Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The low beam headlights cut out while I was driving at night to the store a motorist flashed their lights at me while I was at a light.. Checked all fuses and had mechanic look it over. They narrowed it down to the steering column it will be 400$ to fix. The wire harness pin plug had overheated and melted. Almost caused a fire. I had smelled burning electric smell. Was only able to hold hi beam lever to keep hi beams engaged to be able to drive with lights till problem is fixed.
Head lights go out when driving or sometimes flickers on/off when driving, traced wiring and noticed that wiring was burnt at pig tail connector which is the head light switch at the part called bezel... Never had any trouble with it until this year and couldn't understand why wire burnt, the plastic/bezel melted first rather than fuse tripping. This occurs when driving anywhere but it occurred first when I was headed to work at 3 am in highway 74 which is mountainous and very curvy road... Extremely dangerous. I believe this is a defective part and is safety risk.
I bought a 1997 Dodge Ram slt 1500. It is used and has 135,000 miles on it. However, I like the truck and I don't want to sell it because it is not safe for my family and I to be in. It has cracks all in the dashboard...and they are getting worse every day. I can actually see wires and the internal part of my dash components. It squeaks and I can also see steel mounting post that look really dangerous for a sudden stop or even I miner fender bender. It is actually caving in....and completely deteriorating. Nothing has been done to correct this problem by Dodge as far as I know. I have researched this and there is no recall that I can find...and I do not feel that the original..or even a second owner should have to pay for this...nor do chryslers job...and make the vehicle safe for driving. …
I have a 97 Dodge Ram that started cracking around 2004 and has steadily gotten worse and worse. As a result I have a terrible looking interior and I believe my electrical problems are a testament of the dashboards exposing my electrical wiring to the sun. The only way to halfway fix it I've found is to mount formica squares(not cheap mind you) over the wholes with mounting squares, though it looks terrible. My electrical problems are but are not limited to: power door locks that only unlock the driver side door and power windows that only work half the time and a cupholder that has fallen out on more than one occasion and caused me to rig back into place. …
My report is not necessarily concerning a specific incident. Approximately the date and time specified above I noticed my dash cracking, since that time the entire dash of my truck has cracked and broken. I have had the cupholders break and spill on me and now my dash backlight has stopped functioning. It is only a matter of time until it completely falls apart. I have applied adhesive to a dash cover to prevent further degradation of the plastic. From what I see on my truck and my father-in-laws 2003 Dodge Ram it is a fundamental flaw in the material the dash components are made from. I fear it unsafe to drive since I don't know when catastrophic failure will occur. Numerous other Dodge trucks that belong to friends and coworkers have the same problems. Any attention you can give to this issue will be appreciated.
Passenger side exterior mirror is defective. It will not remain stationary and move around in the wind. Within the first week of ownership, a smell of fuel became increasing stronger and a whining sound upon takeoff became louder. I found the leak at the end of the driver's side plastic! Fuel rail next to the fire wall above the intake manifold. This started after outside temperature reached 1 degree fahrenheit. Fuel falls directly onto a really hot motor. Fog lights, cruise control and horn does not work.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that the instrument panel had been breaking into pieces over the past few years. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that he would be responsible for all repair costs. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000. The current mileage was approximately 135,000.
Dash starting cracking and falling apart, wires got messed up and some things don't work. Parts of the plastic of the dash come out the vents when you turn on the heat or air. Part with the VIN went somewhere to parts unknown.
After replacing transmission, transmission failed again. Consumer was driving approximately 65mph and vehicle just gradually started slowing down. Consumer coasted to side of road with engine still running, but not able to go in any gears. Transmission was replaced 1-22-00. Vehicle experiences several transmission problems, there have been recalls amongst the repairs, driveshaft broke while driving, consumer states that Chrysler corp has no records of a transmission being sent to new country Dodge where the replacement took place, transfer case was retorqued, consumer had taken vehicle to dealer many times prior to complete transmission failure and dealer could not remedy problems. Clunking noise under vehicle, dealer replaced front swaybar links. O2 sensor replaced. …
40amp ignition run fuse keeps blowing dissabling our 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 truck. Fuse has blown over 6 times now. Contacted Dodge customer service to find out about recalls, service bullitins or their tecnical help on this problem. They told us to go to an authorized dealer/repair shop to have it checked. We went to sunflower Dodge in olathe,ks. There service advisor bobby kielman informed us they could not duplicate the problem and advised us not to have them research the problem further because of the high shop charges it would incur and they would probably not find the cause anyway. I feel this is a safety issue that Dodge is dropping the ball on taking care of. It is my concern that the fuse will blow while my wife is driving causing her to become stranded. Or worse, a fire occuring because of the overheating of faulty wiring & components. …
Electrical complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1997 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the electrical system of the 1997 Dodge Ram 1500, 6% of the model year's 361 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1997 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 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 103,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.