2008 Ram 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
720 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Ram 1500, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 31/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 69,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2008 sits among all 1500 years
What owners report
“Takata recall for our 2008 dodge ram 1500, we have not received information on the recall.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 1500
“Had new tires and ball joint replaced and truck lined up 3 times and still shakes in front end. Turn steering wheel all way left and front end skips on pavement.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 1500
“The drive shaft separated from the rear differential, due to the pinion nut loosening, and the rear axle locked up. The truck was being driven on a town road, when this occurred.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 1500
“When putting my turn signal lever to the left my right turn signal comes on. Sometimes the left will be working then it will switch over to the right. Turn my right blinker on and it stos then comes on again stops etc. Just never know what is going o happen. Village motors from millersburg oh said…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 1500
“After filling up to full tank of gas, truck runs rough and stalls at first couple of stops. Almost got run into from behind by another car. This happens every time you fill up gas.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 1500
“Front end suspension and steering problems, very loud rubbing sound and unstable feels like it might brake apart.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 499 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 68,100 miles. Half of those reports fall between 37,000 and 105,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2005-2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, 300S, and SRT8,…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners.…
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Dodge RAM 2500 4x4 and 3500 4x4, model year 2007-2008 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis and model year 2006-2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4 trucks manufactured February 12, 2002, through…
Fix: Chrysler notified owners and launched its recall campaign in January 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N62.
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 RAM 2500 4X4 and 3500 4X4 trucks, 2008-2012 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis, and model year 2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4. The left tie rod assembly may break.
Fix: Chrysler notified owners on January 16, 2014 that dealers would inspect vehicles and replace the steering linkage assembly, if necessary. On or about February 27, 2014, Chrysler ceased its recall…
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2011 DODGE RAM 2500/3500 4X4, MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 14, 2008, THROUGH MARCH 28, 2011; MODEL YEAR 2008-2011 DODGE RAM 3500 CAB CHASSIS 4X2, MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 14, 2008, THROUGH MARCH 28, 2011; AND…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TIE ROD ENDS FOR RELATIVE ORIENTATION AND REPLACE THE LEFT OUTER TIE ROD AS REQUIRED AND PERFORM A FRONT END TOE ALIGNMENT AS NEEDED. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF…
FEDERAL-MOGUL IS RECALLING CERTAIN CARQUEST, NATIONAL, AND PERCISION BRAND WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES, P/NOS 515073 AND 515073, SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT ON MODEL YEAR 2002 THROUGH 2008 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP TRUCKS. THE INBOARD ROLL FORM USED TO…
Fix: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND TECHNICIANS WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED HUB ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL…
FABTECH IS RECALLING CERTAIN AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT PITMAN ARMS, P/NOS. FTS93001 AND FT44039, INSTALLED FOR USE ON CERTAIN 2003 THROUGH 2008 DODGE 2500 4WD, 3500 4WD, AND 1500 4WD MEGA CAB VEHICLES. THE PITMAN ARM CAN FRACTURE AND BREAK AWAY FROM THE…
Fix: FABTECH WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND AUTHORIZED INSTALLERS WILL INSPECT FOR DEFECTIVE PITMAN ARM AND REPLACE IF NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 24, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT…
CERTAIN CURVED TEMPERED REPLACEMENT GLASS MANUFACTURED BY HANGZHOU SAFETY GLASS LTD AND SUPPLIED TO SAFELITE BY AUTO TEMP INC., IDENTIFIED AS DOT-430, AND SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN VEHICLES MAY NOT BREAK INTO SMALL PIECES AS EXPECTED OF…
Fix: SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS RETAIL CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE GLASS FREE OF CHARGE. RETAIL CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE TOLL FREE AT 1-888-843-2906. SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS AND…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Technical service bulletins
55 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2008 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 2008 Ram 1500 reliable?
The 2008 Ram 1500 drew 720 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 31/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2008 Ram 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Ram 1500 are airbags (164 complaints), steering (106), and transmission & drivetrain (75).
At what mileage do 2008 Ram 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Ram 1500 problems around 68,100 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 37,000 and 105,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Ram 1500 have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Ram 1500. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.