2003 Dodge RAM 1500
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Dodge › RAM 1500 › 2003
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2003 Dodge RAM 1500. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
5 recalls name the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500. Newest first.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2003 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks manufactured August 29, 2002, to July 25, 2003 to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the…
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began on March 16, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R26. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 14V770.
Federal-mogul IS recalling certain carquest, national, and percision brand wheel hub assemblies, p/nos 515073 and 515073, sold for use as replacement equipment on model year 2002 through 2008 dodge RAM 1500 pickup trucks. the inboard roll form used to maintain the hub assembly can fatigue resulting in noise and/or wheel separation on the two wheel drive…
A vehicle crash can occur if the wheel separates from the vehicle.
Federal-mogul will notify owners of record and technicians will replace the affected hub assemblies free of charge. the safety recall began on september 15, 2010. owners may contact federal-mogul at 1-877-489-6659.
Fabtech IS recalling certain aftermarket replacement pitman arms, p/nos. Fts93001 and ft44039, installed for use on certain 2003 through 2008 dodge 2500 4WD, 3500 4WD, and 1500 4WD mega cab vehicles. the pitman arm can fracture and break away from the steering box causing total loss of steering control.
Steering loss could result in a vehicle crash possibly resulting in property damage, injury or death.
Fabtech will notify owners and authorized installers will inspect for defective pitman arm and replace if necessary free of charge. the safety recall began on may 24, 2010. owners may contact fabtech at 1-877-432-2832.
Certain curved tempered replacement glass manufactured by hangzhou safety glass ltd and supplied to safelite by auto temp inc., identified as dot-430, and sold for use on certain domestic and foreign vehicles may not break into small pieces as expected of tempered glass and fails to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 205, "glazing…
In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant(s) may be seriously injured by shattered glass.
Safelite will notify its retail customers and replace the glass free of charge. Retail customers can contact safelite toll free at 1-888-843-2906. Safelite will notify its wholesale customers and reimburse wholesale customers for current inventory and at a specified rate for replacing their customer's glass. Wholesale customers can contact safelite's wholesale division, service autoglass toll free at 1-888-246-6298. The recall began on january 15, 2008.
Certain replacement k&n fuel performance kits, p/nos. 57-1509, 57-1511, 57-1511-1, 57-1517, 57-1517-1, 57-1527, and 57-1530. also, a small percentage of these kits were sold under the mopar performance parts brand name (p/nos. P5007069 and p5007070). all kits were manufactured from april 20, 1999, through september 23, 2004. these assemblies were…
A jammed open throttle could cause unintended acceleration of the vehicle, possibly resulting in a crash or increased stoping distances when braking.
K&n will provide owners with a free repair kit along with repair instructions. the recall began on april 20, 2006.
brought my 2003 dodge ram 1500 to Romeo dodge to have a Passenger Airbag Recall Repair on [XXX] and I was called one hour later and told my airbag replacement was finished and I could pick up my truck. So i picked up my truck and drove it from Romeo dodge [XXX] to [XXX] where I live I parked the truck . We were sick for a few days after we parked the truck home it wasnt moved at all until a few days later I tried to start my truck and it would not start , so i tried again and the truck started briefly and the gauges were going crazy and truck started bogging badly and shut off and wouldn't start again so I complained to Romeo dodge about this and the service manager Jason said the truck drove home to my house fine and that whatever is wrong is not romeo dodge's responsibility . So i called back and asked to speak with general manager and I spoke to Chad general manager and he said the same at first. Then finally he sent a tow truck to pick up my truck and bring it back to the service center and re-evaluate what they did to my truck and brought me a loaner car after hours of disputing the facts .. a few hours later Chad called me back and said my truck starts and I can come pick it up. So i drove to kingston again and when I got there my truck was not finished so I waited and then I got inside my truck to start it up to get ready to leave and put into reverse and truck wouldnt move unless I pressed the gas all the way down. Then we put it in park and called for the technician to come back over . Then the gauges were not working in the dashboard either after the air bag replacement . And ine of the technicians said he believed the truck may be in Limp mode. So the service manager had to keep calling Chad the general manager who refused to come downstairs and address this situation that was very stressful already. Chad said when he towed the truck back to romeo dodge he was only supposed to get the truck to start again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V312000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired; however, the contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was on back order. The contact stated that the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles(DMV) had placed a hold on the registration of the vehicle, preventing the contact from being able to operate the vehicle on public roadways. The contact stated that the manufacturer had failed to provide the remedy within a reasonable amount of time. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being driven by a friend at 45 MPH, the rear axle detached. The driver was stranded by the roadside. The vehicle was towed to the driver's residence. There were no warning lights illuminated. An unknown local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 300,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that the steering wheel and the front wheels were uncontrollable. While driving from Georgia to Memphis, there was an unknown object loose by the wheel. The ball joint suspension was replaced by an independent mechanic. The low tire pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact was unable to control the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to an unstated location. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.
