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Research · Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD

2008 Dodge Ram 1500Recalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 8 safety recalls and 579 owner complaints for the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500. Most complaints involve air bags (166) and steering (109). The EPA rates it 14–17 mpg combined.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
14–17mpg
EPA · 12 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
8campaigns
Latest May 2016
Owner complaints
579
Top: air bags
Fuel cost / yr
$3,800est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

8 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveFree remedy

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2010 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2012 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2012 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2012 Chrysler 300, 2006-2012 Dodge Charger, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Chrysler is also recalling 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2009 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2009 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2009 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2009 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2009 Chrysler 300, 2006-2009 Dodge Charger, 2005-2009 Dodge Dakota and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in AZ, AR, DE, Washington D.C., IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Chrysler is recalling certain 2005-2008 RAM 2500, 2006-2008 RAM 3500, 2007-2008 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2008 Dodge Durango, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2008 Jeep Wrangler, 2008 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2008 Chrysler 300, 2006-2008 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2008 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or registered, in AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY.

Air bagsReported May 24, 2016NHTSA 16V352000

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveFree remedy

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2005-2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, 300S, and SRT8, 2006-2010 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Magnum, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

Air bagsReported May 27, 2015NHTSA 15V313000

Steering: tie rod assembly

Free remedy

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.

SteeringReported Nov 6, 2013NHTSA 13V528000
See all 8 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 29, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

579 complaints filed with NHTSA · May 2008 – Sep 2026
  1. Air bags166
  2. Steering109
  3. Power train77
  4. Electrical system55
  5. Suspension50
  6. Fuel/propulsion system50
  7. Engine38
  8. Wheels19
  9. Service brakes18

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Ram 1500 model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
1996936
20051,213
2006817
2007534
2008579
2009679
2010515
Crashes reported
44
Fires reported
7
Injuries reported
39
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 29, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Air bags

166 reports24 crashes
“The recall cannot be completed because the parts are unavailable. We have contacted the service department in the dealership a number of times. They told us the parts are not available and cannot give us a date to repair it. They referred us to Chrysler's main headquarters and no body there has an answer to when these parts will be available either. This mandate was never made public, the only way we found out was when we went to have the vehicle inspected. Meanwhile it cannot be driven or inspected.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 2, 2026Air bagsODI 11761500

Steering

109 reports2 crashes
“The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle was severely shaking and vibrating. The contact replaced the struts and tie rods; however, the failure persisted. The contact also stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel felt extremely loose, and the vehicle was pulling to one side. The contact also experienced the "Death Wobble" on several occasions while driving. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 222,700.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 5, 2025Steering, SuspensionODI 11664998

Power train

77 reports3 crashes1 fire
“Vehicle diagnosed September 5, 2025 with failed front driver-side CV axle. Covered under factory lifetime powertrain warranty. Manufacturer (Stellantis) has been unable to supply replacement part for over seven months due to “tooling issue” and no ETA. Vehicle continues to operate with worsening vibration and noise from front axle. Concerned about potential driveline failure while driving. Warranty repair delay exceeds reasonable timeframe for safety-related component.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 2, 2026Power trainODI 11721336
All 2008 Ram 1500 problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

12 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD, Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD
Engines
3.7L 6-cyl · 5.7L 8-cyl · 4.7L 8-cyl
Transmissions
Manual 6-spd · Automatic 4-spd · Automatic 5-spd
Drive
Rear-Wheel Drive · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 29, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD
Man 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.7 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
161917$3,800523
Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.7 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
141916$4,000555
Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD
Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 5.7 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
131915$4,300592
Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD
Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
131815$4,300592
Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD
Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L, GAS 330 · Rear-Wheel Drive
131815$4,300592
Ram 1500 Pickup 4WD
Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
131715$4,300592
Ram 1500 Pickup 4WD
Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L, GAS 330 · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
131715$4,300592
Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD
Man 6-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
131714$4,600635
Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD
Man 6-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L, GAS 360 · Rear-Wheel Drive
131714$4,600635
Ram 1500 Pickup 4WD
Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 5.7 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
131714$4,600635
Ram 1500 Pickup 4WD
Man 6-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
121614$4,600635
Ram 1500 Pickup 4WD
Man 6-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L, GAS 360 · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
121614$4,600635
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 29, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 as of Oct 29, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Oct 29, 2026Vehicle 2648Vehicle 2647
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2008 Ram 1500 questions

How many recalls does the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 have?

8 safety recalls as of Oct 29, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 problems?

Owners filed 579 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are air bags (166), steering (109), power train (77). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 get?

The EPA rates the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 at 14–17 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (12 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Oct 29, 2026