The Lemon IndexAll cars · Ram · Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty)
2004 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty) problems, engines and recalls.
Owners filed 796 complaints with the government about the 2004 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty), most often about steering (23%).
Which engine is in it
690 of the 796 complaints have a VIN we could decode, which tells us the engine.
| Engine | Share | Complaints | What they name most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.9 Cummins diesel | 76% | 527 | transmission & drivetrain 28%, steering 19%, airbags 19% |
| 5.7 V8 gas | 24% | 163 | too few to split |
Each diesel's page: Cummins 5.9 (Ram).
Nearby model years
What owners complain about
Share of this year's complaints that name each area.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 27,000 and 110,000 miles; the middle report was at 68,583 miles (550 complaints with a mileage).
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports | Towed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | 11 | 28 | 4 | 7 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA, not verified.
In owners' words
In the past 6 months my steering and suspension components failed causing me to wreck and also somehow my engine bay deteriorated in turn having started a fire
2004 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty) owner · NHTSA complaint 11756595
upper control arm cracked which is a safety violation and should be a recall. TRW 52106776 Control arm is the cracked part in the picture My son replace both control arm and send it for alignment total cost was as below; Parts $280 + Alignment $192.59= $472.59 I like Dodge to refund me for $460
2004 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty) owner · NHTSA complaint 11686102
Vehicle was inspected on 3/2/2020. at the bottom of inspection statement was a recall advisory notice. I submitted info. on website, but I've received no response. today the airbag light has come on the dash and it remains on. what do you want me to do at no charge to me. is this a recall??
2004 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty) owner · NHTSA complaint 11318248
Recalls 6
14V770000 Dec 2014 Air Bags
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2004-2005 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500, 2004-2005 Dodge Durango, 2005 Dodge Dakota, 2005 Dodge Magnum and 2005 Chrysler 300, 300C and 300 SRT8 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam, and American Samoa are addressed by this recall. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Fix. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. For vehicles that were sold, or are currently registered, in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, owners were notified and the recall began on December 5, 2014. For all other vehicles, Chrysler notified owners and the recall began on February 3, 2015. Owners may con
13V528000 Nov 2013 Steering
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Dodge RAM 2500 4x4 and 3500 4x4, model year 2007-2008 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis and model year 2006-2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4 trucks manufactured February 12, 2002, through February 13, 2008. The left tie rod assembly may break.
Fix. Chrysler notified owners and launched its recall campaign in January 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N62.
11V350000 Jul 2011 Steering
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 dodge ram 2500/3500 4x4, manufactured from february 14, 2008, through march 28, 2011; model year 2008-2011 dodge ram 3500 cab chassis 4x2, manufactured from february 14, 2008, through march 28, 2011; and model year 2008 dodge ram 1500 mega cab 4x4, manufactured from february 14, 2008, through august 15, 2008, because the left tie rod ball stud may fracture. This condition tends to occur during low speed parking lot type maneuvers when the customer is making a tight turn. Additionally, model year 2003-2008 dodge ram 2500/3500 vehicles may have received the affected tie rod assembly as a replacement part during normal service.
Fix. Dealers will inspect the tie rod ends for relative orientation and replace the left outer tie rod as required and perform a front end toe alignment as needed. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 3, 2011. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
05V462000 Oct 2005 Power Train
On certain pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines and automatic transmissions, in an attempt to exit the vehicle quickly without shutting off the engine and removing the key, the driver may inadvertently leave the automatic transmission shift control in indicated reverse.
Fix. Dealers will perform a software modification to equip these vehicles with an out-of-park alarm. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
04V221000 May 2004 Equipment
The vehicle certification label on some pickup trucks lists incorrect tire, wheel, and recommended inflation pressure information which does not conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, 'tire selection and rims for vehicles other than passenger cars.'
Fix. Owners will be provided with vehicle certification label overlays containing the corrected information relative to vehicle tire and rim size, and recommended inflation pressure. This recall began on may 5, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
03V503000 Dec 2003 Power Train
On certain pickup trucks, the transfer case to transmission attaching fasteners may not be tightened correctly. This could cause the transmission adapter or transfer case housing to crack and leak fluid.
Fix. Dealers will retighten the transfer case to transmission fasteners. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.
NHTSA recalls for this model year under every name these trucks are filed under. A recall that names an engine applies only to trucks with it. Free at any dealer: check the VIN.
Quick answers
Is the 2004 Ram 2500/3500 reliable?
We can't score it per truck (heavy-duty sales aren't reported apart from the half-ton). Owners filed 796 complaints about it, most often about steering (23% of them). Compare the diesel generations on their engine pages.
What engine does the 2004 Ram 2500/3500 have?
By the VINs in owner complaints: 5.9 Cummins diesel (76%), 5.7 V8 gas (24%).
How many recalls does the 2004 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty) have?
6. Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check the truck's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
The whole-line score for 2004, mostly half-tons: 2004 Ram pickup.
No Lemon Index score: automakers report heavy-duty pickup sales together with the half-ton (one F-Series, Ram or Silverado number), so there is no honest per-truck denominator. These are counts and shares of owner complaints, not failure rates. Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under the truck's 2500/3500 (F-250/F-350) names, all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN (position 8 is the engine code) with NHTSA's vPIC decoder. Complaints filed as just “Silverado” or “Sierra” are left out (they mix 1500s and HDs). Older trucks have had more years to collect complaints, and popular years draw more because more were sold.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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