Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Severe rust and corrosion on body and suspension parts. Started at around 10 years of age. Support for bed to frame shows severe corrosion making hauling unsafe. Water is able to enter the cab through corroded rocker panels causing mold. Also, electrical system malfunction in throttle body can cause no response from accelerator at intermittent times.
Another single driver vehicle ran a stop sign and the single driver Dodge hit the driver's door directly and deployed both front air bags and totaled both vehicles. The drivers air bag launched metal into the left wrist and forearm of the driver while his hands were in the 10 and 2 o'clock steering wheel positions. The left wrist lacerations and large hematoma required hospital care and left scars. The driver also suffered lower back damage requiring surgery. The truck was totaled in January 2014 and sent for salvage. On December 15, 2014 I received a Chrysler safety recall (p40/NHTSA 14v-354) on the air bag inflators of the 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. The problem in the recall notice is described as; excessive internal pressure, during airbag deployment events, could result in an increased chance of occupant injury during certain crash conditions.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, there was an abnormally loud noise and the vehicle slid down the road. The contact noticed smoke near the rear end of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact also received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V313000 (air bags). The failure mileage was 150,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 10 MPH through the woods, the underbody skid plate collected massive amounts of road debris which caused a fire underneath the vehicle. This was determined after the contact observed large amounts of smoke and flames from underneath both sides of the underbody. The vehicle was driven to a nearby water hose where the fire was extinguished. There were no injuries were sustained. There was minor fire damage sustained to the remaining underbody and shield. After an extended period of time, the vehicle was driven to the dealer for further inspection who determined the original equipment skid plate on the vehicle was designed by another manufacturer for another type of vehicle. The manufacturer was alerted. A diagnostic test showed a fault with the evaporative emission system. Updated 09/05/06.
I originally reported this accident to NHTSA website and I'm not able to find the complaint because the website has change. The accident happened in cusseta, ga, the truck made a loud noise on the left side an hour before started spinning out of control, and it did it again before the accident. The truck was deemed total and the mechanic from the wreckage company said the axle broke. I reported this to Dodge/Chrysler and they sent an investigator to check the truck and he said to me "I was lucky to be alive" Dodge/Chrysler never game me no information at all, I was actually brush aside like nothing. Please help me find the original complaint I submitted.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving approximately 35 MPH to exit the highway, the rear driver side tire completely fractured. The vehicle spun around and crashed into a wall. The vehicle was destroyed. None of the air bags deployed. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that there was extensive rust and corrosion on the frame. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to a repair shop. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger side grip handles failed when pulled. The contact noticed that the screws that held the handles in place, which were inside plastic sleeves, were not strong enough when an occupant pulled themselves into the vehicle. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the handles were replaced. The failure recurred and the handles were replaced multiple times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that NHTSA campaign number: 15V313000 (air bags) exceeded a reasonable time for the recall repair. The contact received the recall notification over five months ago. The dealer continued to state that the parts were not available. The contact also stated that the dashboard was cracked and exposed the air bags. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Oncoming vehicle lost control came across 4 lanes to hit front of truck. Dodge is totaled but air bags did not deploy. I contacted Dodge to have them check them out and was told, first a special task force would come check the airbags and we would be compensated, then later was told due to the age and mileage of my truck they wouldn't but I could take it to a Dodge dealership and see if they would run the test at my expense. Dodge didn't seem to care why air bags didn't go off since the truck is 10 years old.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that the dashboard was cracked and entered into the air conditioning system. Due to the failure, when the air conditioning unit was activated, the dashboard debris entered into the contact's eyes while driving. The failure recurred multiple times. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was common, but it could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but could not assist. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
Body complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2004 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 50 complaints about the body & structure of the 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, 5% of the model year's 1,099 complaints. The component named most often is body (23 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, though it has 5 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 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 18% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 3 fires and 11 injuries to body & structure 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.