Most common 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 problems
Share of the 1,112 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 →
2001 Dodge Ram 1500 recalls (2)
Tires
On certain 4x4 pickup trucks equipped with the snow plow preparation package, the tires supplied on some vehicles May have gross axle weight ratings that slightly exceed the maximum tire load capacity as defined in federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will provide replacement p245/75r16 tires to meet the load carrying capacity specified on the vehicle certification label and accommodate the addition of a commercially available snow plow and hardware.
Air bags
Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Sound deadener material inside the steering wheel could become detached from the cover and housing. Note: the Ram pickup trucks were built at the warren assembly plant ("s" in the 11th VIN position) from May 16, 2000 through October 23, 2000; st.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly. Owner notification began June 18, 2001. Also some 1997-200 model year vehicles that, according to warranty records, have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed,…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500:
2000-2001 Dodge Ram pickup hood latch
The agency opened this investigation based on 30 complaints alleging that the hoods on model year (my) 2000 and 2001 Dodge Ram pickup trucks flew up and blocked the driver's vision.these vehicles have a primary hood latch and a secondary (backup) hood latch.the secondary latch is designed to secure the hood if the primary hood latch is not properly closed or otherwise malfunctions.in these complaints, the secondary…
Rear safety belt anchorage disengagement
Allege that both rear inboard safety belt anchorages were found to lack proper attachments.
What 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 owners say
Body & structure all 548 →
Where the sway bar is bolted to the chassis has completely deteriorated causing sway bar to completely detach from both sides of the frame. This has caused it very difficult to steer and nearly impossible the more MPH the vehicle goes. I own another vehicle nearly exactly the same but a 1998 dodge ram 1500 vin number [redacted]. It to has the same exact problem. I believe that the quality of steel used in manufacturing the frame of these vehicles was not up to standards.
I believe I purchased the vehicle into thousand two and in approximately 2006, they dashboard started severely cracking and falling apart in pieces. I purchased a dashboard cover to try to hold the dashboard in place and prevent chunks of the dashboard from flying loose and hitting either myself or a passenger in the vehicle. On December 23, 2017, I was driving and a chunk of the dashboard flew out of the air conditioner vent and hit me in the eye. Luckily I was not hurt but I am very concerned this will not be the case next time. I don't have another vehicle to drive and I got an estimate for $1500 to replace it and I don't have the money to do this, neither should I have to replace it because I've done research and it was a major faulty defect on the manufactures part. Please contact me asap to resolve this issue so that I'm not injured or a passenger riding with me is not injured. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 95 →
There have been three times now in the last two years, six-eight months of which I never drove the vehicle due to being repaired. I was driving at about 60-70mph. At which time there were no odd or sudden noises, no warning at all when the trucks acceleration goes way up till I let of the gas pedal, go to pull over while two of the three times, my drive shaft is bouncing between the road and underneath the truck which could have bounced up into another vehicle's windshield, radiator or whatever and could have actually hurt or even killed someone. Thank God nothing like that ever happened. After inspecting the problem, in which all three cases, the transfer case has broken off part of the tailshaft of the transmission and once, even broke part of the transfer case to. …
The headlights no matter what bulbs I buy are extremely dim making it unsafe to drive at night. Now truck will not start for some unknown reason. It tries to turn over but will not crank. The mileage flashes NO BUS. I was literally only getting at best 8 miles per gallon.
Air bags all 84 →
2001 Dodge Ram Dashboard is an extreme safety hazard due to the cracking. I have owned this vehicle for 12 years and it's been garaged kept for 8 years. The dash started with a crack and then a hole was created when hitting a bump. Then I had a mechanic work on the heater, and the dash basically disintegrated when moving it. The holes on this dashboard are absurd. A review of safety information identified others who reported this problem to NHTSA and many more complaints on online message boards. This dashboard creates a safety issue for all personnel in the vehicle in case of an accident since projectiles (pieces of the dash that crumble) will fly. Also, there are other components under the dash that could create additional problems (ie-heater core spraying hot antifreeze after an accident). This is completely absurd. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the contact crashed into a tree trunk to avoid striking a deer. Both frontal air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning indicators illuminated. There were no injuries reported and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent repair shop. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
2001 Dodge Ram 1500 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 18 / 16 |
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 13 / 19 / 15 |
| 5.2L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.2L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 12 / 18 / 14 |
| 5.9L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 11 / 17 / 13 |
| 5.2L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 11 / 15 / 13 |
| 5.2L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 16 / 13 |
| 5.9L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 11 / 16 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 a good car?
Based on 1,112 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Ram 1500 rates use caution: 1.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the Ram 1500 at the same age. It is one of the Ram 1500 years we suggest avoiding. 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 2001 Dodge Ram 1500?
The body & structure — 548 complaints, 49% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (95) and air bags (84).
How many recalls does the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500, the most recent from December 10, 2003 (tires). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the 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 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 26% 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.