Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Dodge Ram owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving under 30 miles an hour in my 2002 Dodge Ram quad truck when something snapped under the front of the truck causing me to lose control of my vehicle resulting into crashing into a truck waiting to pull out into the street. The truck only had 17,000 miles and we only have had it 22 months, bought new. The steering arm was off at both ends, the wheel came off and all damage was on the inside of the wheel, the other wheel was turned straight. When accident happened the truck veered to the left out of control. The airbag never came out. Are there any reports of 2002 Dodge trucks having steering problems? Chrysler finally sent a person to look at the truck. Our insurance company is wanting to put after market parts on our new truck, which will limit our warranty with Chrysler since they're not Dodge parts. …
There is a complaint already on file about the upper ball joint that fell out @17K miles. The complaint that I want to file now is the lower control arm tha is flexing when the brake is applied or when a bump is encountered. The truck will jump from one lane to the other when a rough place is hit at interstate speed. I have had it to the dealership on three different occasions and no one has ever had the time to even look at the problem. I bought the truck the last day of 2001 and now have 35K miles on it .I am afraid to drive it very much. When the first complaint was filed(because Chrysler denided any claim) I thought I would at least get a response that I filed the complaint but to this day I have not. …
While coming out of a curve the truck jolted, dipped and could not be controlled (1st failure). Subsequently I hit a telephone pole detrying the passenger side front panel and the truck slid to stop after "shutting off" ( 2nd failure). When I got out of the truck , behind me on the side of the road, the passenger side side wheel was laying on the ground still attached to the axle. There were no pot holes or rocks on the road to cause the "jolt". This is a similar condition that I believe has been described for the durango and dakota of the same year.
At 65 MPH using cruise control, daytime, dry pavement, good weather, brake warning light and ABS warning light illuminated with warning chime. At next exit, operator took vehicle to repair shop. Technician found right front wheel bearing assembly worn, allowing tire/wheel assembly to be moved 1-2'' from vertical. Vehicle had been checked during state inspection less than 400 miles previously and passed. A total failure in traffic at speed might have resulted in a loss of handling/braking that might have caused or worsened an accident. Failed part is available. Vehicle has also suffered numerous premature failures including: failure of driver heated seat, failure of electric fuel pump, nearly causing accident due to engine stoppage and loss of power steering, failure of instrument cluster, failure of front suspension components, and damage to spare tire due to mis-routed tail pipe. …
Transmission will not shift into first gear when putting in drive. Feels like it's starting off in third gear or something. Works if you put it in first gear, or second, just not drive. It happened all at once for no reason. Also air conditioning only works when moving. If you stop it doesn't work. I have had the freon checked and is okay. And now just today, it died for no reason. I stopped at the bank to make an overnight deposit, when back to my truck, and turned the key and nothing. Just like that. I had to walk at least a 1/2 mile to the nearest phone to have my son come get me. We jumped the vehicle and it started. But the instrument lights were flashing. Than just before I got home, the check gauges light came on and the battery gauge was at the highest level. It had no prior problems. One more thing, I have had the shocks replaced 5 times in front. …
I have a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab 4x4, very well maintained and was never abused. About 8 months ago I noticed a crack on the dashboard on the passenger side. Within several months one crack had grown to 6 cracks. Then about 1 month ago the air would not flow through the dash vents anymore. In order to find out the problem I had to remove the dash board to get the heat and air system. When I removed the dash board it crumbled into about 20 pcs. Upon inspection of the air problem I found out the blend door that controls the air to the dash was broken. Seems this is a problem. I am now having to replace the dashboard, front and rear pc and the 4 blend doors in the air system. While replacing the shocks I noticed the rack and pinion was leaking extremely bad which has never leaked before. No noise while turning the steering wheel, no warning light to advise of the problem.
Left front control arm were not replaced, only the brake pads. Dealership claimed this would fix the problem. However, there was still a clanking noise at front left and right wheel area. Consumer's inspection revealed that on both sides the pivot arms were loose and had rotated several times hitting the suspension arm frame mount area and there were gouges in the frame mount. Further inspection also revealed exhaust leak on the bottom side of the muffler at the back weld or seal of the unit. Consumer planned on taking vehicle to another dealership.
While traveling approximately 45 MPH right rear tire came off, and left rear of vehicle collapsed. Rear of vehicle started sliding along the ground when it hit a median and was stopped. Driver suffered neck injury. Dealership examined vehicle, and determined the cause as "customer neglect." *note: on November 25, left rear tire had a blowout because of a road hazard. But, lugs: nuts were stripped, and tire had to be removed professionally. Please provide any additional information / documentation.
Passenger side ball joint broke apart at 50,000 miles, with loss of control of vehicle, especially on gravel road and while braking....replaced at my expense, now less than one month later, the driver side ball joint seems to be going...this time with a little bit more warning than the last time....hopefully, other people are not having this problem and losing control of their truck..please let me know 2002 Dodge Ram 4x4 quad cab 1500.
At speeds above 35 MPH the rearend of my truck hops excessively and causes the rear to sway to the right when driving over average road surfaces with minor bumps or irregularities in the surface. On numerous occasions I have almost lost control of the truck and am very concerned to learn that other 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab owners are experiencing similar problems.
Suspension complaints in other Ram years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2002 Dodge Ram?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the suspension of the 2002 Dodge Ram, 10% of the model year's 353 complaints. The component named most often is front (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Dodge Ram suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2002 Dodge Ram, though it has 3 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 2002 Dodge Ram suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries to suspension 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.