Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
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).
This truck is used to haul a camper and a car trailer for my show cars. Today I started truck to hookup to car trailer for the fourth time time this year. This truck is not driven in the winters yet while backing up to the trailer I pressed on the brake pedal to have the brake pedal go to the floor. I found that the line going to the rear is rusted near the fuel tank and sprays brake fluid onto the fuel tank. Also a line for the front brakes coming down from the ABS unit failed at the same time. I have brake fluid spraying everywhere. This caused a complete brake system failure. It appears the OEM coated all other under vehicle components yet left the brake lines raw steel. I write this as a search to web to find this is occurring over and over again. …
Dt: on August 30, 2005 the caller's husband was involved in an accident while traveling 25 MPH. Upon impact, the airbags did not deploy. The caller's vehicle hit a school bus. There was no indication that the air bag would not deploy. Caller's husband was injured. A police report was taken. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. Caller said a week before the wreck she had the vehicle at the dealer for brakes, she said the brakes locked and the tires made a screeching sound. She did not know if the brakes and the accident were connected. The consumer stated there was another accident prior in which the air bags did not deploy.
2001 Dodge Ram 4x4 drivers side rear brake line rusted through creating a leak when trying to stop in driveway at home. Had bushes in front of parking spot blocked by railroad ties as a landscape divider. The truck ran into and partial through railroad ties into bushes to stop the truck. No repair made yet on truck.
While driving at 50 MPH on a raining day consumer applied the brakes and vehicle slid and hit another vehicle, rear ending it. Upon impact,air bags failed to deploy. Driver sustained chest injuries.
My rear brake line broke and in the process of looking up torque specifics on the new one I bought I have discovered that this is happening a lot with Dodge. The lines are rusting through because I believe regular steel is being used instead of a treated or stainless which would resist corrosion better. Luckily I was able to downshift and use my emergency brake instead of facing a tragedy. I can see where some people would panic and not think to do this to pull of the road safely. It is a scary feeling to push the brakes and have nothing happen. The way the brake lines are run is also very inconvenient and most of the time require the gas tank to be removed which is difficult for most and can be costly to have a mechanic do it. I was fortunate in that the line broke just above the gas tank so I was able to pull it through the retaining clips.
Dt: the contact stated while driving at low speeds less than 10 MPH, the ABS pump activated, causing difficulty in depressing the brake pedal. This occurred on dry road conditions and under normal braking. There were no warning indicators prior to the first incident. He took the vehicle to a nearby garage, who replaced the ABS sensor and the ABS modulator. The garage then took the vehicle to the dealership to have the codes put in for the ABS modulator. The vehicle had the same problem again. The manufacturer was contacted, and they told the contact to take the vehicle to the dealership. No repairs have been made. Updated 1/11/2006.
I was making a right hand turn in a parking lot, going about 5-10mph, while I was turning, the brake pedal started pulsating very hard - drove forward in the parking lot - made a left hand turn started going forward and went to step on brake pedal and it would not move - pedal was rock hard and would not stop truck. After finally coasting to a stop I put truck in reverse - backed up in vacant part of the parking lot so I could put truck in drive and then swing wide into a parking stall and coast to a stop - however when I went to swing the truck I had absolutely no steering at all -front wheels would not turn. Had to have towed.
Rear brake line blew at 142000 miles, front drivers side brake line blew at 143000 miles, Dodge should have used some kind of anti-corrosion lines, all the brake lines on my truck are very rusty, like they have been submerged in sea water. Google the problem, everyone has it. Dodge should issue a recall to address this dangerous problem. Lucky for me both times I was going slow enough to stop and not cause an accident. I now want to sell this vehicle as this is the 2nd such incident and looking at the brake lines, I will have to replace all of them. Shame on Dodge for putting out such a substandard product.
Dt: the contact complained about brake failure on four different occasions. There were no warning signs, indicating a problem with the brake system. When brakes fail there is also loss of steering control. When the brakes are applied the pedal will go all the way to the floor. The only way to stop the vehicle is to apply the hand brake. The dealer tried to repair the vehicle on three different occasions. After a period of time the brakes will fail again. The dealer suggested the problem could be within the power booster pump and the master cylinder. Updated 11/19/05.
Dt: was pulling a trailer at 45 MPH the vehicle started fish tailing. Without the trailer at 55 MPH the vehicle will fish tail. Took the vehicle to Chrysler , and found that it was shaky. The tie rods ends, ball joints, and the check bar malfunctioned on the front of the vehicle. Almost had a wreck. This happened on 24, June 2205. The consumer stated the vehicle was poorly designed, the front of the vehicle was too light for the weight of the engine. There was no grease fitting for the ball joint. The rotors were replaced.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
On certain van and wagon vehicles equipped with 4-wheel antilock brake systems (ABS), aftermarket batteries May leak electrolyte onto the ABS control module connector, which can compromise sealing integrity of the connector.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the ABS control module connector for electrolyte damage and replace the connector as necessary. The recall will begin on September 27, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Brake complaints in other Ram years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2001 Dodge Ram?
NHTSA has 44 complaints about the brakes of the 2001 Dodge Ram, 10% of the model year's 459 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Dodge Ram brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-185 (control unit/module, Apr 12, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Dodge Ram brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles, and 28% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to brakes 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.