Used Dodge Ram 50 Buying Guide: The Mitsubishi-Built Mini Truck

The Dodge Ram 50 (called D-50 in its first year) is a Mitsubishi compact pickup that Dodge sold from 1979 into the early 1990s, the same basic truck Mitsubishi later sold under its own name as the Mighty Max. If you're buying one, buy it for the bed and frame condition, check that the 4WD works on a Power Ram 50, and expect a history report to tell you very little. Most of what matters on a 30-plus-year-old mini truck you'll find with your own eyes.

On Oct. 20, 2026 I read The Truth About Cars' two-part history of Dodge's import trucks, Hagerty's compact pickup roundup and an Autoweek piece on the 1987 Ram 50 ad, and I ran NHTSA's recall data under every name Dodge used. The sources don't agree on the last year, and I'll say where.

First generation: 1979-1986

Hagerty says the 1979 D-50 and its Plymouth Arrow twin were rebadged Mitsubishi Fortes with 6.5-foot beds and up to 1,400 pounds of payload. Base trucks had a 93-hp 2.0-liter four and a four-speed, while the Sport got a 105-hp 2.6 and a five-speed, with a three-speed automatic optional. The name changed to Ram 50 for 1980.

TTAC's Part I fills in the rest. All trucks were 2WD through 1981. Four-wheel drive came to North America for 1982 and was badged Power Ram 50. The Arrow was dropped after 1982. For 1983 the Dodge got a refresh with four rectangular headlamps, and a 2.3-liter turbodiesel became optional. Mitsubishi started selling the truck itself in 1983 as the Mighty Max, still with the older single-lamp face, so a quad-lamp nose is a quick way to tell an '83-'86 Dodge from its Mitsubishi twin.

Second generation: 1987 and on

The redesign arrived for 1987. According to TTAC's Part II, U.S. trucks started with the 2.0 and 2.6 fours, a 3.0-liter V6 came to the Ram 50 for 1990 on 4WD models only, and transmissions were a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Extended cabs were offered on the long wheelbase.

The end date is fuzzy. TTAC says Dodge pulled the Ram 50 after 1994, and Autoweek also says it stayed on sale through the 1994 model year. Other references stop at 1993, and NHTSA's recall lookup returned nothing for 1992 through 1994. Go by the VIN and the title, not the seller's ad. Dodge launched the bigger Dakota in 1987, so the two overlapped for years. If you want something mid-size instead, our used Dodge Dakota guide is the place to start.

Recalls under three names

NHTSA files these trucks as RAM 50 for some years and D50 for others, and "RAM50" with no space returned nothing for any year. What came back when I ran them:

• 84V157000 (1984-1985 Ram 50): the engine oil pressure sending unit could develop a leak.
• 95V103003 (1986-1991 Ram 50): the red plastic front belt buckle release buttons could break and jam the buckle. The same issue shows up for the Mighty Max under 95V103004.
• 87V194000 (1988 D50): the automatic transmission's park sprag rod could stick and fail to engage park.

Other hits were aftermarket parts recalls (Federal-Mogul fuel pumps, Pro-A replacement lamps) that only matter if those parts were fitted. Run the VIN through our Dodge recall check by VIN anyway. Test both front buckles yourself, and on an automatic, park on a slope and make sure it holds.

What a history report won't show

These were work trucks. A lot of them spent years hauling, plowing farm lanes or sitting behind a barn, and none of that lands on a report. What a report can show is a title brand, an odometer record if you're lucky, and which states it's been in. It won't show a bed floor rusted through under a mat, a frame patched with plate, a tired clutch or a transfer case that pops out of 4WD.

So look underneath. Check the frame rails near the spring hangers, the cab corners, the rockers and the bed floor and wheel wells. On a Power Ram 50, engage 4WD on dirt and check for leaks at the transfer case and front differential. On a diesel, assume parts will be hard to find and ask what's been replaced. Make sure the VIN on the dash, door and title agree, and check it on NMVTIS. The truck is a Mitsubishi underneath, so our Mitsubishi VIN decoder can help read a 17-digit VIN from 1981 on.

Dodge also sold Mitsubishi's SUV as the Raider from 1987, if you want the matching rig. Our Mitsubishi Raider guide is about the later, unrelated 2006-09 truck, so don't mix them up when searching for parts.

Price and the report

I couldn't find a value guide I trust for Ram 50s, and asking prices are all over the place. Mini trucks have a following now, so the clean ones aren't cheap. CarVins is a licensed reseller of CARFAX and AutoCheck reports and isn't affiliated with either company, Dodge or Mitsubishi. In late October 2026 a guest report was about $5.50, a member report about $4.50 and the pair about $6.75, compared with $39.99 to $44.99 retail. Confirm it at checkout, because that's the number you'll actually pay.

Sources

• TTAC: Dodge's Dead Import Trucks, Part I and Part II
• Hagerty: When compact pickups were truly compact
• Autoweek: 1987 Dodge Ram 50 ad
• NHTSA recalls: 1988 Dodge D50 (checked Oct. 20, 2026)