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 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, smoke started to emit from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the front wheel bearing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Driving on 390n in rochester n.y. At approx. 5 pm heavy traffic .loud bang and rear tires locked up,, both granddaughters began to scream" whats happening". I had no clue. Looked to right to try to get out of traffic and saw what I thought was my driveshaft spit out from under r r tire.. We were lifted up in air at back of truck and I lost all propulsion, mind you my 5 and 6 year old are screaming as the other half of the drive shaft pounds on the pavement and bottom of truck .I still have no idea what is happening. Somehow and that's what I told the sheriff I got the truck which was now freewheeling off to the side of the road approx. 75-100 ft from my driveshaft that hit the bridge guardrail and stopped from hitting anyone in traffic. I collected myself ,calmed the girls whos big concern was now,, someone is going to smash us and called 911 and my daughter. Then I looked. …
When we first bought our truck back in May 2014 my husband and I fell in love with our new truck, we took excellent care of the maint. In July we started noticing it felt more loose you could say and we were confused as to why it was like that we up until now thought the dealership had sold us a lemon bc in a year we spent over 2000 trying to prove they sold us a lemon but couldn't prove it until now we travel a lot due to work but in 2 months we knew knew we shouldn't have had to repair this much stuff on a new truck we had always thought working in north and south dakota that these should have been called the windy cities. …
I believe Fiat Chrysler automobiles (FCA) is trying to make money off all customers that are opting to participate in the repurchase/buy back program. At no point in the 35 page NHTSA consent order is anything mentioned about FCA only offering kelley blue book "trade-in" value. Not only is it trade-in value, they also are only classifying all vehicles as only "good condition". My truck is in "very good condition" according the briggs Dodge dealership in topeka, ks that I took my truck to yesterday (10/7/15). Paragraph 35 of the consent order states original purchase price minus depreciation plus 10%. That by no means indicates trade-in value. Real market value is the price I should expect if I listed my truck on craigslist, classifieds, etc. This value according to kbb is referred to as private party value. …
Team: I was replacing the rear shocks when I noticed a weird rust pattern on the cross member near the right frame & catalytic convertor. It looked like orange peel or a rose blooming. I checked the rest of the frame while I was under there. I have done cosmetic rust prevention in the past. Since I'm a diyer & proactive, I grabbed a paint tool to scrape the rust to get to bare metal so I could treat/prime it. Lol not only did the top layer of metal come off, the entire cross member disintegrated into brittle metal chunks which I saved/documented. There's a 4" square section that's gone. Since this is a 400 hp vehicle, I'm sure the frame will tear itself apart eventually even though I baby the truck. E.g. No dents I surmise that water has been trapped up there since I bought the vehicle resulting in frame failure. The metal has no strength. …
I recently had the drivers side front hub fail on my truck. Having heard a grinding noise, I took the truck home and lifted the front to inspect it. After inspecting the wheels and brakes, I removed both and found that the bearings had failed on the drivers side. These hubs are sealed units that have to be replaced. I replaced both sides to be safe. My truck has anti-lock brakes in the front also so these units cost me almost $500.00 with new pads. Chrysler told me that they had not fount any design problems with the hubs but as this is a critical unit that does not get serviced, it should not fail so soon. Had I driven much further the unit could have broken completely causing the entire wheel to fall off. This could have caused a serious if not fatal accident.
FCA only offering trade in value on there byback program even though I was assured I would get minimum fair market value. I have got nothing but a run around since I sent all documents they requested on oct.1. Now they have closed my claim because I wont accept their foolish offer.the dealers are completely stupid as what to do and either lie or act as if they know nothing about the buyback. I have owned 4 Ram 1500 trucks and this is a slap in the face to all consumers. At what point will these manufactures be held responsible? We spend ridiculous money on vehicles only to find they are worthless after we buy them. Got to stop soon..... [redacted]
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, a loud noise emitted from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that two months later, the noise got louder and the vehicle hesitated before shifting into four wheel drive. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the rear axle pinion nut needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle had been previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 13V038000 (power train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,000.
Vehicle has had multiple suspension component failures (3 occurrences) resulting in uneven tire wear and catastrophic tire failure at highway speeds. Manufacturer has not resolved the problem despite multiple returns to the dealership. The vehicle has approximately 58,698 miles and requires both the outer tie rod ends to be replaced for the third time. (dealership assessment as of 08/15/2015, dealer #23432.) the condition results in unsafe play in the steering, premature tire failure and an audible clunk when turning the vehicle. The vehicle is primarily used on the highway and has never been taken off-road. The vehicle use is best described as extremely light duty.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving at approximately 40 MPH, the rear wheels seized and prevented the vehicle from functioning. In addition, the wheels unlocked independently. The contact mentioned an abnormal noise was heard from the rear of the vehicle while driving. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the pinion bearing was loose and the rear axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 13V038000 (power train) before the failure occurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.
Suspension complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the suspension of the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, 5% of the model year's 670 complaints. The component named most often is front › wheel bearing (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 0 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.