2006 Dodge Ram 1500: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500: 9 recalls, 792 owner complaints and up to 16 mpg combined.
Recalls
9 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer, plus 3 equipment/tire recalls that can apply. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Transmission & drivetrain Vehicle recall #05V461000 · 2005 · 136 vehicles
What's wrong: On certain 4-wheel drive pickup trucks, the totally integrated power module (tipm) May contain incorrect transfer case calibration set points, potentially resulting in inadvertent transfer case default to neutral.
Why it matters: If this occurs and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle May roll away and cause a crash without warning.
The fix: Dealers will reprogram the tipm with new software that prevents the potential for this condition. The recall began on November 7, 2005.
Brakes (hydraulic) Vehicle recall #06V038000 · 2006 · 39,274 vehicles
What's wrong: On certain pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel antilock brake systems (ABS), the ABS electronic control unit (ECU) May cause a loss of front to rear brake balance, and the rear brakes could lock up prematurely during certain braking conditions.
Why it matters: This could result in a loss of vehicle control and cause a crash without warning.
The fix: Dealers will replace the ABS ECU. The recall is expected to begin during the week of July 17, 2006.
Seat belts Vehicle recall #06V354000 · 2006 · 159,741 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain pickup trucks fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the front passenger seat belt May not be able to tighten securely on certain model child seats.
Why it matters: This can increase the risk of injury to a child seat occupant in the event of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the front passenger seat belt. The recall began on October 20, 2006.
Airbags Vehicle recall #06V353000 · 2006 · 144,750 vehicles
What's wrong: On certain pickup trucks fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection. The passenger air bag May deploy with excessive force when certain model rear facing child seats are installed in the right front passenger seat position.
Why it matters: This can increase the risk of injury to a child seat occupant during certain crash conditions.
The fix: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag cushion and reprogram the occupant restraint controller. The recall began on October 20, 2006.
Suspension Vehicle recall #07V038000 · 2007 · 86,333 vehicles
What's wrong: On certain pickup trucks, the front wheel bearing May have received an insufficient quantity of grease during the manufacturing process.
Why it matters: This could result in bearing degradation, and if subsequent noise and vibration are ignored, could result in hub assembly separation. This May result in a loss of vehicle control and cause a crash without warning.
The fix: Dealers will replace the front hub and bearing units. The recall began on February 26, 2007.
Steering Vehicle recall #13V528000 · 2013 · 706,664 vehicles
What's wrong: The left tie rod assembly May break.
Why it matters: A failure of the tie rod assembly May result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Chrysler notified owners and launched its recall campaign in January 2014.
Electrical Vehicle recall #14V795000 · 2014 · 54,164 vehicles
What's wrong: The return springs in the clutch ignition interlock switch May break.
Why it matters: Broken springs can result in a no-start condition, or cause unintended movement when the ignition is cranked, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
The fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clutch ignition interlock switch, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2015.
Airbags Vehicle recall #15V313000 · 2015 · 4,077,169 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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…
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V352000 · 2016 · 4,648,270 vehicles
What's wrong: 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,…
Why it matters: 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…
The fix: 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…
3 aftermarket equipment / tire recalls replacement parts sold to fit this car, not the car itself
Visibility (wipers, glass) Equipment recall #07E104000 · 2007 · 1,657 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain curved tempered replacement glass manufactured by hangzhou safety glass Ltd and supplied to safelite by auto temp Inc., identified as dot-430, and sold for use on certain domestic and foreign vehicles May not break into small pieces as expected of tempered glass and fails to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 205, "glazing materials."
Why it matters: In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant(s) May be seriously injured by shattered glass.
The fix: Safelite will notify its retail customers and replace the glass free of charge. Retail customers can contact safelite toll free at 1-888-843-2906. Safelite will notify its wholesale customers and reimburse wholesale customers for current inventory and at a specified rate for replacing their…
Steering Equipment recall #10E013000 · 2010 · 1,500 vehicles
What's wrong: Fts93001 and ft44039, installed for use on certain 2003 through 2008 Dodge 2500 4wd, 3500 4wd, and 1500 4wd mega cab vehicles. The pitman arm can fracture and break away from the steering box causing total loss of steering control.
Why it matters: Steering loss could result in a vehicle crash possibly resulting in property damage, injury or death.
The fix: Fabtech will notify owners and authorized installers will inspect for defective pitman arm and replace if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on May 24, 2010.
Wheels Equipment recall #10E040000 · 2010 · 34,604 vehicles
What's wrong: The inboard roll form used to maintain the hub assembly can fatigue resulting in noise and/or wheel separation on the two wheel drive (2wd) applications. The risk of these issues do not occur on the four wheel drive (4wd) applications, and installation on the 4wd applications are not part of this recall.
Why it matters: A vehicle crash can occur if the wheel separates from the vehicle.
The fix: Federal-mogul will notify owners of record and technicians will replace the affected hub assemblies free of charge. The safety recall began on September 15, 2010.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 8 mention a fire, 42 injuries and 1 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Airbags (193): the most common themes are fails to deploy (19), deploys unexpectedly / inflator (11).
- Exterior lights (139): the most common themes are warning light on (20), electrical failure (12), stalls / loses power (7).
- Electrical (125): the most common themes are electrical failure (29), stalls / loses power (13).
- Suspension (106): the most common themes are noise or vibration (45), steering problems (20).
The 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 has 792 owner complaints, ranking #6 of 23 Ram 1500 model years for complaints (about average; the typical year has 540). Complaints peaked in 2015 (121 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 7 years old, at a median of 61,110 miles. Neighboring years: 2005 (1169 complaints, 4 recalls), 2007 (517 complaints, 4 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7 L 6-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 14 | 19 | 16 | Regular |
| 3.7 L 6-cyl | Manual 6-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 14 | 20 | 16 | Regular |
| 5.7 L 8-cyl | Automatic 5-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 13 | 18 | 15 | Regular |
| 4.7 L 8-cyl | Automatic 5-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 13 | 17 | 14 | Regular |
| 4.7 L 8-cyl | Manual 6-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 13 | 17 | 14 | Regular |
| 4.7 L 8-cyl | Automatic 5-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 12 | 17 | 14 | Regular |
| 4.7 L 8-cyl | Manual 6-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 13 | 17 | 14 | Regular |
| 5.7 L 8-cyl | Automatic 5-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 13 | 17 | 14 | Regular |
| 4.7 L 8-cyl | Automatic 5-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 11 | 14 | 12 | Gasoline or E85 |
| 4.7 L 8-cyl | Automatic 5-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 11 | 14 | 12 | Gasoline or E85 |
| 8.30 L 10-cyl | Manual 6-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 9 | 14 | 10 | Premium |
| 8.30 L 10-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 8 | 11 | 9 | Premium |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500.
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FAQ
Does the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 9 vehicle recalls for the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500, plus 3 equipment or tire recalls that can apply. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 problems?
Owners have filed 792 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are airbags (193), exterior lights (139), electrical (125).
What gas mileage does the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 get?
EPA ratings run up to 16 mpg combined (3.7 L, Automatic 4-spd), across 12 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.