Rear fenders are rusted such that wiring harness falls off from underside if fenders and rubs on tires. Middle of frame rusted through on right and left side and dealer's floor lift went about half-way through both sides when the technician. tried to raise truck to check wiring under truck. The lift only crunched about halfway through near the middle of the frame. That was the point when the technician noticed the truck was lifting unevenly and making a crunching sound when he started trying to lift it. He left the truck as it was - with two wheels on the floor and two wheels about an inch off the floor He hollered for th shop supervisor to look at, who came and got me in the waiting room to show me what happened. The dealership could not repair the frame, but said there was a welding shop a couple of miles away down a back road in Zachow, WI where I could safely drive to if I went really slow. I don't know when the frame started rusting or the date the dealer's hydraulic lift broke through the frame. The truck's rear fenders were starting to significantly rust when it was about 3-4 years old. It was purchased new. I don't know how badly the frame had rusted at that time. I'm fairly certain the truck had less that 100,000 miles on it when the dealer found that the frame was rusted through. It's 22 years old now and was bought new in 2003. It has 147,000 miles on it today. Assuming that the miles/year were roughly the same at 6,682, and the tail lights started acting "funny" (the reason we brought the truck to the dealership),happened the year after we bought our new 2013 Lund boat (2014), that would put the mileage on the truck at 73,502. This type of dangerous deterioration should not happen with a low-mileage vehicle like ours.
A few years ago, while driving down a rural road, I saw a tire rolling behind my truck. I stopped to remove it from the road and it turned out to be my spare tire.. The cross brace that is connected to the support cable rusted and folded to allow the tire to drop free. I replaced the cross brace and added heavy duty straps to be a backup support so as to assure this incident would not happen again. Last month my friend's son was injured due to an accident involving what appears to be a Pick-Up truck spare tire lost on a state highway. The tire size and a rusted cross brace led the responding police officer to conclude that it came from a Pick-up truck. Perhaps, pick up truck manufacturers should inspect and install a secondary/back up safety strap?
The frame/chasis rusted through and dealer could not raise truck because lift went through frame. If it had not been noticed at dealership, we and others could have been killed if the frame had broken through on the highway. The dealership and repair shop can confirm. The box and other body components are severely rusted. The body around the gas filler cap is so rusty that I have to hold the gas dispenser just so as to prevent gas leakage from the filler apparatus going into the gas tank. The gas tank fell off the truck twice and the truck was towed into the dealer to be fixed. The truck has less than 150,000 miles, and was purchased new. The incidents occurred between 2004 and 2020 - approx. No police reports or injuries, but no help from dealer.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal thump, prompting the contact to look through the review mirror, where he observed that the spare tire was on the roadway. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the spare tire hoist cable had detached, allowing the spare tire to fall from the spare tire compartment. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,600. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the driveshaft detached. Due to the failure, the gear oil and rear differential fluid leaked out of the vehicle. The contact was able to temporarily repair the driveshaft. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but offered no assistance. Additionally, the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V312000 (Air Bags) however, the contact was informed that due to a crack in the dashboard, he would be charged for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.
UNKNOWN Everything will stop operating as I'm driving and after coming to a stop will start Right back up. I had one repair shop tell me that it has something to do with the fuel but the problem continue, the second repair shop said it was a brain box issue, if this was safety issue or problem can I get reimbursed.
The driveshaft to pinion gear at the differential comes loose during normal driving. I have replaced the bit numerous times, but it keeps coming loose. There is a recall on same truck but different years. The exact problem the other Rams have is exact issue with mine. When it comes loose, the car grinds to a halt.
The reason the owners of these Dodges is that the dealers break the already brittle dash boards and REFUSE to repair or replace the dashboard. So most wont have the recall performed. So until the dealers are forced to repair/replace the brittle dashes when they perform these recalls then people will not have it addressed. Also i have owned my Dodge since October 2022. Truck is registered with dodge on the website and yet to receive a recall notice in the mail. Now if i go and look it shows the recall on my truck but many do not register their vehicles with the manufacturers website. All in all the EXPENSIVE dashboards being broke by dealerships performing the recall is why owners wont go thru it. Many have paid thousands in getting the dashes fixed. Also id think brittle dashboards that turn sharp daggers would be a safety hazard as well but yet no recall. My dash is missing HUGE pieces. Leaving sharp jagged edges that will be knives in an accident. I mean if the dashes bust just by replacing an airbag inflator or just sun exposure. Imagine being in an accident.
