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Dodge RAM 2500Model year report

2009 Dodge RAM 2500 Problems

Compared with other Dodge RAM 2500 years

Typical for this model

49/100 1.0× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with a typical complaint level and no open NHTSA investigation: 2010

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
214filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
55,000miles, 93 complaints with mileage
Recalls
52 do-not-drive
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Dodge RAM 2500 (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report front-end steering problems, particularly fractured tie rod ends and violent front-end shaking over bumps at highway speed. Steering complaints dominate the sample and appear across a wide mileage range, from near-new trucks to well past 100,000 miles. A smaller but consistent group of complaints covers diesel emissions hardware (particulate filter and exhaust), airbag recalls with parts delays, and assorted electrical faults.

  1. Steering

    Tie rod end breaks, loss of steering control

    • 125 complaints (58%)
    • median 55,056 mi at 4.7 yrs old (32 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2009–2017

    Complaints describe the driver-side tie rod end or ball stud fracturing, often with little or no warning, sometimes while backing out of a driveway or parking space and sometimes at road speed. Owners report sudden loss of steering control, wheels pointing in different directions, or a wheel and tire coming apart. Several say the dealer replaced the part under warranty or told them the truck was not covered by the tie rod recalls; others report being told the recall parts were unavailable. Reported from as low as roughly 10,000 miles up to about 102,000 miles, at a wide spread of ages and often during low-speed maneuvering.

    Recall 13V529000Recall 11V350000Recall 09V0050001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether the tie rod recall repairs (N49 and earlier campaigns) were actually completed and keep the paperwork. Have a shop inspect both outer tie rod ends and ball studs before towing or plowing with the truck.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Was at home, backing out of drive way,, the driver side tie rod fell off! Could not get a tow truck inside my drive to take to the dealership to get fixed. So I got a buddy to help me remove the old tie rod end and replace it with a moog tie rod end. Had it realigned. My complaint is Dodge won't reimburse me for the parts and labor. Dodge supposedly checked this out 3-27-12 at bill hodges Dodge in vinita, ok. They did a measurement and decided it was ok. Well not so!, it broke in my drive way backing straight back. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10520225, filed 2013-06, 96,167 miles

    “Drivers side (short) tie rod end fractured while plowing 1 snow in parking lot. Going straight forward, heard a clunk, then lost control of vehicle and stopped with plow in snow pile. In hindsight, this is a very scary failure and it is difficult to imagine a better outcome. Dealer fixed as a warranty claim and claims that the truck is not part of your investigation/recall for a very similar failure, making me wonder if there is a broader problem here. I tried to get the broken part, but the dealer would not provide it. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10446968, filed 2012-02, 28,562 miles
  2. Steering

    Front-end shaking over bumps ('death wobble')

    • 23 complaints (11%)
    • median 48,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (20 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2011–2023

    Owners describe the front end shaking violently after hitting a bump, pothole, expansion joint, or bridge seam at highway speed, requiring them to slow well below highway speed to regain control. Complaints mention the steering feeling disconnected or vague on straight roads and the truck wandering. Dealers reportedly replaced steering columns, ball joints, drag links, and shocks, or said they could not reproduce or diagnose the cause. Mostly reported between about 22,000 and 121,000 miles, typically at highway speeds on rough pavement.

    Recall 09V0050002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test drive on a rough highway stretch at speed and note any shimmy or wander. Ask whether the steering damper, drag link, ball joints, or track bar components have been replaced, and check for a steering-wander service bulletin being applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Was driving on interstate 64 doing 70 MPH hit small bump in road after a bridge truck started shaking really bad had to slow down an pull off on side of road to make it quit shaking just about got run over big rig was right behind me seems like this happens to alot of Dodge trucks would like to see recall before someone gets killed maybe I should just get rid of the truck not real happy consumer.”

    NHTSA complaint #10486265, filed 2012-11, 32,423 miles

    “The whole truck began shaking so violently, I thought I may loose control, or the truck would not stay upright. The shaking continued until I stopped on the shoulder. A careful inspection revealed no evidence of loose parts. I drove another 30 minutes (5 on freeway, 25 on surface roads) without another incident. Baffling. I have driven this diesel truck in many conditions and on many surfaces with this truck. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10549520, filed 2013-10, 22,700 miles
  3. Engine cooling

    Diesel particulate filter clogging and regeneration

    • 11 complaints (5%)
    • median 19,975 mi at 2.2 yrs old (10 state mileage)
    • filed 2010–2025

    Complaints describe the diesel particulate filter indicator lighting up, the check engine light coming on, and the dealer performing a forced regeneration or recommending replacement. Owners say short-trip and in-town driving leads to repeat clogging, that the filter has been serviced multiple times, and that exhaust smoke or stalling occurred. Some describe exhaust fumes entering the cab through the vents. Reported mostly between about 7,500 and 79,000 miles, often on trucks used for short trips rather than heavy towing.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the truck was used mainly for short trips or heavy towing, and whether the particulate filter has been cleaned or replaced. Have a diesel shop check for stored emissions codes and confirm any PCM reflash was performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “A few weeks ago my check engine light came on. Advance auto parts said an error code for the turbo charger was present. I have 43900 miles on the engine. Dealer told me it was not critical and I made an appt. Before bringing it back, a new code stated DPF filter full 100%. Brought it to the dealer and was told the DPF needed regeneration and would cost $150+. New trucks give warnings of 25%/50%/100% and change driving habits . Apparently diesels shouldn't be driven in town w/overdrive. Instead we need to pull heavy loads. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10552571, filed 2013-11, 43,900 miles

    “Dpf filter clogged up for third time have had to get dealer, to repair. Requesting class action suite material for this problem. Have learned this will continue to be a recurring problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #10504714, filed 2013-03, 55,000 miles
  4. Air bags

    Airbag inflator recalls and parts delays

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners report receiving recall notices for the driver or passenger frontal airbag inflator and then being told the parts were not yet available, sometimes waiting months. Some describe a crash in which the airbags did not deploy. Complaints mention repeated dealer visits and uncertainty about when the repair would be scheduled. Reported across a broad mileage range, from around 1,000 miles to 150,000 miles, often long after the recall notice arrived.

