Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2004 Dodge Ram 1500
NHTSA data on file today
The 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns and 1,099 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #16V352000 Do Not Drive - Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V313000 Do Not Drive - Driver Side Frontal Air Bag May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V770000 Passenger Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #10E040000 WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #10E013000 AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT PITMAN ARMS NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #07E104000 CURVED TEMPERED AUTOMOTIVE REPLACEMENT GLASS NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #04V221000 DAIMLERCHRYSLER/FMSS 120/CERTIFICATION LABEL NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #03V503000 DAIMLERCHRYSLER/TRANSMISSION FASTENERS NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Air Bags 368 complaints
- Power Train 181 complaints
- Engine and Engine Cooling 116 complaints
- Electrical System 99 complaints
- Steering 86 complaints
- Engine 74 complaints
Of the 1,099 complaints on file, 84 report a crash and 29 a fire; across all 1,099 complaints, owners report 95 injuries and 1 death (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $6,000–$10,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2004 Dodge RAM 1500 has received a significant number of complaints, particularly regarding airbags and the powertrain, alongside 8 recall campaigns. These issues suggest potential reliability concerns. While the exact failure rates and costs remain uncertain due to limited data, the frequent reports of issues point towards below-average reliability expectations.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| airbags | Unknown | $400–$1,200 | common |
| powertrain | Unknown | $800–$3,000 | common |
| steering | Unknown | $200–$1,000 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil changes every 5,000 miles
- Brake pad replacement as needed
- Tire rotation every 6,000 miles
- Transmission fluid change at 60,000 miles
- Coolant replacement every 5 years
- Belt and hose inspection annually
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Airbag warning lights
- Transmission slipping
- Steering wheel play
- Engine overheating
- Fluid leaks under vehicle
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.