"How reliable is the 1997 Dodge Ram 3500?"

"Based on 153 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Dodge Ram 3500 has a median complaint mileage of 108000 miles. The most common issue is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH."

"What are common problems with the 1997 Dodge Ram 3500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Dodge Ram 3500 is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH, accounting for a significant portion of the 153 total complaints filed."

1997 Dodge Ram 3500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 153 complaints

153

Total Complaints

108,000mi

Median Mileage

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

75,000 25th Percentile

108,000 Median Mileage

162,775 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

STEERING

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

SUSPENSION:FRONT

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"OWNER STATES THAT WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE USED HE CANNOT SEE THE ROAD VERY WELL. ALSO, THAT THE DIMMER SWITCH MUST BE USED IN ORDER TO SEE. *AK"

"STEERING JAMS DUE TO COTTER PIN SEPARATING FROM THE NUT. DILEMMA, PINS FELL OUT AND STEERING TEMPORARILY LOCKED UP. *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28