2003 Dodge RAM 3500 problems and owner complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH SUDDENLY STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO TURN AND LOCKED UP. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE STEERING GEAR BOX BEING TIGHTENED TOO TIGHT AT TIME OF MANUFACTURING, PER DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE PART. *AK *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 6,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10044469 at NHTSA ↗

2003 DODGE 3500 FOUR DOOR PICKUP 4X4 FRONT WHEELS SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHEN TRAVELING OVER ROUGH PATCHES OF INTERSTATE. EVERYTHING SHAKES, FEELS LIKE THE TRUCK IS COMING APART. WITNESSES SAY THE FRONT WHEELS ARE STEERING LEFT TO RIGHT RAPIDLY, HOWEVER IT FEELS LIKE THE TIRES ARE BOUNCING OFF OF THE PAVEMENT. THIS HAPPENS REGULARLY AT SPEEDS ABOVE 65MPH. WHEN I SLOW TO 40 MPH THE SHAKING STOPS. IT IS VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WHEN IT IS SHAKING.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10081229 at NHTSA ↗

2003 DODGE RAM 3500. 76000 MILE. REAR AXLE SEAL LEAKING ONTO RIGHT REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE PADS. LOSS OF REAR END FLUID. HAD THE TRANSMISSION AND REAR END SERVICED AT LOCAL DODGE DEALER AT 30,000 AND 60,000 MILES. THEY STATED BOTH TIMES THE REAR END WAS LOW ON FLUID. BUT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE THE FLUID WENT TO. DURING A RECENT BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENT THE TECHNICIAN REMOVED THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL TO TURN THE DISK, AND FOUND THE PROBLEM. THE LOCAL DEALER STATED THEY HAD THE SEALS BUT WHEN THEY ARRIVED THEY WERE THE WRONG SIZE. SEVERAL PHONE C…

Owner-reported narrative. 76,258 miles reported. Look up ODI 10067690 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2003 DODGE RAM 3500 DIESEL HAS BEEN JUMPING INTO REVERSE FROM PARK. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY. I PARKED AT MINI MART AT 6AM TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE. IT WAS COLD SO I LEFT THE ENGNE IDLING TO WARM UP. I CAME OUT TO FIND MY VEHICLE GONE. I LOOKED ACROSS THE STREET AND FOUND IT SMASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE TRUCK HAD MINIMAL DAMAGE, BUT EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE BUILDING. I THOUGHT MAYBE I MISTAKINLY PUT THE LEVER IN REVERSE AT FIRST, BUT BUT YOU CANT GET OUT OF THE DOOR WITHOUT THE V…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10095932 at NHTSA ↗

THE TRANSMISSION KEEPS SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING AND SOMETIMES UPON PULLING OUT. THE TRUCK IS 10 WEEKS OLD AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THIS CONDITION 4 TIMES, WITH THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT ON 3 OF THOSE TRIPS, ONCE IT WENT IN ON A ROLLBACK BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. IT HAS ALSO DOWNSHIFTED INTO A LOWER GEAR, BARKED THE TIRES AND SLUNG US FORWARD SO HARD IT ALMOST SNAPPED OUR NECKS TWICE NOW. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED ALSO. THEY NOW SAY SINCE I AM REQUESTING A FULL REFUND FOR THE TRUCK THAT THERE IS NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS OR DAMA…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,311 miles reported. Look up ODI 10056965 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR, AND VEHICLE ROLLED INTO A LAKE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 17,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10057724 at NHTSA ↗

2001 DODGE 3500 W/HO CUMMINS SPONTANEOUSLY IGNITED AND BURNED TO NOTHING. IT STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, DRIVERS SIDE. MY OPINION IS IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE DUE TO THE SMELL OF THE SMOKE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10030796 at NHTSA ↗

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS INITIALLY STARTED, THERE IS A HESITATION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THIS IS INTERMITTENT AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE A PROBLEM. THE COMPUTER HAS BEEN CHECKED FOR CODES AND THE WIRING WAS CHECKED.

Owner-reported narrative. 74,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10157439 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, DRIVER CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER SAID TO POP THE HOOD PUMP, THE PRIMER. VEHICLE STARTED 10 MINUTES LATER AND STALLED ON HIGHWAY, CONSUMER FEELS COULD HAVE BEEN T-BONED AS A RESULT OF ENGINE STALLING AND DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING.DEALER SAID FUEL INJECTORS NEEDED REPLACEMENT, AND WILL ONLY BE REPLACED ONE AT A TIME AS THEY FAIL. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 207 miles reported. Look up ODI 10034438 at NHTSA ↗

POOR FUEL MILEAGE IN COMPARISON TO SEVERAL OTHER DODGE'S OF THE SAME YEAR. *PH WHILE PULLING A TRAILER AT 63 MPH THE VEHILCE HAD A LOW OF 6.85 MPG. ON AVERAGE THE VEHICLE GOT 7.5-8.0 MPG LOADED AND 12-14 MPG EMPTY. THE DEALER REFLASHED THE COMPUTER. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE CONSUMER BUT NOW IT WAS MISSING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER. THE TRUCK WAS LEFT THERE FOR A WEEK BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINED THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS ERETURNED TO THE CONSUMER. THE DEALER CONTACTED THE COSUMER TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10066977 at NHTSA ↗

2003 DODGE CUMMINS HO PICKUP, I HAVE A NEW TRUCK THAT HAS AN INJECTOR THAT STICKS. IT HAS STUCK WIDE OPEN 4 TIMES, CLOSED TWO TIMES AND PARTIALLY OPEN MANY TIMES. WHEN IT STICKS WIDE OPEN THE KNOCK CAN BE HEARD THROUGH A VEHICLE WINDOW WITH AIR & RADIO RUNNING. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS A BLACK CLOUD OF SMOKE THAT IS SO THICK THAT THE SUN AND ROAD CANNOT BE SEEN. ON INTERSTATE 90 I STOPPED ALL TRAFFIC EAST & WEST WHEN IT HAPPENED. MY WIFE WAS FOLLOWING ME ON THE WAY HOME FROM KELLOGG ID TO ELLENSBURG WA. CUMMINS AGREES WITH ME THAT I HAVE A FAU…

Owner-reported narrative. 111 miles reported. Look up ODI 10037252 at NHTSA ↗

FAILURE OF 2003 DODGE RAM 3500 WITH HO DIESEL ENGINE AND MANUAL 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION - ENGINE TURNS OVER BUT FAILS TO START. BEEN TO CROWN IN NITRO AND COURTS IN HURRICANE A TOTAL OF 7 TIMES. DEALERSHIPS FAIL TO FIX. HAVE SPENT APPROX. $2500 AND STILL NOT FIXED. CAN STALL AT INTERSECTION OR RAILROAD CROSSING CAUSING GRAVE INJURY OR DEATH; NEED HELP TO GET PROBLEM FIXED BY RECALL PROCESS. ALL CHRYSLER-DODGE SAYS "I APOLOGIZE". CHRYSLER-DODGE KNOWS OF PROBLEM B/C WILL FIX ON AS NEED BASIS IF UNDER WARRANTY; TOLD BY CROWN, NITRO THAT WE WERE…

Owner-reported narrative. 119,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10335728 at NHTSA ↗