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 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
99 Ram 1500 caught fire while running heater! Cause of the fire is the defective dash material falling apart and the insulation fell onto the resistor located on top of the blower motor causing a interior fire. This was confirmed by myself a mechanic for over 30 years and a certified paint and body shop. Truck was in mint condition and now a total loss. The truck was in a stationary position in a college parking lot! Contacted manufactuer only reply was sorry for your loss. I know of several other vehicles in a 5 mile radius same make and model that the same thing happened too.
The consumer entered the vehicle, put on his seat belt and proceeded to drive home. While driving the consumer noticed that the belts tightened up. Then, he smelled smoke. The consumer looked down, and saw smoke coming from the under seat. The consumer pulled to the side of the road, unlatched the seat belt, looked under the seat, and saw smoke and fire coming from the plug. The problem occurred in the driver seat. The electric plug was unplugged to the seat belt. The plugs were replaced with a single stable plug.
1998-2001 b-van (Dodge full size). The ABS control module is protected with a 40 amp fuse. A 10 ga. Wire comes out of the control module and then "y's" out to two 14 ga. Wires. It appears as though the ABS pump or the relay sticks on these vehicles. Then one of the 14 ga. Wires overheats and catches the wiring harness on fire. The 40 amp fuse does not blow. The fire then continues until the van is fully engulfed in flames. This van is located at the verizon fleet garage, 8600 rees st, new port richey, florida 346681.
1998-2001 b-van (Dodge full size). ABS control module is protected by a 40 amp fuse. A 10 ga. Wire comes out of the control module, then this wire "y's" out to two 14 ga. Wires. It appears as though the ABS pump or relay are sticking on these vehicles. Then one of these 14 ga. Wires overheats and catches the wiring harness on fire. The 40 amp fuse does not blow. The fire continues until the entire van is fully engulfed in flames. This van is located at the verizon repair garage, 4219 fritch dr. Bethlehem, pa 18017.
Tl* the contact owned a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, there was a loud noise coming from the engine, then there was smoke emitted in and around the vehicle causing a fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to the contacts residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns 1999 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, smoke emitted from the dashboard without warning as flames ignited from underneath the glove compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
Entire dash is cracking and falling apart. Chunks are getting into electrical wiring harness and May cause safety malfunction. Front window defroster not able to work correctly causing visual impairment. I am a ph.d. Polymer chemist and this is obvious safety - manufacturing defect
Ignition and key are defective. Ignition key can be removed from vehicle ignition during vehicle operation. Ignition key fell out of ignition while driving. Ignition key can be removed from ignition while vehicle is running and in motion. Vehicle sometimes does not need the key in the ignition to start the engine. If the vehicle is running the key can be very easily pulled out of the ignition assembly, the key just slips right out of the ignition. Chrysler has been notified and their response is the vehicle is out of warranty. I asked Chrysler customer service to forward the complaint to a higher up person in Chrysler and was told that after my phone call, that was the end of the issue and Chrysler takes no responsibility for the problem concerning a defective ignition switch. I spoke to Chrysler customer service at [phone]. …
1999 Dodge Ram 1500 truck with small v8 and 135,000 miles. Engine stops running with no warning. Odometer displays "no dc buss" sometimes code 920 and 921 appear. Dealer in maysville, ky 41056 replaced PCM unit. Dealer cannot id the fault codes. Engine still stops without warning. After towing the truck to the shop several times over a year and a half, the dealer recommends wiggling wires on the PCM plug. Wiggling the wires will permit engine restart but, it is not acceptable to have the engine die in traffic or to open the hood and play with it in the middle of the road. The engine dies often-multiple times on a short drive across town. The truck is not fit for use on roads without an emergency shoulder since it will die every time it is driven. Often the engine will not start when cold (several days since last use) until the wires are wiggled. …
Dt: 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 ton 4 wheel drive pick up, 25000 miles on the truck. While driving truck stalled and all lights on the dashboard came on. Pulled off to the side, sat a couple minutes, and the truck started back up. This problem recurred. This time it took about 5 minutes to restart. Next day took vehicle to dealer, they kept it for 2 days, could not find anything wrong with the truck. Said could have resulted from bad gas or vapor lock. Took vehicle home, and this happen again. Took back to dealer, still could not find anything wrong. Third time this happened consumer was driving on the freeway and the truck just quiet running. Would not start back up. Did get the truck off the road and coasted off an exit. Took over half hour before it started back up. Took back too dealer, they kept the truck for several days. The dealer found it was the computer. …
Electrical complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1999 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the electrical system of the 1999 Dodge Ram 1500, 6% of the model year's 610 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1999 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 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 97,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 10 fires and 0 injuries 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.