Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Dodge Ram owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Cracked dash-we purchased our 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 quad cab used in oct 2003 with less than 46,000 miles on odometer. When we purchased the truck the cup holder was not closing properly and we asked the dealership to adjust it. They did but it still did not close properly or hang properly and was not usable as is. Cup holder fell completely off within about 3 months although we couldn't use it much. Our dash began to crack within the same time of purchasing the truck and now the bezel is cracked so badly is it falling in. We are looking into purchasing a bezel now because it is just so bad now. When the truck was purchased the dash had a rattling that we couldn't figure out, it is obviously the bad dash bezel design. We did purchase a new cup holder when fixing it didn't work anymore. I do not have the old cup holder but I can tell you the hinges broke completely off of it. …
2001 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup has cracked dashboard. Started about 2 years after I bought the truck new. Still has new cracks developing. Some cracks extend into passenger airbag compartment and into driver's instrument panel. Installed carpeted dashboard cover to help prevent the cracks from progressing but they still remain to increase in size. Appears that whenever the A/C or heater is used the cracks extend and can be heard audible. The rapid change in interior temperature when using the A/C or heater can cause the cracks to quickly extend. Have to slowly increase temperature to reduce the failure rate. Have tried everything to prevent the cracks but nothing helps. Concerned now about the airbag compartment being comprised and leading to premature airbag deployment. The dashboard appears to very brittle and every precaution is used not to place any weight on dashboard. …
I purchased my 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 used with a cracked dash. The original owner stated it cracked the second year he owned it with only approximately 33,000 miles on the truck. It happens on almost every Dodge Ram truck manufactured from 1998-2006 and there are millions of complaints filed across the country with every conceivable regulating agency. Nothing to date has been done! The manufacturer refuses to stand up and take responsibility and the regulating agencies have done nothing to correct the dangerous and hazardous conditions!! I have already had pieces of the dash fly into my eye while driving! When the windows are down or the defrost is in operation, small particles fly off and into your eyes creating a very dangerous and hazardous condition!!! Dodge will do nothing unless ordered to by a regulating agency--they are all about profits over safety!!! …
Bought a 2001 Dodge quad cab sport 4x4 in 2003. The dash had a small crack on the drivers side at time of purchase. The crack spread rapidly to all areas of the dashboard. I used protectants, adhesives and dashboard shades and a dash pad to prevent further spread to no avail. During one evening trip,I hit a bump in the road and the entire dash caved in causing the instrument cluster to lose lighting. I had to collect all the extremely sharp shards of plastic out of the dashboard recess to look for the problem. It was during this incident that a extremely sharp piece of plastic cut deep into my right hand. I should have gotten stitches, but used gauze and wrap until healed. What would have happened if the airbag was deployed with loose plastic parts flying all over the place? Survive the crash and then die from massive lacerations from broken dash pieces? …
I have a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 ext cab that I bought new from the dealership. At 42,000mi the dash had a crack in the center. I took it back to the dealership but they said it was out of warranty and to use something with uv protection. At 101,000mi the front speakers went out. Now my dash is missing big pieces. I was driving down the road last month and hit a bump in the road. A piece of dash flew up and hit my wife in the forehead. She will no longer let the grandchildren ride in my truck. She is afraid the air bag will go off or a piece of dash will hit them in the eye. Now the front lights have blinked on and off 2 or 3 times on separate occasion. I've called Dodge and they sent me to a service center. They agreed to replace the dash, instrument cover and glove box all which have cracked. But now I have to pay 580.00$. …
The dash on my 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 started to crack about eight months ago. It began as a small crack near the defroster area on the passenger side and grew to about eight inches toward the front of the dash. A second crack began within the last couple months and also grew to about eight inches. This time much more rapidly. I use my truck only for short trips to work and back and rarely take passengers. Nothing is, or has ever been, stored on the dash, yet it continues to crack. I have read about 50 complaints on the same issue for this model year vehicle. I too share the concern that continued cracking of the dash with pieces caving in will negatively impact electrical connections under the dash and possible even prevent the passengers side airbag from properly deploying in the event of an accident.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Dodge Ram. The contact stated that the vehicle's dashboard began to crack and pieces are falling down into the instrument panel. He has written letters to the attorney general's office, the better business bureau, and daimler Chrysler. No one has responded as of yet. This failure has been ongoing since January of 2004. The contact stated that the vehicle was still under the original warranty when the failure first began. The failure still persists. The engine size was unknown. The current mileage is 91,000 and failure mileage was 36,000. The consumer stated the vehicle was taken to power Dodge for repairs. The consumer stated the dealer will provide a copy of repairs. Updated 06/29/07
Tl contact owns a 2001 Dodge Ram. Three years ago, the contact noticed a crack on the dashboard. Currently, the crack has spread so far that the dashboard is completely damaged and coming apart. She took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that there was a recall ; however, her vehicle was not included. The contact stated that the cruise control sporadically disengages while driving. She further stated that the speed control switch took a long time to activate. The consumer stated broken pieces from the dashboard can injure or kill someone. The powertrain, recall number, and speed were unknown. The failure mileage was 87,000 and current mileage was 140,000. Updated 01/03/08. Updated 12/31/07
Two hours of highway travel 45-65 MPH. Traveling north on interstate 91, 1 mile south of exit 3 vermont @approximately 13:50 speed approximately 65 MPH. Hood unexpectedly flew up and back against the windshield blocking all field of view. Luckily, I was able to slow down and once off a bridge pulled over in the emergency lane. Damage to windshield, hood, hinges and grille. 3 other passengers in the vehicle but no one was hurt. Latched the hood down with rope and slowly returned to 336 knower rd westminster. Inspection of the hood latches showed both very rusty and the safety latch frozen. This appears to have failed. All equipment was original on the vehicle.
In 2004 I purchased a 2001 Dodge Ram quad cab 1500 truck from a local dealer. The truck was in great shape. About 3 yrs. Later I noticed the dash starting to crack from the defrost vents outward. With in a week I had large holes in the middle of my dash. The plastic pieces that broke off fell down inside. I contacted a local dealership and was told that they knew of this problem but because it was not a recall they couldn't do nothing about it. I feel from being a medic firefighter that this is a safety issue. If I should be involved in an accident and my passenger side airbag becomes deployed more pieces of the dash can become projectiles causing damage and bodily injury.
Body complaints in other Ram years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2001 Dodge Ram?
NHTSA has 91 complaints about the body & structure of the 2001 Dodge Ram, 20% of the model year's 459 complaints. The component named most often is body (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Dodge Ram body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2001 Dodge Ram, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Dodge Ram body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 8 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.