Most common 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 problems
Share of the 792 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Ram 1500 complaints by model year
Best Ram 1500 years: 1997, 2005, 1998. Years to avoid: 2001. Compare all years →
2006 Dodge Ram 1500 recalls (9)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2010 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their company.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2005-2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, 300S, and SRT8, 2006-2010 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Magnum, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, Dakota, and 2006 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles manufactured July 1, 2005, to July 31, 2006 with manual transmissions. The return springs in the clutch ignition interlock switch may break.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clutch ignition interlock switch, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Dodge RAM 2500 4x4 and 3500 4x4, model year 2007-2008 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis and model year 2006-2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4 trucks manufactured February 12, 2002, through February 13, 2008. The left tie rod assembly may break.
Remedy: Chrysler notified owners and launched its recall campaign in January 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N62.
Suspension › Front › Wheel bearing
On certain pickup trucks, the front wheel bearing May have received an insufficient quantity of grease during the manufacturing process.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front hub and bearing units. The recall began on February 26, 2007. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Air bags › Frontal
On certain pickup trucks fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection. The passenger air bag May deploy with excessive force when certain model rear facing child seats are installed in the right front passenger seat position.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag cushion and reprogram the occupant restraint controller. The recall began on October 20, 2006. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Show 3 more recalls
Seat belts › Front
Certain pickup trucks fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the front passenger seat belt May not be able to tighten securely on certain model child seats.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front passenger seat belt. The recall began on October 20, 2006. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
On certain pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel antilock brake systems (ABS), the ABS electronic control unit (ECU) May cause a loss of front to rear brake balance, and the rear brakes could lock up prematurely during certain braking conditions.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ABS ECU. The recall is expected to begin during the week of July 17, 2006. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Power train › Transfer case (4-wheel drive)
On certain 4-wheel drive pickup trucks, the totally integrated power module (TIPM) May contain incorrect transfer case calibration set points, potentially resulting in inadvertent transfer case default to neutral.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the TIPM with new software that prevents the potential for this condition. The recall began on November 7, 2005. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Chrysler's execution of 13V-528 & 529
RMD opened this audit query (AQ) investigation in order to better understand and evaluate Chrysler's process(es) for timely and efficient execution of its safety recall campaigns, including its oversight and management of its parts division Mopar.Prior to opening this investigation, RMD had raised concerns with the company related to its execution of two safety recalls, 13V-528 and 13V-529, both of which involved…
What 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 owners say
Air bags all 193 →
I'm always having issues with the airbag light coming on while driving it goes away then come back when there is a sudden move and causes something to trigger. also, I'm having issues with my headlight low mode not working I did a lot of research stating that many people are having the same issue and the problems have to do with the fuse box close to the battery. I'm also having an issue with the brake lamp going off on my dashboard not sure what that could be tried so many repairs and nothing seems to work.
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V352000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Lights all 139 →
I'm always having issues with the airbag light coming on while driving it goes away then come back when there is a sudden move and causes something to trigger. also, I'm having issues with my headlight low mode not working I did a lot of research stating that many people are having the same issue and the problems have to do with the fuse box close to the battery. I'm also having an issue with the brake lamp going off on my dashboard not sure what that could be tried so many repairs and nothing seems to work.
TIPM issue: low beam on driver's side went out while driving at night in a rural area; after buying 3 new bulbs @ $16/each with no luck, having system scanned by auto parts store with no luck, took to a dealer who said it was a know TIPM issue and would cost upwards of $1,200 to fix, however part is on backorder due to the number of trucks needing them; flashing the system apparently was not an option; commented it was not a recall item as it was not a safety concern. How are losing your lights unexpectedly not a safety concern, not to mention the rest of the issues this TIPM is known to cause after this one...it is the brain of the entire truck. I am now driving with high beams on praying the rest of the computer system is not in jeopardy while trying to resolve.
Electrical system all 125 →
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate after the vehicle was idling, the vehicle inadvertently stalled without warning. The failure occurred intermittently and became more frequent. The vehicle was lunging forward while idling and was shifting hard while driving. The contact stated that the coil pack relay might have malfunctioned. While inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the main fuse box under the hood had exposed fuses and the box was easily accessible. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic and the fuel pump was replaced. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.
Several safety-critical systems on my vehicle are failing, and the symptoms match existing recalls shown on Kelley Blue Book for my VIN. However, the manufacturer (Dodge/Stellantis) shows only 4 recalls, all marked completed - despite ongoing issues. 1. ABS / Brake System: The ABS warning light is on continuously, indicating a malfunction in the ABS control module. This disables anti-lock braking, increasing the risk of skidding or loss of control during emergency stops. KBB shows a recall for this issue, but Dodge says it's either not open for my VIN or already completed. The ABS light has remained on since 2. Front Wheel Bearing: There is a grinding noise and vibration from the front wheel area, suggesting a worn or failing wheel bearing. This poses a risk of steering loss or wheel detachment. No warning lights have appeared for this issue. 3. …
2006 Dodge Ram 1500 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 8.3L 10-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 9 / 14 / 10 |
| 8.3L 10-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 8 / 11 / 9 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 a good car?
Based on 792 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Ram 1500 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Ram 1500 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500?
The air bags — 193 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the lights (139) and electrical system (125).
How many recalls does the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 have?
There are 9 recalls for the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500, the most recent from May 24, 2016 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Dodge Ram 1500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1997, 2005 and 1998. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001. See the full Dodge Ram 1500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 61,000 miles; 38% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.