"How reliable is the 1997 Dodge Ram Pickup?"

"Based on 21 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Dodge Ram Pickup has a median complaint mileage of 36346 miles. The most common issue is STRUCTURE."

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

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Dodge Ram Pickup is STRUCTURE, accounting for a significant portion of the 21 total complaints filed."

1997 Dodge Ram Pickup: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 21 complaints

Total Complaints

36,346mi

Median Mileage

STRUCTURE

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

36,346 25th Percentile

36,346 Median Mileage

53,663 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

STRUCTURE

STEERING

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

SUSPENSION

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"FRONT BRAKES FAILED CAUSING PULSATION."

"EVERY TIME IT RAINS, I HAVE STANDING WATER IN THE CAB OF THE TRUCK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM "REPAIRED" 4 TIMES, AND IT HADS OCCURED AGAIN. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME TILL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE TRUCK FAIL DUE TO EXPOSURE TO WATER. I AM EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED WITH TH..."

"DRIVER SIDE DOOR SHEET METAL CRACKED WHERE LATCH MECHANISM IS ATTACHED. *JB"

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