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2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

884 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.22 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious12V474000

Power Train:Driveline:Differential Unit

If the rear axle pinion nut loosens, the axle can lock up and cause a loss of vehicle control and/or a vehicle crash with little warning.

Remedy & full details

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a pinion nut retainer, free of charge. The recall began on June 17, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.

Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2009-2010, Ram 1500 and Dodge Dakota trucks, manufactured from July 1, 2009, through November 30, 2009, because the rear axle pinion nut may loosen due to a lack of adhesive.

Serious13V038000

Power Train:Driveline:Differential Unit

If the rear axle pinion nut loosens, the axle can lock up and cause a loss of vehicle control and/or a vehicle crash with little warning.

Remedy & full details

On November 7, 2013 Chrysler notified owners that dealers would install a pinion nut retainer, free of charge. In July 2015, and under a consent order with NHTSA, the company agreed to offer owners three options for remedying their vehicles: perform the original remedy, offer to repurchase the vehicle at the fair market value plus 10%, or offer an additional incentive offer towards the purchase of a new Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, or Fiat vehicle. Chrysler will notify owners of the new recall options in a letter expected to be mailed on August 31, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N08.

Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ram 1500 trucks manufactured from February 27, 2008, through June 30, 2009, and from December 1, 2009, through October 20, 2011; model year 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota trucks manufactured from February 27, 2007, through June 30, 2009, and from December 1, 2009, through September 30, 2011; model year 2009 Chrysler Aspen trucks manufactured from January 3, 2008, through December 18, 2008; and model year 2009 Dodge Durango trucks manufactured from January 3, 2008, through December 18, 2008. The rear axle pinion nut may loosen due to an undersized pinion spline that can allow relative motion between the nut and companion flange.

Complaint volume

884 this model-year 10 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

42Crashes
2Fires
26Injuries
0Deaths

Across 884 complaints. Severity Index 0.22.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Power Train217 · 25%Electrical System95 · 11%Unknown Or Other52 · 6%Engine50 · 6%Wheels49 · 6%Fuel/Propulsion System33 · 4%Air Bags32 · 4%Structure · Body30 · 3%
  1. Power Train — 217 reports
  2. Electrical System — 95 reports
  3. Unknown Or Other — 52 reports
  4. Engine — 50 reports
  5. Wheels — 49 reports
  6. Fuel/Propulsion System — 33 reports
  7. Air Bags — 32 reports
  8. Structure:Body — 30 reports
  9. Visibility/Wiper — 30 reports
  10. Suspension — 29 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 (1) · 1997 (1) · 1998 (1) · 1999 (1) · 2000 (3) · 2001 (3) · 2002 (6) · 2003 (5) · 2004 (8) · 2005 (7) · 2006 (12) · 2007 (7) · 2008 (8) · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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