2002 Ram 3500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
59 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Ram 3500, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 6/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2002 Ram 3500 has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2002 sits among all 3500 years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 43 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 48,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 19,000 and 112,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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…
Technical service bulletins
24 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2002 Ram 3500. 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 2002 Ram 3500 reliable?
The 2002 Ram 3500 drew 59 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 6/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 2002 Ram 3500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Ram 3500 are body & structure (9 complaints), steering (8), and other (7).
At what mileage do 2002 Ram 3500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Ram 3500 problems around 48,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 19,000 and 112,000 miles.
Does the 2002 Ram 3500 have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2002 Ram 3500. 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.