2001 Ram 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,370 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2001 Ram 1500, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 65/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 75,483 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2001 Ram 1500 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1994–1996.
Avoid
Where 2001 sits among all 1500 years
What owners report
“2001 dodge ram 1500 whit dashboard that has severe cracking. I'm starting to have electrical problems also.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 1500
“I have a 2001 dodge ram 1500 4x4. The dash has started to crack, i hear its a very common issue”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 1500
“I have a dodge ram 1500 truck. My entire dash is coming apart. A piece flew off and hit me in the face while driving i slammed on the brakes and my wife hit the windshield cracking it. My lights on my ceiling went out don't work”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 1500
“I have a dodge 1500 v6 truck that has been a pain every since i have had it. It never ran right from day one and i would take it back to the dealership and they said nothing was wrong with it. Now at 64,000 miles the transmission is blown. They really suck this was my 3rd vehicle from dodge and i…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 1500
“Takata inflator. My air bag light stay on all the time when the truck is running. As there not been a recall on this concern? I don't if it will work or not if i where to have an accident. I would like to receive any notification recalls.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 1500
“Upper and lower ball joints are worn out @ 60,000 miles. Diagnosed by dodge dealership. Causing excessive tire wear and handling problems. Dodge custonmer service (file 13615741) refused to fix problem even though durangos have had a recall for similar issue.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 875 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 48,000 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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.
ON CERTAIN 4X4 PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH THE SNOW PLOW PREPARATION PACKAGE, THE TIRES SUPPLIED ON SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATINGS THAT SLIGHTLY EXCEED THE MAXIMUM TIRE LOAD CAPACITY AS DEFINED IN FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO.…
Fix: DEALERS WILL PROVIDE REPLACEMENT P245/75R16 TIRES TO MEET THE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY SPECIFIED ON THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL AND ACCOMMODATE THE ADDITION OF A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE SNOW PLOW…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PICKUP TRUCKS. SOUND DEADENER MATERIAL INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL COULD BECOME DETACHED FROM THE COVER AND HOUSING. NOTE: THE RAM PICKUP TRUCKS WERE BUILT AT THE WARREN ASSEMBLY PLANT ("S" IN THE 11TH VIN POSITION) FROM MAY 16, 2000…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 18, 2001. ALSO SOME 1997-200 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES THAT, ACCORDING TO WARRANTY RECORDS, HAVE HAD A SUSPECT REPLACEMENT…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
24 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2001 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 2001 Ram 1500 reliable?
The 2001 Ram 1500 drew 1,370 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 65/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2001 Ram 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2001 Ram 1500 are body & structure (548 complaints), other (134), and electrical (106).
At what mileage do 2001 Ram 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2001 Ram 1500 problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 48,000 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2001 Ram 1500 have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2001 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.