RAM 1500: Cab corner, rocker panel and rear wheel arch rust (2nd gen and 3rd gen Ram 1500)
Cab corner, rocker panel and rear wheel arch rust (2nd gen and 3rd gen Ram 1500) is a common body & rust fault on the RAM 1500 on the 1994–2008 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $800 to $6,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 22 documented faults on the RAM 1500.
- Vehicle
- RAM 1500
- Years
- 1994–2008
- System
- Body & Rust
What you are looking at
No photograph available
What goes wrong
Both the 1994 to 2001 and 2002 to 2008 Rams rust in the same places: the lower rear cab corners behind the doors, the rocker panels under the doors (quad cab trucks especially), and the rear wheel arches of the tray. Mud and water trapped behind the cab and inside the rockers rot them from the inside, so bubbling paint is often the first sign of rust that is already through. Repair panels for these exact spots are made for both generations because it is so common. Cosmetic at first, but rust through the rockers weakens the cab and is a WOF failure in NZ when it is within the structural zone.
What you would notice
- Bubbling paint or holes at the bottom rear corners of the cab
- Rust or soft metal along the rocker panels under the doors
- Rust around the lip of the rear wheel arches on the tray
- Slip-on cover panels or fresh body filler over the lower cab
How to check it
Where to look. Lower rear cab corners, rocker panels under the doors, and rear wheel arches of the tray
Crouch down and use a phone torch to look along the full length of both rocker panels, including the underside edge, and at the lower rear cab corners behind the rear doors.
Press gently on any bubbled paint with a thumb; soft or crunchy metal means rust has gone through.
Look around the rear wheel arch lips on the tray and inside the arches.
Run a fridge magnet along the rockers and cab corners; if it will not stick in places, there is filler or a slip-on panel.
Open the doors and check the door sills and the bottom of the door shells for rust and blocked drain holes.
Ask whether any rust repair or panel replacement has been done and whether the truck has lived near the beach or been used on the sand.
If a workshop inspection is possible: put it on a hoist and check the inside of the rockers, the cab mounts and the chassis rails.
What it costs to put right
$800 to $6,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.
Ask the seller
- “Has any rust repair or panel replacement been done on the cab or tray?”
- “Has the truck lived near the coast or been driven on beaches?”
- “Has it ever failed a WOF for rust?”
Now check the RAM 1500 you are actually looking at
Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.
Where this comes from
- TrueDelta: Dodge Ram 1500 body problems (rusted rear wheel wells, rocker panels and cab corners)
- BodyShopPrice: 1994-2001 and 2002-2008 Dodge Ram rocker panel and cab corner repair panel listings
- Restoration Performance: OER 1994-2001 and 2002-2008 Dodge pickup rocker panel repair panels
RAM 1500 buyer questions
Is cab corner, rocker panel and rear wheel arch rust (2nd gen and 3rd gen ram 1500) serious on a RAM 1500?
We rate it major and common on the RAM 1500. Both the 1994 to 2001 and 2002 to 2008 Rams rust in the same places: the lower rear cab corners behind the doors, the rocker panels under the doors (quad cab trucks especially), and the rear wheel arches of the tray. Mud and water trapped behind the cab and inside the rockers rot them from the inside, so bubbling paint is often the first sign of rust that is already through. Repair panels for these exact spots are made for both generations because it is so common. Cosmetic at first, but rust through the rockers weakens the cab and is a WOF failure in NZ when it is within the structural zone.
How much does it cost to fix on a RAM 1500?
$800 to $6,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.
Which RAM 1500 years are affected?
Our research records this fault on the 1994–2008 RAM 1500. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.
How do I check for it before I buy?
Crouch down and use a phone torch to look along the full length of both rocker panels, including the underside edge, and at the lower rear cab corners behind the rear doors. Press gently on any bubbled paint with a thumb; soft or crunchy metal means rust has gone through. Look around the rear wheel arch lips on the tray and inside the arches. Run a fridge magnet along the rockers and cab corners; if it will not stick in places, there is filler or a slip-on panel. Open the doors and check the door sills and the bottom of the door shells for rust and blocked drain holes. Ask whether any rust repair or panel replacement has been done and whether the truck has lived near the beach or been used on the sand. If a workshop inspection is possible: put it on a hoist and check the inside of the rockers, the cab mounts and the chassis rails. Look here: Lower rear cab corners, rocker panels under the doors, and rear wheel arches of the tray