2002 Dodge RAM 2500 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
155 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
68,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: . 114 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Structure is the most frequently named component, appearing in 29 of 155 complaints (18.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 22 | 14.2% |
| Braking behavior | 21 | 13.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 12 | 7.7% |
| Fuel system concerns | 8 | 5.2% |
| Transmission and shifting | 7 | 4.5% |
| Engine operation | 4 | 2.6% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Structure | 29 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 13 |
| Unknown Or Other | 13 |
| Steering | 8 |
| Structure:Body | 7 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 6 |
| Tires | 6 |
| Suspension | 5 |
Structure: 29; Fuel System, Diesel: 13; Unknown Or Other: 13; Steering: 8; Structure:Body: 7; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 6; Tires: 6; Suspension: 5
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 17 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 22 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 26 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 17 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 20 |
| 150,000 and above | 12 |
Under 25,000: 17; 25,000 to 49,999: 22; 50,000 to 74,999: 26; 75,000 to 99,999: 17; 100,000 to 149,999: 20; 150,000 and above: 12
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (26). 41 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 12 |
| 2003 | 13 |
| 2004 | 8 |
| 2005 | 13 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 18 |
| 2008 | 13 |
| 2009 | 9 |
| 2010 | 10 |
| 2011 | 20 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 8 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
2002: 12; 2003: 13; 2004: 8; 2005: 13; 2006: 5; 2007: 18; 2008: 13; 2009: 9; 2010: 10; 2011: 20; 2012: 4; 2013: 2; 2014: 8; 2015: 2; 2016: 4; 2017: 9; 2018: 1; 2019: 2; 2020: 1; 2021: 1
Pattern summary
Structure leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 22 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 21 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 12 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10020760 · 2003-05-30 (May 30, 2003)
POOR STEERING CONTROL. VEHICLE DRIFTS. LOOSNESS IN STEERING. MANUFACTURER'S RERESENTATIVE STATES THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE CORRECTED. ALL DODGE 2002 PICKUP HAVE PROBLEMS WITH STEERING. THE STEERING HAS BEEN WORKED ON SINCE THE FIRST 150 MILES OF BEING NEW. VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 14,000 MILES TO DATE.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 150 miles reported. Look up ODI 10020760 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10072372 · 2004-05-10 (May 10, 2004)
THERE HAS BEEN NO FAILURE YET THAT I KNOW OF BUT I OWN A 2002 DODGE 2500 WITH THE CUMMINS TURBO DIESEL ENGINE. THIS TRUCK WAS BUILT WITH ONLY TWO (2) GREASE FITTINGS IN THE STEERING GEAR. THIS IS AN INSUFFICENT NUMBER AND WILL CAUSE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINTS AND TIE RODS. *LA
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10072372 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10004869 · 2003-01-29 (January 29, 2003)
BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PH
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10004869 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10108462 · 2005-02-02 (February 2, 2005)
THE VACUUM PUMP ON MY 2002 DODGE RAM 2500 4X4 HO CUMMINS DIESEL TRUCK IS DEFECTIVE AND I JUST FOUND OUT THAT IT CONTROLS THE BRAKES ALSO. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS THE SECOUND ONE IN THREE - FOUR WEEKS.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 74,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10108462 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10108922 · 2005-03-02 (March 2, 2005)
VEHICLE IDLES AND DOES NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS STEPPED ON. ALSO, VEHICLE TENDS TO DECELERATE OFTEN WHEN IT IS TRAVELING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS ON THE ROAD. TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A TOTAL OF 10 TIMES, BUT THE CAUSE WAS STILL UNDETERMINED.*AK THE VEHICLE NEVER RAN RIGHT AFTER THE WIRING ON THE STEERING WAS REPLACED. CRUISE CONTROL OR GAS PEDAL DOES NOT WORK. TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE ENGINE SHUT OFF BY ITSELF AND STARTED BACK UP BY ITSELF TWICE. *TC
