Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
After driving in heavy rain. During the following day started having electrical issues the parking lights would stay on even when the switch was turned off the driver's side headlight would also come on. and the parking lights would either turn off or flash when the high beams were turned on this happened with front and back parking lights the only way to fully get them to stay off was to pull the relay or disconnect the battery. The problem is with the power distribution center and front control module the poor design allows them to corrode damaging the copper tracing and causing shorts in the system this is a common problem as there are several online forums dedicated to these problems with a lot of people having the same issues so I'm not sure why there hasn't been a recall for this since it is a major safety problem when it affects lights, windshield wipers and several other things …
Sudden loss of braking while approaching intersection; the brake pedal just went to the floor when applying approximately two hundred feet before intersection; applied emergency brake to effectively stop;speed was below 30 MPH when approaching intersection and brake loss occurred; truck has also had four "death wobble" experiences even with pittman arm and associated parts replacement; two experiences of sudden acceleration (possible jammed open throttle) of the turbo, leading to loss of control; sudden accelerations occurred shortly after cruise control usage and traveling less than 30 MPH; while stationary, vehicle has experienced wiring harness short and fire on firewall while connected to trailer. Pictures attached were taken within 12 hours of sudden loss of brakes.
Multiple breaks in the vent portion of the dash cover with missing pieces and the main dash component is completely cracked through on the passenger side. With the ventilation system on, pieces of plastic and deteriorated insulation blows freely in the cab of the truck. With the dash continuing to crack and break apart pieces of plastic have dropped below the dash and could potentially could expose and cause wiring problems with the electrical system. The cracked dash is a danger to the eyes of anyone riding in the vehicle with the ventilation system circulating condition air. I fear that the dash will act as shrapnel in the event of air bag deployment. ...updated 07/30/15
The trailer connector on my truck has never been used by me so I didnt know it didnt work. I now have a travel trailer but nothing works but the driver side signal. Nothing else. I checked the connector and there is no current coming out of it except for the left signal. I see there was a recall but cant find any info. Cant take it anywhere without lights!!! Have to go out of town with it but cant until its working. Help please.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated the ignition switch caught on fire and damaged the entire ignition. The wires inside the ignition were severely corroded. The contact stated that prior to the fire, the vehicle was exhibiting several electrical issues. The cause of the fire was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 128,000.
While searching for a fix for my dash which just cracked I found several reports of after the dash cracked where electrical issues arise. As in headlights not working at all or when switching to hi beam. I also saw a video on this issue from a news broadcast and when Chrysler was questioned about this there was never any response while the public was requesting a recall. From what I can find out just in the hour I was looking this up this would apply to just about every Dodge Ram made between 1996 and 2006. My truck is garage kept and I keep it in excellent condition so for this to happen due to sitting in the sun it's entire life I might understand but there is no way this should have happened to mine. My father was a mechanic for Chrysler for over 20 years and this is just plain cheap made products. …
Truck has the same electrical issues as the recalled newer trucks. It melted the fuse box and the truck wont run. I have replaced the fuse box, computer, all coils, all plugs, all wires, throttle body over 3,000.00 and the truck still does not run. Only has 81,000 miles on it. It was towed to a Chrysler dealership and towed back out of the dealership because they could not tell us what is wrong with it. After 3,000.00 of lets try this I can not afford any more lets try this or that. This is a common problem and most people think they broke a valve in the Hemi motor. I have run a compression test and this is not the case. My issue is electrical and I don't feel as thou I should have to spend any more money trying to figure it out when the dealership cant. The truck was under warranty the first time it was brought in for an electrical issue. …
That morning I was leaving a job site and noticed my engine light came on. I called the Dodge dealer. Service tech stated that if it was not flashing to bring it in asap. Later that day while driving back to my house, without any warning the engine just shut off in the middle of the street. Luckily there was no traffic and I was able to coast to my house. The truck would not re-start. I called the dealer and Chrysler had a tow truck out. It was found that a wiring harness had come loose and had been rubbing, the harness damaged and a bare wire shored out, blew the coil and ruptured the fuel line! I was very lucky to not have caught fire or exploded. After repeated calls and emails, I have figured Chrysler does not care. I'll bet ther are quite a few 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 pickups out there. I would hope the rest could be warned before a death occurs!
While driving under normal conditions and without warning the vehicle experienced a complete engine and electrical failure. (the lightening bolt symbol appeared on the dash board) after the ignition was turned off and waiting several minutes, the vehicle restarted normally. The consumer found in the owner's manual was due to the electronic throttle control. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic and was told that the problem was because of the way the consumer was driving and there was nothing was wrong with the vehicle. The consumer was recently informed that the software update was available for the vehicle. This is the 5.7 l Hemi 2003 Ram 4x4.had truck since 11-04 has done this about 10 times to present.it is going to get somebody injured are hurt because truck does it whenever it wants to maybe taking off at a red light are etc.!
On 2003 and up Dodge Ram 2500 trucks the fuse box(power distribution center) is prone to either corrode or otherwise fail. On my vehicle some of the lights failed and the power to the trailer brake also. When the pdc failed it also damaged the front control module which control many of the trucks significant functions. Almost all vehicle electrics go through the pdc so on any given failure critical vehicle safety items May be compromised. I checked for similar problems online and found quite a few. Currently with this part there are 189 of them backordered through Dodge which supports a serious issue with them I was lucky I noticed there was no power to the brakes before an accident, but that May not have been the case.
Electrical complaints in other Ram 2500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the electrical system of the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500, 4% of the model year's 661 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › front underhood (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.