The Dodge Ram Van is a special-purpose vehicle built from 1981 to 2003. Most were assembled in Canada — 100% of those on record. Engines offered: 4-cyl, V6, V8. Worth buying? It holds up well, with the usual caveat about model years at 4.0/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the Ram Van is
The Dodge Ram Van is a special-purpose vehicle that Dodge built from 1981 to 2003 — 23 model years. It has been offered with 4-cyl, V6, V8 power. Its closest siblings in the Dodge range: Caravan, Ramcharger.
Where the Ram Van is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 156 Ram Vans on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2B6, 2B7, 2B4, 2D7 | 1991-2003 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Dodge VIN decide which of these 1 lines your Ram Van belongs to. What every character in a Ram Van VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Dodge Ram Van adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Dodge Ram Van tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment Ram Van owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Dodge Ram Van have? Power & range
The Dodge Ram Van is offered with 3 powertrains — 3.9L 6-cyl, 5.2L 8-cyl, 2.5L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 3 for the Dodge Ram Van, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V6 | 3.9L · 6-cyl | Automatic 3-spd | RWD | Regular |
| V8 | 5.2L · 8-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | RWD | Regular |
| 4-cyl | 2.5L · 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | FWD | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
The Ram Van by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Dodge Ram Van. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | Ram Van | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 10 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 4,602 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 4.0 / 5 | Best and worst years |
| Insurance | $1,517/yr | Estimated full coverage |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Dodge Ram Van?
The Ram Van is a special-purpose vehicle, built from 1981 to 2003. Engines offered: 4-cyl, V6, V8.
Where is the Dodge Ram Van made?
Across 156 cars in our records the split is: Canada (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
What is the Dodge Ram Van warranty?
New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the Ram Van reliable?
It scores 4.0/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific Ram Van?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Dodge
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge Charger | 1983–2026 | 133 | 98 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Dodge Ram | 1994–2012 | 188 | 17 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Dodge Challenger | 1981–2026 | 77 | 23 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Dodge Durango | 1995–2026 | 160 | 21 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Dodge Viper | 1992–2017 | 45 | 16 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Dodge Caravan | 1984–2008 | 208 | 35 mpg | 3.5/5 |
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