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Selling a junk Dodge RAM 3500

Any RAM 3500 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 3500

NHTSA has 3,898 owner complaints on file for the Dodge RAM 3500, model years 1995 to 2012, the 117th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are steering (1,038, 27%), transmission and drivetrain (364, 9%), suspension (343, 9%). 241 complaints involved a crash, 164 a fire, and 41 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 75,000 miles. The 2012 model year has the most complaints (504). Data as of 2026-10-12.

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

Dodge RAM 3500 by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
1995132Brakes1171—
1996182Brakes8121115,000
1997153Lights5121108,000
1998134Transmission and drivetrain1317193,500
1999146Transmission and drivetrain1161115,000
200077Suspension512187,285
2001168Body and structure154179,000
200259Body and structure40148,500
2003330Air bags101979,168
2004276Transmission and drivetrain525776,591
2005240Steering319785,000
2006349Steering1961180,000
2007286Steering19221480,900
2008221Steering13211168,500
2009130Steering92548,600
2010214Steering58154,657
2011297Steering57051,150
2012504Steering613048,000

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 3500 recalls

NHTSA lists 27 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for steering (6), air bags (6), lights (2). 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.

  • 2010 model year, air bags (campaign 19V018000, Jan 2019): Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, Ram 4500/5500, 2010-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger, 2010-2015 Dodge Challenger, Chrysler 300, and 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Upon depl…
  • 2006 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…
  • 2006 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…
  • 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 3500 is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk RAM 3500 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 3500 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 3500 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 3500 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 3500?
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 3500 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.