Most common 1997 Dodge Ram problems
Share of the 415 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 →
1997 Dodge Ram recalls (7)
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines only, the throttle linkage joints can corrode and cause the throttle to bind or stick.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rod ends and ball studs. Owner notification began July 29, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Air bags
Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Sound deadener material inside the steering wheel could become detached from the cover and housing. Note: the Ram pickup trucks were built at the warren assembly plant ("s" in the 11th VIN position) from May 16, 2000 through October 23, 2000; st.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly. Owner notification began June 18, 2001. Also some 1997-200 model year vehicles that, according to warranty records, have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed,…
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…
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.
Unknown or other
Vehicle description: light duty trucks equipped with diesel engines. The exhaust pipe contacts or is in close proximity to the outer dash panel silencer pad.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the dash silencer pad adjacent to the exhaust pipe and replace this pad with a thermal heat shield on the exhaust pipe.
Show 1 more recall
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 1997 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…
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.
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.
What 1997 Dodge Ram owners say
Brakes all 81 →
Park position with ignition key in the lock position, vehicle shifter moved out of park , knocked owner down and ran over me, continued to roll back hit second car, continued to keep going until it hit a curb. This was a very dangerous and could have caused other accidents. Consumer sent in a fax copy of the internet voq.
While driving the vehicle at 35 MPH, first the ABS brakes did not work. Then a frontal impact accident occurred, the air bags did not deploy on impact. No injuries occurred. Dealer sent out investigation team that stated the air bags were okay. Reports from the fire department and police department stated the air bags should have deployed. Dealer cannot duplicate the problem.
Transmission & drivetrain all 72 →
Park position with ignition key in the lock position, vehicle shifter moved out of park , knocked owner down and ran over me, continued to roll back hit second car, continued to keep going until it hit a curb. This was a very dangerous and could have caused other accidents. Consumer sent in a fax copy of the internet voq.
While driving at 35-45 MPH vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating. The vehicle felt as if it was in neutral. Transmission burned fluid, causing it to fail. A mechanic ant the transmission repair shop indicated that this was due to the coolant not circulating through the transmission when vehicle was idling in the park gear. Transmission needed to be rebuilt. Consumer was told by two different mechanics that rear wheel drive Chrysler vehicles if in park with the engine running, coolant doesn't circulate to the transmission. Consumer phoned Chrysler customer service and they advised her to contact NHTSA for a possible recall. Consumer learned of the trans coolant connect recall. Then she recalled that part being replaced prior to the failure. The fluid was checked before the vehicle was towed, and it was thick and brown as a result of being burnt. …
Air bags all 38 →
Vehicle was hit by another car on the front. The other vehicle was traveling at about 50 to 60mph. Driver's side airbag deployed, and driver's sweat pants caught on fire. Drive rhad two pairs of sweat pants on. Fire burned a big hole through the first pair, and singed the second pair of pants. If drive rwould not have had on two pairs of pants, he would have been burned. Vehicle has not been looked at by anyone.
While driving the vehicle at 35 MPH, first the ABS brakes did not work. Then a frontal impact accident occurred, the air bags did not deploy on impact. No injuries occurred. Dealer sent out investigation team that stated the air bags were okay. Reports from the fire department and police department stated the air bags should have deployed. Dealer cannot duplicate the problem.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Dodge Ram a good car?
Based on 415 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Ram rates avoid: 3.9× 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 1997 Dodge Ram?
The brakes — 81 complaints, 20% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (72) and air bags (38).
How many recalls does the 1997 Dodge Ram have?
There are 7 recalls for the 1997 Dodge Ram, the most recent from June 14, 2002 (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 1997 Dodge Ram problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 72,000 miles; 18% 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.