2004 Dodge RAM 1500 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report a wide spread of problems across the rear axle, engine stalling, steering and air bags, with complaints filed from very low mileage up past 200,000 miles. Many of the most detailed reports describe rear wheel or driveshaft failures and repeated engine stalls at stops, while air bag complaints are largely tied to the inflator recalls and warning lights.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Rear wheels lock up / driveshaft detaches (pinion nut)

   • 146 complaints (13%)
   • median 130,000 mi at 11.8 yrs old (137 state mileage)
   • 14 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2024

   Complaints describe the rear wheels suddenly seizing and the driveshaft coming loose or dropping to the ground, often preceded by a whine, humming or rattling from the rear end. Owners report being told the pinion nut loosened, the pinion bearing or rear end needed rebuilding or replacing, and that the truck had to be towed. Several mention the truck was not covered by the recall for this problem, and one notes the rear end was repaired more than once. Reported from about 15 mph to highway speed, typically between roughly 70,000 and 250,000 miles.

   Recall 03V503000

   What to check: Listen for whining or humming from the rear axle on a test drive and ask whether the pinion nut, bearing and rear end have been serviced or rebuilt. Check for fluid leaks at the rear axle and driveshaft joints.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving my 2004 Dodge RAM 1500 pickup truck last sunday (2/5/17) on a smooth open road surface, when suddenly and without warning, the back two tires seized up while going 55mph. I nearly lost control of the vehicle, which bounced and skidded and then came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the lane I'd been driving in. Fortunately, no other vehicles were around and no one was injured. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10953738, filed 2017-02, 150,000 miles

   “It looks like the pinion nut came loose and allowed the drive shaft to come off while we were driving on a secondary road. The rear wheels locked up. I see where there was an issue with 2005 vehicles made from january 2004-august 2005. Ours is a 2004 and was made in march 2004.”

   NHTSA complaint #10906128, filed 2016-09, 191,878 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine stalls at stops or while slowing

   • 216 complaints (20%)
   • median 62,250 mi at 6.4 yrs old (190 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,250 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2025

   Owners describe the engine quitting at traffic lights, stop signs, parking-lot maneuvers or when slowing on the highway, sometimes with the RPM dropping sharply beforehand and the truck restarting right away. Some report erratic idle or a stall shortly after filling the tank, and several say multiple shops could not find a fault code or a fix. Dealers are described as unable to duplicate the problem. Reported from near-new to well over 200,000 miles, often when coming to a stop or idling.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Let the truck idle and come to several stops during a test drive, and check the idle for fluctuation. Ask whether the throttle body, idle control and any related software updates have been addressed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After driving at highway speeds for a period of time, once I stop the vehicle and almost always happens after I proceed into a turn, without warning, the vehicle's engine cuts off. I have carried it to the dealer twice, they say they have never heard of this before and can find no problem, they tell me once this has been brought to the manufacturers attention more than three times, a service bulletin is issued. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10208741, filed 2007-11, 31,850 miles

   “2004 Dodge 1500 quad cab hemi - stalled while taking an exit ramp from the highway. Had it for two week with 524 miles on it. I see that this was a complaint before from someone, but my dealer claims they never heard of this. However they can't look at it for several days - I told them I thought this was a safety issue, but didn't seem to matter. Not a good situation trying to control a truck with no power steeering.”

   NHTSA complaint #10065607, filed 2004-04, 524 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Steering shudder and rack and pinion leaks

   • 118 complaints (11%)
   • median 48,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (108 state mileage)
   • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $800 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2020

   Owners report a shudder or shimmy through the steering wheel, often at parking-lot speeds or while braking, and some describe fluid leaking from the rack and pinion seals with the whole unit needing replacement. Dealers are reported to have replaced rotors, pads and calipers for the shudder, with the problem returning. One complaint describes a front wheel assembly separating after steering shimmy began. Mostly reported below about 90,000 miles, with shudder often noticed during low-speed turns or braking.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check for power steering fluid leaks at the rack and pinion and feel for wheel shudder while braking and turning at low speed. A service bulletin covers steering shudder in low-speed maneuvers, so ask whether it was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2004 Dodge RAM 1500 quad cab hemi. At 10,000 miles lots of steering wheel shudder while braking. Dealer replaced rotors, pads and calipers under warranty. At about 17,000 I start getting the same problem. Dealer repaced again. This seems to be an epidemic and I see people are getting charged to fix this obvious manufacturers defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #10121130, filed 2005-05, 10,000 miles

   “I was traveling 70mph on interstate 70west and my front passenger side tire rim and axle came off my 2004 Dodge 1500 quad cab pick up there is only 80 plus thousand miles. It tore up my front fender and door. I did not hit anything in the road. There was no warning of a problem, except that my cruise control kick off and would not reset. Than my brake warning and ABS warming lights came on about 2 mins later my steering started to shimmy and than wheel assemble came off. I was lucky the vehicle did not grab and flip. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10341682, filed 2010-07, 80,000 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light and non-deployment

   • 76 complaints (7%)
   • median 101,000 mi at 10.0 yrs old (59 state mileage)
   • 47 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2026

   A large share of air bag complaints involve the warning light staying on, sometimes after recall work was performed, with dealers replacing switches or repairing wiring. Other complaints describe air bags not deploying in a frontal collision. Numerous owners received notices for the inflator recalls and report difficulty or repeat visits getting the work completed. Reported across a wide mileage range, from around 67,000 miles to over 200,000 miles.

   Recall 16V352000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 15V313000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 14V770000

   What to check: Ask for proof that the driver and passenger inflator recalls were completed, and check that the air bag light comes on and then goes out at startup.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving down 50 MPH single land roadway. 0525 hrs, dark, dry, no street lights. Deer from right side of the road, swerved, vehicle crossed oncoming traffic lane and left roadway. Vehicle went into tree line striking two to three trees. Major/total loss of vehicle. Main damage to front of vehicle. Airbags did not deploy.”

   NHTSA complaint #10542288, filed 2013-09, 103,000 miles

   “Takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 Dodge RAM 1500. The contact stated that the air bag light illuminated after the dealer repaired the air bags. The contact stated that the dealer claimed that the light was illuminated before the repairs were performed. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14v770000 (air bags). The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 211,397. The VIN was not provided......updated 03/15/16 the consumer stated the issue was resolved. Updated 03/17/16.”

   NHTSA complaint #10822533, filed 2016-01, 211,397 miles

Buying note. These trucks are now well past their original service life, so a pre-purchase inspection focused on the rear axle, steering and front suspension is worth the cost, and asking for recall paperwork on the air bag inflators is worthwhile. Service history for stalling complaints and any rear-end repairs helps set expectations for upkeep.

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.