Most common 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 problems
Share of the 173 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 →
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 recalls (9)
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.
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 Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 RAM 2500 4X4 and 3500 4X4 trucks, 2008-2012 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis, and model year 2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4. The left tie rod assembly may break.
Remedy: Chrysler notified owners on January 16, 2014 that dealers would inspect vehicles and replace the steering linkage assembly, if necessary.
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.
Equipment › Appliance › Air conditioner
E-n-g mobile system is recalling certain model year 2008 Chevrolet w5500, model year 2007-2009 Dodge 3500, model year 2009 mighty mover, model year 2006-2009 Ford e-250, e-350 and e-450, model year 2008-2009 GMC w4500, model year 2007 international 4300, model year 2009 Toyota Land cruiser vehicles equipped with carrier airv…
Remedy: E-n-g mobile system will notify owners and the vehicles will be repaired by carrier free of charge. Please see carrier's defect report 09e-053. The safety recall is expected to begin during December 2009.
Show 3 more recalls
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
Chrysler is recalling 32,782 my 2008-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 3500 and 3500 cab chassis pickup trucks equipped with powers and sons steering linkage. The steering linkage drag link inner tie rod to pitman arm ball stud May fracture. Also the steering linkage damper attaching the bracket May yield and shift on the linkage.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the steering linkage drag link inner tie rod end assembly, and inspect the steering linkage damper bracket free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before February 16, 2009.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Diesel
Chrysler is recalling 108,429 my 2007-2008 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with 6.7l diesel engines. A silencer pad can sag and contact the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler.
Remedy: Dealers will add a bracket to support the engine compartment silencer pad adjacent to the EGR cooler. The recall is expected to begin during December 2008. Owners May contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Trailer hitches
Knapheide is recalling 108 my 2006-2008 pro series truck beds equipped with an icc bumper which included a provision for a ball hitch. There May be an insufficient weld attaching the hitch channel to the supporting structure.
Remedy: Knapheide will offer two remedies to its customers: (1) for those customers who do not use the hitch, the hitch will be removed from the truck bed and replaced with an icc bumper; or (2) for those customers who need a…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2008 Dodge Ram 3500:
Outer Tie Rod Failure
ODI received complaints regarding failing tie rod ball studs on Model Year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 vehicles resulting in loss of steering control.Chrysler concluded that misalignment of the left (driver side) ball stud on vehicles built with the Cross Car steering linkage system could allow contact between the bull stud and the ball housing which could weaken the stud and result in fracture.Chrysler…
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.
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 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 owners say
Steering all 94 →
.The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse in the driveway, the steering wheel made an abnormal cracking sound and became significantly loosened. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the tie rod had fractured. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V529000 (Steering). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 162,020. The VIN was not available.
Approximately 3 months (and 2637 miles of highway driving) after having safety recall n62 / NHTSA 13v-528 work accomplished by landers mclarty dealership in huntsville alabama, the drag link disconnected disconnected from the right tie rod at approximately 40 MPH. This resulted in a complete loss of steering and caused my vehicle to cross opposing traffic lanes and enter a ditch before I could stop the vehicle. The recall repairs were not conducted per dealer service instructions. Landers mclarty Dodge service manager had provided me an e-mail indicating "I have talked to all 3 of the technicians that perform this recall, and they all stated that they use an impact gun to actually install that nut, due to the teflon that is on the inside of it to keep it from backing off after it is installed. …
Engine & cooling all 24 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500. While driving, the instrument panel and exterior lighting illuminated brightly and the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over and discovered that the TIPM was smoking and caused six unknown fuses to become inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and restarted. After the vehicle was restarted, it caught on fire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 245,000.
Tl* the contact stated employed by a company that owns a 2008 Dodge Ram. The contact stated while an employee was driving at approximately 35 MPH an abnormal odor was detected the cabin of the vehicle. The driver was able to stop the vehicle and upon opening the hood fire was seen in the engine compartment. The fire department was contacted and extinguished the fire. A fire investigation report was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 116,216.
Suspension all 22 →
There is a recall on the tie rod. The vehicle was taken to a Chrysler dealership in kissimme fl in 2014 on two different occasions. We were told by the dealership both times that the tie rod was not bad and they would not change it out. On 2/21/15, I was driving approximately 10 MPH when the tie rod fractured and I lost complete steering and was shot left of center. Fortunately, there was no oncoming traffic and I was able to pull off the side of the road without crashing into anything or anyone. I was less than 1/4 mile from the main road, and I shutter to think what would have happened if I would have been on that 4 lane highway. This could have been prevented if the dealership would have done its job with the recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a death wobble while driving and the front end shook violently. The contact had to depress the brake pedal with force to stop the vehicle and the steering wheel could not be controlled. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was not contacted. The contact replaced the track bar himself and ordered a Dodge Ram bolt; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 a good car?
Based on 173 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Ram 3500 rates use caution: 1.5× 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 2008 Dodge Ram 3500?
The steering — 94 complaints, 54% of all complaints for this model year, most often about linkages › tie rod assembly. Next are the engine & cooling (24) and suspension (22).
How many recalls does the 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 have?
There are 9 recalls for the 2008 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 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 37% 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.