Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Dodge Ram 3500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1996 Dodge Ram 3500. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle slowed down after several attempts. The brake warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was driven onto the side of the road and towed to the contact's residence. The failure was related to rust in the brake line system. The failure occurred on two separate occasions. The vehicle has not been repaired; however,the contact will perform the repair himself. The failure mileage was 103,753 and current mileage was 104,000.
I purchased this truck in 2003 and the dash was cracked. It shakes and rattles whenever I hit any bumps in the road. Dodge will do nothing but try to sell me another dash at a sky high rate. I'm afraid the dash will completely fall apart while my wife or I am driving down the road. I am now experiencing a vacuum problem with some lines under the dash caused by this since the dash moves so much. My ABS light is on, my cruise control doesn't work and the airconditioning only blows out of the defrost vent.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Dodge 3500. The contact stated that the ABS adaptive brake control unit (part number 56029032ab) has been discontinued by the manufacturer. He stated that the part was needed to repair his vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 211,000.
Braking system malfunctioned, causing the brake pedal to go to the floor and there was no braking ability which caused a crash. Dealer replaced the brake master cylinder 3 times. Problem is still occurring. Please provide further information.
When this problem first happened in 1998, we took it to the Dodge dealer here in cheyenne, wy and they said the calibrater was bad and fixed the right side only. When it started pulling on the left side, it was worse. My wife was driving home on the frontage road when a car stopped short in front of her to make a turn and she had to slam on the brakes hard and it jerked her into the lane of oncoming traffic and there was almost a head on collision. We took it to our master mechanic at another dealership and he told us this is an on going problem with these trucks. He also said you can't only fix on side. The fact that my wife could have been killed because of this problem and that Chrysler refused to do anything about it is very upsetting. The cost to fix this was $500.00 and that was only because my wife works at the dealership where it was fixed. …
When applying the brakes the vehicle will severely pull to the right. After taking the vehicle in for service five times the vehicle now pulls to the left. Dealer has replaced the brake pads and the calipers with no remedy. Consumer states vehicle has been brought in 2 times more and still problem exists. Vehicle has an intermittent transmission, vehicle won't shift the transmission from 1st to 2nd gear, resulting in red lining the motor and severe jerking in traffic.
Brakes pull to right, calibers and pads have been replaced. Rear brakes don't seem to work well antilock allows you to roll to far. Steering column goes bad after warranty is up ( 100,000 miles ). Fuel pump shut down solenoid and relay have also gone out on both of my trucks. Automatic transmission failures have occurred on both trucks at the 70000-75000 miles .
Front brakes have gone out for the fifth time while driving at 65mph on highway on wet and dry pavements. The brakes go down to the pedal. Several dealers have mentioned that a bulletin was put out 28-mar-97, but no recall has been issued. In addition, back brakes are inoperative because wheel cylinders on back are too small.
While driving at any speed applied brakes, vehicle steered to left or right. Sometimes vehicle would start to shake, would not stop. Needed to keep pressure on brakes in order to stop. Dealer ships had vehicle in shop 6 times, replaced pads/rotors and did an alignment. This defect can cause an accident.
Consumer complaining of brake lining wearing out too soon at 10,000 miles. Consumer believes condition is not normal for this situation. Vehicle been in/out of dealer shop for more then three times and condition still occurs. Problem has not been resolved. Dealer will not repair without cost to the consumer.
Brake complaints in other Ram 3500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1996 Dodge Ram 3500?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the brakes of the 1996 Dodge Ram 3500, 31% of the model year's 124 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Dodge Ram 3500 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1996 Dodge Ram 3500, though it has 1 recall 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 1996 Dodge Ram 3500 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 104,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes 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.