Most common 1996 Dodge Ram problems
Share of the 636 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Ram complaints by model year
Best Ram years: 2011, 2009, 2007. Years to avoid: 1996, 1998, 2001, 1997, 1999. Compare all years →
1996 Dodge Ram recalls (10)
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines. The throttle cable could unravel (fray) or break resulting in loss of throttle control.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the throttle cable and upper bell crank lever. Owner notification began August 3, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
On certain pickup trucks originally sold in or currently registered in the following "salt belt" states: maine, new hampshire, vermont, massachusetts, rhode island, connecticut, new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, delaware, maryland, the district of columbia, west virginia, ohio, indiana, michigan, illinois, wisconsin,…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the secondary hood latch. Owner notification began September 17, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks. The affected vehicles were built with an ignition switch and wiring that could overheat. High electrical current loads pass through the switch when the blower motor is operated on high for an extended periods of time.
Remedy: Dealers will install a relay and overlay harness.
Power train › Clutch assembly
Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with manual transmission, v10 engines and four-wheel-drive transfer cases. Under sustained maximum rated vehicle load, while driving up a steep grade in four-wheel-drive low range in hot ambient conditions, the local exhaust temperature proximate to the hydraulic clutch line can…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the hydraulic clutch assembly.
Air bags › Frontal
Vehicle description: van and wagon model passenger vehicles. If water/road salt gets on the interior floor of the vehicle in the proximity of the air bag electronic control module (aecm), the aecm can corrode. The resulting corrosion can cause the driver side air bag to deploy inadvertently.
Remedy: Dealers wil replace the aecm with an aecm that is sealed from moisture intrusion.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with gasoline engines. The fuel tank mounted rollover valve can allow liquid fuel to leak onto the ground under certain vehicle operating conditions.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel tank rollover valve with a float type rollover valve.
Show 4 more recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission › Cooling unit and lines
Under certain high load operating conditions, the transmission fluid temperature can exceed the melting point of the material used in the connector to retain the fluid line to the transmission.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the high temperature side of the transmission fluid cooler line connector fittings with connectors that incorporate a stainless steel retainer.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines. The engine driven vacuum pump can allow engine oil into the vacuum hoses due to the absence of an internal check valve. The oil can cause the hose to deteriorate and partially collapse, reducing the vacuum supply to the brake booster.
Remedy: Dealers will add a vacuum pump check valve to the vacuum pump. In addition, the vacuum hose connected to the vacuum pump will be replaced with a hose that is engine oil resistant.
Equipment › Other › Labels
The involved vehicles have tire/wheel specification information on the vehicle certification label which indicates a smaller size tire than required. This does not comply with label requirements of FMVSS no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Remedy: Owners will be mailed an overlay label with the correct tire/wheel certification information and instructions for installing the label on their vehicles. If owners prefer, their dealer can install the label for them.
Electrical system › Alternator/generator/regulator
The fasteners which secure the generator cartridge fuse to the power distribution center May have an improper clamp load. Improper clamping can result in arcing at the connection.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the generator cartridge fuse fasteners properly.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 9 possible defects involving the 1996 Dodge Ram:
Transmission quick connectors
On April 17, 1997, the Chrysler corporation filed a defect information report concerning approximately 800,000 1994 through 1997 Dodge Ram pickups equipped with v6 or v8 engines and automatic transmissions, 1995 through 1997dodge Ram pickups equipped with the v10 engine and automatic transmission, and the 1995 and 1996 Dodge Ram van/wagon equipped with automatic transmission.odi has received eleven reports…
HOOD LATCH
Onmarch 20, 1995, daimlerchrysler filed a defect report for 181,008 1994 and 1995 Dodge Ram trucks manufacturedc from January 21, 1994 - October 25, 1994 at the Dodge city assembly plant and from March 26, 1994 - December 8, 1994 at the lago alberto assembly plant.the secondary hood latch rod could bind on the guide bracket and prevent engagement of the secondary latch.if this occurs when the primary latch is not…
Ignition switch
Complainants allege fires, melting, smoke or excessive heat in the vicinity of the ignition switch
Clutch hydraulic line failure
Alleged clutch line May melt and leak hydraulic fluid in the vicinity of the exhaust manifold.leaked hydraulic fluid could ignite and cause a vehicle fire.
