2003 DODGE RAM 2500 Complaints

DODGE DASHES CRACKING POPPING FLYING ACROSS THE TRUCK HITTING DRIVER OR PASSENGER IN VEHICLE WHILE IN MOTION OR STOPPED AT A SIMPLE RED LIGHT. VERY DANGEROUS IN MY OPINION AND I HAVE SEEN AND READ THOUSANDS OF INSTANCES JUST LIKE MINE! ON DODGE FORUM TYPE IN (DASH/DEFECTIVE DASH) YOU TELL ME! DODGE CLAIMS THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM HOWEVER THEY ARE WILLING TO REPLACE THE PROBLEM DASH WITH ONE OF THE SAME TYPE(WILL CRACK AGAIN) FOR ONLY 1000-1300 BUCKS. I HAD ABOUT A 4" BY 3" PIECE OF PLASTIC FLY UP AND HIT MY HAND ON THE STEERING WHEEL, LUCKY I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THERE ARE NO OEM STOCK REPLACEMENTS FOR THE DO IT YOURSELF PERIOD THEY MAKE CAPS WHICH CAUSE RATTLES IN TRUCKS WE HAVE ALL PAID 30-50 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR! I WANT TO ADD AS WELL WHEN PIECES FLY OFF THE DASH IT ALSO EXPOSES ALL YOUR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WITHIN THE TOP OF THE DASH AS WE ALL KNOW IN THE TEXAS SUN COULD OBVIOUSLY CAUSE DAMAGE OR WORSE TO VEHICLE OR PERSON/S IN VEHICLE! *TR

2003 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL WITH STOCK TIRES AND SUSPENSION STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY IN THE FRONT END WHILE TRAVELING ON COLORADO STATE HIGHWAY 94 AT APPROXIMATELY 58MPH. THE SHAKING STARTED AFTER I TRANSITIONED FROM A BRIDGE TO THE ROADWAY. THE SHAKING WAS SO SEVERE THAT I HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO BRING IT BACK UNDER CONTROL. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED, BUT AFTER READING SEVERAL ARTICLES ONLINE REFERRING TO THE "DEATH WOBBLE", I FELT IT SHOULD BE REPORTED. *TR

"DEATH WOBBLE" I HAVE A 2003 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL 4X4 TRUCK AND NOW I AM HAVING A PROBLEM WITH A HORRIBLE SHAKE. I HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2004 AND NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS, BUT RECENTLY WHEN DRIVING ON ANY HIGHWAY AND GO OVER A BRIDGE OR BUMP, MY VEHICLE SHAKES VIGORUSLY!!! SO BAD THIS LAST TIME I ALMOST TOOK OUT 2 OTHER VEHICLES WHILE TRYING TO REGAIN CONTROL OVER MY VEHICLE AND PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I AM CONSTANTLY WITH MY CHILDREN AND I RELY HEAVILY ON MY VEHICLE AND RECENTLY I MADE THE DECISION TO PARKED MY TRUCK INDEFINATELY DUE TO THIS HORRIBLE SHAKE! DEALERS HAVE LOOKED AND FOUND NOTHING AND ADVISED ME EVERYTHING LOOKS OK. I HAVE BOUGHT THE STEERING STABILAZER BOX AND THAT HELPED FOR ABOUT A MONTH. REPLACED SHOCKS AND STILL NOTHING. I AM NOW GOING TO AN ALIGNMENT SHOP TO HOPEFULLY RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. AGAIN I RELY HEAVILY ON MY TRUCK AS AN EVERYDAY VEHICLE AND PURCHASED IT DUE TO OCCASIONALY HAULING CATTLE AND HORSES IN MY RANCH. IT IS EVEN WORSE WHEN THIS VEHICLE HAS ANY LOAD (TRAILER) ATTACHED. I CANNOT GO OVER 45 MPH WITHOUT IT SHAKING VIOLENTLY!

DRIVING IN FREEZING FOG AND DEFROST WOULD NOT WORK. IT DOES NOT WORK ANY OF THE TIME. SAW DEALERSHIP WHO REFUSED TO FIX DEFROST EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN KNOWN SINCE 2003 THAT THE DEFROST IN THE DODGE 2003 PICKUP HAS A FAULTY COMPONENT.

THE GRAB HANDLES ON THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDES BOTH BREAK TOO EASILY. THESE HANDLES ARE DANGEROUS TO USE.

