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 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, there was a banging noise followed by a dragging noise coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was immediately stopped and upon inspection it was discovered that the fuel tank straps had failed and the fuel tank had fallen to the ground and was being dragged while the vehicle was being driven. The contact stated that the fuel tank straps were severely rusted. The contact stated that the fuel tank was filled with gasoline during the failure. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 158,000.
Significantly rusted out truck bed framing. I purchased the truck from a private seller a couple of years ago, and the bed had a rubber mat and plastic side panels in the bed. I was unaware of what was underneath at that time. On 06/28/2023, I removed the rubber mat, and side plastic panels to reveal major rusting with the truck bed. The bed is at major risk of separating from the frame. If this issue is not resolved, the truck bed will experience separation from the truck frame; causing the bed to separate at highway speeds, causing property damage, injuries, or even death. Upon searching for a good used bed from salvage yards, none exist that are in good condition in a 500 mile search radius and/or they are $800.00 to multiple thousands in cost to obtain. Multiple beds on the search have major rusting/wasting of the bed frame as well. …
18V160000 recall..Also, the entire bottom of frame is rusted out..its parked inside of garage.no repair shop can fix it..they stated due to rusted frame belt on gas tank is off and gas tank will fall..they told me to junk my vehicle. This is my transportation to work. I've had it towed to shops every one said dodge makes rusted vehicles and dont care...due to rust now right front tire turnt in..I dont know if that's bearings or tirerod.i just want my vehicle to run..can you please help please..
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving 40 MPH, smoke appeared from the engine compartment into the cabin. The contact merged the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The fire department was notified; however, the fire was extinguished by a state highway employee. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be inspected. The contact was informed that the firewall insulation under the hood of the vehicle had separated and fell onto the exhaust system, which caused the engine compartment fire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving various speeds, a metal grinding type noise emitted from under the vehicle. The contact indicated that the noise was more noticeable when driving over bumps in the road. The cause of the sound was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,500.
The lock/latch assembly failed in drivers side front door. The door will not unlock with key, remote, I can't unlock with the knob either it is froze in the down (lock) position. I am waiting for quote from dealer sounds like it is going to be $250 or so to fix.
Son was driving south on st. Rd. 25 just north of logansport in. ,it was raining and the truck hydroplaned and went off the road and struck a telephone pole head on at about 30 MPH,totaling the truck. The air bags did not deploy!!
The front passenger wheel broke off at low speed. Seems that the lower control arm (axle) just snapped in two. No other vehicles where involved, pot holes or curb. The wheel broke off pulling everything apart inside the wheel well except for the brake line. The truck landed on top of the wheel preventing it from flipping over. I spoke with Chrysler Dodge and all though admitting that the lower control arm should never break said that it wasn't a defected part because I hadn't had my vehicle serviced through the dealership . This was a very serious and dangerous problem. If it wouldn't have been for only doing 15mph when it happened it would have caused serious injury and possible death. Dodge has a known problem with faulty ball joints but don't seem to care all though this May have been a preliminary problem leading up to the axle breaking in two.
2005 Dodge Ram 1500 experiencing problems with premature tire wear, rusted components underneath the vehicle, loose front passenger seat, transmission shifting, speedometer inaccurate, and problems with the body paint. The ride height was low in the front, there was stiff suspension, there was a loose strip rubber above the left door, the suspension bar May have been cracked, there was abnormal scalloping on the front tire outside tread, there was an exhaust pipe leak, the exhaust system components showed signs of overheating. The lower portion of the right side steering knuckle showed a visible line that could possibly crack. The engine idling was harsh when moving the shift into reverse.
I have had (2)two close calls from a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 due to equipment failures. (1) the power steering pump failed during a snowstorm and skidded me off the road. (2) recently with just 44,000 miles on the Ram the wheelbearings seized and the driverside tire blowout sending me again to the side of the road into a small culvert. Even though under warranty Dodge is delaying fixing it because I have been complaining about these equipment failures. I've noticed many complaints and even limited recalls regarding Dodge wheelbearings being defective. If you are involved with either of these equipment failures you'd know how catastrophic it could be.
Body complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Dodge Ram 1500, 2% of the model year's 1,172 complaints. The component named most often is body (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 Dodge Ram 1500, though it has 4 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 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 1 injury 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.