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 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I bought this truck new I still own problem is the cooling system does not function properly I have put new radiator and all heat and cooling in it the heat and air does not operate properly I have talked with crysler several times and they will help with issue it's been like this about as long as I have had it please help me and there's a whole lot more people with same issue and it's a very bad problem with the windshield keeps fogging up can not see the road or traffic
Hello, I have had a problem with my Dodge Ram the fuel line system just cracked and caused my vehicle to catch fire and blow up while myself in my 7 year old granddaughter was in the vehicle my vehicle has been maintained since day one when I bought it brand new never having problems with it other than your will wells were never drilled out to drain the water in the back I would like to know if you have had other issues with this vehicle on the same incident. Myself in my granddaughter inhale very toxic fumes before we were able to get out the truck as it was on fire and inches away when it exploded.pics and report wont download thank you
2002 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab sport 4x2 1. Gas peddle has to be press down at all time in order for truck to stay on once I let go of gas peddle truck stalls. 2.first day I bought truck from deal I ask is this faint sound coming fom transmission, I was told Dodge dealer thats a sound that trasmission makes, I said really. 3.interior top dsah so thin sun is able to crack dash by it self with the hot heat and sharp plastic and its now dangerous its become a hazad toall occupants or pedestrians passegers. 4. The whole back tail light found hanging tried to hook it back up its made of plastic components crack with noway of hooking it with nuts so for now I type it in place, its truly falls under a recall. 5.ac works but no heater. 6.mirror cover on passenger side has fallen off on freeway. …
2002 Dodge Ram quad cab sport 4x2 (1.)gas peddle has to be press down at all time in order for truck to stay on and once I let go of gas peddle truck stalls. (2.)first day I bought truck from dealership I ask, is that faint sound coming from transmission, I was told by Dodge dealer thats the sound transmission makes,I said really. (3.)interior top dash so thin sun is able to crack dash by its self with the hot heat and dash plastic is sharp and dangerous its become a hazard to all occupants or pedestrians, passegers. (4.)the whole back tail light found hanging tried to hook it back up its made of plastic components crack with no way of hooking it with nuts, so for now I tape it in place, it truly falls under a recall. (5.)ac works but no heater slite warm. (6.)mirror cover on passenger side has fallen off on freeway. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. An independent towing company towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact took the vehicle back to the independent mechanic who informed the contact that the wire harness convertible box had a lot of corrosion around it and needed to be replaced. A collision shop was contacted. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
I was on my way home from picking up my paycheck driving on the highway in the fast lane doing around 70 MPH when all of a sudden my truck shut down with no warning and then restarted. I immediately got off of the highway and took back roads. About 1.5 miles from my home at a red light the truck once again shut down completely, no engine, no electric, nothing, it was completely dead on a fairly busy road. I had to have the truck towed home and have not been able to get it started at all. I went online to see what might be the cause and have found many related cases to what I am dealing with.
Parked truck at brookshires to get gas, started truck up and bam blew the intake out the back killed the engine everyone hit the pavement it was so loud like a bomb! Started it back up bad knocking and started to rev itself up to 5K rpms due to vacuum leak with insert damaged on back of intake. Took engine all apart to find a valve seat shattered destroying the head on both sides due to the valveseat breaking into about 20 small pieces it sucked a few over across the engine to cylinders across ruining 2 pistons, both heads, have all evidence still.
Engine failure while driving on highway. Head or head gasket as it is burning lots of water. Flows out of tailpipes. So many problems with this motor it should be recalled as there is no cheap fix. From sludge to overheating problems that ruin the motor there are few options to replace other than a rebuilt that has been altered to correct all said problems. Fairly high priced I might add. Dodge should claim some responsibility and help out rather than ignoring this issue. This engine has failed too many times the same way to be coincidence.
4.7l engine has a sludge build up problem which in turn causes engine total failure. I've had engine replaced 3 times with brand new remand from Chrysler corp. And all engines were installed at ase certified shop and all have blown up also due to this sludge build up problem that Chrysler corp is aware of but refuses to admit its engine factory defect and all my engines failed at 1,200 miles/ 1,468 miles/27,497 miles on last engine and all failed of same cause sludge build up.
Cracked dashboard. Parts of the dashboard are falling down into air conditioner and everything else under it. There are parts of the foam that are flying out of the air conditioner vents and pieces are coming out the vents, heas have been replaced and now engine sounded like it exploded now it needs an engine vehicle model year has many known non recalled issues
Engine complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 80 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500, 10% of the model year's 815 complaints. The component named most often is engine (22 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 6 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.