2006 Dodge Ram 1500 problems
Owners have filed 1,080 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500. Air bags is the most reported problem area, at 18% of complaints. After that come lighting (13%) and electrical system (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,080 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 18% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 59 and 15
- Injuries and deaths
- 55 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 61,000 miles 798 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 95 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 124 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 161 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 127 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 104 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 49 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 51 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 38 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 18 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 13 |
| 200k+ miles | 18 |
What the data shows
Among the 798 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 60,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 80,000 miles (43 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 59 complaints mention a crash; 15 complaints mention a fire; 55 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2006 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 19 model years of the Dodge Ram 1500 with enough data (534 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 9 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 dodge ram 1500. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle veered off the road causing the driver to crash into a tree and flip over. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The driver sustained fatal injuries during the impact. The contact felt that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 14v770000 (air bags). The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 dodge ram 1500 regcab swb. While driving 40 MPH on a clear day the contact smelled brake fumes and heard a loud noise from inside the engine compartment. The contact looked through the rear view mirror and noticed loose metal underneath the vehicle. The contact attempted to use the shifter and the clutch, but neither worked. The vehicle eventually shut off and coasted to a strip mall. The contact exited the vehicle and entered a building when a loud noise was heard.
2006 dodge ram turn signal switch, when activated for left turn both turn signals flash or will completely shut off. When activating windshield wipers during rain they sometimes turn off by themselves and I have to fiddle with the switch to get them going again while driving down the road. Went to dealer they want $300.00 to fix it since its not a safety issue, wipers turning off in the rain is not a safety issue?
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 dodge ram 1500. When driving over unleveled land, the vehicle veered to the left or right and was extremely difficult to control the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced all four tires but the failure recurred. The contact was also included in NHTSA campaign id number: 15v313000 (air bags) and was unable to determine when the part would become available to schedule the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.