RecallMyCar

1997 Dodge RAM Recalls, Complaints & Specs

7 safety recalls list the 1997 Dodge RAM, and owners have filed 398 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

7
safety recalls
398
owner complaints to NHTSA
42 / 18
complaints citing a crash / fire
12–16
MPG combined (EPA)

7 safety recalls for the 1997 Dodge RAM

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Vehicle speed control

    NHTSA 02V161000 Reported 97,500 vehicles potentially affected DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION

    On certain pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines only, the throttle linkage joints can corrode and cause the throttle to bind or stick.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the rod ends and ball studs. Owner notification began july 29, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…

  2. Air bags

    NHTSA 01V153000 Reported 216,100 vehicles potentially affected DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Sound deadener material inside the steering wheel could become detached from the cover and housing. Note: the RAM pickup trucks were built at the warren assembly plant ("s" in the 11th VIN position) from may 16, 2000 through october 23, 2000; st. Louis north assembly plant ("j" in the 11th VIN…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly. Owner notification began june 18, 2001. Also some 1997-200 model year vehicles that, according to warranty records, have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed,…

  3. Latch (latches/locks/linkages)

    NHTSA 01V040000 Reported 701,000 vehicles potentially affected DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION

    On certain pickup trucks originally sold in or currently registered in the following "salt belt" states: maine, new hampshire, vermont, massachusetts, rhode island, connecticut, new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, delaware, maryland, the district of columbia, west virginia, ohio, indiana, michigan, illinois, wisconsin, minnesota, iowa,…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the secondary hood latch. Owner notification began september 17, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy…

  4. Clutch assembly (power train)

    NHTSA 99V115000 Reported 8,883 vehicles potentially affected DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with manual transmission, v10 engines and four-wheel-drive transfer cases. Under sustained maximum rated vehicle load, while driving up a steep grade in four-wheel-drive low range in hot ambient conditions, the local exhaust temperature proximate to the hydraulic clutch line can generate line…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the hydraulic clutch assembly.

  5. Air bags: frontal

    NHTSA 99V023000 Reported 250,845 vehicles potentially affected DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: van and wagon model passenger vehicles. If water/road salt gets on the interior floor of the vehicle in the proximity of the air bag electronic control module (aecm), the aecm can corrode. The resulting corrosion can cause the driver side air bag to deploy inadvertently.

    Remedy: Dealers wil replace the aecm with an aecm that is sealed from moisture intrusion.

  6. Unknown or other

    NHTSA 97V126000 Reported 6,400 vehicles potentially affected CHRYSLER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: light duty trucks equipped with diesel engines. The exhaust pipe contacts or is in close proximity to the outer dash panel silencer pad.

    Remedy: Dealers will remove the dash silencer pad adjacent to the exhaust pipe and replace this pad with a thermal heat shield on the exhaust pipe.

  7. Cooling unit and lines (power train)

    NHTSA 97V084000 Reported 960,000 vehicles potentially affected CHRYSLER CORPORATION

    Under certain high load operating conditions, the transmission fluid temperature can exceed the melting point of the material used in the connector to retain the fluid line to the transmission.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the high temperature side of the transmission fluid cooler line connector fittings with connectors that incorporate a stainless steel retainer.

398 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1997 Dodge RAM have filed 398 complaints with NHTSA; 42 describe a crash and 18 describe a fire. Reports cite 33 injuries and 4 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 84,885 miles. Complaints peaked in 1999 with 86 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge RAM. The contact stated that the fuel tank fractured and detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the failure”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 11, 2011 · Fuel system, gasoline

“Park position with ignition key in the lock position, vehicle shifter moved out of park , knocked owner down and ran over me, continued to roll back hit second car, continued to keep going until it hi”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 17, 2008 · Power train

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup (Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD, Ram 1500 Pickup 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined12–16 mpg
City / Highway11–14 / 15–20
FuelRegular
EPA classStandard Pickup Trucks
Engine6/8 cyl, 3.9/5.2/5.9 L
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd

Compare Dodge RAM model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Dodge RAM model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1976 Dodge RAM01
1977 Dodge RAM02
1979 Dodge RAM03
1981 Dodge RAM02
1983 Dodge RAM01
1984 Dodge RAM02
1985 Dodge RAM010
1986 Dodge RAM018
1987 Dodge RAM018
1988 Dodge RAM022
1989 Dodge RAM028
1990 Dodge RAM023
1991 Dodge RAM251
1992 Dodge RAM158
1993 Dodge RAM054
1994 Dodge RAM18469
1995 Dodge RAM12611
1996 Dodge RAM10625
1997 Dodge RAM7398
1998 Dodge RAM13483
1999 Dodge RAM9366
2000 Dodge RAM6147
2001 Dodge RAM9318
2002 Dodge RAM2116
2003 Dodge RAM253
2004 Dodge RAM158
2005 Dodge RAM040
2006 Dodge RAM025
2007 Dodge RAM117
2008 Dodge RAM225
2009 Dodge RAM59
2010 Dodge RAM527
2011 Dodge RAM40

Checking a specific 1997 Dodge RAM

How do I know if my 1997 Dodge RAM has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 7 campaigns currently list the 1997 Dodge RAM; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Dodge dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 01V040000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Dodge models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.