Rear end of my ram 1500 pickup model year 2003 locked up doing 60 MPH on the interstate broke the drive shaft and the front of the rear end and yoke off. This is the third rear end I have put in this truck. This has been reported all over the internet thousands and thousands of times over about these Dodge ram 1500 pickup truck rear ends having catastrophic failure causing injury and near fatalities yet Chrysler Dodge Jeep still has not issued a recall for the 2003 model year ram 1500 rear end. It is the same exact rear end as the model year 2005 which has the same recall and other years that they have issued recalls for. I cannot understand how this has gone on for years with so many reports and incidences of this happening and still nothing being done of it. Again this is the third rear end I have put in my truck. My truck only has 120,000 miles on it first rear end went out well under 100,000 mi. It was also brought to the dealership to have pinion seal and nut fixed under warranty at 30,000 miles. I have paperwork proving that there was an issue starting at 30,000 miles with this truck. I really hope somebody will finally do something about this issue that has plagued hundreds of thousands of people and their trucks. A simple internet search will show thousands and thousands of people all having the same issues with their 2003 Dodge ram 1500 pickup trucks. You can see in two of the pictures the skid marks from the rear end locking up on the road and I buy a miracle manage to keep the truck from sliding into the guardrail next to it. The vehicle is currently on a car trailer at my house and can be inspected at any time as I do not have the money to put a fourth rear end to this vehicle at this time.
I just bought this car with a smog certificate of less than 90 days ago from today and it caught on fire while I was driving it not even going over 55 miles an hour. I seen a potential recall that would cause a fire like that for the make and model of my vehicle but when I put my vin in it says it wasn’t effected. To be clear my vehicle wasn’t leaking any fluids either.
The contact owned a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V312000 (Air Bags) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list as she no longer owns the vehicle. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.
The passenger airbag inflator housing may rupture, due to excessive internal pressure, during normal airbag deployment events. This condition IS more likely to occur if your vehicle has been exposed to high levels of absolute humidity for extended periods of time.
This vehicle had last been started and driven 7 hrs prior and exploded in the driveway, caught the house on fire and nearly killed my son who was near the inside wall of the house. The engine blew and then the front tires. Three explosions in all before the fire department was able to stop the fire. Luckily they were only a mile away. This was an older but well running vehicle.
2003 dodge RAM 1500 dashboard cracked all over. If involved in an accident the sharp pcs of hard plastic would definitely impale the occupants. Dodge states its only a few trucks but I have not seen one 2003 dodge RAM with a dashboard on one pc. Once I was forced to brake hard and my passenger reacted by slamming her hand on the dash and a sharp point of a broken pc stabbed into her palm which began bleeding. Definitely need to look into this matter as it's a real hazard that could most probably result in a death if someone were to get in an accident.
The truck was brought in to dealer to inspect/repair wiring for trailer outlet. When they and began raising the vehicle, the rear lift arms broke through the frame on both sides. When I drove it short way to the repair shop (about 5 miles), the frame on the left broke and sagged and I nearly lost control. The repair shop was in sight and I was able to make it at under 10 mph. The road between the dealer and repair shop was an old country road and I never exceeded 45mph. The rusted frame was first noticed by Witt Ford in Pulaski and the frame was reinforced/surrounded by welded plate steel. There was no warning of the defect. If I had been travelling at highway speed and this failure occurred, I would have lost control, the left side of the truck would have been dragging as well as fuel tank. There would have been a crash and probably a fire.
Frame damage where steering box separates
When driving the truck the vehicle randomly shuts down and I have to pull over or put it in neutral to restart it I believe there might be a problem with the tipm that dodge has had a ongoing problem for years and ignored the issue
Around midday of November 25, 2021, a clear day with no precipitation, while operating the 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 with about 155k miles on it at approximately 35 MPH, the drive train locked up causing the vehicle to go into a skid and a spin that sent the vehicle into a telephone pole. We could have slid into oncoming traffic, fortunately, we did not. The vehicle was totaled. While loading the vehicle onto the tow truck, responders noted that the axle was sheared at the back due to the rear differential locking up unexpectedly. There was a noise, like a whistle or a whine for a few minutes leading up the incident, but not anything that I would associate with this kind or failure, no grinding, roughness, or clunking.