Transmission fluid fires
TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE AT COOLER TUBE DISCONNECTS IS ALLEGED TO HAVE RESULTED IN VEHICLE FIRES.(this resume was revises on 12/3/96 to include the 1996 model year truck equipped with the subject equipment)
Steering column fires
ODI has received 33 complaints alleging excessive heat in the ignition switch and related circuitry in 1994-1996 Dodge Ram trucks.The root cause is an excessive current draw through the ignition switch result in fire, smoke, melting of surrounding plastics, stalling and the illumination of air bag and anti-lock brake system (ABS) warnig lights.
Clutch hydraulic line
Alleged plastic clutch tube May fail from exposure to exhaust heat, resulting in loss of clutch function and possible vehicle fire.
Seat back failure
Odi has identified 30 incidents where it is alleged the seat back collapsed in a rear impact crash.these incidents are alleged to have contributed to 23 injuries and two deaths.the data presented to odi show that the seat back strength of the front seats comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207.
Steering column fire
Alleges that the poor design of the ignition switch assembly and//or the key cylinder assembly in the model year 1991-2000 vehicles May cause the steering column to catch fire
What 1996 Dodge Ram owners say
Brakes all 177 →
The contact owns a 1996 Dodge Ram. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 97V068000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), 01V037000 (Vehicle Speed Control), and 00V135000 (Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The vehicle vacuum system became contaminated with oil. This effected the vehicle's hav system, brake booster and deteriorated all the vacuum hoses which caused the brakes to fail intermittently. A recall was initiated for this problem but the consumer's vehicle was not included due to VIN. The dealer recommended that the consumer install an external brake booster check valve and hose, replace vent and defroster actuator. The customer declined the repairs.
Transmission & drivetrain all 138 →
The tire, rim, brake drum and axle shaft separated from the axle housing. The assembly wedged under vehicle. When it popped out, it flew up and landed directly in front of another vehicle. When the assembly separated, apparently the other (remaining) drive wheel became disconnected from the engine; our exhaust brake could not slow us down. Additionally, the brakes were spongy, and apparently not working. We slid to a stop on what remained of the axle housing. When we exited the vehicle, there was a flame shooting from the end of the axle housing, where the axle shaft would normally be. This flame was approx. 1.5-2 feet from the fuel filler tube. Immediately prior to the accident, there was a very loud screetch sound. Within a minute, the wheel assembly came apart. After repairs were made, the same axle problems reappeared.
There are two recalls for this problems #828 & #838. They do not include the 1996 two wheel drive, the clutch hydraulic is the same and we had the same problems. They fixed it at 98,000 miles and the same thing happened 15,000 miles later. Their fix did not fix the problem. They installed a shield but the plastic clutch line runs next to the shield and touches. Plastic next to metal melts and the line burst causing or can cause a fire. They will not fix it again. The recall also need to be expanded..
Engine & cooling all 58 →
Tl*- the contact's 1996 Dodge van had been excluded from the recall involving a catalytic converters used in Dodge van of that year and it failed to pass smog test due to the failure of the catalytic converter. The dealer declined to perform the recall repairs, and a follow up call to the manufacturer was placed, and they were also not helping. The contact believed that they excluded the van from the recall because they had a very limited number of electrical high powered vans. Even though the parts were defective Dodge declined to fix it. Updated 04/12/07/.
Consumer states engine stalled while traveling down a mountain, consumer lost all control of vehicle and went off a 300 ft revene, vehicle finally stopped after striking a tree head on, air bag did not deploy, consumer sustained injuries, a month after purchasing vehicle, recall repairs were completed on vehicle regarding blower and igntion, consumer was later informed of additional recalls that needed to be repaired on vehicle, however consumer was never given any specific details about what was repaired/replaced.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1996 Dodge Ram a good car?
Based on 636 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1996 Ram rates avoid: 6.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the Ram at the same age. It is one of the Ram 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 1996 Dodge Ram?
The brakes — 177 complaints, 28% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (138) and engine & cooling (58).
How many recalls does the 1996 Dodge Ram have?
There are 10 recalls for the 1996 Dodge Ram, the most recent from February 12, 2001 (vehicle speed control). 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2009 and 2007. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1996, 1998, 2001, 1997 and 1999. See the full Dodge Ram years comparison.
At what mileage do 1996 Dodge Ram problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 85,000 miles; 20% 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.