"How reliable is the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500?"

"Based on 718 NHTSA complaints, the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 has a median complaint mileage of 67000 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 718 total complaints filed."

2008 Dodge Ram 1500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 718 complaints

718

Total Complaints

67,000mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

34,922 25th Percentile

67,000 Median Mileage

101,353 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

161

STEERING

POWER TRAIN

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SUSPENSION

ENGINE

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHEELS

SERVICE BRAKES

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE 1500. WHILE IDLING AT A STOP LIGHT WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE ACCELERATED AND THEN DECELERATED BACK TO NORMAL. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO HOOK A BOAT UP TO THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, AND THE ENGINE A..."

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN AT VARIOUS SPEEDS OR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IDLING, THE STEERING WHEEL STICKS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES AND THEY REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE RACK AND PINION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY HAV..."

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

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

AIR BAGS 161 complaints

25th: 37,000 mi Median: 69,000 mi 75th: 125,000 mi

STEERING 96 complaints

25th: 35,975 mi Median: 59,488 mi 75th: 91,125 mi

POWER TRAIN 63 complaints

25th: 61,000 mi Median: 95,000 mi 75th: 120,645 mi

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 51 complaints

25th: 24,250 mi Median: 43,000 mi 75th: 97,500 mi

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 50 complaints

25th: 58,000 mi Median: 89,000 mi 75th: 100,300 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 105 CA: 58 FL: 50 MI: 39 NY: 32 OH: 32 GA: 28 LA: 23 WA: 22 KY: 21

Who Files Complaints?

2.6%

Original Owners

97.4%

Second+ Owners

Dodge Ram 1500 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1994	148	108,250	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH	14
1995	273	114,000	STRUCTURE	14
1996	407	111,500	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION	22
1997	467	95,050	STRUCTURE	36
1998	645	97,000	STRUCTURE	89
1999	768	85,972	STRUCTURE	85
2000	641	78,175	STRUCTURE	40
2001	1367	70,000	STRUCTURE	84
2002	1004	72,000	STRUCTURE	74
2003	1361	70,000	AIR BAGS	106
2004	1359	70,000	AIR BAGS	114
2005	1624	87,000	POWER TRAIN	162
2006	1080	60,500	AIR BAGS	59
2007	701	72,100	AIR BAGS	46
2009	882	66,948	POWER TRAIN	42
2011	984	78,000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	53
2012	972	68,000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	51

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