Dodge Ram MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 43 model years and 7,361 tests, the Dodge Ram passes its MOT 85.0% of the time. Against all cars of a similar age (22.4% fail rate), the Ram comes out 7.4pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 10.5% of all tests — 3.6 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, rear fog lamp and service brake performance — headlamp aim alone was recorded 314 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 18.4% versus 10.3%.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 4.2pp more often than diesel ones (15.6% vs 11.4%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 20.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 16.4% in 2021 to 14.6% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Ram model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 37 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 36 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 40 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 77 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 34 | 82.3% | 17.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 88 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 54 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Brakes |
| 1994 | 97 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Suspension |
| 1995 | 91 | 82.4% | 17.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 207 | 83.1% | 16.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 165 | 83.6% | 16.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 158 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 198 | 80.8% | 19.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 98 | 85.7% | 14.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 224 | 81.3% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 262 | 83.6% | 16.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 477 | 84.3% | 15.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 712 | 85.3% | 14.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 639 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 376 | 84.6% | 15.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 256 | 83.6% | 16.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 140 | 85.0% | 15.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 177 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 203 | 81.8% | 18.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 193 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 188 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 102 | 87.3% | 12.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 243 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 332 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Brakes |
| 2016 | 245 | 91.8% | 8.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 338 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 220 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 264 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 133 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 115 | 90.4% | 9.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 43 | 93.0% | 7.0% | Body, structure & corrosion |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.5% | 770 |
| 2 | Brakes | 6.8% | 502 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 4.0% | 298 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.0% | 294 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.4% | 176 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.2% | 161 |
| 7 | Steering | 1.9% | 137 |
| 8 | Tyres | 1.3% | 92 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 314 |
| 2 | Rear fog lamp | 276 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 229 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 201 |
| 5 | Rbt (sp) | 198 |
| 6 | Catalyst emissions | 195 |
| 7 | Individual direction indicators | 187 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 181 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 20.7% | 1,527 |
| 2 | Brakes | 19.3% | 1,420 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 9.1% | 668 |
| 4 | Tyres | 8.8% | 649 |
| 5 | Steering | 8.6% | 634 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 8.0% | 585 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 621 | 10.3% |
| 30-60k | 1,445 | 12.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,735 | 14.3% |
| 90-120k | 1,497 | 17.0% |
| 120-150k | 908 | 16.5% |
| 150k+ | 1,145 | 18.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 6,410 | 15.6% |
| Diesel | 904 | 11.4% |
| Gas/LPG | 40 | 10.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,394 | 16.4% |
| 2022 | 1,503 | 15.8% |
| 2023 | 1,496 | 15.1% |
| 2024 | 1,472 | 13.3% |
| 2025 | 1,496 | 14.6% |
What to check before buying a Dodge Ram
- Lighting & signalling (10.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.8% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Emissions & environmental (4.0% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Dodge Ram?
85.0% of the 7,361 Dodge Ram MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 15.0% fail rate, across model years 1981–2023.
What does the Dodge Ram most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.5% of tests, then brakes (6.8%).
How much does mileage affect Ram MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 18.4% for 150k+, a 8.1-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Ram more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 11.4% of the time against 15.6% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,361 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.