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Selling a junk Dodge RAM 1500

Any RAM 1500 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Dodge RAM 1500

NHTSA has 15,938 owner complaints on file for the Dodge RAM 1500, model years 1995 to 2014, the 24th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are transmission and drivetrain (2,441, 15%), air bags (2,222, 14%), body and structure (2,029, 13%). 1,158 complaints involved a crash, 346 a fire, and 305 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 75,000 miles. The 2005 model year has the most complaints (1,633). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is transmission and drivetrain, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a bad transmission: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Dodge RAM 1500 by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
1995273Body and structure14161115,000
1996407Brakes22171111,500
1997468Body and structure3616199,000
1998645Body and structure8918198,000
1999769Body and structure8530186,200
2000641Body and structure4018380,000
20011,370Body and structure8458370,000
20021,004Body and structure7422674,750
20031,366Air bags10615572,000
20041,372Air bags11542875,000
20051,633Transmission and drivetrain16225788,277
20061,080Air bags59151262,500
2007701Air bags4612775,000
2008721Air bags489869,000
2009884Transmission and drivetrain422267,149
2010631Transmission and drivetrain327070,000
2011990Electrical system539079,750
2012982Electrical system5115071,000
20141Steering000—

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Dodge RAM 1500 recalls

NHTSA lists 26 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (6), steering (5), transmission and drivetrain (5). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2004 model year, air bags (campaign 16V352000, May 2016): 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 …
  • 2003 model year, air bags (campaign 15V312000, May 2015): Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2003 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks manufactured August 29, 2002, to July 25, 2003 to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator wh…
  • 2004 model year, air bags (campaign 15V313000, May 2015): 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 Chrys…
  • 2005 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 14V796000, Dec 2014): Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 trucks manufactured January 28, 2004, to August 3, 2005. In the affected vehicles, the rear axle pinion nut may loosen due to an undersize…
  • 2006 model year, electrical system (campaign 14V795000, Dec 2014): Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, Dakota, and 2006 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles manufactured July 1, 2005, to July 31, 2006 with manual transmissions. The r…

What a Dodge RAM 1500 is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk RAM 1500 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Dodge RAM 1500 worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same RAM 1500 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Dodge RAM 1500 that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Dodge RAM 1500?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Dodge RAM 1500 numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.