Most common 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 problems
Share of the 661 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Ram 2500 complaints by model year
Best Ram 2500 years: 2002, 2000, 1998. Years to avoid: 2006, 2003, 2004. Compare all years →
2003 Dodge Ram 2500 recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Dodge RAM 2500 4x4 and 3500 4x4, model year 2007-2008 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis and model year 2006-2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4 trucks manufactured February 12, 2002, through February 13, 2008. The left tie rod assembly may break.
Remedy: Chrysler notified owners and launched its recall campaign in January 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N62.
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 2500/3500 4x4, manufactured from February 14, 2008, through March 28, 2011; model year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 3500 cab chassis 4x2, manufactured from February 14, 2008, through March 28, 2011; and model year 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 mega cab 4x4, manufactured from February…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tie rod ends for relative orientation and replace the left outer tie rod as required and perform a front end toe alignment as needed. This service will be performed free of charge.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Column shift
On certain pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines and automatic transmissions, in an attempt to exit the vehicle quickly without shutting off the engine and removing the key, the driver May inadvertently leave the automatic transmission shift control in indicated reverse.
Remedy: Dealers will perform a software modification to equip these vehicles with an out-of-park alarm. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Wheels › Hubcap/cover
Certain heavy duty pickup trucks, the aluminum wheels May have excessive porosity in the center hub area which can cause a wheel to crack.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wheels and replace them if necessary. Owner notification is expected to begin June 17, 2003.. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
Vehicle speed control
Certain pickup trucks, equipped with cummins diesel engines and manual transmissions, May experience an elevated idle speed after extended cruise control use.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the software in the cummins engine controller. Owner notification began on March 10, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 6 possible defects involving the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
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…
FALSE PARK
There have been 50 complaints to odi and daimlerchrysler alleging incidents of reverse powered rollaway in subject vehicles that were parked with the engine running and the parking brake disengaged.the incidents are alleged to have resulted in 42 crashes and 3 injuries.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
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.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
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…
FALSE PARK
The subject vehicles are heavy duty pickup trucks with diesel engines and automatic transmissions commonly used for commercial and work purposes.a column mounted shift lever is used for gear selection and an electronic PRNDL on the instrument panel provides gear position information to the driver.the subject vehicles are also equipped with a brake-transmission shift interlock that prevents the shift lever from being…
Chrysler's execution of 13V-528 & 529
RMD opened this audit query (AQ) investigation in order to better understand and evaluate Chrysler's process(es) for timely and efficient execution of its safety recall campaigns, including its oversight and management of its parts division Mopar.Prior to opening this investigation, RMD had raised concerns with the company related to its execution of two safety recalls, 13V-528 and 13V-529, both of which involved…
What 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 owners say
Steering all 159 →
We have a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel crew cab pickup that occasionally after hitting a bump or on rough roads the steering mechanism or suspension develops an uncontrollable harmonic vibration with one or the other front wheels bouncing. The only way to stop the vibration is to come to a complete stop. In heavy traffic it could be a serious safety issue. The condition is well known to Chrysler and is commonly called a "Death Wobble". The first incidence on our vehicle was around ten years ago, but newer pickups are reported to have the condition. By replacing just the shock absorbers then it seemed to have helped, but that fix may have been fortuitous. The Dodge service center at that time did know of or maybe did not admit to the issue. Recently we have had the return of a couple episodes of the Death Wobble. …
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 09E001000 (Steering), 13V528000 (Steering) and 15V312000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Body & structure all 146 →
Takata ?- on 7/15/2017 my son was involved in a single vehicle accident as he drove home on the freeway. Lost control of vehicle resulting in the vehicle spinning and impacting a guard rail post , ejecting him from the vehicle on to the freeway where he died. Upon examination of vehicle no airbags in the cabin deployed. *
Vehicle was in motion when I identified a large crack had form in the center of the dashboard above the radio from front to rear. As I drive each day I have more and more cracks forming in all directions with sharp/angular pieces unexpectedly falling into the dash and the cab of the truck. I am concerned about the safety of myself and my passengers especially when I consider what might happen when the airbag deploys as designed, causing the dash to explode and send projectiles throughout the cab. I contacted Chrysler back in 2013 and was told by a representative that this defect is not a warranty issue because of the time since the purchase date. Since then the damage has become more severe and I am concerned that pieces falling behind the dash they will interfere with my ability to control the vehicle (acceleration/braking). …
Air bags all 138 →
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 09E001000 (Steering), 13V528000 (Steering) and 15V312000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a deer and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also mentioned that there was second crash where the vehicle was t-boned on the driver's side and the air bags failed to deploy again. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign id number: 14V770000 (air bags). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 a good car?
Based on 661 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Ram 2500 rates use caution: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Ram 2500 at the same age. It is one of the Ram 2500 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500?
The steering — 159 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about linkages › tie rod assembly. Next are the body & structure (146) and air bags (138).
How many recalls does the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500, the most recent from May 26, 2015 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Dodge Ram 2500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2002, 2000 and 1998. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006, 2003 and 2004. See the full Dodge Ram 2500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 77,000 miles; 30% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.