Problems · by component
1996 Dodge Ram 1500 air bags problems
47 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 cite air bags, 5% of all 936 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
47
5% of all complaints
Crashes
34
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
22
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISING TO BOTH OF ARMS FROM THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A CRASH NOR WAS THERE ANY IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 DODGE RAM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH, THE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V023000 (AIR BAGS) THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 230,000. *TR”
“AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON FREQUENTLY. HAVE HAD SERVICE WHEN IT HAPPENS, HAVE BEEN TOLD BY DURHAM DODGE "DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, IT'S NOTHING!" IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR THIS TO OCCUR AND I FEEL UNPROTECTED WHEN THIS LIGHT IS ON. NO INJURIES YET, NO CRASH YET. DO I HAVE PEACE OF MIND THAT I CAN RELY ON MY AIR BAG ???? NO!!! *JB”
“CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A T-BONE COLLISION AT 40 MPH, AND THE AIR BAGS WERE DELAYED 3 SECONDS OR MORE BEFORE DEPLOYING. THIS CAUSED CONSUMER'S HEAD TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL, AND SUSTAIN RIB INJURIES. CONSUMER WAS NOT TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED.*AK *BF *NM”
“WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT A TREE HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL, AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK... THE OTHER DRIVER, A LADY WAS CITED FOR IMPROPER BACKING OUT. CONSUMER'S GRAND SON FIRST HIT HER, THEN WENT THROUGH A YARD, HITTING A TREE. *AK”
“CONSUMER STATES ENGINE STALLED WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A MOUNTAIN, CONSUMER LOST ALL CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND WENT OFF A 300 FT REVENE, VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED AFTER STRIKING A TREE HEAD ON, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES, A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE, RECALL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED ON VEHICLE REGARDING BLOWER AND IGNTION, CONSUMER WAS LATER INFORMED OF ADDITIONAL RECALLS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED ON VEHICLE, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS NEVER GIVEN ANY SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT WHAT WAS REPAIRED/REPLACED. *JB”
Showing 6 of 47 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.