1996 Ram 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
407 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1996 Ram 1500, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 18/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Brakes & stability leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1996 Ram 1500 has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1996 sits among all 1500 years
What owners report
“Brake wear seems excessive and at times the pedal would go to the floor and the brakes would not work well.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 1500
“The transmission burned out causing it to not shift into any gear, this problem occured at only 13k miles. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 1500
“The backup light on the driver's side is not working due to faulty wiring harness. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 1500
“The engine and head gaskets failed causing the ml light to illuminate, run roughly and miss in 3rd up a hill. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 1500
“Water leaks around the doors and pools on the floorboard due to a possible gasket or seal failure.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 1500
“Vehicle continuously out of alignment. Excessive wear to front tires that causes vehicle to drift to the right with steering wheel held straight.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 108 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 111,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 89,000 and 142,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT K&N FUEL PERFORMANCE KITS, P/NOS. 57-1509, 57-1511, 57-1511-1, 57-1517, 57-1517-1, 57-1527, AND 57-1530. ALSO, A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THESE KITS WERE SOLD UNDER THE MOPAR PERFORMANCE PARTS BRAND NAME (P/NOS. P5007069 AND P5007070). ALL…
Fix: K&N WILL PROVIDE OWNERS WITH A FREE REPAIR KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2006.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
9 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 1996 Ram 1500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1996 Ram 1500 reliable?
The 1996 Ram 1500 drew 407 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 18/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 1996 Ram 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 1996 Ram 1500 are brakes & stability (55 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (55), and electrical (45).
At what mileage do 1996 Ram 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 1996 Ram 1500 problems around 111,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 89,000 and 142,000 miles.
Does the 1996 Ram 1500 have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 1996 Ram 1500. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.