Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
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.
My Dodge Ram 1500 sport 4x4 went from park to drive without pressing the brake pedal while the ignition was off. My 3 year old pulled the shifter while standing in the front seat. The truck was parked on an incline and rolled down the hill and crashed into trees. Causing approx. $5000.00 worth of damage. Have been told that it should not do this by the Dodge dealership. Have heard several other complaints from other Dodge owners about this same type of problem. Fortunately, there were no injuries this time. But,this type of problem could have very easily caused major injury or death to my child.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that the gear shifter was very loose and moved a lot when the vehicle was in motion. Also, the gear indicator displayed different gears even though the vehicle was in the drive position. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 400,000. The VIN was unknown.
The rear passenger axle failed, however the manufacturer/dealer refused to honor the warranty. This occurred while the consumer was going up a mountain when the vehicle suddenly went out of control, dropped to the ground and went into a right tail spin. The consumer struck another vehicle on the left rear side. The consumer stated the air bags did not deploy.
September 2005 while at work I got out of my 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 6 cylinder. Truck for about 1 minute. I left the motor running and somehow it went from park to reverse and caused 2,800 dollars worth of damage to another vehicle.
My truck has 185000 miles on it and started sounding like the back brakes were grinding. On the way to the mechanic the back tires locked up and broke the drive shaft off. Lucky for me I was only going 40 miles an hour.
On 9/1/2003 at approximately 8:40 p.m. My son was driving our 2001 Dodge Ram pick-up on us 23 south between omer, michigan and standish, michigan. I was in the passenger seat in the front and my husband was in the back seat. All of a sudden there was a loud screeching noise and we went into the oncoming lane of northbound traffic. My son kept saying he could not control the truck. He was able to get the truck back in the southbound lanes and the truck kept fishtailing. All of a sudden the truck took a very hard right and we went through the ditch with coattails into the farm field and rolled the truck. When we stopped moving and we were all out of the truck some people who stopped, we asked them what happened and they said all they saw was headlights flying in the air and it looked like we lost a tire. …
I purchased my truck in sept 2000. After six weeks and 1100 miles I brought the truck back to the dealer stating that there was something wrong with the transmission. (it made noises and shifted very harshly.) the dealer said that they checked it, and that there was nothing wrong. At 36,000 miles the transmission blew. There were no gears at all - no forward no reverse. Thankfully it happened close to home on a quiet road so no one was hurt or involved in an accident. The dealer re-built my transmission. When I drove it after that a grinding/chattering noise was occuring - I brought it back to the dealer. I left it there for a day (never got a call from the dealer) when I called them I was told that there was nothing wrong with the trans.. They had taken it for a ride and heard no noise. …
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. …
Transmission complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 95 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500, 9% of the model year's 1,112 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (59 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 1 fire and 5 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.