- The problem
- Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." These lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
Vehicle safety record
2002 Dodge Ram Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 942 complaints about the 2002 Dodge Ram with NHTSA, most often about the body, doors & structure (299) and the transmission & drivetrain (118). Those complaints describe 72 crashes, 17 fires, 79 injuries and 2 deaths. It is covered by 6 recalls, the latest in April 2009 for the exterior lighting. For comparison, the 2001 has 1,430 and the 2003 has 1,359.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Ram year, for its age
#11 most complained-about 2002 vehicle
- Complaints
- 942
- Recalls
- 6
- Crashes
- 72
- Fires
- 17
- Injuries
- 79
- Deaths
- 2
Most common 2002 Dodge Ram problems
Share of all 942 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2002 Dodge Ram recalls 6
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Chrysler is recalling 1,364 windshield wiper modules, p/n 55077098aj, sold during the 2008 and 2009 calendar year for use as aftermarket replacement equipment on my 2002-2009 dodge ram pickup trucks. These wiper module assemblies may be susceptible to water intrusion that could result in partial or complete loss of windshield wiper capability.
- The risk
- When the wiper system fails, the operator will have reduced visibility which could result in a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the wiper module assemblies with vented wiper motor housings free of charge. The safety recall began on august 28, 2009. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
- The problem
- Certain cequent 90 degree 7-way right angle adaptors sold by distributors in tow packages for aftermarket sales to tow 5th wheel rv travel trailers. Due to incorrect wiring of the harness, the trailer lights may not operate properly.
- The risk
- If the trailer lights are not working properly, a vehicle crash can occur.
- The fix
- All of the defective tow packages are still at the distributor level and have not been sold to any consumers.
- The problem
- Certain ck motorsports combination headlights, clear corner, bumper, and side marker lights sold as replacement lamps for use on the passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
- The risk
- Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
- The fix
- Ck motorsport will notify owners and replace the noncompliant lamps free of charge. The recall began on july 1, 2006. Owners may contact ck motorsport at 1-909-610-7211.
- The problem
- On certain van and wagon vehicles equipped with 4-wheel antilock brake systems (abs), aftermarket batteries may leak electrolyte onto the abs control module connector, which can compromise sealing integrity of the connector.
- The risk
- This may allow development of a short circuit in the connector, which could eventually lead to a fire.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the abs control module connector for electrolyte damage and replace the connector as necessary. The recall will begin on september 27, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
- The problem
- On certain 4x4 pickup trucks, the rear axle flange weld to the axle tube could fatigue and allow the brake caliper assembly to rotate.
- The risk
- During rotation, the brake line could separate from the caliper resulting in a brake fluid loss in the rear brake hydraulic system.
- The fix
- Dealers will install rear brake caliper reinforcements on the rear axle assemblies. Owner notification began december 9, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
What owners say
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942 complaints about the 2002 Dodge Ram
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 38.
I bought this truck new I still own problem is the cooling system does not function properly I have put new radiator and all heat and cooling in it the heat and air does not operate properly I have talked with crysler several times and they will help with issue it's been like this about as long as I have had it please help me and there's a whole lot more people with same issue and it's a very bad problem with the windshield keeps fogging up can not see the road or traffic
Dodge Ram 2002 ABS brake module failure. No recourse for repairs. Dodge has rendered this part obsolete and although they have the technology to repair or replace it they neglect to help thousands of vehicle owners.
The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, he became aware that the external lights and turn signal lights were not functioning properly. The lamp out warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The heat stopped working so i replaced the blower motor and blower relay the heater switch and still have no heat. The wire gets hot to the touch. The heater only use to work on high then all of a sudden it just stopped all the way around
To put it as simple as I can describe it is a death wobble. that occurs every time you hit a bump in the road, hole, or pot hole. This truck has always had this death wobble from factory. The reason why this is a safety issue is because it causes the steering wheel to go out of balance and go into other lanes in the road and potentially cause an accident.
The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while attempting to turn on the heat in the vehicle, the HVAC system failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated there was no recall for the failure. There was no additional assistance provided. The failure mileage was 50,000.
I was driving on the highway at about 65mph and at first I noticed that it felt like my tie rod ends were going bad. And then all of a sudden I felt an explosion and my truck made a sharp right dive into the right hand lane and caused the car in that lane to swerve right. I was then able to gain back control and gradually came to a stop on the right hand berm of the highway. The right rear tire appeared just as it does in the attached photos. The tire size is p264/70R17 no authorities were notified and the tire has not been inspected by anyone.
While traveling at normal speeds approximately 40 mph a car ran a stop sign I t-boned them on their passenger side with my front end I hit them at approximately 40 mph my airbags did not deploy my face and chest hit the steering wheel and dash
Pinion nut became loose. It was caught before it totally fell off, however if it did fall off the rear axle could possible seize up and cause loss of control of the vehicle. This is a 2002 Dodge Ram with the 9.25" rear axle and they appear to still have issues to this day with that axle model. The recall Dodge had in 2009/10 does not even begin to cover the number of Dodge Ram/Dakota vehicles with this issue. The axle in this vehicle was replaced in 2009 for another issue with an axle retainer clip falling off...
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and causing the internal assembly to grind on the boss for the axle. So as the original owner, and with only 137,140 miles on the vehicle in 19 years, it has had multiple problems fixed under warranty, including total axle replacement and now it will have rebuilt again. There should be a real safety concern for all Dodge pickups with the 9.25" rear axle and a recall for every one of them, not just 2009/10. This has been happening for 20 years. When will NHTSA step up and hold Dodge to task for this issue. Regards, [[redacted]] Minden, NV INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at various speeds, the ABS warning light illuminated and the vehicle seized. The contact managed to coast the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and place the vehicle in park. The contact exit the vehicle to inspect the engine and without warning when the front hood was open 4-foot flames shoot out from the hood. The contact sustained burns to the right hand. No medical attention was sought. The contact ran to the rear of...
