmission to over heat and by the time the problem is figured out a new transmission in needed as well as a new radiator, approximate cost to the consumer, in the range of $3500.00. The recall for the clamps that were changed on the coolant lines to prevent them from melting was a good idea but they forgot one thing, a blow out valve for the tranmission so when it gets hot it can releive pressure and heat before it burns the transmission.
On April 19, 2001 while traveling on rt 495 in wareham ma the fan on my l996 Dodge 1500 2 wheel drive sport pickup truck suddenly became unattached from the water pump shaft causing the fan to fly into the radiator and puncturing same.at the same time due to the loss of the belt that drives the power steering pump,and water pump causing difficult steering and engine overheating I immediately stopped in the breakdown lane. When this occurred the vehicle had 57159 miles.
Engine complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1996 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1996 Dodge Ram 1500, 11% of the model year's 298 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1996 Dodge Ram 1500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 106,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 4 fires and 2 injuries and 2 deaths to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.