Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The brakes failed due to corrosion of the brake line from the master cyl. to the LH front brake flex hose. The brake fluid simply came out of the line. There was insifficient fluid pressure to do any wheel braking. Luckily, I had just moved off from a stop and was applying the brakes to slow down on a bend. The corrosion occured under a plastic clip that is there to keep adjacent brake lines from vibrating against each other. The corrosion occured in an area that is not inspectable unless the front wheel and wheel arch cover is first removed.
Dodge Ram 2002 ABS brake module failure. No recourse for repairs. Dodge has rendered this part obsolete and although they have the technology to repair or replace it they neglect to help thousands of vehicle owners.
Since December of 2001 verizon has had (6) Dodge full size vans involving 1998-2001 b vans. All (6) fires appear to have started under the hood. All (6) vans are equipped with the kelsey hayes ebc 325 anti-lock brake systems. Three of the fires occurred in the ABS controller area of the engine compartment without the entire truck going up in flames because the drivers were able to have the fires extinguished before the fires got a real good start. Three of the fires happened while the vehicles were unattended and the vehicles were totally destroyed. On sept. 4th, 2003 a 2002 Dodge van was reported by the driver to have the ABS pump running continualy for over 2 hours. The ABS pump was extremely hot. Had to disconnect the battery to shut the pump off. …
Tl contact owns a 2002 Dodge 1500. The tail lights and parking lights malfunctioned. The repair shop stated that the relay for the fuses were burned and could not find the part to make the repair. The VIN, engine size, and number of cylinders were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 91,000.
Consumer called complaining about having problems with the brakes. While driving the vehicle on the snow consumer feels that only the front brakes work but not the rear ones. Dealer was contacted and stated that there is no problems with it. Ts
I bought my 2002 Ram pre-owned it was a certified vehicle from oyster bay Dodge in new york. I called oyster bay Dodge to info them that my rotor were warped and found out they closed down. I contacted Chrysler and got nowhere. I looked for other Dodge owners and found more than I can count. Http://www.dodgetruckworld.com/forums/topic.asp?id=56542 please contact me and let me know how to resolve this. I am very disappointed that I trusted the fact that it was certified by Dodge(forget what term you use for it)as being "new" and then when I try to get the issue resolved, find out the dealer is out of business. I have been driving since I bought it with very unsafe shaking brakes(rotor). I have well documented evidence that this is a serious safety issue and will start to inform anyone that I need to if we can't get this resolved. Thank you, brian winslow [phone] [email].
There was an electrical failure in the wiring system from the fuse block this is known to be a common problem with the Dodge rams the ABS light, brake light and airbag light as well as the engine light all come on also the odometer and speedometer also stop working. This stops the ABS system from working as well as the airbags I have had to change the fuse block as well as the rear speed sensor, and the dash cluster because of this over a three year period now, the first time all of my lights stopped working as well as the dash gauges and door locks. Why is this and ongoing problem with this and nothing seems to get done about it the first time I got a copy of a service bulletin and Dodge tried to tell me it was only good for diesel models and I have the same issues. There seems to be a real history of these problems with this vehicle and the dealers are all aware of this.
Wheels on my 2002 Dodge Ram with 17 inch alloy (grey looking) option wheels has air ventalation openings for the rotors which is too small and doesn't allow enough air to cool off rotors. .this defect in the wheels opening causes rotors to overheat quickly and not be able to cool off. This warps the rotors causing increased stopping distances, and shimmy or shake when brakes applied. Truck vibrates harshly at highway speeds when going to slow down at off ramps. If wheels were designed to allow more air. I have brought to dealer to check brake system and it's found that brakes are fine but rotors are warped. 3000 miles later and rotors are warped again. This will keep happening unless I change rims and my Dodge Ram . At Dodge truck world.com there is a list of owners with same problem . This also could cause fire or inability to stop.
2002 2wd Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab 4.7l - at 25000 miles, dealer found warped front rotors causing my described hard shimmy in front end while braking. Solution was to turn rotors to eliminate the warping. At 29500 miles, took truck to dealer again, and dealer informed that rotors needed to be turned again, and it needed new pads to correct the shimmy. Now at 32000 miles, shimmy is back and dealers are saying truck needs new rotors. Should not have to replace rotors on a truck that does not haul, tow, or is driven hard. I have owned trucks of other makes, and none needed brake rotors until at least 75000 miles. I feel there is some problem with this product that should be investigated. To the date, I have spent over $400 for these repairs, and they expect rotor replacement to cost nearly another $400.
Performing scheduled maintenance on a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 a wet spot was located on a crimped fitting portion of the front brake hoss. Further investigation by lightly pressing and pushing on the affected area resulted in a total breakage and failure of the assembly. The failure is when the crimped steel portion of the connection breaks due to severe rust/corrosion on the affected area. Consequences of the failure could include a loss of braking effort resulting in a crash or loss of control of the vehicle due to its severely compromised ability to come to a complete stop when needed. The repair to correct the failure included replacing both front brake hoses, all associated hardware and bleeding the brake system. The failed parts were saved for documentation purposes.
Brake complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the brakes of the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500, 4% of the model year's 815 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500, though it has 3 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 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 25,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 2 fires and 2 injuries to brakes 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.