Owner-reported narrative. 29,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10108922 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10189470 · 2007-05-02 (May 2, 2007)
NO "EVENT" LED TO FAILURE. ISSUE IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED IN AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ON WWW.LOCAL6.COM OUT OF ORLANDO. MY 2002 DODGE RAM 2500 QUAD CAB HAS A DEFECTIVE DASHBOARD THAT HAS BEGIN TO COLLAPSE. THE REPORT REFERENCED DOCUMENTS IDENTICAL ISSUES LEADING TO EVERYTHING FROM ELECTRICAL SHORTS AND LOSS OF LIGHTS DURING NIGHT DRIVING TO LOSS OF VEHICLE OPERATION. PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY WIDESPREAD, SPECIFIC TO DODGE AND EXPANDING. MOST VEHICLES ARE OLDER THAN MINE BUT CRACKS APPEAR TO BE STARTING IN THE SAME PLACE A…
Owner-reported narrative. 41,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10189470 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10129238 · 2005-07-18 (July 18, 2005)
DT: 2002 DODGE RAM 2500 HD QUAD CAB 4 WHEEL DRIVE SLT. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP AT LEAST 15 TIMES FOR NOT HAVING ANY POWER. THIS HAPPENED MAINLY WHEN TOWING A TRAILER. PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE TRUCK THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP AND FUEL PUMP. THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES LAST YEAR. THE DEALER SAID THAT TRANSMISSION WAS NOT PROGRAMMED FOR THE SIZE TIRES THAT WERE ON THE VEHICLE. ALSO, TURBO- CHARGER WAS BAD, AND THEY REPLACED IT, BUT, IT DID NOT WORK. TOOK BACK VEHICLE O DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED ALL P…
Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10129238 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10149765 · 2006-01-30 (January 30, 2006)
2002 DODGE 2500 HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE DIESEL FLOW FUEL PROBLEM. *TS SINCE 48,500 MILES THE ENGINE PERIODICALLY LOSES POWER AND DROPS TO 1500 RPM'S. THIS FAILURE MOSTLY OCCURS WITH A LOAD ON BOARD AND WHEN IN TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE REGAINS FULL POWER WITHIN 2-5 MILES. A COMPUTER SCAN AT A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY INDICATED A POSSIBLE PROBLEM IN THE INJECTOR TIMING CIRCUIT OR IN THE PUMP SYSTEM. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10149765 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10124383 · 2005-06-06 (June 6, 2005)
MY DODGE 2500 QUAD CAB TRUCK WITH CUMMINS ENGINE HAS SUFFERED IT SECOND TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN 14 MONTHS. IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AND THE DEALERHIP WILL FIX, HOWEVER THIS LEVEL OF FAILURE IS EXTREEME FOR A NEW VEHICLE. THE CURRENT FAILURE FEELS LIKE THE AUTO TRANSMISSION LOCK UP WILL NOT DIS-ENGAGE WHEN COMMING TO A STOP. EXTREEME BRAKE PRESSURE IS REQUIRED TO KEEP TRUCK FROM BOLTING AT STOP LIGHTS. MY TRUCK IS STOCK. I BELIEVE THE TRANMISSION MUST HAVE A SERIOUS DEFECT. I AM WORRIED THAT THE WARRANTY WILL SOON EXPIRE, AND I WILL BE …
Owner-reported narrative. 68,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10124383 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10126388 · 2005-06-23 (June 23, 2005)
I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THIS WHILE I DRIVING WITH TRAILER IN TOW AND HAD LOSS OF POWER. BEING FOLLOWED BY TRAFFIC I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE UP THE HILL. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WHEN TURNING INTO TRAFFIC THE LOSS OF POWER AND UNABLE TO ACCELERATE HAS CAUSED OTHER DRIVERS TO PERFORM DRASTIC BRAKING AND MANEUVERING TO AVOID COLLISIONS. WHAT HAPPENS IS THE ENGINE DOES NOT RESPOND TO THE FUEL PEDAL INPUT. I HAVE CHECKED THE CODES ON THE DODGE RAM 2500 EQUIPPED WITH THE 5.9L CUMMINS TURBO DIESEL AND HAVE FOUND A P0216 CODE INDICATING THE BOS…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10126388 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10229452 · 2008-06-01 (June 1, 2008)
WE FEEL THAT THE REAR -END PROBLEM THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IS A FACTORY DEFECT, AND WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE EXPENSES INCURRED FOR REPAIR OF THE TRUCK. IN OCTOBER 2007, WE REPORTED THAT WE WERE HAVING PROBLEMS TO TEMPE DODGE. WE SAID THAT WE HAD A LEAK OF SOME KIND AND THAT THE REAR END WAS HAVING A FOUL ODOR. THEY KEPT THE TRUCK IN THE SHOP AT THE DODGE DEALERSHIP TO MAKE REPAIRS. WE GOT THE TRUCK BACK AND LESS THAN 2 DAYS LATER, THE AXLE TWISTED OFF OF THE TRUCK WHILE WE WERE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY 8 GOING TO TEXAS! WE HAD TO BE…
Owner-reported narrative. 111,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10229452 at NHTSA ↗