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 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
I turned the key to start the engine and as it started cranking smoke started coming out of the defroster and then fire started coming out the engine hood. Luckily I had a fire extinguisher handy and opened the hood and put out the fire. Wondered where the fire started so tried starting again and fire started immediately at the rear of the engine or on top of the bell housing. I also smelled fuel. The truck was next to my garage and had been driven a few days earlier. If I had not put out the fire my whole house could have burned down. I donated the truck to wheels 4 vets.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with the engine control unit needing to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired twice however, the failure still recurred. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 198,000.
Several times while I have been driving on a highway or busy road and the engine gets to normal operating temperature, the engine stalls and shuts off. Then I have to maneuver it to the side of the road and let it cool off approximately 15 minutes and then it cranks back up and I can drive 5 minutes and it does the same thing again, very dangerous.
While driving the vehicle to college it just quit on me. It would not start again. I had it towed to the dealership where purchased and it is still under warranty.the next day they called and told me there was sludge build up in the engine and that it was locked up. They took a oil analysis test and said that we were liable for the damage caused by not having recommended oil changes. I have receipts showing oil changes but I was denied by Chrysler any work done on it. In my experiance of having been around a mechanic the only way an engine locks up is if there are defects in the engine or there is no oil in the engine. There was oil in my engine and there are only 35,800 miles on my truck. Now I am stuck with a truck still making payments on it and I have to replace my engine myself at my cost because Chrysler doesnt want to fix it. …
I purchased a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab, VIN [redacted], from fowler Dodge in oklahoma city. The vehicle was sold as is with engine problems. Upon taking the vehicle to a mechanic, I was told that it will need over $2000 in repairs in order to be safe and reliable. The problems are as follows: #1 engine cylinder has burnt valve, not creating adequate cylinder pressure #5 cylinder has burnt valve, not creating adequate pressure #8 cylinder has burnt valve, not creating any pressure brakes rotors require replacement transmission slipping between 1st and 2nd gear headlights operate in full high beam only, all the time. Faulty headlght switch the mechanic I took the vehicle to has reccommended that I get a lawyer, write to you and Chrysler and give fowler Dodge a chance to make the repairs under good faith. …
2001 Dodge quad cab pickup has failing wiring in steering column which makes truck die while driving . Which in turn there is no power brakes or steering and no electrical functions that makes the truck run . Dead on the road literally. Who knows at what speeds this problem May occur. Luckily, it happened to me while going slow and I was able to stop the truck. No known human deaths yet that I have heard of from this. If the problem is not fixed with wiring harness there will be deaths, I'm pretty sure due to this problem. I would like to do my best to keep my family and other families safe. This needs to be dealt with before someone does die unnecessarily in an accident that can be avoided by replacing the problem part of the pickup. The bearing clutch, rear carrier bearing, axle seals, rotors, power steering pump, pinion carrier bearings were all replaced. …
I own a Dodge Ram 1500 sport 4x4 which has 6700 miles on it. At 3800 miles the transmission went out. Mark thomas motors in albany said they will replace the transmission because there isn't a reason for it to have gone out, at no cost to me. At 67K miles both the engine heads were cracked from running to lean and advanced timing. That cost me $1000 and mark thomas motors again adjusted the cost. Althought I have been treated extremely well from this dealership I should not have experienced these problems this soon. Various forums discuss these topics in great detail. Dodge has known of these issues and has never addressed the problems. I'm now waiting for my f250 to be delivered, I'm done with Dodge for now.
I have a 2001 Dodge intrepid with approx 70K miles. I had no warning anything was wrong and when I stopped to pick up my 6 year old child the car never started again. I brought it to a local (trustworthy) mechanic and after a 215.10 bill I was told my engine failed and I would have to pay approx 5K to repair it. My mechanic asked if I kept up on the oil changes and I stated that I did. After research himself he informed me that this is an ongoing problem with the 2.7 engines. I still owe on the vehicle 5K and I am a single parent and now have no car and still paying on it.
My 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 keep stalling when decelerating. The engine will start right up again when I turn the key but unless I keep my foot on the gas it dies again and again. It's always at low speeds like in a parking lot or approaching stop signs or red lights. This is very dangerous in traffic. I have had it to 3 different mechanics and we've replaced the alternator and the battery (twice on the battery) and it is still doing the same thing. Sometimes it runs fine and then it just starts quitting on my.
Engine complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 56 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500, 5% of the model year's 1,112 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (35 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500, though it has 2 recalls for other components. 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 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 14 fires and 0 injuries 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.