Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
15–16 mpgcombined; city 13–14, highway 18–20; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$20,300–$21,660U.S. average; Ohio $18,140–$19,350 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
Owners have filed 670 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Ram 1500. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
231
7
0
1
Electrical system
97
0
0
0
Unknown or other
52
2
0
1
Engine
50
0
0
0
Wheels
50
1
0
0
Structure
41
1
0
2
Tires
36
0
0
0
Air bags
34
13
0
11
Suspension
34
2
2
0
Fuel/propulsion system
33
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
30
0
0
0
Service brakes
28
3
0
2
14 more parts
Steering
28
2
0
0
Visibility
28
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
19
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
15
2
0
1
Vehicle speed control
12
2
0
1
Fuel system, gasoline
10
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
9
0
0
0
Equipment
9
1
0
1
Seats
8
0
0
0
Seat belts
6
3
0
4
Service brakes, hydraulic
6
2
0
1
Latches/locks/linkages
5
0
0
1
Equipment adaptive/mobility
2
0
0
0
Traction control system
1
1
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2009 Ram 1500 over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Risk: 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: 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 2009-2010, 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.
Risk: 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: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 40 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 Ram 1500, the latest on Sep 15, 2023. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (15), electrical system (11), structure (9), engine and engine cooling (8), power train (3).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP14004 Totally Integrated Power Module Failure · covers 4 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 Ram 1500.
EPA class: standard pickup trucks. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Ram 1500 Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 20 / 16
Ram 1500 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.7 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 20 / 16
Ram 1500 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
5.7 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
13 / 18 / 15
Ram 1500 Rear-Wheel Drive
4.7 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
14 / 19 / 15
Ram 1500 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
4.7 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
13 / 18 / 15
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data