Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated that while parked, the engine compartment caught fire on the driver side. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries reported and a fire report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed by an independent mechanic, that the failure was the result of NHTSA campaign number: 04V185000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
In the past 6 months my steering and suspension components failed causing me to wreck and also somehow my engine bay deteriorated in turn having started a fire
My 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel pick up truck suddenly loses power and stalls while traveling on highway and entering highway. First occurrence entering highway truck restarted and continued to run. 2nd occurrence next day on highway truck restarted but travelled short distance and stalled again in the road. Towed to dealer. Dealer replaced batteries and battery wiring and truck started, but when test driven by dealer the vehicle continued to stall. Dealer now believes fuel pump or "module" May be cause but is having trouble testing due to manufacturer change in wiring. Dealer reports that Chrysler made a mid year fuel pump "modification" to 2004 models while in production at Chrysler and that while wiring is similar to 2005 year, the color coding used on the modification does not match the 2004 or 2005 color coding. …
Truck dies while driving and makes it extremely hard to steer ! Seems to be some sort of fuel problem ! This has been ongoing for several years and I don't trust it to attempt to drive in traffic to a dealer for repairs ! The truck currently has approx. 87,000 original miles on it ! Problem seem to start shortly after last dealer visit in 2008 for replacement of A/C ducting under dash ! Dealer shut down right after our president took office, as did many of the local Dodge dealers ! To me, it acts as if the fuel just shuts off. Hard to restart or steer - definitely a safety hazard ! While surfing the internet for like complaints, most all complaints of the same nature, say that Dodge is aware of the problem and will do nothing ! I'm a 100 % service connected double amputee, and need this vehicle for transportation and travel to the va hospital 45 miles away from where I live ! …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. While attempting to make a u-turn, the vehicle lost acceleration. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road, turned the vehicle off, waited a few minutes, and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle operated normally. The check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated while at a traffic light. The dealer diagnosed that the throttle position sensor needed replacement. The contact also stated that the vehicle was repaired four times for the same failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired again. The approximate failure mileage was 141,044.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. While driving 74 MPH the contact heard a banging sound, within a few seconds a hole appeared near the drive shaft and flames had begun to enter the vehicle through the hole. The contact drove onto the emergency lane and got out of the vehicle, seconds later the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department was called to extinguish the fire and a police report was filed for the incident. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that they could not offer any assistance regarding the failure. There were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 150000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. While reversing into the garage, the throttle body detached. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000. Updated 8/19/15 the consumer also stated the tie rod broke, the u-joints and upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. Updated 08/25/15
First the freeze plug blew out of the engine within 2 months of purchase (which took approx. 30 days for them to fix ) and then (and now ) I'm still running back and forth to the dealership complaining about the wind and water leakage in the front doors , the wind is sometimes so loud you have to yell at each other just to talk in the vehicle. The doors visibly shake while driving, allowing the wind and water in. And h.w. Hunter dealership keeps saying there's nothing wrong with the truck. We let them test drive it alone which they did for 600 miles , and claim they heard nothing and then I drove while the district and service managers while in the truck with me they both stated that they could hear the wind but according to them that was normal. So I told they that the commercial advertised a smooth quite ride and this is not either . …
I was driving my 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 5.9 diesel truck to work during rush hour morning traffic at approximately 25 MPH when the check engine light came on and a few seconds later the truck suddenly accelerated on its own to about 3500rpms. The roads were iced over from a previous snow storm. Due to the sudden acceleration on the ice, the rear tires broke traction and started sliding sideways before I could react to the sudden acceleration. I immediately applied the brakes with no results. Truck continued to slide sideways into the oncoming lane of traffic when as sudden as the acceleration happened, the rpms dropped down to an idle and I was able to get the truck under control. Luckily, there were no other vehicles in the oncoming lane. Dealership has truck now and is telling me the fault code indicates a bad acceleration pedal position sensor. …
I own a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel with a automatic transmission. This occurred on two occasions the first was on Saturday 1/31/2015 and the second on Monday 2/2/2015. I had just pulled out of my shop when the engine suddenly accelerated at extreme high speed, I slammed on the brakes immediately however as one can imagine the response time and/or the capacity of the braking system was limited due to the high torque of the engine. Non-the-less I was fortunate not to have any other vehicle in my vicinity. This same scenario occur two more time on my way home which is about 4 miles from my shop. The check engine light came on at the time of the first occurrence. I let the truck sit for a couple days, however needed to plow out from a large snowstorm. Upon restarting the truck, the check engine light was off and everything was back to normal. …
Engine complaints in other Ram 2500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2004 Dodge Ram 2500?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2004 Dodge Ram 2500, 6% of the model year's 582 complaints. The component named most often is engine (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2004 Dodge Ram 2500, though it has 6 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 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 30% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.