Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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).
1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, while driving around 35-45 MPH usually on a downhill grade the entire vehicle will begin to shake,the only word to describe it is violently and will not subside until you can get the speed below 20mph but you can not just apply the breaks or the shaking become uncontrollable,I have replace most of the suspension(control arms,ball joints ect.)nothing works.this has happened multiple times! I've talked to others and there is a name for it, Dodge death wobble. Also I am another victim of the Dodge dash cancer, in the last couple of years my dash has basically disintegrated....considering bringing a class action lawsuit
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 45 MPH, there was a loud thud heard and the steering became inoperable. The vehicle went off the road, hitting a tree on the passenger side between the door and bed of the truck. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then seen by an independent repair shop. The repair shop determined the upper ball joint on the passenger side and the wheel bearing fractured, causing the steering to lock up. The manufacturer was alerted.
Am on third engine each time oil pump failed,and now this one is acting up, powertrain end of year built truck has a lot of 2000 parts on it, rear end seized up drive shaft broke rear yoak split in two, suspension tie rods and idle arms always breaking, two break disks 1 left side 1 right side broke, left one split right down the middle, the right side the center of the hub broke right out at the bearings riped right out
This low mileage (64K) 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 has developed a death wobble. Usual symptoms, hit small bump in road at 60 + MPH and shake and shutter until slow to 20-30 MPH to regain control. This is extremely dangerous and I do not know what to do about it.
The air bag warning light stays on all the time. The dash cracked and pieces fell into the electrical systems. The ball joints failed. All around 120,000 to 130,000 miles. The fuel injectors began to fail at 120,000 miles.
Popping sound heard coming from driver side front wheel area. I asked the dealer to inspect the vehicle while performing normal maintenance. The service department informed me that both left and right side top and bottom ball joints had failed and that I should immediately have them replaced. The 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 has less than 70000 miles. It has not been driven off road. It primarily has been driven to school and home approximately 6 miles round trip untill 2 years ago. The mileage that is on the vehicle is either in town or interstate. The vehicle has been serviced every 3,000 miles and has had periodic maintenace performed in accordance with the manual. I don't understand unless the parts were defective when the vehicle was purchased new. Seems there is other failures of this type affecting durangos and dakotas.
Tl* - the contact stated that when she got into her 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 (failure mileage: 100000) the seat belts were retracted and locked. The contact took the vehicle to the shop and they notified her of the recall on the retractor. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that they were not aware of the recall and asked her to make an appointment. Updated 2/22/2007 - both front seat belt were locked in the retracted position and could not be used. The seat belt light is illuminated on the dash. The water pump has been replaced. The air conditioning has been replaced. The brake lines have been replaced. The rear end has been replaced. The driver's side window would not roll down.
I own a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500. I noticed the vehicle was pulling to the right and brought the vehicle in for an alignment. I was notified my tires were unusable and that the front trac/sway bar was defective. The mechanic told me there is a design flaw in the trac bar on that vehicle and it is a common problem. I should not have to replace a sway bar and tires on a vehicle with only 28,000 miles on it. Dodge should put out an immediate recall on the sway bar as people will have quickly deteriorating tires that could cause a lot of accidents.
Bolt attaching lower shock mount to lower a-arm has to great a threaded length causing the threads to bear on the lower a-arm, causing the threads to be ground down and the hole in the a-arm through which the bolt passes to be fretted and enlarged excessively. The wear of the a-arm could result in cracking of the a-arm due to fatigue. Wear of the bolt threads could cause excessive bending of the bolt and premature failure of the bolt causing loss of control.
The "Dodge death wobble" is for real. While driving my 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 on the interstate, I went over a small bump in the road. The whole truck began shaking violently. It was extremely hard to control and did not stop shaking until I slowed down to under 20 MPH. This is extremely unsafe and Dodge should be forced to fix the problem. This problem has occurred more than five times in my truck.
Suspension complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1999 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the suspension of the 1999 Dodge Ram 1500, 5% of the model year's 610 complaints. The component named most often is front (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to suspension 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.