The Lemon IndexAll cars · Ram · Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty)
2003 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty) problems, engines and recalls.
Owners filed 947 complaints with the government about the 2003 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty), most often about airbags (23%).
Which engine is in it
777 of the 947 complaints have a VIN we could decode, which tells us the engine.
| Engine | Share | Complaints | What they name most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.9 Cummins diesel | 71% | 548 | airbags 28%, body structure 22%, steering 18% |
| 5.7 V8 gas | 28% | 219 | too few to split |
| 8.0 V10 gas | 1% | 6 | too few to split |
| 5.2 V8 gas | 1% | 4 | too few to split |
Each diesel's page: Cummins 5.9 (Ram).
Nearby model years
What owners complain about
Share of this year's complaints that name each area.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 40,000 and 120,000 miles; the middle report was at 77,000 miles (623 complaints with a mileage).
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports | Towed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 3 | 28 | 2 | 7 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA, not verified.
In owners' words
While driving at 65 mph, vehicle suddenly down shifted to 3rd gear. the vehicle made a huge noise, causing engine to rev up to the red line. consumer fills this is very dangerous, someone could be injured. please provide any further information. ph
2003 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty) owner · NHTSA complaint 8023435
Defrost doesnt work due to door beaking in housing, allows iceing in freezing conditions as cannot defrost windshield. well know problem with these year model dodge trucks
2003 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty) owner · NHTSA complaint 11672188
265/70/17- busted belts in 2 tires, liner separation in another. available for inspection removed all 4 due to safety concerns
2003 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty) owner · NHTSA complaint 11436625
Recalls 6
15V312000 May 2015 Air Bags
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. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.
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 dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began on March 16, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall
13V528000 Nov 2013 Steering
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.
Fix. 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.
11V350000 Jul 2011 Steering
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 14, 2008, through august 15, 2008, because the left tie rod ball stud may fracture. This condition tends to occur during low speed parking lot type maneuvers when the customer is making a tight turn. Additionally, model year 2003-2008 dodge ram 2500/3500 vehicles may have received the affected tie rod assembly as a replacement part during normal service.
Fix. 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. The safety recall began on october 3, 2011. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
05V462000 Oct 2005 Power Train
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.
Fix. 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.
03V212000 Jun 2003 Wheels
Certain heavy duty pickup trucks, the aluminum wheels may have excessive porosity in the center hub area which can cause a wheel to crack.
Fix. 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 receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.
03V033000 Feb 2003 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.
Fix. 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 the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recalls for this model year under every name these trucks are filed under. A recall that names an engine applies only to trucks with it. Free at any dealer: check the VIN.
Quick answers
Is the 2003 Ram 2500/3500 reliable?
We can't score it per truck (heavy-duty sales aren't reported apart from the half-ton). Owners filed 947 complaints about it, most often about airbags (23% of them). Compare the diesel generations on their engine pages.
What engine does the 2003 Ram 2500/3500 have?
By the VINs in owner complaints: 5.9 Cummins diesel (71%), 5.7 V8 gas (28%), 8.0 V10 gas (1%), 5.2 V8 gas (1%).
How many recalls does the 2003 Ram 2500/3500 (Heavy Duty) have?
6. Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check the truck's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
The whole-line score for 2003, mostly half-tons: 2003 Ram pickup.
No Lemon Index score: automakers report heavy-duty pickup sales together with the half-ton (one F-Series, Ram or Silverado number), so there is no honest per-truck denominator. These are counts and shares of owner complaints, not failure rates. Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under the truck's 2500/3500 (F-250/F-350) names, all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN (position 8 is the engine code) with NHTSA's vPIC decoder. Complaints filed as just “Silverado” or “Sierra” are left out (they mix 1500s and HDs). Older trucks have had more years to collect complaints, and popular years draw more because more were sold.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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