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 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving on a highway when all of a sudden I heard what I thought to be a blow out (tire) ,as I pulled over on shoulder with difficulty I looked in mirror and saw a part has fallen off, later retrieved with tow truck driver, part being a driveshaft. Rear end had seized as I maneuvered my veh. As far on shoulder as possible, I feel fortunate for outcome of incident. I had gotten a tow to my resident now not sure what my next step is to do, any advise would be helpful. Thank you
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that the rear of the vehicle caught on fire while driving 60 MPH. An eyewitness extinguished the fire. There were no injuries and a report was not filed. The vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 14V796000 (power train), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The recall repair was serviced at the local dealer (adventure Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram located on 36845 euclid ave, willoughby, ohio, 44094). The vehicle was driven to an unknown local dealer located in the state of kentucky. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated they would send a special engineer to investigate the vehicle per case number: 31588634. The vehicle was investigated by the manufacturer's engineer who informed the contact that a special investigations unit was to review the vehicle and report back to the manufacturer. …
09/01/2017 traveling east bound on hwy 12 in san joaquin county at 11:30 pm while driving at 55 MPH in between 2 jersey walls I turned left and hit the brakes hard to avoid a broken down vehicle. (note broken down vehicle had no flashers, flairs or any other warning) while applying the brakes the pedal went to the floor. I started bouncing back and forth off the walls. Air bags deployed, I was airborne at one point & actually thought I was going to die and when I came to a stop I was facing the wrong direction on the hwy.. I started my vehicle to move over to the side of the road and it wouldn't move. I proceeded to walk around the vehicle and noticed the right rear wheel was missing.I believe when my brake pedal went to the floor that's when I lost the wheel. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the passenger side wheel detached from the vehicle causing the contact to lose control. The vehicle was destroyed and was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V796000 (power train). The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 100,007.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the rear axle fractured causing the vehicle to spin out of control and crash into a tree. In addition, the rear tire became detached from the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's passenger sustained minor back injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving at 55 MPH, the rear axle pinion detached without warning. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a fence and a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained back and head injuries that did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. Ma 10/15/2015
The frame on my Dodge Ram has broken welds on both sides of the frame where the lower control arms mount to the frame. They have failed due to manufacturing defects during the welding process. The truck has never been wrecked, driven off road, or done any towing. Dodge refuses any assistance in replacing the frame because it has aged out of their warranty. The truck has 74,138 miles on it and is not drivable without a new frame. I had the truck in twice under warranty service for drivability issues under braking and steering over bumps. Neither time were the cracks in the frame found or addressed. Every time the brakes are applied, the steering wheel shakes uncontrollably and is unsafe to drive. I found the damage while changing the oil and was about to replace the frt hub bearing assembly on the passenger side since the driver's side had already failed and had been replaced earlier. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact had not experienced any failures prior to the vehicle being taken to the dealer (christopher's Dodge world, [phone]). The dealer inspected the vehicle for an unknown recall, but was unable to provide the part within a reasonable time frame. The contact waited for over two months. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer (vista auto group, 171 9th st, silverthorne, co 80498, [phone]) who indicated that the rear axle pinion nut was loosely connected and replaced the part for the recall. The second dealer also stated that there was a leak and that the pinion seal needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted to determine a solution to repair the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 161,054.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 30mph, the vehicle was involved in a crash. The brake pedal was depressed; however the vehicle did not stop and hit another vehicle. The contact was wearing a safety restraint and received no injuries. There was considerable amount of damage to both vehicles involved. The vehicle was taken to the local dealership prior to the incident concerning brake problems. The dealer had previously replaced the rear axle, rear brakes, rear brake drum, rear brake pads, brake shoes, linings and also the rear spring. The dealer stated no additional repairs could be completed until the manufacturer released other TSB's. The police filed a report at the scene.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. While attempting to accelerate from a stop, an abnormal sound emitted from the rear of the vehicle. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V796000 (power train); however, the part needed was unavailable to perform the repairs. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall remedy. The contact also received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V313000 (air bags); however, the parts needed were unavailable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.
Suspension complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2005 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 82 complaints about the suspension of the 2005 Dodge Ram 1500, 7% of the model year's 1,172 complaints. The component named most often is rear (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 107,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 12 crashes, 1 fire 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.