YearToAvoid

2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 has a complaint index of 38 and ranks 6th out of 9 model years, earning a Caution verdict. It carries 554 complaints and 5 recalls, two of them Do Not Drive airbag recalls, which cap the rating below what its complaint count alone would suggest.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
38/100
#6 of 9 Ram 1500 years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
554
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
5
2 Do Not Drive
Crashes
40
reported in complaints
Fires
6
Injuries
37
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2010
rated Good
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
15
13 city / 17 hwy
Injuries / deaths
37 / 0

Top 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags165 (30%)
  2. Steering103 (19%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain73 (13%)
  4. Suspension, Wheels & Tires72 (13%)
  5. Fuel System64 (12%)
  6. Electrical System62 (11%)
  7. Engine55 (10%)
  8. Brakes32 (6%)
  9. Other27 (5%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers25 (5%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Airbags failed to deploy in frontal crashes at speeds around 30 to 45 mph, sometimes causing facial injuries.
  • Front shocks blew out at low mileage and the truck skipped or jumped over potholes and pavement seams.
  • Tires separated from the bead during evasive maneuvers, in one case leading to a rollover.
  • Owners reported the instrument panel and engine cutting out at highway speed, followed by an under-hood fire.
  • Cruise control failed to disengage after brake taps, forcing owners onto the shoulder while still accelerating.
  • Brakes failed to stop the truck on wet roads at around 40 mph, resulting in a crash.
2008 Dodge Ram 1500 complaints: complaints filed per quarter572008 Q22010 Q32012 Q42015 Q12017 Q22019 Q32022 Q32025 Q4
554 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2008 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2015 Q3 (57).

2008 Dodge Ram 1500 recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 16V352000May 24, 2016Airbags4,648,270 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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.

    Risk: These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their company. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S43. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-7700.

  2. NHTSA 15V313000May 26, 2015Airbags4,077,169 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    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.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners. Dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began for Chrylser on June 8, 2015. The recall for Mitsubishi started on June 24, 2015. Chrysler and Dodge owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Mitsubishi owners may call 1-888-648-7820. Chrysler's number for this recall is R25. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V817 in its entirety. Vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well.

  3. NHTSA 13V529000Nov 6, 2013Steering271,733 vehicles

    Steering:linkages:tie rod assembly

    Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 RAM 2500 4X4 and 3500 4X4 trucks, 2008-2012 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis, and model year 2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4. The left tie rod assembly may break.

    Risk: A failure of the tie rod assembly may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Chrysler notified owners on January 16, 2014 that dealers would inspect vehicles and replace the steering linkage assembly, if necessary. On or about February 27, 2014, Chrysler ceased its recall remedy program due to parts quality concerns, and then re-initiated it on or about April 14, 2014. In July 2015, and under a consent order with NHTSA, the company agreed to offer owners three options for remedying their vehicles: perform the original remedy, offer to repurchase the vehicle at the fair market value plus 10%, or offer an additional incentive offer towards the purchase of a new Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, or Fiat vehicle. Chrysler will notify owners of the new recall options in a letter expected to be mailed on August 31, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N49.

See all 5 recalls for the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 →

2008 Dodge Ram 1500 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
13 MPG
Highway
17 MPG
Combined
15 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,300
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2008 compared with other Ram 1500 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100200520062007200820092010201120122014
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2006Caution507929 !14
2007Caution135174 !14
2008Caution385545 !15
2009Avoid88670215
2010Good25486415

All Dodge Ram 1500 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 model has a complaint index of 38 and ranks 6th of 9 Ram 1500 years, earning a Caution verdict rather than Good or Best.
Does the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 have an airbag recall?
Yes. NHTSA lists two Do Not Drive airbag recalls (campaigns 16V352000 and 15V313000) covering the 2008 model, plus three steering-related recalls.
What is the top problem area for the 2008 Ram 1500?
Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 165 complaints and 30% of all reported issues, with a median failure mileage of 69,000.
How does the 2008 Ram 1500 compare to other years?
Its complaint index of 38 is lower than 2005 (100), 2009 (88), and 2012 (75), but its two Do Not Drive recalls keep its verdict at Caution.
What is the fuel economy of the 2008 Dodge Ram 1500?
EPA rates it at 15 mpg combined (13 city / 17 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,300.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.