"How reliable is the 2011 Dodge Ram 1500?"

"Based on 984 NHTSA complaints, the 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 has a median complaint mileage of 78000 miles. The most common issue is Electrical System."

"What are common problems with the 2011 Dodge Ram 1500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 is Electrical System, accounting for a significant portion of the 984 total complaints filed."

2011 Dodge Ram 1500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 984 complaints

984

Total Complaints

78,000mi

Median Mileage

Electrical System

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

43,000 25th Percentile

78,000 Median Mileage

112,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Electrical System

208

Power Train

166

Engine

149

Fuel/Propulsion System

128

Unknown Or Other

Steering

Exterior Lighting

Suspension

Service Brakes

Vehicle Speed Control

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD. WHILE DRIVING ABOVE 50 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT WHEN HE WOULD ROLL THE REAR WINDOWS DOWN, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE EXCESSIVELY ALMOST CAUSING THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT T..."

"BRAKE FAILURE AFTER "SERV 4WD" INDICATOR APPEARS. WAS OPERATING IN 2WD MODE, TRAVELING AT APX 30MPH WHEN AFTER BRAKES APPLIED THE VEHICLE LOST GRIP AND SLIDE. "SERV 4WD" ILLUMINATED AND HAD NO BRAKE POWER, USE EMER TO STOP. SHUTODD ENGINE, RESTARTED AND MESSAGE WAS GONE. *TR"

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE ACCELERATING ON AN ICY ROAD THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ENGAGED AND A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ALSO BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS INTENDED. TH..."

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.

Electrical System 208 complaints

25th: 60,000 mi Median: 85,000 mi 75th: 110,000 mi

Power Train 166 complaints

25th: 17,500 mi Median: 43,000 mi 75th: 88,569 mi

Engine 149 complaints

25th: 69,250 mi Median: 100,000 mi 75th: 133,000 mi

Fuel/Propulsion System 128 complaints

25th: 72,700 mi Median: 100,000 mi 75th: 118,450 mi

Unknown Or Other 46 complaints

25th: 30,400 mi Median: 71,300 mi 75th: 106,750 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 130 FL: 83 CA: 70 NY: 60 PA: 50 GA: 37 AZ: 30 LA: 29 TN: 29 NC: 28

Who Files Complaints?

2.1%

Original Owners

97.9%

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	Switch	14
1995	273	114,000	Structure	14
1996	407	111,500	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
2008	718	67,000	Air Bags	48
2009	882	66,948	Power Train	42
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