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2002 Dodge Ram wagon

The Verdict

5 Total Klunk

The 2002 Dodge Ram wagon has 944 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (525 complaints) and electrical (158 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 5/100, it earns a "Total Klunk" rating. If you're shopping for a Dodge Ram wagon, consider the 2000 model year which has 99% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2000 has 99% fewer complaints

View the 2000 Dodge Ram wagon dashboard →

5

Klunk Score: Total Klunk

Among the most complained-about vehicle years on record. Strongly consider alternatives.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
200001102
200252545158104112
20034147048797122

By Category

Body
525
Electrical
158
Transmission
112
Engine
104
Brakes
45

By Severity

1
416
2
426
3
11
4
89
5
2

Worst Problems

Complaints

Electrical 4

Was in a car accident on Wednesday may 27,2026 . Crashed at a speed of about 51 if not more and NONE of the air bags deployed. I have spoken to my insurance and they said I needed to file a complaint or claim someway else for the airbags not deploying.

1mo ago
Engine 2

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

3mo ago
Brakes 1

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.

20mo ago
Electrical 1

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.

25mo ago
Electrical 1

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

32mo ago
Body 2

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.

36mo ago
Electrical 2

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.

41mo ago
Body 2

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.

50mo ago
Electrical 4

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

58mo ago
Transmission 1

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 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, [XXX] Minden, NV INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

58mo ago
Brakes 4

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 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.

59mo ago
Brakes 2

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.

61mo ago
Engine 1

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

64mo ago
Brakes 1

EXITED I-40 IN TUCUMCARI, NM. RIGHT TURN OFF INTERSTATE, RIGHT TURN INTO SHELL. UPON LEAVING THE FUEL STATION TO ENTER I-40 WESTBOUND, I HAD NO BRAKES. PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. COASTED UPHILL TO RESTAURANT PARKING LOT; BRAKE FLUID UNDER DRIVER-SIDE FRONT WHEEL. UNUSUAL SINCE I HAD ZERO BRAKING POWER. SHREDDED BRAKE HOSE WAS REPLACED THE NEXT DAY. PROBLEM IS DISCUSSED BY A MECHANIC HERE: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=3OUZ-TRM5KG&T=620S

72mo ago
Body 2

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

73mo ago
Engine 2

WHILE DRIVING ALL OF THE GAUGES HAVE QUIT WORKING HEADLIGHTS STAY ON WILL NOT TURN OFF.

85mo ago
Engine 4

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

86mo ago
Engine 2

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.

86mo ago
Body 1

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.

87mo ago
Electrical 1

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

87mo ago

944 total

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