Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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).
Dealer couldn\\'t diagnose fuel pump problem. Kept reprogramming computer until total engine failure @ 30,000 km. 10 month fight for engine. 6 weeks to replace in shop. Electrical problems still exist since new. Truck has 77,000 km now. It is totally incapable of towing rv, what truck was bought for. Max fuel mileage empty is 10 mpg, 4 loaded. Excessive smoke. All symptoms verified by outside sources, and Dodge states the problem is with me. Am a former diesel mech, and trucker. Dodge refuses outside diagnosis including cummins. This truck has over 18 months of downtime. Just got truck from dealer today again, was told 2 weeks ago that this engine is toasted, then all of a sudden dealer says nothing is wrong with engine. They didn\\'t even have the courtesy to return phone calls or even to call for me to pick up the truck. Dodge will not even accept fuel logs. …
Bought a 2 yr old durango with 60,000 miles on it at carmax. At 116,000 miles it started knocking. I took it to allen samuels dealership and they claimed the engine failed. We replaced the engine at our cost for 6K, because we still owed 7K on the vehicle. We bought new tires as we decided to keep the vehicle and try to recover some of the cost. 3 months later, the new engine failed, the vehicle died as I was exiting the freeway and turning under an overpass. I wasn't aware the vehicle had died, until I realized the power steering had gone out when I tried to turn. The dealer is going to replace the engine this time, but we have decided we need to cut our losses and get rid of the vehicle. We cannot afford to keep a car like this. We have 4 children and this is the vehicle that we travel in as a family daily. It is totally undependable and unsafe.
The main bearing was going out and consumer needed to replace engine. While driving the consumer noticed that the oil pressure gauge dropped to zero and the check engine light illuminated and then would return to normal when the consumer resumed speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who indicated that something broke in the top of the engine and caused metal shaving to end up in the oil pan and thus blocking oil from getting into the engine. As a result the main bearing failed and the engine had to be replaced. The consumer requested reimbursement 3 times for the cost of replacing the vehicles engine but was denied. *nolan
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Dodge Ram. While driving 10 MPH under normal driving conditions and pulling a trailer the contact smelled something burning and the engine shut off without warning. Smoke was coming from under the hood. The vehicle would not restart, and was towed to a mechanic. The mechanic stated that the crank angle sensor was burned. The vehicle was repaired , and the no further failures occurred. The current mileage was 95,099. There was no damage to the vehicle. Ak
Excessive crankcase oil vapors entering passanger compartment caused by the improper placement of the engine open vent system.the heavy smell and vapors will burn your eyes and cause a person to become sick I feel this is a very serious health and safety issue that must be addressed. The problem has only occurred while driving at slow speeds or while stopped at signals etc. The vapors and smell will dissipate some after two to three thousand miles after each oil change but returnes after each oil change. I've been informed by dealers this is a problem but they have no rsolve at this time.
While traveling at highway speed side mirrors shake, causing poor visibility. Consumer states dealer has replaced mirrors threee times and dealer refuse to fix or investigate any further, there is a front end noise in suspension while driving over speed bumps, springs,sjocks and sway bar was replaced and the noise stopped for two weeks and reoccured, engine idling rough, poor gas mileage, found that spark plug misfired, engine stalls when in gear consumer also states seal around windshield is loose windshield had to be replaced..
On several occasions, while driving, consumer states clutch seized and vehicle stalled. Dealer replaced clutch assembly and flywheel and found clutch disc burned out. Customer states the transmission clunks when shifting. Customer states vehicle will buck when attempting to start in 1st gear. Vehicle shudders when driving and customer has completely lost clutch.
Consumer states the vehicle has a severe motor knock and valve rattle noise which occurs whenever the motor was under any load, the dealer made one computer adjustment that helped a little and made several suggestions about the types of gasoline to use, consumer states when going up a slight hill again under any load the motor rattle noise has recurred to a noticeable degree.
A loud banging noise started coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was running rough while driving. The driver was able to pull over. Then, vehicle stalled. The driver was unable to restart. The driver had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to the coolant leaking into the number three injector.
The motor sounds like a diesel engine while under load, the dealer adjusted the computer codes and it operated more efficiently, the problem reoccured and the dealer stated that no further adjustments could be made because the engineers had not issued any further adjustment codes, the consumer tried different types of gasoline that only changed the miles per gallon.
Engine complaints in other Ram years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Dodge Ram?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Dodge Ram, 7% of the model year's 459 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Dodge Ram engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.