Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Dodge Ram owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
(rear axle sheared) at 4:00 pm on March 19th 2005, I was driving this vehicle south bound on california state highway 71. When all of a sudden the right side rear axle sheared, causing the vehicle to go into a forced left handed 360 degree spin. I tried to correct the spin, but the vehicle would not respond or stop. The vehicle crashed into the center median. Also, the engine RPM's went up when the axle shaft broke. The insurance company said the vehicle is a total loss. The dealer would not repair it or admit to the defect. However an employee at the dealership showed me another shaft from a crashed 2003 truck. The axle shaft was identical to mine, the center part of the axle shaft was crystalized. See odi 10116454 also. Dsy.
(rear axle shear), t 4:00 pm on March 19th 2005, I was driving this vehicle south bound on california state highway 71. When all of a sudden the right side rear axle sheared, causing the vehicle to go into a forced left handed 360 degree spin. I tried to correct the spin, but the vehicle would not respond or stop. The vehicle crashed into the center median. Also, the engine RPM's went up when the axle shaft broke. The insurance company said the vehicle is a total loss. The dealer would not repair it or admit to the defect. However an employee at the dealership showed me another shaft from a crashed 2003 truck. The axle shaft was identical to mine, the center part of the axle shaft was crystalized. See odi 10116455 also.
I have a terrible launch shudder in the drive line of my truck, which the dealer has been unable to repair. I bought the truck sept 03 and returned it to the dealer May 04 with 2027 miles on it. The truck would shake at approximately 20 MPH on a hard acceleration the dealer said he went back to the dealer several more times for the same complaint but they couldn't duplicate the problem so there was no fix. Finally, on July 25, 2005, at 9028 miles a service tech went for a ride with me and felt the shudder. The dealership replaced the driveshaft and said the vehicle was fixed. I drove off the dealer parking lot and the shudder started as soon as I hit the public street. I drove right back into the dealership and told them the problem hasn't been corrected. …
I own a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 quad cab slt VIN 1d7-hu18n53s-188168 assembly point, warren, michigan. The truck stalled while in traffic making a 10-15 MPH right turn. The second occurence was july15, 2004. Very close call here. I was in the smokey mountains camping. The six hour drive home towing my popup was nerve racking to say the least. Especially, since my 13, 6 and 3 year old were in the truck. I mentioned that the truck runs extremely rough intermittently to the dealer morgan Dodge durham north carolina on at least two occasions. I am also experiencing an intermittent shudder that seems to be coming from the transmission, also mentioned to the dealer on at least two occasions. The dealer simply said that they could not reproduce the shudder or stall. I also had a severe brake pulsation. They did replace front pads and calipers and cut rotors. …
I just had my 2003 Dodge Ram quad cab 1500 series truck in the dealership for its 30,000 miles service and the dealership told me that they found the differential locking clip had fallen off and had done damage to the inside of my rear. They said that I was very lucky that they found it now since it could have cased a serious accident if it the rear had locked up at highway speeds. I have done some homework on this issue and have seen that there is a very high failure rate on this problem. I am very concerned as I do a lot of towing with my camper and family. I have also seen where there has been a very high failure rate on the rear axles breaking. My dealership did not replace my rear differential but had rebuilt it. I wanted a new one but they told me it was an isolated incident and haven't heard of many differentials failing. What can your organization do to help me?
Tl* - on 09/05/05 while driving on a major road, the contact stated that his 2003 Dodge Ram was unable to shift out of a low gear staying at a speed of 25 MPH. The contact took his vehicle to allen samuels in houston, tx and they stated that they couldn't detect any failure on the vehicle. On 10/28/06 while driving down a hill pulling a 30 ft travel trailer at 50 MPH, the contact tried to down shift, but the vehicle would not change gears. The contact stated that he couldn't use the emergency brake to assist in stopping the vehicle. The contact took vehicle to his local dealer( dub herring in picayune, ms) and they couldn't detect any failures with the vehicle. The contact can provide copies of the invoice repair if needed. Updated 03/14/07.
The rear end in my 2003 Dodge Ram burned up. I first noticed a burning smell like propane gas which started to make me and the family sick. Pulled over to the side of the road found nothing. Then after driving 20 minutes longer the ABS light came on. Next I observed orange sparks coming from the back of the truck. Pulled over again and climbed under truck and burnt my arm instantly when touching the rear pumpkin. Sat on the side of the road for 3 hours to let cool down. Then drove to the dealer 30 miles away. Engine light came on and speedometer gauge was jumping all over the place. Truck was also shifting improperly. Dealer said the rear got so hot that it melted the rear ABS sensor and the speedometer sensor.
When going from reverse to drive, at times engine idles rough and RPM's drop to about 350-400 RPM. Approximately 75% of the time it happens the engine quits. The other 25% of the time it happens the RPM's increase after a short period of time (20seconds to 1 minute) and if still in gear the truck will lurch forward when rpms increase. Pressing the accelerator to increase RPM's does not affect RPM's when engine is stumbling and truck will not move. Dealer has been notified, known problem with engine programming. Problem has existed since truck was new.
2003 Dodge Ram fuel lines rotted resulting in a severe leak. ***** the consumer stated the manufacturer cannot or will not produce a replacement fuel line. The consumer stated while the truck was sitting in idle, the vehicle began to move backwards. The consumer attempted to stop the vehicle with no success. The vehicle rolled down a hill and into a tree. The consumer received a recall notice after he experienced the failure with the transmission.
I took my 03 Ram in for service and the service adviser found a clip that had broken in the rear end. Total cost to repair up to $2000.00. I was told that this is a common problem with the Ram. Should be a recall for this problem before someone has a rear end to lock up and cause a accident.
NHTSA investigations
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…
Transmission complaints in other Ram years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2003 Dodge Ram?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2003 Dodge Ram, 11% of the model year's 189 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Dodge Ram transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2003 Dodge Ram, though it has 2 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 34,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.