2003 RAM 1500: concerns about cracked dashboard becoming projectiles
Fuel tank strap IS rotted and tank IS falling out
Dash IS cracked and pieces are flying everywhere when the ac IS turned on. Very unsafe.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.During the course of PE14-016, ODI determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by Takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.Nonetheless, at ODI's insistence, all 10 vehicle manufacturers initiated a regional recall within approximately two weeks of the opening of the investigation.The regions recalled initially included Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, areas with high absolute humidity and climatic conditions believed to be a significant factor in the inflator ruptures.As part of the recall actions, inflators removed from remedied vehicles are to be returned to Takata for testing.Takata's initial test results on passenger inflators from remedied vehicles indicated a much higher than anticipated rupture frequency for inflators returned from Florida.Accordingly ODI requested all 10 manufacturers expand the regional recalls for passenger inflators to include other geographic areas where high absolute humidity conditions exist, including the Gulf States and other coastal areas.Takata's testing of the passenger inflators to date continues to indicate this geographic area as having the highest risk, with no ruptures occurring from inflators returned from outside the expanded recall regions.During PE14-016 four additional passenger inflator field events occurred, all in vehicles from the same expanded geographic region.Also during PE14-016 four additional driver inflator field events occurred including two in vehicles from regions not known for high absolute humidity, specifically California and North Carolina.Accordingly, ODI requested all five of the affected vehicle manufacturers currently using the subject Takata driver inflators expand to nationwide recalls.Significantly, neither of the affected vehicle manufacturers or Takata provided any explanation to account for these two driver air bag inflator ruptures outside the area of high absolute humidity.Takata testing of returned driver inflators indicates a lower rupture frequency as compared to passenger inflator testing.All test ruptures reported by Takata to date have occurred on inflators returned from high absolute humidity areas.The investigation now includes all manufacturers and vehicles known to be affected at this time.ODI's investigation will focus on, among other things, root cause analysis, other potential defect consequences, identification of affected vehicles scope, and adequacy of the remedy.The five ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10537899, 10568848, 10585224, 10605877, 10651492
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.During the course of PE14-016, ODI determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by Takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.Nonetheless, at ODI's insistence, all 10 vehicle manufacturers initiated a regional recall within approximately two weeks of the opening of the investigation.The regions recalled initially included Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, areas with consistently high absolute humidity and climatic conditions believed to be a significant factor in the inflator ruptures.As part of the recall actions, inflators removed from remedied vehicles are to be returned to Takata for testing.Takata's initial test results on passenger inflators from remedied vehicles indicated a much higher than anticipated rupture frequency for inflators returned from Florida.Accordingly, ODI requested all 10 manufacturers expand the regional recalls for passenger inflators to include other geographic areas where high absolute humidity conditions exist, including the Gulf States and other coastal areas.Takata's testing of the passenger inflators to date continues to indicate this geographic area as having the highest risk, with no ruptures occurring from inflators returned from outside the expanded recall regions.During PE14-016, four additional passenger inflator field events occurred, all in vehicles from the same expanded geographic region.Also during PE14-016, four additional driver inflator field events occurred including two in vehicles from regions not known for high absolute humidity, specifically California and North Carolina.Accordingly, ODI requested all five of the affected vehicle manufacturers currently using the subject Takata driver inflators expand to nationwide recalls.Significantly, neither of the affected vehicle manufacturers or Takata provided any explanation to account for these two driver air bag inflator ruptures outside the area of high absolute humidity.Takata testing of returned driver inflators indicates a lower rupture frequency as compared to passenger inflator testing.All test ruptures reported by Takata to date have occurred on inflators returned from high absolute humidity areas.The PE is now closed/upgraded to an Engineering Evaluation (EA15-001) to include all manufacturersand vehicles known to be affected at this time.ODI's EA investigation will focus on, among other things, root cause analysis, other potential defect consequences, identification of affected vehicles scope, and adequacy of the remedy.The recalls related to this PE are: 14V343, 14V344, 14V348, 14V351, 14V353, 14V655, 14V700, 14V701, 14V752, 14V763, 14V770, 14V773, 14V787, 14V802 and 14V817.The number of vehicles affected are an estimate since some vehicles may have both the driver and passenger side inflators recalled. The five ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10537899, 10568848, 10585224, 10605877, 10651492
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.