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Dodge RAM 3500Model year report

2004 Dodge RAM 3500 Problems

Complaints
214filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
61,000miles, 144 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Dodge RAM 3500 (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2004 Ram 3500 most often describe the truck slipping into reverse after being shifted into park, especially diesel models, and a violent front-end shake known among owners as "death wobble" that appears after bumps at highway speed. Reports span very low mileage (some under 1,000 miles) to well past 150,000 miles, so both problems can appear early or late in the truck's life.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    Truck rolls backward after being put in park

    • 47 complaints (22%)
    • median 16,000 mi at 1.6 yrs old (37 state mileage)
    • 33 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2026

    Owners describe parking the truck, leaving it idling, and finding it moving backward on its own a short time later, sometimes hitting a fence, tree, trailer, or another vehicle. Several say the shifter or indicator showed park while the truck was actually in reverse; a few mention the dash indicator not matching the lever position. Some complaints describe dealer responses ranging from a relay-based warning setup to no repair at all. Reported from as low as 35-500 miles up to about 90,000 miles, mostly on diesel trucks with automatic transmissions.

    Recall 05V4620001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Confirm the shift lever engages park firmly and that the dash indicator matches the lever, and ask whether the shift linkage and neutral safety switch have been serviced. Always use the parking brake.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My brother was drving my 2004 Dodge RAM 3500 vehicle to pull my boat out of the water from the boat landing. We were both in the vehicle as we pulled up to a flat area to clean the boat off vehicle was placed in park with engine running. I the owner got out first to go talk to the people ahead of us while my brother was in truck for about a minute before he exited the vehicle. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10116835, filed 2005-04, 8,500 miles

    “I parked the truck, with the motor running and put the automatic transmission in park. I left the truck to mail some letters. I was gone less than a minute and when I returned to the truck, it was across the street and up against a large tree. I know I had put the truck in park, because it was not moving when I got out of the truck. I have two bad knees and I get out of the truck slowly.”

    NHTSA complaint #10121915, filed 2005-05, 39,160 miles
  2. Steering

    Violent front-end shake ("death wobble")

    • 18 complaints (8%)
    • median 103,135 mi at 9.7 yrs old (18 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2019

    Complaints describe the front end shaking severely after hitting a bump or uneven pavement at highway speed, forcing owners to slow to 30 mph or less to regain control. Many report repeated front-end work (ball joints, tie rod ends, steering damper, track bar) that did not fully resolve it, and some say dealers could not find a lasting fix. A smaller number describe loose steering or a tie rod separating. Mostly reported between roughly 50,000 and 180,000 miles, often at 55-70 mph after a bump.

    Recall 13V528000Recall 11V3500002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Have a shop inspect ball joints, tie rod ends, track bar and steering damper for play, and test drive over rough pavement at highway speed. Ask whether the tie rod recall was performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My Dodge trucks violently wobbling out of control at highway speeds.while driving at about 60 MPH, I hit a minor bump in the roadway and the truck started shaking violently. The only way it stopped was I had to reduce my speed to 10 MPH, the problem was I was in the express lane, I was in front of a semi truck”

    NHTSA complaint #10980109, filed 2017-04, 225,000 miles

    “I have had a vibration and death wobble on my truck since I purchased it. It has been to two different chrysler dealers for a total of 5 or 6 times without resolution of the issue. The issue is two fold, one is when I hit a large bump at speeds greater than 45 MPH the steering wheel shakes violently, and the other this speeds over 60 MPH there is a vibration. I have spoken to chrysler about the issues about a year or so ago. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10744708, filed 2015-07, 76,591 miles

Buying note. Check the shift lever and park engagement carefully, use the parking brake, and have the front steering and suspension inspected for play before buying. Confirm whether the airbag and tie rod recalls were completed, and test the defroster and wipers.

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 2004 Dodge RAM 3500. 144 of the complaints include a mileage, and 42% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 61,000 miles. Of all complaints, 42 involved a crash, 4 a fire, 19 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 32 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

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: Engine cooling (6), Other or unknown (5), Tires (5), Vehicle speed control (4), Engine (2), Equipment (2), Seat belts (2), Wheels (2), Latches, locks and linkages (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “My 2004 Dodge RAM 3500 will go out of park and into reverse on its own and I was not told that this is an ongoing problem with this particular truck my truck went on its own one day over 250 feet and drove into my neighbors yard. The truck parking pawl was not completely in as I was told and this truck has the ability to do it on its own I find this unacceptable and a hazard to my health as long with my neighbors. …”

NHTSA complaint #11066162, filed 2018-01, 145,000 miles

Air bags: “While driving through an intersection (west to east), I was struck on the left side of my vehicle, pushing me to the right into a traffic lane heading north where I then struck a vehicle head on causing front end damage. My air bags did not deploy on impact. This second vehicle was moving forward but slowing down at the time of impact to avoid the accident. I'm the original owner of my vehicle and have had no prior accidents.”

NHTSA complaint #10565492, filed 2014-02, 62,492 miles

Steering: “This has happened before back in 2010 and I put an extra stabilizer on the front and upper and lower ball joints and a few more pieces all made by moog but the front end still shakes almost uncontrollable and I have to slow down real fast before I cause an accident I'm afraid it's going to make me wreck”

NHTSA complaint #10552169, filed 2013-11, 86,000 miles

Suspension: “My 2004 Dodge 3500 4x4 has a front end problem...it shakes uncontrollably when it hits a series of bumps in the road at or above 45mph. I have replaced the steering stabilizer and the front shocks to only have it get worse. It happens enough now that I don't dare go above 60 MPH for fear of crashing the truck or hitting somebody else. It gets even worse when I pull my trailer.”

NHTSA complaint #10342486, filed 2010-07, 123,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

42% of the 144 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 17,000 and 102,000 miles.

17%0–1014%10–2511%25–5014%50–7516%75–10019%100–1509%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (144 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 61,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

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

’05’08’11’1432’17’20’26
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 2004 Dodge RAM 3500 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

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. 32 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 32 bulletins →

Other model years of the Dodge RAM 3500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
201236646,8408——95 · MoreStable
201122546,3505——47 · TypicalStable
201015051,0009——50 · TypicalFalling
200910549,5295——36 · TypicalFalling
200817365,0009——57 · TypicalStable
200721075,00011——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200625879,0008——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200519682,2514——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200421461,0004——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200328676,2586——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20024466,8500——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200113083,2381——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20005886,1421——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1999104112,0000——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199810592,0900——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1997125108,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1996124115,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199510864,8701——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199470120,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19932050,0100———Stable
199210187,0000———Not enough data

All Dodge RAM 3500 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Dodge RAM 3500?

Owners of the 2004 Ram 3500 most often describe the truck slipping into reverse after being shifted into park, especially diesel models, and a violent front-end shake known among owners as "death wobble" that appears after bumps at highway speed. The issues reported most often: Truck rolls backward after being put in park; Violent front-end shake ("death wobble").

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Dodge RAM 3500 have?

NHTSA recorded 214 consumer complaints for the 2004 Dodge RAM 3500 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2004 Dodge RAM 3500 is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 64 complaints (30% of the total), followed by air bags with 43.

Has the 2004 Dodge RAM 3500 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2004 Dodge RAM 3500 reported?

Among the 144 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 61,000 miles and the middle half falls between 17,000 and 102,000 miles; 42% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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.