The Lemon Index
Dodge's 8.0, 8.3 and 8.4 L naturally aspirated V10, pushrod in the Viper and Ram SRT-10, model years 1992–2017. YouTube likes the 1993 best.
Middle of the pack: YouTube owner tone 48/100, #91 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); 1 engine-related recall on record.
Everyday cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
- Ram pickup Dodge Ram SRT-10200420052006
Model years from EPA version lists. Only years we have a car page for.
Reliability by year
YouTube videos are most positive about the 1993 (53) and least about the 1998 (43); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Viper | 0 | 50 (108 videos) | 0 |
| 1993 | Viper | 2 | 53 (109 videos) | 0 |
| 1994 | Viper | 5 | 44 (107 videos) | 0 |
| 1995 | Viper | 3 | 45 (106 videos) | 0 |
| 1996 | Viper | 8 | 50 (114 videos) | 0 |
| 1998 | Viper | 3 | 43 (113 videos) | 0 |
| 1999 | Viper | 3 | 44 (110 videos) | 0 |
| 2000 | Viper | 4 | 45 (111 videos) | 0 |
| 2001 | Viper | 2 | 44 (110 videos) | 0 |
| 2002 | Viper | 1 | 44 (110 videos) | 0 |
| 2003 | Viper | 6 | 45 (106 videos) | 4 |
| 2004 | Viper, Ram SRT-10 | 9 | 49 (138 videos) | 2 |
| 2005 | Viper, Ram SRT-10 | 8 | 52 (135 videos) | 1 |
| 2006 | Viper, Ram SRT-10 | 9 | 49 (132 videos) | 1 |
| 2008 | Viper | 2 | 46 (107 videos) | 0 |
| 2009 | Viper | 0 | 50 (107 videos) | 0 |
| 2010 | Viper | 1 | 46 (107 videos) | 0 |
| 2015 | Viper | 3 | 51 (107 videos) | 1 |
| 2016 | Viper | 0 | 49 (107 videos) | 2 |
| 2017 | Viper | 0 | 51 (108 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine 8
1 of them is about the engine, fuel, cooling or powertrain. They come first.
03V292000 Fuel System, Gasoline · Dodge Viper 2003
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL PUMP WIRING MAY BECOME CHAFED BY AN UNDERBODY HEAT SHIELD.
19V885000 Seat Belts · Dodge Viper 2005–06
The Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) module may inadvertently deploy the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
16V736000 Air Bags · Dodge Viper 2016
The wires for the driver's frontal air bag may be pinched.
16V750000 Air Bags · Dodge Viper 2016
A defective vibration weld on the passenger airbag chute may cause the passenger air bag door to detach during the air bag deployment.
15V046000 Air Bags · Dodge Viper 2003–04
Show all 8
15V461000 Equipment · Dodge Viper 2015
The affected vehicles are equip.
13V040000 Air Bags · Dodge Viper 2003–04
A component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front airbags and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operat.
03V388000 Exterior Lighting · Dodge Viper 2003
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH PARK LAMP CONTACTS MAY CORRODE.
NHTSA recalls by model and year. A recall counts here when every confirmed version of that model-year had this engine, or the recall names it. Check a car's VIN for its own open recalls.
Engine problems Dodge told dealers about
Dodge sent dealers 31 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- Oil Pump Assembly If error code P06DD present on any Pentastar V6 application, please inspect oil pump for…
- Air Suspension Components Star Parts Catalog has been updated to show individual service parts for the…
- Customer complaint may include engine oil leak/consumption
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Dodge Viper Viper, Viper Convertible, Viper Coupe, Viper SRT | 1992–17 |
| Dodge Ram SRT-10 Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD · Ram pickup, every year | 2004–06 |
Engine codes: Viper V10 8.0, 8.3, 8.4. Power: 400–645 hp, factory figures. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Viper engine · Dodge Ram SRT-10.
Quick answers
What cars have the Viper V10 engine?
In the US: the Dodge Viper, Dodge Ram SRT-10, model years 1992–2017. See the version table for each one.
Is the Viper V10 reliable?
Mostly, with known issues to check. YouTube owner tone 48/100, #91 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); 1 engine-related recall on record. Owners filed 69 complaints we can tie to it, about any part of the car. Its cars had 8 recalls (1 about the engine, fuel or powertrain). Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Viper V10 make?
400–645 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.