FaultScore

1996 Dodge RAM airbag problems

39 of the 905 complaints about the 1996 Dodge RAM are about the airbag system — 4% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 52,000 miles.

F

39

Complaints

28

Crashes

0

Fires

15

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Frontal 27 69.2%
AIR Bags 11 28.2%
Sensor/Control Module 1 2.6%

Airbags across every Dodge RAM year

1994 28 8.3%
1995 40 11.9%
1996 39 11.6%
1997 39 11.6%
1998 66 19.6%
1999 40 11.9%
2000 23 6.8%
2001 46 13.7%
2002 15 4.5%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Mansfield, OH Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT A TREE HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL, AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK... THE OTHER DRIVER, A LADY WAS CITED FOR IMPROPER BACKING OUT. CONSUMER'S GRAND SON FIRST HIT HER, THEN WENT THROUGH A YARD, HITTING A TREE.

NHTSA complaint #10113662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 52,000 miles Prescott, AZ 1 injured

AIR BAGS

PREMATURE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. ****DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*******731512. *AK

NHTSA complaint #10006350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Monroe, GA Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

CONSUMER STATES ENGINE STALLED WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A MOUNTAIN, CONSUMER LOST ALL CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND WENT OFF A 300 FT REVENE, VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED AFTER STRIKING A TREE HEAD ON, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES, A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE, RECALL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED ON VEHICLE REGARDING BLOWER AND IGNTION, CONSUMER WAS LATER INFORMED OF ADDITIONAL RECALLS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED ON VEHICLE, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS NEVER GIVEN ANY SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT WHAT WAS REPAIRED/REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #898967 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Adger, AL Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH HIT A TREE. FRONT END DAMAGE WAS $ 6100.00. MECHANIC FOUND THAT AIR BAG SENSORS WERE MISSING FROM VEHICLE.*AK *SLC

NHTSA complaint #896210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Crosby, TX Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 35 MPH. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND WAS UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN THIS MATTER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER.

NHTSA complaint #894030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bremen, KY Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 55MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.

NHTSA complaint #890767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Charolotte, NC Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A 50 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN.*AK

NHTSA complaint #887009 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Salem, NJ Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

CONSUMER TOTALED VEHICLE BY HITTING A TREE HEAD ON, CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES DUE TO THE AIRBAGS EXPERIENCING NO DEPLOYMENT, CONSUMER INJURED LOWER BACK AND KNEES AND IS STILL RECOVERING. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #558176 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Taswell, VA Crash

AIR BAGS

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AFTER BEING HIT ON BACK END OF VEHICLE. DEALER FOUND INTERNAL WIRING PROBLEM, AIRBAG SENSOR HAD TO REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #878563 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sellersville, PA Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

CONSUMER HAD A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH A POLE AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AUTOMOBILE ENDED UP IN A "V" SHAPE. CONSUMER WAS SORE, BUT HAD NO MAJOR INJURIES.

NHTSA complaint #872780 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Norwalk, CT

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

PRIOR TO RECALL (99V-023) THE AIR BAG LIGHT KEPT COMING ON DUE TO WIRE MODULE FAILURE. YH

NHTSA complaint #552351 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tyler, TX

AIR BAGS

INTERMITTENTLY, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. ABOUT TWO OR THREE MONTHS AGO, VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #858283 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Holyoke, MA

AIR BAGS

ABS LIGHT COMES ON.

NHTSA complaint #850849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stafford, VA Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

FRONT IMPACT AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY

NHTSA complaint #706145 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dingmans Ferry, PA Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM THE FRONT AT 45MPH AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #828805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rockaway, NJ Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

I REAR ENDED ANOTHER PICKUP TRUCK AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE NOSE AND POSSIBLE FRAME DAMAGE ALSO. THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. ALTHOUGH I WAS WEARING THE SEATBELT, MY HEAD STILL MADE CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. A FELLOW FIREFIGHTER IN TOWN HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIANCE, IN THAT HE HIT AN AUTO AT SPEED, AND HIS AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER. IS THIS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE NEW STYLE DODGE PICKUPS?

NHTSA complaint #704144 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FT. Worth, TX Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

CHRYSLER CUSTOMER RELATIONS WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY UPON A FRONTAL IMPACT AND AGREED TO SEND A SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS CREW TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THERE CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE IMPACT WAS NOT IN THE DIRECT CENTER OF THE VEHICLE AND THAT THE AIR BAG SYSTEM STILL SHOWED TO BE FUNCTIONAL AND READY. NONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN THIS VEHICLE COULD BELIEVE THAT THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DAMAGED INCURRED! THIS INCLUDES THE INSURANCE CLAIMS ADJUSTER AND THE BODY SHOP WHO REPAIRED THE VEHICLE ! IN MY OPINION THIS IS FALSE ADVERTISEMENT BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER THAT STATES THE AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY IN A FRONTAL IMPACT OVER 20 MPH. IT DOESNT STATE THAT THE IMPACT HAS TO BE DEAD CENTER OF THE VEHICLE !

NHTSA complaint #700284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Nettleton, MS

AIR BAGS

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG IN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA complaint #536605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tyler, TX

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, DEALER SAID SENSOR WERE NOT TRIGGERED DUE TO THE EXACT LOCATION OF IMPACT ON THE BUMPER, DAMAGE SEVERE ENOUGH TO BEND THE FRONT PORTION OF THE FRAME ASSEMBLY DOWN ON THE DRIVER SIDE AND BACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.

NHTSA complaint #524091 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Charleston, SC

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH MADE DIRECT HIT HEAD-ON AGAINST TRUCK , DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, NO WARNING THAT AIRBAG WAS DEFECTIVE. MANUFACTUER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #822553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Marshall, TX Crash 2 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED, AND THEN RAN INTO TELEPHONE POLE AND WAS TOTALED. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS DONE NOTHING.

NHTSA complaint #821339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

South Bound Brook, NJ Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH THE DEFECTIVE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE WHEELS TO LOCK UP AND SKID. HAVING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, CAUSING A FRONTAL IMPACT. THE DEFECTIVE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA complaint #818349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sunland, CA

AIR BAGS

UNSPECIFIED: AIR BAG SPRING FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #604859 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rialto, CA Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE HAD FRONTAL CRASH AT 25MPH AND AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. HAS NOT GONE TO DEALER.

NHTSA complaint #815209 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Springer, OK Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION GOING ABOUT (70)-(75) THE WHOLE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.

NHTSA complaint #809510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Livermore, CA Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

DURING FRONTAL IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA complaint #808672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Middletown, PA Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

UPON IMPACT, DURING FRONTAL CRASH, AT APPROX. 60MPH, 12:00 ON FRONT BUMPER, WHEN REAR ENDED VEHICLE, DRIVER'S AIRBAG FAIL TO DEPLOY.

NHTSA complaint #808220 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Horsham, PA

AIR BAGS

OTHER: AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT/ANTILOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED.

NHTSA complaint #511476 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort Pierce, FL Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION , SPEED 38MPH, DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA complaint #806284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lawtey, FL Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

DRIVING VEHICLE, HIT POST DEAD CENTER OF TRUCK, GOING ABOUT 15 MPH, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA complaint #806137 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1996 Dodge RAM problems

← Full 1996 Dodge RAM report