Most common 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 problems
Share of the 258 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 →
2006 Dodge Ram 3500 recalls (8)
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 › 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.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, Dakota, and 2006 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles manufactured July 1, 2005, to July 31, 2006 with manual transmissions. The return springs in the clutch ignition interlock switch may break.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clutch ignition interlock switch, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
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.
Visibility › Rearview mirrors/devices
Certain trucks fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 111, "rear view mirrors". The right outside rear view mirror glass has a curved (convex) mirror glass installed instead of flat glass. Curved glass creates a wider view, but displays images further away than they actually are.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the right outside convex mirror glass with a flat mirror glass free of charge. The recall began on October 10, 2006. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Show 2 more recalls
Exterior lighting
Certain trucks equipped with dual rear wheels fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment." the trucks May have been inadvertently manufactured without the roof mounted cab clearance lamps.
Remedy: Dealers will install cab clearance lights free of charge. The recall began on March 20, 2006. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
On certain pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel antilock brake systems (ABS), the ABS electronic control unit (ECU) May cause a loss of front to rear brake balance, and the rear brakes could lock up prematurely during certain braking conditions.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ABS ECU. The recall is expected to begin during the week of July 17, 2006. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 6 possible defects involving the 2006 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.
Turn signal malfunction
Odi has closed this investigation based on a review of the complaints, other field data and technical data submitted by Chrysler to the agency.Chrysler reports that the multifunction switch is hard wired into the instrument cluster (ic) and the cluster decides which direction has been selected based on an electrical signal from the multifunction switch.the ic sends a signal to the vehicle's totally integrated power…
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…
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 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 owners say
Steering all 75 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact stated that the drivers side tie rod fractured in an accident. The vehicle went off the road into the embankment that stopped the vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed back the contact's home. There were no dealer within a 100 miles so the contact purchased the parts and had repairs done by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer informed that the steering system had been upgraded the manufacturer denied the contact reimbursement since the replacement parts were not manufacturer approved. The contact was unaware that there were four recalls on vehicle since he had just bought the vehicle used nine months earlier. The NHTSA campaigns numbers: 09e001000 (steering), 13V528000 (steering) and two more that had nothing to do with the steering were open related to the VIN. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact stated that while at 50 MPH, the passenger's side front tie rod fractured. The contact stated that the vehicle crashed into a ditch. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was the vehicle was repaired. The details of the repairs were unknown. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000.
Electrical system all 53 →
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2006 Dodge RAM 3500. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 107,460; however, a Carfax report listed the mileage as 177,000.
On the night of apr 16, 2019 it same like everyday I went home from work back up my truck in the driveway turn off and got in the house forgot my ipad went back out and get it ,back in the house went to take the shower and then five minutes later the truck burn down, the fire truck came they put out the fire, and I got the report said engine area, running gear, wheel area.
Lights all 44 →
Steering wheel not center dealer wont fixed ask three times also turn signals the right comes on when you turn on the left one they fixed after fighting with them the wipers stop some times and then go slow then fast then stop the TIPM is bad it runs all the electrical on truck had lots of concerns that it will stall because some time the head lights go bright then dim then bright the trailer light some time come on both then one goes out had trailer check out they said was the truck I drive in daylight hours if I can just had TIPM replaced at dealer had to fight with them it cost me 1500.00 dollars they said their no recall it a safety thing I just think they should pay not me.
I was driving down a two lane road at 70mph when approaching my road. I turned on my left blinker to signal my upcoming turn and when I began to turn the car behind me went to pass thinking that I was turning right. To avoid hitting me he went off the road into the ditch. When I talked to him about what happened he said that my right blinker was on. I have noticed this problem before on my truck and have noticed it since so I know he was telling the truth. There needs to be a recall on this before someone gets hurt. I also have trouble switching my high beams off or on causing problems with oncoming traffic on a daily basis.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 a good car?
Based on 258 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Ram 3500 rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Ram 3500 at the same age. It is one of the Ram 3500 years we suggest avoiding. 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 2006 Dodge Ram 3500?
The steering — 75 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about linkages › tie rod assembly. Next are the electrical system (53) and lights (44).
How many recalls does the 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2006 Dodge Ram 3500, the most recent from May 24, 2016 (inflator module). 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 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 79,000 miles; 26% 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.