U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Dodge RAM QUAD CAB problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

206 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

60,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 156 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Structure is the most frequently named component, appearing in 62 of 206 complaints (30.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	31	15.0%
Steering behavior	27	13.1%
Electrical and battery issues	20	9.7%
Transmission and shifting	11	5.3%
Engine operation	9	4.4%
Fuel system concerns	6	2.9%

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.

Structure

Electrical System

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor

Unknown Or Other

Steering

Engine And Engine Cooling

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Air Bags:Frontal

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Structure	62
Electrical System	18
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor	12
Unknown Or Other	11
Steering	10
Engine And Engine Cooling	7
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	7
Air Bags:Frontal	6

Structure: 62; Electrical System: 18; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor: 12; Unknown Or Other: 11; Steering: 10; Engine And Engine Cooling: 7; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 7; Air Bags:Frontal: 6

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 34; 25,000 to 49,999: 29; 50,000 to 74,999: 39; 75,000 to 99,999: 33; 100,000 to 149,999: 13; 150,000 and above: 8

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (39). 50 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.

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2017

2018

2019

2002: 1; 2003: 35; 2004: 26; 2005: 17; 2006: 18; 2007: 25; 2008: 22; 2009: 14; 2010: 21; 2011: 15; 2012: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 2; 2015: 1; 2017: 1; 2018: 4; 2019: 2

Pattern summary

Structure leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 31 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 27 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 20 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 10014201 · 2003-04-09 (April 9, 2003)

I BOUGHT A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB AND JUST RETURNED HOME FROM BRINGING MY VEHICLE TO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP. I HAD ASKED THEM TO CHECK OUT THE SHAKING THAT I EXPERIENCED DURING BRAKING. THEY INFORMED ME ALL FOUR ROTORS ARE WARPED AND THE SURFACE COULD NOT BE CUT BECAUSE THEY WOULD BECOME TOO THIN. AT THIS POINT THE DEALERSHIP WANTS ME TO SPEND $800.00 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. BEING THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET A WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THE ROTORS THAT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 26,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014201 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10031128 · 2003-08-08 (August 8, 2003)

2002 DODGE RAM 1500 4.7L TRUCK WILL INTERMITTENLY STALL OR HAVE ROUGH IDLE AT STOP,ALSO WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT WILL FLASH. DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND REFUSE TO FIX

Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10031128 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000995 · 2003-01-13 (January 13, 2003)

RACK & PINION STEERING LEAKS AND VERY HARD TO TURN WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD, HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND STILL A PROBLEM, ALSO SEVERE CORROSION OF FRONT BUMPER, IS ORDERED AND WILL BE REPLACED.

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000995 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007065 · 2003-02-11 (February 11, 2003)

THE STEERING WHEEL WAS UNABLE TO TURN.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10007065 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010136 · 2003-03-08 (March 8, 2003)

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPT. 02/20/03 REY M 03/06/03 CALLED ME. 4:30 + - PM ABOUT PART 4 CLUSTER , ARRIVED 11:15 AM 02/07/03 ASKED 4 BILL BOYD, SERVICE DIR. STATES U WILL B TAKEN CARE OFF. JIMMY LAWRENCE CALLED IN, GENERAL. SALES MANAGER. DOESN'T LIKE MY REACTION, STORMS OUT TO SEE BILL B, WHILE MY RAM IS BEING APPRAISED FOR VALUE, NEW CREDIT FORM IS BROUGHT OUT BY ART AGGUIRRE, SALES AGENT STATES HE NEEDS TO CHECK MY CREDIT TO SEE WHAT KIND OF INTEREST RATES I CAN GET, I STATE I'M NOT HERE TO DO ANOTHER APP GETS ME TO SEE JIMMY, I TELL HIM …

Owner-reported narrative. 3,364 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010136 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10037162 · 2003-09-03 (September 3, 2003)

I HAVE HAD MY DODGE RAM QUAD CAB IN FOR SERVICE OVER 15 TIMES FOR RUST, WIRING, TWO RECALLS, ENGINE LIGHTS, BAD GAS CAP, BAD STEERING WHEEL, AND LIST CONTINUES....*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 14,440 miles reported. Look up ODI 10037162 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007570 · 2003-02-16 (February 16, 2003)

TRANSMISSION HITS HARD WHEN TAKING OFF AND WHEN SLOWING DOWN, DEALER HAS PUT IN NEW TRANS. AND COMPUTER, BUT THIS TRUCK STILL HAS SAME PROBLEMS

Owner-reported narrative. 1,006 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007570 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10012146 · 2003-04-03 (April 3, 2003)

THE 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION, EQUIPPED WITH 3.55 GEAR RATIOS, WAS UNABLE TO PULL THE CONSUMERS 20 FEET. TRAILER. MR SCC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10012146 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10041392 · 2003-10-07 (October 7, 2003)

I PURCHASED A 2002 QUAD CAB 4X4 IN FEBRUARY 2002. FROM ABOUT THE THIRD MONTH, AND UNTIL NOW, AT TIMES THE TRUCK WILL SHUT OFF ITSELF, NORMALLY AT A STOP SIGH OR LIGHT. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE TRUCK WAS ROLLING TO A STOP THAT IT SHUTS DOWN. THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE IN COOLER TEMPERATURE. I HAD THE DEALERSHIP CHECK THE TRUCK APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES FOR THIS CONDITION AND THEY SAY NOTHING AND THEY CANT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEN THEY INSTALLED A VDAQ SYSTEM (THE ONLY ONE IN THIS COUNTRY) TO MONITOR THE COMPUTER AND BE MONITORED BY CHRYSLER 24…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041392 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10061960 · 2004-03-11 (March 11, 2004)

I HAVE 2002 RAM 2 WHEEL DRIVE WITH A HIGH OUTPUT TURBO DIESEL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT 23300 MILE, IT USED 14 GALLONS OF DIELS TO GO 56 MILES. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAYED THE FUEL INJECTOR PUMP WAS BAD AND IT WILL BE FIXED FREE UNDER WARRANTY. THE ONLY OTHER COMPLAINT IS THAT THE DOORS WHISLE AND IT IS BEING LOOKED AT BY CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO BE FIXED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 23,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10061960 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10141339 · 2005-10-31 (October 31, 2005)

DT: CONTACT STATES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON DUE TO THE TRANSFER PUMP AND DIESEL INJECTOR PUMP MALFUNCTIONING. HE CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD HIM TO WAIT UNTIL THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN, AND THEN BRING THE VEHICLE TO DEALER TO BE CHECKED. THE CONTACT NEVER KNOWS WHEN THE LIGHT WILL COME ON, AND DOES NOT WANT TO BE STRANDED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. HE HAS NOT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10141339 at NHTSA ↗