2003 Ram 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,363 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Ram 1500, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 62/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 112,500 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2003 Ram 1500 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1994–1996.
Avoid
Where 2003 sits among all 1500 years
What owners report
“Takata recall i received a recall notice from dodge . When i contacted a dodge dealer to make an appointment i was informed they didn't have the replacement airbag and it would be 9 months to a year before they could get it .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 1500
“Dash is cracked and pieces are flying everywhere when the ac is turned on. Very unsafe.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 1500
“Drive shaft fell off driving down the road and the rear end is completely out now too!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 1500
“Heavy vibration and squealing when brakes applied. Took truck to dealership where the calipers were to be replaced and roters turned. When the roters were turned they completely disentegrated. Technician stated that i was extremely lucky this did not occur while driving. Calipers and roters were…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 1500
“My brake lights is staying on, while the truck is crank up. 3rd barke light working fine. As soon, i shut the. Truck off brake lights goes off. Take the truck to the dealership, they replace the brake light switch. Problem went away for awhile and came right back. So, i order two new brake light…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 1500
“Dash board cracked in many pieces. Pieces are falling into a/c vents, when a/c is turned some pieces blow out”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 799 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,122 miles. Half of those reports fall between 34,400 and 117,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: K&N WILL PROVIDE OWNERS WITH A FREE REPAIR KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2006.
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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,…
Component: AIR BAGS
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…
Led to recall campaign 13V172000.
Technical service bulletins
29 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and engine — are on file for the 2003 Ram 1500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2003 Ram 1500 reliable?
The 2003 Ram 1500 drew 1,363 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 62/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2003 Ram 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Ram 1500 are airbags (457 complaints), body & structure (238), and transmission & drivetrain (128).
At what mileage do 2003 Ram 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Ram 1500 problems around 70,122 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 34,400 and 117,000 miles.
Does the 2003 Ram 1500 have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 Ram 1500. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.