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 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
upper control arm cracked which is a safety violation and should be a recall. TRW 52106776 Control arm is the cracked part in the picture My son replace both control arm and send it for alignment total cost was as below; Parts $280 + Alignment $192.59= $472.59 I like Dodge to refund me for $460
I have had a vibration and "death wobble" on my truck since I purchased it. It has been to two different Chrysler dealers for a total of 5 or 6 times without resolution of the issue. The issue is two fold, one is when I hit a large bump at speeds greater than 45 MPH the steering wheel shakes violently, and the other this speeds over 60 MPH there is a vibration. I have spoken to Chrysler about the issues about a year or so ago. They tried to offer buy back because the issue could not be resolved, but then told me I was not qualified because I was the second owner. I also had to have the steering gear box replaced under warranty, and they replaced all the tie-rod ends ect. The issues is still the same without resolution. Now my warranty is up, and the truck still has this potential dangers issues and I have no where to go. Anytime I have the truck looked at now it cost me a lot of money. …
Truck currently has 76,000 miles. Replaced all 4 ball joints at the same time, fewer than 40K. Had to replace an injector around the same time. Filters Dodge came out with were too large, letting "junk" into the injectors. Not ong after that, we were driving and lost power. Pulled to side of road, saw belts hanging down. Popped the hood and the pulley(?) the belts attach to had snapped off! Fortunately, we were on a county road, driving slowly. Then, at 76K, the front left wheel locked up, causing us to have to replace the entire front axle system. We were stopped at a stop sign, then proceeded to pull forward. About halfway across the intersection, left wheel locked up. We could go in reverse, but not forward. Injectors are clogging up as well and will most likely have to be replaced. We bought this new in 2005 for $42,000. It has had an 'easy' life with very little towing.
My Dodge trucks violently wobbling out of control at highway speeds.while driving at about 60 MPH, I hit a minor bump in the roadway and the truck started shaking violently. The only way it stopped was I had to reduce my speed to 10 MPH, the problem was I was in the express lane, I was in front of a semi truck
"tamara recall". Driving down road hit a slight bump got the death wobble and had to slow down to 30mph or lower to get it back under control on the freeway. Have had the front end rebuilt 3 times by professionals and now doing it again or still.
I"m having problems,with the Dodge Ram 3500 truck , front suspension had to be repaired, fuel/propulsion system. Still having electrical problems, inside light stays on while vechicle is in motion. Looses power at time going up hills.
Load clunking noise from front axle, and noticable instabillity in steering on bumpy roads that only started when the front ball joints developed what I beleive to be excessive wear. I measured .033 verticle free play of the steering knuckle, but minimal lateral play. According to daimlerchrysler, the -quote- "new way of checking play" only registers .010 freeplay, and the ball joint has to have .060 to be declare defective. As such daimlerchrysler denied my repair. In my opinion by the time the lateral play measures .060, the verticle play will dangerously close to catastrophic failure. There have been numerous complaints about these ball joints on 2003 and later "3rd generation" 2500/3500 4 wheel drive Dodge Ram hd pickups on the various internet news groups, such as turbo diesel register.com.
I have been on the waiting list at the local Dodge dealer (mccord in longview, wa.) for a couple of months to replace this tie rod ball. Now I have been told that it is a restrictive part and Chrysler corp. Is only sending one tie rod per seven days. Looking at where I am at in the stack of recalls, there could be several hundred ahead of me and that suggest to me that my truck could be sitting for almost a year. This is unacceptable. To issue a large recall such as this and not have parts available is irresponsible. Any help in this matter would be appreciated. The recall is : n62 / NHTSA 13v-528 [redacted]
While riding down the freeway at 60 MPH my 2001 Dodge 3500 Ram, the front drivers side wheel and tire came off and flew down the road. Vehicle was towed and Dodge dealer said the main wheel bearing had broken in two. My 100,000 mile warranty has been denied and I cannot claim it under my insurance because it wasw equipment failure..the repair showld be about $4,ooo. All mechanics I have spoken to say this should be a factory problem. Please advise vehicle is at dealership in hempstead, texas now.
Vehicle was taken to tire dealer for new tires, and the dealer indicated the front end was completely worn out. The vehicle had 49000 miles on the odometer. Took to dealer from whom puchased and told vehicle was out of 36000 miles warranty. Dealer authorized to replace parts at a total cost of $1555.24. Rack -steering gear,upper control arms and lower control ball joints replaced. Dealer indicated he talked with district manager to see if any recalls or problems reported.
Suspension complaints in other Ram 3500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2004 Dodge Ram 3500?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the suspension of the 2004 Dodge Ram 3500, 12% of the model year's 214 complaints. The component named most often is front (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2004 Dodge Ram 3500, though it has 4 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 3500 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.