    Recall 15V313000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 16V352000 · DO NOT DRIVE

    What to check: Check the VIN against open airbag recalls and confirm the inflator replacement was completed, not just scheduled. Ask for documentation of the completed recall repair.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Contacted chrystler online about recall buyback of truck, was told would be forwarded to another department, that the truck was on an n49 recall and an r25 airbag recall. Was told over 2 weeks ago ( aug 15th)somone would get in touch with me right away thru email. She told me she knew they would have the air bag fix buy november or december. Got in touch with 2 close dealers and they seemed to just wish me luck with the truck and buy back? I have not received any email or info on what is going on. Thanks”

    NHTSA complaint #10760568, filed 2015-08, 69,300 miles

    “The contact owns a 2009 Dodge RAM 2500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated and vehicle would hesitate to accelerate when depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. In addition, the recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 15v313000 (air bag system) was received in june 2015. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10746665, filed 2015-08, 1,000 miles

Buying note. Have any candidate truck inspected for tie rod and ball joint condition and confirm all steering and airbag recalls were completed with paperwork. A highway test drive over rough pavement will show whether the front-end shaking issue is present.

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.

NHTSA recorded 214 consumer complaints for the 2009 Dodge RAM 2500. 93 of the complaints include a mileage, and 48% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 55,000 miles. Of all complaints, 6 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 5 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns (2 marked do-not-drive) and 42 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 4 Dodge RAM 2500 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 49 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Tires (5), Brakes (4), Body and structure (4), Seat belts (3), Equipment (2), Exterior lighting (2), Electronic stability control (1), Vehicle speed control (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “Received recall notice n49/NHTSA 13v-529 regarding the left tie rod ball. Called my dealer (red bluff Dodge) in late december and was told that they did not have the parts. Called again on 1/14/14 and was told that they do not have the parts and that Dodge would only send them one replacement part per week. I am now on a six (6) month waiting list to get this problem fixed.”

NHTSA complaint #10560110, filed 2014-01, 64,000 miles

Air bags: “Takata recall - we received notice dated 7/1/2016 regarding passenger bag recall. We have not received information regarding this recall. 6 months is a long time, is there a time frame limit?”

NHTSA complaint #10939261, filed 2017-01, 82,000 miles

Suspension: “Ball joint design on these model year trucks is horrible, the upper ball joint moves up and down while the bottom is stationary, when the top joint moves it causes to much pressure on the bottom ball joint, causing it to fail. We have now replaced the upper and lower joint in june, and again the lower joint in december. Our mechanic has seen multiple trucks with the same problem. The upper ball joint needs to be redesigned. It is a costly venture to replace ball joints every 6 months.”

NHTSA complaint #10661810, filed 2014-12, 80,000 miles

Electrical system: “In motion the blinkers would turn on without me touching the switch. When I applied the left blinker the right one would turn on and vice versa. Finally the flashers turned on and I couldn't turn off. It started malfunctioning while I was driving down the highway at 60mph.”

NHTSA complaint #11289925, filed 2019-12, 81,500 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

48% of the 93 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 28,562 and 82,000 miles.

9%0–1014%10–2526%25–5018%50–7523%75–1008%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (93 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 55,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

’10’12’14115’16’18’20’23’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2009 Dodge RAM 2500 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 42 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 42 bulletins →

Other model years of the Dodge RAM 2500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
201228352,4984——61 · TypicalFalling
201129843,0594——50 · TypicalFalling
201023650,0004——37 · TypicalFalling
200921455,0005——49 · TypicalRising
200831760,0007——69 · MoreFalling
200736160,0008——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200667078,0006——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200542282,7006——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200458270,0006——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200366177,1006——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200215568,5000——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200146984,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200021180,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199931390,4900——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199822592,2000——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199721397,3600——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1996291145,0000—13Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1995267121,3360—13Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1994168114,0000—13Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199339107,2000——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199232118,0000——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199116—0———Stable

All Dodge RAM 2500 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Dodge RAM 2500?

Owners of this model year most often report front-end steering problems, particularly fractured tie rod ends and violent front-end shaking over bumps at highway speed. The issues reported most often: Tie rod end breaks, loss of steering control; Front-end shaking over bumps ('death wobble'); Diesel particulate filter clogging and regeneration.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Dodge RAM 2500 have?

NHTSA recorded 214 consumer complaints for the 2009 Dodge RAM 2500 as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Dodge RAM 2500 is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 155 complaints (72% of the total), followed by air bags with 16.

Has the 2009 Dodge RAM 2500 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 of them with a do-not-drive advisory. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Dodge RAM 2500 reported?

Among the 93 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 55,000 miles and the middle half falls between 28,562 and 82,000 miles; 48% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.