Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500. While stopped, the contact's vehicle was struck head on by another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact and front seat passenger sustained injuries to the head, concussions, and lacerations to the face that required medical attention. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15v313000 (air bags). The…
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 airbags problems
severe 15 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,100 · see airbags across all vehicles →
Complaints
15
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
3crashes
5injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 15 airbags complaints filed for the 2008 Dodge Ram 3500, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 50,000-75,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA airbags complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 10 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 has a documented Takata airbag defect covered under NHTSA campaigns 15V313000, 15V046000, and 16V352000. Of the fifteen complaints, thirteen focus on parts unavailability for the recall remedy. Owners received recall notifications but dealers could not schedule repairs because replacement airbags were not in stock. Dealers placed owners on waiting lists with no estimated completion date, and the manufacturer could not or would not provide availability timelines. Some owners reported waiting over four years. VIN verification in multiple complaints confirmed parts were not available.
Two owners experienced actual airbag non-deployment during frontal collisions. One vehicle was struck head-on while stopped; the other swerved to avoid traffic and crashed down an embankment into trees. Neither deployed. Both collisions caused significant frontal damage—bent frames, bent steering wheels, blown oil pans—injuries to occupants including head trauma and concussions, and both vehicles were destroyed. Both owners had received the same recall notices but could not get repairs completed. The safety risk here is twofold: the defect itself, plus the inability to fix it.
Same Dodge Ram 3500 airbags reports on nearby years: 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2009
Failure modes owners describe
Airbag non-deployment in crash
Airbags failed to deploy during frontal impact collisions. Two owners reported crashes where airbags did not activate despite significant frontal damage that should have triggered deployment.
When: 75,000 and 128,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Airbags did not deploy during head-on collision; Airbags did not deploy during off-road crash after swerving to avoid collision; Vehicle frame bent, steering wheel bent, significant frontal impact damage
Repairs/costs cited: Both vehicles destroyed; one required frame replacement, fan blade replacement, steering wheel replacement, differential work, engine oil pan replacement, motor mount replacement
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 15V313000 (Airbags); NHTSA Campaign 16V352000 (Airbags)
Takata recall parts unavailability
Owners received recall notices for Takata airbag defects but could not schedule repairs because replacement parts were not available through dealers. Thirteen of fifteen complaints center on extended delays or complete inability to obtain recall parts, creating safety gaps where vehicles remained unrepaired for years.
When: Recall notifications issued 2015–2016; some owners waiting 4+ years as of complaint date
Symptoms owners cite: Recall notification received but parts not in inventory; Dealer unable to provide estimated repair date; Owner placed on waiting list with no timeline; Parts distribution system unable to supply remedy
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs completed; owners remained waiting. VIN verification confirmed parts unavailable across multiple complaint instances.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 15V313000 (Airbags); NHTSA Campaign 16V352000 (Airbags); NHTSA Campaign 15V046000 (Airbags) — all Takata-related; manufacturer either could not provide availability dates or manufacturer was notified but no remedy timeline given
Synthesized from 15 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v352000 (air bags). The part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts…
A car turned into our path which made the front end of that car hit the front end of our truck on the driver side of the front end. Causing the frame to bend in two places, bending the steering wheel. Seat belts were on. The air bags never came out. Bought this truck new. Fan blade and front had to be replaced front diff hit engine oil pan, pan replaced left motor mount broken front diff sup…
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v313000 (air bags) and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. The contact went to the dealer twice and was placed on a waiting list for an extended…
Had airbags trouble with your 2008 Dodge Ram 3500?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2008 Dodge Ram 3500?
It's a meaningful issue. 15 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 15 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 84,517 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2008/Dodge/Ram 3500.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.