CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2002 has the well-known and documented problem with their dashboards falling to pieces, but it also has engine failure from oil sludge. That's a doube shot of awful in your morning coffee.

2.6

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
57,500 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Dodge Ram 1500 cooling system problems

cooling system problem

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2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Owner Comments

problem #4

Oct 012010

Ram 1500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicles are known to run hot, something to do with the headgasket, I am told. The rack and pinion leaks and has to be watched. They are bad to have dead cylinders I am not sure when this first was a problem, but the vehicle has been parked now for several months because of these problems. It is my understanding that the auto company has made corrections to newer vehicles for these faulty components without notification of owners.

- Spartanburg, SC, USA

problem #3

Feb 192010

Ram 1500

  • 60,000 miles
2002 Dodge Ram 1500 rack and pinion going out only 60,000 miles....also, they replaced A/C fan motor once...I paid several times...about to go out again (low humming noise is indicator - as noise increases, motor fails). I am so disappointed; as a special needs teacher I depend on this vehicle to Transport me safely to and from my work....cannot depend on it. I hate it...it's been a pain since first problem with 18 miles on it!!! please, hold Dodge accountable for their mistakes....

- Lake Charles, LA, USA

problem #2

Aug 282008

Ram 1500

  • 90,000 miles
On Thursday August 28, 2008, I was leaving an interview going on the highway and all of a sudden my truck began to start smoking. I got out my vehicle and raised the hood to see what was going on. When I looked under the hood smoke was coming from the engine, and fluid was pouring out from the reservoir holes. I looked in my vehicle and the temperature gauge was at the half way mark and their was no indication lights on indicating that something was wrong. At this time I let my vehicle cool off and I added some antifreeze. I attempted to drive my vehicle and could only go about a half a mile down the highway and the same problem occurred again with no indications of the vehicle running hot. So at this time I called a towing service and had to wait approximately four hours for a tow truck to come and tow my vehicle home. The next day I had my truck towed to a mechanic and he said that the motor had burned up. I then had it towed to the dealer ship and when the mechanics their inspected my truck they said that the cooling fan inside the "ECM" had malfunctioned and that the motor was burned up. The service advisor said that I was going to need a new motor and that it was going to cost me approximately $7800. Which I want the manufacturer to pay for since there was no indication of these problems.

- Hampton, GA, USA

problem #1

Sep 202007

Ram 1500 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles
Front axle, I have replaced the front axles of my 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 4X4 on both sides at 100,000 miles and the axle on the right side is now gone out again, 1.5 years later. The oil pump has gone out along with all the tensioners, rear axle is going out, truck overheats and no one can find the problem.

- Spring, TX, USA

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