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the vehicle open the trunk and poured water that he had in a bucket on the flames. No police report was made. The fire department was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. No dealer was contacted nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. Damages were to the wire harness, ABS module, and connecting rod. The failure mileage was approximate 220,000.
The brakes failed due to corrosion of the brake line from the master cyl. to the LH front brake flex hose. The brake fluid simply came out of the line. There was insifficient fluid pressure to do any wheel braking. Luckily, I had just moved off from a stop and was applying the brakes to slow down on a bend. The corrosion occured under a plastic clip that is there to keep adjacent brake lines from vibrating against each other. The corrosion occured in an area that is not inspectable unless the front wheel and wheel arch cover is first removed.
2002 Dodge ram 1500 4x4 5.9L was driving dow hey 10 when my back tries locked up couldn't get it in gear or out almost crash when got it on to side of road and stopped when it finally was able to go in a gear it was reverses and it would just make this god awful grinding nose truck was towed back home
The beam under the bed of the truck is breaking apart. No other part under the truck had this prob. No corrosion any other place but the beam of the truck
While driving all of the gauges have quit working headlights stay on will not turn off.
Hello, I have had a problem with my dodge ram the fuel line system just cracked and caused my vehicle to catch fire and blow up while myself in my 7 year old granddaughter was in the vehicle my vehicle has been maintained since day one when I bought it brand new never having problems with it other than your will wells were never drilled out to drain the water in the back I would like to know if you have had other issues with this vehicle on the same incident. Myself in my granddaughter inhale very toxic fumes before we were able to get out the truck as it was on fire and inches away when it exploded.Pics and report wont download thank you
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. While driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. An independent towing company towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact took the vehicle back to the independent mechanic who informed the contact that the wire harness convertible box had a lot of corrosion around it and needed to be replaced. A collision shop was contacted. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Vehicle will not go into reverse or drive. Will not come out of park. Stuck in driveway cannot move needs to be towed in for repair. He will turn but vehicle will not shift out of park.
Tried to get the truck started and could not get it to work. Took the keys out and throw them up on the dash and the truck started and all electronical stuff in truck came on. Then when driving home it would rev up and down and would try to shut off when I had to stop
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. While driving approximately 45 mph, the driveshaft detached and caused the rear of the vehicle to seize. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact called southern chrysler dodge jeep at 936-634-7793 (located at 2711 s medford dr, lufkin, tx 75901) and the manufacturer and was informed that there was no recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 262,000.
Turned on the a/c and dash cracked and white powder was coming out of my vents and now my heater is not working that happened on the passenger side, I think the airbag came open but did not deploy?
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. The contact stated that the blower motor wiring was damaged in the vehicle and failed to produce heat in cold weather. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact called anchorage chrysler, dodge, jeep (2601 east 5th avenue, anchorage, al 99501, 855-269-2609), but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. While driving 75 mph, the rear wheels seized and the vehicle slid off the road without warning. There was no crash. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 107,000. The vin was unknown.
Takata recall. No heat from drivers side hvac, this causes visibility problems cause poor window defrosting. Wife is disabled with no income can't afford the hundreds of dollars for service or afford a newer vehicle. Never had heat problems in any of my older vehicles like this. Been this way for 4 years now.
4.7L engine has a sludge build up problem which in turn causes engine total failure. I've had engine replaced 3 times with brand new remand from chrysler corp. And all engines were installed at ase certified shop and all have blown up also due to this sludge build up problem that chrysler corp is aware of but refuses to admit its engine factory defect and all my engines failed at 1,200 miles/ 1,468 miles/27,497 miles on last engine and all failed of same cause sludge build up.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. While driving approximately 35 mph, the frame around the steering box disconnected from the steering due to excessive rust. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was not called. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Dodge Ram: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 0 | 4 | B |
| 2005 | 0 | 5 | C |
| 2004 | 1,157 | 7 | F |
| 2003 | 1,359 | 7 | F |
| 2002 | 942 | 6 | F |
| 2001 | 1,430 | 14 | F |
| 2000 | 659 | 11 | F |
| 1999 | 0 | 13 | F |
| 1998 | 0 | 17 | F |
2002 Dodge Ram vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Dodge Ram | 942 | 6 | F | |
| 2002 Ford F-150 | 955 | 10 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Chevrolet Silverado | 0 | 15 | D | Compare |
| 2002 GMC Sierra | 0 | 7 | F | Compare |
| 2002 GMC Sierra 1500 | 0 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 | 0 | 6 | C | Compare |
| 2002 Toyota Tundra | 0 | 6 | B | Compare |
| 2002 Dodge Dakota | 689 | 12 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Dodge Durango | 434 | 6 | D | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2002 Dodge Ram
Does the 2002 Dodge Ram have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2002 Dodge Ram: exterior lighting (April 2009); windshield wiper / washer (March 2009); electrical (August 2007); exterior lighting (May 2006) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Dodge Ram?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the body, doors & structure (299), transmission & drivetrain (118), electrical system (99).
How many complaints has the 2002 Dodge Ram had?
942 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on November 13, 2000 and the latest on March 24, 2026. Of these, 72 describe a crash and 17 a fire, and together they report 79 injuries and 2 deaths.
Is the 2002 Dodge Ram a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 0 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Dodge Ram year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Dodge Ram years have the most complaints?
2001 (1,430), 2003 (1,359), 2004 (1,157). See every Dodge Ram year compared.
What should I do if my 2002 Dodge Ram has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data