Most common 2005 Dodge Ram 3500 problems
Share of the 196 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Ram 3500 complaints by model year
Best Ram 3500 years: 2002, 2000, 1999. Years to avoid: 2012, 2011, 2006, 2007, 2008. Compare all years →
2005 Dodge Ram 3500 recalls (4)
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.
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Dodge RAM 2500 4x4 and 3500 4x4, model year 2007-2008 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis and model year 2006-2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4 trucks manufactured February 12, 2002, through February 13, 2008. The left tie rod assembly may break.
Remedy: Chrysler notified owners and launched its recall campaign in January 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N62.
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 2500/3500 4x4, manufactured from February 14, 2008, through March 28, 2011; model year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 3500 cab chassis 4x2, manufactured from February 14, 2008, through March 28, 2011; and model year 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 mega cab 4x4, manufactured from February…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tie rod ends for relative orientation and replace the left outer tie rod as required and perform a front end toe alignment as needed. This service will be performed free of charge.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Column shift
On certain pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines and automatic transmissions, in an attempt to exit the vehicle quickly without shutting off the engine and removing the key, the driver May inadvertently leave the automatic transmission shift control in indicated reverse.
Remedy: Dealers will perform a software modification to equip these vehicles with an out-of-park alarm. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 2005 Dodge Ram 3500:
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…
Clutch Interlock Switch Malfunction
On December 16, 2104, Chrysler Group LLC submitted a Safety Recall Report to NHTSA describing a defect in the clutch ignition interlock switches in approximately 66,819 model year (MY) 2006 through early-2007 Dodge Ram Trucks, Dodge Dakota, and Mitsubishi Raider vehicles equipped with manual transmissions and built between July 1, 2005 and July 31, 2006 (NHTSA Recall No. 14V-795, Chrysler Recall No.
ENGINE STALL
On May 16, 2005,odi opened preliminary evaluation pe05-027 to investigate complaints of engine stalling in model year 2004-05 Dodge durango suvs and Ram 1500 series pickups equipped with the 5.7l v8 engine.information provided by daimlerchrysler during pe05-027 indicated that a large percentage of the complaints are related to an idle undershoot condition that May cause the engine to stall during turning…
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…
ENGINE STALL
Analysis of the complaint, field report and warranty data shows that the majority of stalling incidents in the subject vehicles appear to be related to the engine calibration concerns that daimlerchrysler addressed with service bulletins releasing revised PCM software.analysis of the complaints and odi's survey of owners of vehicles that received engine management software updates under TSB #18-013-05 show that…
FALSE PARK
The subject vehicles are heavy duty pickup trucks with diesel engines and automatic transmissions commonly used for commercial and work purposes.a column mounted shift lever is used for gear selection and an electronic PRNDL on the instrument panel provides gear position information to the driver.the subject vehicles are also equipped with a brake-transmission shift interlock that prevents the shift lever from being…
Chrysler's execution of 13V-528 & 529
RMD opened this audit query (AQ) investigation in order to better understand and evaluate Chrysler's process(es) for timely and efficient execution of its safety recall campaigns, including its oversight and management of its parts division Mopar.Prior to opening this investigation, RMD had raised concerns with the company related to its execution of two safety recalls, 13V-528 and 13V-529, both of which involved…
What 2005 Dodge Ram 3500 owners say
Steering all 61 →
May 13,2020. 11:32am Driving north, my drive side tire violently shook & suddenly gave way pulling me hard left. I struggling to keep truck in my lane but lost control of steering , the airbags also deployed. Blocking my view. The rode was a blind spot . I thought it was a tire failure. Be of the drop & hard pull to left. While the rode was curving right . I could not get truck to fallow curve. Causing truck to cross into oncoming lane. I never saw the other car . With air bags deployed. I thought I lost a tire and hit ditch was lifted up and hit ground hard. I was told I truck hit another car after crash . Hitting a car coming the other way. Causing a young women's death. The tie rod had a clean break swing freely after break. In March 2020 had pulling or with extra movement off & on . Took to shop, they put a new sway bar on it. …
This recall N62 13V-528 was never done by Duwanne Lanes Everett WA even though I was told by the dealership service team that they had done this recall as requested while they had my truck for over 3mo ths time. On April 3 ,2022 my vehicle had a cautostraphic failure of my steerwheell column & caused my front left tire to break totally off the front steering stabilizer front ball joint tie rod end pitman arm the wheel was free spinning .I had no steering control at all while driving 65 mph on I5 in the center lane. It is sheer luck that I was able to get truck off the freeway without being injured. I think Duanne Lanes of Everett, Wa (RECALL REMEDY INCIDENT) TS
Air bags all 33 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 3500. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact also stated that the ability to steer and brake seized. The contact crashed into the center divider before coming to a stop. The frontal air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained a dislocated right arm, which required medical attention. The contact did not specify if a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 119,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14V770000 (air bags); however, the parts needed were not available. The dealer was unable to verify when the parts would become available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide the recall repair. In addition, while driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle was unstable, vibrated, and an unknown warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000. Updated 12/03/15 updated 12/10/15.
Transmission & drivetrain all 32 →
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 05V462000 (POWER TRAIN). The vehicle was taken to a tire specialist to install larger tires on the vehicle. The contact was informed that the tires were too big and could not be installed on the vehicle. The contact stated that the employees switched the tires and added two low-drive tires on the front end and two larger tires in the rear. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH back to the residence, the vehicle vibrated violently. The contact almost crashed three times. The contact stated that while the vehicle jerked, the steering wheel was difficult to control. In addition, the odometer failed to function as intended. The contact called the tire shop and asked the contact to drive the vehicle to the shop for an inspection. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact stated that while her boyfriend was driving the vehicle, he had placed the vehicle into park and exited the vehicle. While he was retrieving items from the trunk, he heard an abnormal grinding sound emitting from the vehicle and the vehicle began to independently roll backwards. The contact's boyfriend attempted open the driver's side door through the window but failed to enter the vehicle. Due to the vehicle being in motion, he dodged out of the vehicle's path. The vehicle eventually hit two road signs before it came to a halt. The air bags did not deploy as a result of the accident. The contact's boyfriend suffered a road rash as a result of dashing out of the way of the vehicle. A police report was not filed but a park ranger arrived and took pictures of the accident. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Dodge Ram 3500 a good car?
Based on 196 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Ram 3500 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Ram 3500 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Dodge Ram 3500?
The steering — 61 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year, most often about gear box (other than rack and pinion). Next are the air bags (33) and transmission & drivetrain (32).
How many recalls does the 2005 Dodge Ram 3500 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2005 Dodge Ram 3500, the most recent from December 3, 2014 (air bags). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Dodge Ram 3500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2002, 2000 and 1999. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012, 2011, 2006, 2007 and 2008. See the full Dodge Ram 3500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Dodge Ram 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 82,000 miles; 31% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.