Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
the shifter began changing gears on its own. Before the recall came out my mechanic checked and there was no recall for this until 2018. I was never notified of the recall. Then on rear axle pinion nut. The nuts were installed without the proper amount of adhesive. Consequently, the nuts can loosen, and cause the rear axle to lock up, causing a loss of vehicle control. I was never notified of and the rear end came down while on the freeway. The fuel tank began leaking I repaired this before the recall came out. I submitted a reimbursement request they denied me stating my car was over 7 years old.
Air bag failure--on Wednesday July 13 2016 the vehicle (2009 Dodge Ram 1500) was involved in a front end collision while traveling on a city owned road. The driver who was the only person in the vehicle lost control of the vehicle when taking a sharp right turn on a dirt road in the dark. As a result the vehicle crashed into a ditch, completely smashing in the front end and damaged most of the rest of the truck as well. Upon impact the driver's air bag did not deploy. The driver sustained injuries to his entire upper body as well as suffering from a concussion upon impact because of the air bag malfunction. He required emergency medical attention and was transported to the hospital by ambulance. We have more pictures including pictures of the front end of the truck however the file is to big to upload on this report.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 (na) Dodge Ram 1500. While driving approximately 64 MPH during inclement weather, the rear of the vehicle swayed from left to right. As a result, the vehicle hydroplaned and rolled multiple times without warning. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained a neck and back injury that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed, but the body was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 13V287000 (electronic stability control). The failure mileage was 29,900. ...updated 09/28/15 updated 12/08/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving approximately 50 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the driver side of the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed; however, the body damage was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000. Updated 1/12/2016
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving 45 MPH, the contact crashed into a pillar. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained head and leg injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The technician had not determined if the vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 07/09/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 (na) Dodge Ram 1500. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the contact crashed into a pole and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a crash and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained unknown injuries, but no medical attention was required. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
Involved in an accident 2/09/26. Air bag did not deploy. Fractured sternum as a result.
I called the dealership to schedule my recall repair. They told me I did not have any active recalls on my vehicle. After an unpleasant back and forth I was finally able to get a manager or "advisor" on the phone. The advisor determined that I did in fact have an active recall. This error was extremely unprofessional, unacceptable and could have endangered my life and the lives of anyone in my vehicle as the safety risk of the recall is "the loss of air bag and seat belt pretensioner deployment capability during a crash May increase the risk of injury or death." (NHTSA recall number17v-302). While this instance is the most egregious from a safety perspective, this is not the first time ourisman jcd of alexandra, va has been reckless or negligent with my vehicle and I would like to file a formal complaint. …
1 person injured(driver) in Dodge Ram. However 2 other vehicles involved and not sure about their injuries. I accidently rear ended vehicle ahead of me which caused that vehicle to rear-end vehicle ahead of it. My vehicle(Dodge Ram) was totaled. Frontal impact of Dodge was very severe and caused me(driver) head and cervical trauma, resulting in emergency room visit and rehab therapies. All airbags in Dodge Ram failed to deploy and driver seatbelt failed to retract/respond resulting in my head/neck/spinal injury. I have written Dodge-Chrysler, they say they sent someone to inspect truck and say they are not responsible for the airbag and seatbelt not working. Dodge/Chrysler also write the airbag/seatbelt was not suppose to work due to the speed limit (40mph) driven and due to more of a side impact than frontal. However, the impact was both frontal and front side. (I have pictures)
Airbag complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the air bags of the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, 5% of the model year's 670 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, though it has 2 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 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 13 crashes, 0 fires and 11 injuries to air bags 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.