2000 Dodge RAM 1500 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 most often describe the upper dashboard cracking, breaking apart and caving in, usually noticed within the first several years of ownership and worsened by sun and heat. Transmission and driveline problems, dashboard-related electrical faults and hood or wheel hardware separations also appear repeatedly in complaints, across a wide mileage range.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Dashboard cracking and disintegrating

   • 265 complaints (52%)
   • median 74,552 mi at 7.5 yrs old (178 state mileage)
   • 10 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $875 (median of 14 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2017

   Complaints describe the top of the dashboard developing hairline cracks near the defroster vents, then spreading into a spider-web pattern until pieces break off, leave holes and expose wiring underneath. Owners say the plastic becomes brittle and sharp, and several report the dash collapsing around the instrument panel. Dealers reportedly told owners the dash was not covered under warranty or was classed as upholstery, and some were quoted a replacement cost at their own expense. Reported from as little as 24,000 to 42,000 miles, often starting within the first two to four years and worsening over time, with many complaints from garage-kept trucks in hot climates.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect the top of the dash near the defroster vents and the passenger airbag area for cracks, missing pieces or a dash mat covering damage, and check for rattles or exposed wiring behind the panel. Ask whether the dash has ever been replaced and whether the airbag warning light is on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2000 Dodge RAM 1500 truck. The entire dash has several cracks throughout it and parts of it are starting to cave in. I see where many people are having the same problem. This is poor construction. I have contacted Dodge and they wont back their product. The vehicle has been garage kept since 2002 and is typically only driven 8k-10k a year.”

   NHTSA complaint #10258913, filed 2009-02, 78,000 miles

   “The entire dashboard becomes brittle and falls apart. It is very thin to start. When I call around to buy a replacement dashboard at local junk yards,I'm told that if I can find one, I should play the lottery,that's letting me know that it is a large problem that affects all the trucks. I personally know 6 people with the same year trucks that all have the same problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10577835, filed 2014-04, 50,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light and non-deployment

   • 113 complaints (22%)
   • median 77,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (69 state mileage)
   • 32 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2016

   Several owners report the airbag warning light staying on, often after dashboard damage around the passenger airbag, and some say the airbag cover was pushing out of the cracked dash. Other complaints describe collisions at moderate speed where neither front airbag deployed; in those cases the manufacturer reportedly responded that the impact was not a direct frontal hit. One owner also reported a horn that stopped working. Spread from about 49,000 to over 160,000 miles, typically alongside pre-existing dashboard cracking.

   Recall 01V1530001 related service bulletin

   What to check: With the key on, confirm the airbag light goes out after the bulb check, inspect the passenger airbag cover for separation or protruding material, and check that the horn works. Ask whether the airbag system has ever been scanned for stored codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2000 Dodge ram my dash has cracked and imploded. Pieces of plastic hit me in the face while I was driving and now my airbag light is on. I had to swerve to the side of the road with blood gushing from head. I'm lucky to be alive.”

   NHTSA complaint #10257364, filed 2009-02, 60,000 miles

   “It was 12/26/2009 I was driving a 2000 Dodge RAM 1500 4x4 I was driving 50mph and swerved from deer to the left caught edge of road and mud and side swiped a tree then hitting a 5ft wide tree headon coming to a dead stop and the airbags never went off they were tested okay and the ohio state highway patrol said they should have deployed I also was told by state farm ins the same thing I then notified chrysler corp and was sent a letter that it was looked at and they said it wasn't a direct front end hit I have proof from pics that it was and …”

   NHTSA complaint #10394250, filed 2011-04, 108,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission and driveline failure

   • 41 complaints (8%)
   • median 77,464 mi at 4.8 yrs old (25 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2018

   Complaints describe the overdrive kicking out, transmission overheating, slipping and the gear selector failing to engage park, with several owners reporting full transmission replacement. Others report rear-end grinding followed by the driveshaft detaching from the transfer case or rear axle, in one case with the pinion nut backing off. Repair work was done at dealers and independent shops, and some owners say cost-sharing requests were declined. Mostly reported between roughly 35,000 and 100,000 miles, with a few driveline failures at higher mileage.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive through all gears including overdrive, check that park engages firmly, and look for fluid leaks or a burnt smell on the dipstick. Have a shop inspect the driveshaft, U-joints and pinion for play before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving my vehicle down a city street I started to approach a stop sign. As the vehicle came almost to a stop I heard a scraping noise and then the vehicle abruptly stopped. When I pressed the accelerator pedal the engine would rev and the truck would act like it was in park while in d . I got out of the truck to inspect and found my driveshaft was no longer attached at the rear of the vehicle, to the transfer case. No abnormal noises were heard prior to this, or any running issues that would have indicated a problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11115769, filed 2018-08, 199,418 miles

   “I was driving down a dirt road at about 35mph. The rear end of my 2000 Dodge RAM 1500 sport 4x4 started grinding. I started slowing down and the rear drive shaft hit the pavement. I came to a stop and looked under my truck. The rear drive shaft was hanging and the pinion gear was pointed up towards the bed. I tried to move the truck farther off the road and the rear end was froze up. Once I got it to a mechanic we discovered that the pinion nut had backed itself off the pinion gear, causing the pinion gear to get wedged in the other gears.”

   NHTSA complaint #10648294, filed 2014-10, 183,000 miles

Buying note. Check the dashboard, airbag warning light, hood latch and wheel hardware first, since these are the items owners raise most often. Have a shop inspect the transmission, driveshaft and rear axle before purchase, and keep in mind that many of these trucks are now well past 100,000 miles.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.