Most common 2008 Dodge Ram 5500 problems
Share of the 19 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Ram 5500 complaints by model year
Best Ram 5500 years: 2009. Years to avoid: 2012. Compare all years →
2008 Dodge Ram 5500 recalls (3)
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 2008-2012 RAM 4500 and 5500 trucks manufactured February 20, 2007, through December 22, 2012. The left tie rod assembly may break.
Remedy: On May 19, 2015 Chrysler notified owners that dealers would replace the tie rod assembly, free of charge. In July 2015, and under a consent order with NHTSA, the company agreed to offer owners three options for…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2008 Dodge Ram 5500:
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.
What 2008 Dodge Ram 5500 owners say
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 5500. On one occasion, while driving approximately 40 MPH, the driver side tie rod suddenly fractured and the driver was unable to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who replaced the tie rod. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 13V527000(suspension) was received approximately 2 years ago. After contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed to repair the vehicle were still not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 144,685.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 5500. The contact was driving 55 MPH when the vehicle exhibited an abnormal noise from the drive side tire. The failure persisted for over a month. Later, he received a manufacturer recall March 2011 in regards to the driver side k28 tie rod. The contact stated that he called six dealers to make an appointment for recall repairs and was advised by each dealer that they could only replace the tie rod but the alignment could not be performed because they did not have adequate equipment to do so. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that they would return his call at a later date. The manufacturer never called the contact and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 49,000. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Dodge Ram 5500 a good car?
Based on 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Ram 5500 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Ram 5500 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 2008 Dodge Ram 5500?
The steering — 16 complaints, 84% of all complaints for this model year, most often about linkages › tie rod assembly. Next are the electrical system (1) and suspension (1).
How many recalls does the 2008 Dodge Ram 5500 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2008 Dodge Ram 5500, 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 5500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012. See the full Dodge Ram 5500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Dodge Ram 5500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 59,000 miles; 40% 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.