2012 Dodge Ram 1500 Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 80 airbag complaints for the 2012 Dodge Ram 1500, 11% of all complaints for the year, tied to 16 crashes and 19 injuries. A related recall (15V459000) addresses a steering wheel wiring harness issue, and the failure pattern centers on airbags not deploying, with a median mileage at failure of 60,000.
- Airbags complaints
- 80
- 11% of 697
- Crashes reported
- 16
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 19
- Median mileage
- 60,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Airbags fail to deploy during moderate-to-severe frontal, side, or rollover collisions, even at highway speeds.
- Owners report airbags not deploying in crashes as low as 10 mph, resulting in unexpected injuries.
- Some owners describe vehicles rolling or flipping with all airbags failing to trigger, despite significant damage.
- A subset of complaints tie non-deployment to a suspected steering wheel wiring harness problem addressed by a related recall.
- One owner reported the opposite issue: an airbag deployed and caused head injury during a Takata-related recall incident.
When 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Feb 20, 2012, latest May 13, 2025.
Airbags recalls for the 2012 Dodge Ram 1500
- NHTSA 15V459000Jul 22, 2015Airbags1,059,444 vehicles
Air bags:frontal
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2011, to October 7, 2014, and equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center option. The affected vehicles have a steering wheel wiring harness that may rub against the driver air bag module retainer spring.
Risk: This abrasion may result in an electrical short that could cause driver's frontal air bag to unexpectedly deploy. Inadvertent deployment of the air bag may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, repair as necessary, and secure the steering wheel wiring harness. Additionally, protective caps will be added to the air bag retainer spring ends. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on September 18, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R36.
Airbags complaints by Ram 1500 model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
- 201014 (3%)
- 201113 (2%)
- 201280 (11%)
- 20140 (0%)
Frequently asked questions
- Are airbag problems common on the 2012 Dodge Ram 1500?
- NHTSA lists 80 airbag complaints for the 2012 Ram 1500, which is 11% of all complaints filed for that model year, higher than the 3% and 2% shares seen in 2010 and 2011.
- Is there a recall for the 2012 Ram 1500 airbags?
- Yes, recall campaign 15V459000 covers 2012-2014 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks for a steering wheel wiring harness issue; dealers inspect and repair or secure the harness as needed.
- At what mileage do airbag problems tend to occur on the 2012 Ram 1500?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for airbag complaints on this model year is 60,000 miles.
- How serious are the reported airbag issues?
- NHTSA data links these airbag complaints to 16 crashes and 19 injuries, with no fires reported.