Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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).
To put it as simple as I can describe it is a death wobble. that occurs every time you hit a bump in the road, hole, or pot hole. This truck has always had this death wobble from factory. The reason why this is a safety issue is because it causes the steering wheel to go out of balance and go into other lanes in the road and potentially cause an accident.
While driving to work early in the morning, roads were wet, temperature was 23 degrees. Was driving on a two lane roadway about 40 MPH. Was on a straight stretch when truck started to fish tail slightly. Rear of the truck slid slightly toward drivers side. I turned the wheels slightly in the direction of the slide and then started to turn the wheels back the other direction as truck started to straighten out. At that point I felt something give in the front end on the drivers side. The truck started pulling across the center line and off the other side of the road. I was heading straight for a telephone pole. I tried pushing the brakes fully, but the pedal went to the floor. I cut the wheels all the way to the right , just missing the telephone pole. My front fender struck a steel pole filled with cement next to a split rail fence. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving at an unknown speed, an abnormal clicking noise was heard from the rear of the vehicle, which caused the rear axle to cease. The vehicle was taken back to the contact's residence and the contact was able to rebuild and replace the rear axle. The vehicle was repaired; however, one month later, the pinion nut disconnected and damaged the rear of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the front end of the vehicle shook and vibrated violently. After stopping the vehicle, it was discovered that the front sway bars detached and the steering control arms separated due to rusting of the subframe. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 158,888.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that there was extensive rust, corrosion, and holes along the entire frame and undercarriage of the vehicle. The contact stated that the frame was detaching due to the failure. The vehicle had not been inspected and diagnosed by a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.
Traveling at around 70mph on i30 east mile 16 I hit a bump in the road causing the truck to sway uncontrollably and causing a spin out into the center divide. Weather was cloudy and road way was dry. Truck has always had a tendency to sway when hitting even the smallest bumps in the road this was the first time it was completely uncontrollable.
2002 Dodge Ram 1500 wheel hub bearing assembly separation / wheel separation, while traveling at a speed of 35 -40 MPH on the highway, my vehicle began to shake and pull to the right and then the wheel right front wheel hub bearing assembly failed causing my vehicle to become disabled during a snow storm.
The rear right tire and assembly broke off my 2002 Dodge Ram while my wife and children were on the freeway. This caused the vehicle to rollover. Apparently a problem with the axle. I understand there has been a recall for a weak weld on the rear axle bracket. I never got such recall on my vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving 75 MPH, the rear wheels seized and the vehicle slid off the road without warning. There was no crash. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 107,000. The VIN was unknown.
My 2002 Dodge Ram has several potetial accident, causing problems, one when im driving in the rain or after a rain water in the road it causes m steering to lock up and I cannot steer. I reported this to a dealer in town and the service rep said that the steering will turn into manual drive and seem harder to steer, wow I could not believe I heard that and the problem has never been corrected and I have reported this to Dodge on several occassions. Also when im driving down the road or highway in the 2002 Dodge Ram and I run over a small bump such as on overpasses when the bridge portion meets the ground side my truck will lose control sometimes to the point of the rear end attempting to spin the truck around I guess the only thing that has prevented this is the forward movement itself, however I have come upon situations when im turning in a particular direction and a bump is in the …
Suspension complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 71 complaints about the suspension of the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500, 9% of the model year's 815 complaints. The component named most often is front (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to suspension 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.