Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 80 | 11% | 60,000 miles |
| 2011 | 13 | 2% | 76,000 miles |
| 2010 | 14 | 3% | 65,000 miles |
| 2009 | 34 | 5% | 74,000 miles |
| 2008 | 165 | 30% | 69,000 miles |
| 2007 | 169 | 33% | 89,000 miles |
| 2006 | 193 | 24% | 80,000 miles |
| 2005 | 375 | 32% | 90,000 miles |
| 2004 | 368 | 33% | 102,000 miles |
| 2003 | 458 | 39% | 113,000 miles |
| 2002 | 46 | 6% | 70,000 miles |
| 2001 | 84 | 8% | 80,000 miles |
| 2000 | 41 | 8% | 77,000 miles |
| 1999 | 61 | 10% | 99,000 miles |
| 1998 | 63 | 12% | 105,000 miles |
| 1997 | 24 | 7% | 101,000 miles |
| 1996 | 10 | 3% | 150,000 miles |
| 1995 | 11 | 5% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2012 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the check engine, air bag, and the fuel pump relay failure warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the exterior lights failed to operate as needed, and the vehicle occasionally failed to start. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the TIPM was faulty and needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 160,000.
I had a recall, R36 - NHTSA Recall #15V-459, completed in 2015 for my 2012 Dodge Ram 1500. However, currently, the same issues associated with that recall is causing my Air Bag warning light to turn on. This is surely a safety issue. By the recommendation of Mopar/Stellantis Customer Care, I had it diagnosed by the dealer and was told I have to pay for the cost to repair. I believe this same issue, Clock Spring malfunction, is the same as the recall and should be fixed and the cost to repair not be incurred by the owner. Expired warranty, completed recall, etc. shouldn't be a factor if the same problem is happening, hence the recall.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Ram. The contact stated while driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle on the left side did not yield on the green light crashing into the vehicle and causing damage to the front driver's side. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. The contact suffered severe injuries and was taken to the hospital for an x-ray and whiplash. The contact stated that the other driver was taken to the hospital as well but was unsure of his injuries. A police report was filed, and the vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 144,793.
The contact owns a 2011 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ram 1500. While driving 35 MPH, the contact's vehicle struck the side of another vehicle that veered into his lane. The air bags failed to deploy. As a result, the contact sustained a traumatic brain injury that required medical attention. The driver and passenger of the other vehicle sustained unspecified injuries that also required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the hood, fender, bumper, and frame were damaged. A police report was filed. The cause of the air bag failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000. ..updated 06/21/17
Tl* the contact owned a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into a tree and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000. Updated 02/26/16 the consumer stated the vehicle was inspected and it was found to be a fuse was the cause of the failure.
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.
Related recalls (7)
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
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2011, to October 7, 2014, and equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center option.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, repair as necessary, and secure the steering wheel wiring harness. Additionally, protective caps will be added to the air bag retainer spring ends.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2003 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks manufactured August 29, 2002, to July 25, 2003 to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed.
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.
Air bags
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2004-2005 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500, 2004-2005 Dodge Durango, 2005 Dodge Dakota, 2005 Dodge Magnum and 2005 Chrysler 300, 300C and 300 SRT8 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. For vehicles that were sold, or are currently registered, in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S.
Show 2 more recalls
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.
Air bags
Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Sound deadener material inside the steering wheel could become detached from the cover and housing. Note: the Ram pickup trucks were built at the warren assembly plant ("s" in the 11th VIN position) from May 16, 2000 through October 23, 2000; st.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly. Owner notification began June 18, 2001. Also some 1997-200 model year vehicles that, according to warranty records, have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed,…
NHTSA investigations
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…
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Ram 1500 years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2003 (458), 2005 (375), 2004 (368), 2006 (193) and 2007 (169) model years. Airbag complaints make up 39% of all complaints for the 2003.
Is there a recall for Dodge Ram 1500 airbag problems?
Yes — 7 recalls, including 16V-352 (inflator module, May 24, 2016); 15V-459 (frontal, Jul 22, 2015); 15V-312 (inflator module, May 26, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Dodge Ram 1500 airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 88,000 miles; 26% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (224 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (6).
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.