Most common 2009 Dodge Ram 5500 problems
Share of the 7 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 →
2009 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 2009 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 2009 Dodge Ram 5500 owners say
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Ram 5500. While driving at 20 MPH, the steering wheel seized. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the tie rod detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the tie rod needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 13V527000 (steering); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,000.
7/21/15 took truck to Ram dealer for recall r-16 dealer stated it also has r-25 recall, truck still has vibration at 55 MPH and now it will drift left and right called dealer the service manager advised me to have my tires checked, 7/30/15 called Chrysler hotline was told no open recalls I told her I had it in for repair but it still wasn't right she said they need to correct problem on their dime. 7/30/15 called dealer, service manager had quit need to call on 8/3/15 to talk to new service manager. 8/3/15 talked to new service manager told him what Chrysler said, he scheduled to inspect truck for 8/11/15 dropped truck off on 8/10/15 put key and note in drop box stating since airbag was repaired horn and cruse no longer worked 8/16/15 have not heard back 8/17/15 called dealer left a message to call me, 8/18/15 called dealer talked to service manager he thought truck had been picked up, …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Dodge Ram 5500 a good car?
Based on 7 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Ram 5500 rates better than average: 63% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Ram 5500 at the same age. It is one of the best Ram 5500 years by this measure. 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 2009 Dodge Ram 5500?
The steering — 5 complaints, 71% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (1) and suspension (1).
How many recalls does the 2009 Dodge Ram 5500 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2009 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 2009 Dodge Ram 5500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 59,000 miles; 33% 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.