YearToAvoid

2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Avoid The 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 ranks 2nd worst out of 8 model years, with a complaint index of 86 and 422 NHTSA complaints. Steering (36% of complaints) and airbag non-deployment are the top concerns, backed by 6 recalls including 2 do-not-drive campaigns, earning it an Avoid verdict.

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

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
86/100
#2 of 8 Ram 2500 years
Verdict
Avoid
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
422
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
6
2 Do Not Drive
Crashes
44
reported in complaints
Fires
8
Injuries
26
Top issue
Steering
Best nearby year
2010
rated Best

Top 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 problems

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

  1. Steering153 (36%)
  2. Suspension, Wheels & Tires82 (19%)
  3. Airbags76 (18%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain63 (15%)
  5. Electrical System43 (10%)
  6. Engine24 (6%)
  7. Fuel System20 (5%)
  8. Structure & Body17 (4%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers16 (4%)
  10. Brakes11 (3%)

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

What owners report

  • Owners report the transmission unexpectedly shifting out of park into reverse or another gear on its own, sometimes seconds after parking, causing collisions with nearby objects or vehicles.
  • Some drivers describe sudden unintended acceleration where the truck sped up on its own and did not respond to braking or shifting into park.
  • Multiple owners report airbags failing to deploy during frontal or head-on crashes, resulting in head, neck, and vision injuries despite functioning seat belts.
  • One owner reported an axle snapping at the wheel connection after the rear end slid on wet pavement at low speed.
  • An owner reported black smoke and a diesel fuel smell coming from the rear of the vehicle at highway speed, followed by loss of control and a crash.
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 complaints: complaints filed per quarter232005 Q22007 Q32010 Q12012 Q22014 Q42017 Q12019 Q22022 Q1
422 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2005 Q2 to 2026 Q2; peak 2014 Q1 (23).

2005 Dodge Ram 2500 recalls

6 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 14V770000Dec 3, 2014Airbags250,896 vehicles

    Air bags

    Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2004-2005 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500, 2004-2005 Dodge Durango, 2005 Dodge Dakota, 2005 Dodge Magnum and 2005 Chrysler 300, 300C and 300 SRT8 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam, and American Samoa are addressed by this recall. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

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

    Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. For vehicles that were sold, or are currently registered, in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, owners were notified and the recall began on December 5, 2014. For all other vehicles, Chrysler notified owners and the recall began on February 3, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P40 Expanded. Note: This recall has been superseded by recall 16V-352. This recall superseded the passenger air bag portion of recall 14V-354.

See all 6 recalls for the 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 →

2005 compared with other Ram 2500 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)025507510020052006200720082009201020112012
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Avoid864226 !—
2006Avoid1006706 !—
2007Caution713618 !—

All Dodge Ram 2500 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2005 model ranks 2nd worst out of 8 model years for this truck, with a complaint index of 86 and 422 complaints, mostly involving steering and suspension.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Dodge Ram 2500?
NHTSA complaint data shows steering issues make up 36% of complaints, followed by suspension, wheels and tires at 19%, and airbags at 18%.
Does the 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 have any do-not-drive recalls?
Yes. Two of its six recalls are do-not-drive campaigns, both involving airbag inflators that can rupture.
How does the 2005 Ram 2500 compare to other years?
The 2005 model has a complaint index of 86, worse than the 2007 through 2012 model years, which range from 0 to 71, and second only to the 2006 model's index of 100.
At what mileage do steering problems typically appear on the 2005 Ram 2500?
NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 95,924 at the time steering complaints were reported.

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.