I'M A 3 TIME DODGE OWNER CURRENTLY HAVE A 2003 RAM 2500 SLT HEMI, 2004 RAM 1500 SHORT BED, 2005 DURANGO HEMI. EACH ONE HAS PROBLEMS. WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS HOW THE NHTSA AND DODGE DON'T SEE THE SAFETY DANGER INVOLVED. THE 2003 HAS THE MOST SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES. A DASH THAT IS CRACKING SO BAD THAT PIECES ARE NOW STARTING TO FALL OUT. IF AN ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR THIS IS A PROJECTILE HAZARD . I HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF THE DASH. I HOPE KNOW ONE GETS INJURED FROM PROJECTILE FRAGMENTS OF THE DASH. THE MORE SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE 2003 IS THE FLAPPER DOOR ON THE ACTUATOR MOTOR THAT CHANGES THE AIR FLOW FROM VENT TO FLOOR OR DEFROST. DODGE DOES NOT SEE THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE. I DON'T SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DEFROST TO THE WINDSHIELD NOT WORKING AND A WINDSHIELD WIPER RECALL; THEY BOTH AFFECT YOUR VIEW. WE DON'T DRIVE THE PICKUP IF ICE AND SNOW ARE IN THE FORECAST. I COULD NOT BELIEVE ALL THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE. LETS WAIT UNTIL ONE OF THESE 2 ISSUES INJURIES SOMEONE SERIOUSLY OR EVEN SADDER YET SOMEONE IS KILLED!!!!! THERE IS ALWAYS A LAWYER WAITING. I WOULD THINK ANY PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS YOUR SITE OR VIEW FOR DRIVING WOULD BE MOST DANGEROUS. *TR

MY 2003 DODGE RAM 2500 (4 WHEEL DRIVE) SHAKES VIOLENTLY WHEN I ENCOUNTER A BUMP ON THE HIGHWAY. IT OCCURS EVERYTIME WHEN DRIVING AROUND 65 MPH AND I HIT A BUMP. THE TRUCK SHAKES SO MUCH I TOTALY LOOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE ONLY THING I CAN DO TO STOP THE SHAKING IS TO BRAKE TO A SPEED OF APROXAMATLY 35 TO 40 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPEN SIX TIMES ALREADY IN THE LAST YEAR. I ONLY HAVE FIFTY THOUSNAD MILES ON THE TRUCK. THIS FAILURE HAS CAUSED MY TRUCK TO VEER INTO OTHER LANES AND HAS ALSO CAUSED OTHER CARS TO JACK ON THIER BRAKES WHEN THEY ARE BEHIND ME ON THE HIGHWAY. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO A DODGE DEALER. THEY REPLACED ONE OF THE STEERING COMPONENTS. THIS DID NOTHING TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. ALL DODGE DEALERS WERE SENT A SERVICE BULLETIN APROXAMATELY 3 TO 4 YEARS AGO ABOUT THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY SAFTEY ISSUE BUT WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM THE MANAGER ACTED LIKE HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT. I FEAR FOR MY LIFE IN THIS TRUCK. I WILL NOT LET ANYONE ELSE DRIVE IT UNTIL I GET IT FIXED OR IF IT CAN BE FIXED AT ALL.

TODAY AS I WAS ENTERING MY DODGE RAM 2500 TRUCK ON THE DRIVING SIDE, I USED THE HANDLE PROVIDED TO CLIMB UP TO THE DRIVING SEAT. WHEN HALF THE WAY UP TO THE SEAT THE PLASTIC HANDLE BROKE CAUSING ME TO LOOSE MY GRIP AND CRASH DOWN TO THE PAVEMENT. CURRENTLY I AM IN PAIN BECAUSE OF THE FALL, IT APPEAR THAT THE HANDLE IS MADE BY DEFECTIVE PLASTIC. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) (2003 DODGE RAM 2500 SLT 4X4 W/ 64,186 MILES) THE TRUCK HAS DEVELOPED A THREE INCH CRACK ACROSS THE CENTER OF THE DASH. THE CRACK STARTS AT THE FRONT OF THE DASH AND WORKS BACK TOWARDS THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON MULTIPLE WEBSITES AND/OR FORUMS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT FRAGMENTS COULD BECOME DETACHED FOR THE DASH IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT AND CAUSE BODILY HARM TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. ANY ASSISTANCE SAFECAR.GOV CAN PROVIDE REGARDING THIS MATTER WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. CHRYSLER COMPLAINT REFERENCE NUMBER [XXX]. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE 2500. THE CONTACT STATED WHENEVER HE IS DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE GOES TO IDLE AND STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TURNED OFF AND ON AND IN A FEW SECONDS THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THEY WOULD REPAIR THE FAILURE FOR $1000. THE DODGE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NO FAILURE AND NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000. UPDATED 11/10/10.*LJ