2003 DODGE RAM 2500 Complaints

CRACKED DASHBOARD ON MY 2003 DODGE RAM PICK-UP. BEGAN ONE YEAR AGO, 2008 AND NOW HAVE TWO CRACKS ON TOP FROM WINDSHIELD TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE VEHICLE AND PASSENGER SIDE. PER THE COMPLAINT FORUMS THE CRACKS ARE FROM DEFECTIVE PLASTIC MATERIAL DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND WILL GET WORSE TO THE POINT THERE WILL BE JAGGED EDGES AND A SAFETY CONCERN TO PASSENGER AND DRIVER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PAINT BEGAN TO CHIP ABNORMALLY NEAR THE DRIP RAIL. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY. SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THE REPAIR, THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE BECAUSE THE PAINT BEGAN CHIPPING FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WOULD NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

MY TURN SIGNAL STALK DOESN'T SIGNAL PROPERLY WHEN ACTUATED. I PUSH UP FOR A RIGHT SIGNAL, SOMETIMES I GET A RIGHT SIGNAL SOMETIMES I GET THE TOTAL OPPOSITE (LEFT SIGNAL). THIS IS DANGEROUS. ALSO ON THE SAME LEVER MY WIPERS DON'T ALWAYS TURN ON PROPERLY OR THE HIGH BEAMS DON'T ACTIVATE OR DON'T TURN OFF. HOWEVER, I STRONGLY FEEL THIS IS A CHRYSLER ISSUE BECAUSE HAVING TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON A TDR DISCUSSION BOARD IT HAS BEEN REALIZED THAT THERE IS TOO MUCH STRESS ON THE WIRING HARNESS THAT TERMINATES AT THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH. WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TILTED DOWN THIS HARNESS SEPARATES FROM THE SWITCH DUE TO NO SLACK CAUSING IT TO BECOME ERRATIC, THEN IF YOU TILT THE WHEEL UP IT MAKES A FULL CONNECTION AND WORKS PROPERLY. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BEFORE THIS CAUSES AN ACCIDENT!!! *TR

MY DASHBOARD IS VERY BRITTLE, CRACKING BAD AND IS CONTINUALLY GETTING WORSE. DURING OUR LAST COLD WEATHER, I TURNED ON MY HEATER AND A PIECE OF THE PLASTIC WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER VENT POPPED UP AND HIT MY WINDSHIELD AND FELL INTO THE VENT. IT DOES THIS WHEN I TURN ON MY A/C IN HOT WEATHER WHEN I CAN HEAR PLASTIC PIECES FALLING DOWN INTO THE DASH. IF THAT FLYING PIECE OF PLASTIC WOULD HAVE HIT ME OR ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN INJURY ESPECIALLY IF IT HIT ONE OF US IN THE EYE. I HAVE READ IN MANY ONLINE FORUMS OF OTHER DODGE RAM OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE BUT DODGE WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. ONE OF THE POSTS STATED THE DASHBOARDS ARE MADE OF CHEAP PLASTIC WHICH IS NOT UV RATED. IF MY VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC COLLISION, THE BRITTLE DASHBOARD COULD SHATTER LIKE POTATO CHIPS AND FLY THROUGH-OUT THE CABIN AND CAUSE INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS! I CAN HEAR THE DASH CRACKING OFTEN AND MORE PIECES FALLING DOWN INTO THE VENTS WHICH COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE FANS OR OTHER COMPONENTS. EVEN AFTER CLEANING THE INTERIOR OF MY VEHICLE ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH UV PROTECTANTS, THE DASHBOARD IS STILL DETERIORATING EACH WEEK AND IS RECENTLY GETTING WORSE. WE THE CUSTOMERS HAVE PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR THESE VEHICLES, YET DODGE WONT EVEN REPLACE A DANGEROUS, BRITTLE DASHBOARD TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR US? POOR QUALITY PLASTIC IS BEING USED INSIDE THE DODGE RAMS WHICH CAUSE THE DASHBOARDS TO BECOME BRITTLE AND DANGEROUS. IT IS ALSO CRACKING BAD AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AREA WHICH COULD ALSO CAUSE THE DASHBOARD TO EXPLODE IF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYS. *TR

THE DASHBOARD IN MY 2003 DODGE 2500RAM HD IS BREAKING UP INTO PIECES WHICH ARE NOW COMING OFF; WONDER IF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IN DANGER OF ENGAGING. *TR

TRUCK STARTED TO ACT LIKE IT WASN'T GETTING ANY GAS,TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY PULLED UP A O2 CODE FIXED THAT WAS STILL ACTING UP.THEY CALL A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT MIGHT BE A VALVE SPRING THE MAKE YOUR TRUCK RUN LIKE NO FUEL AND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SEEING ALOT OF THIS WITH THE 5.7L MOTOR IN THE TRUCKS.YET DODGE WON'T DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS OR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THEIR AUTOS.SO NOW ME AND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE NEW VALVE TRAINS PUT IN OUR TRUCKS 1 OUT OF A 1000 I CAN SEE BUT WHEN THE DEALER TELLS ME 4 OUT OF 5 SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.THIS IS WHY EVERY ONE IS BUYING FOREIGN CARS AND TRUCKS.THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

MY DASH BOARD IS CRACKING AND COMING APART. IT IS THE FIRST TRUCK THAT I HAVE HAD THIS TO HAPPEN TO. I PUT A COVER OVER IT TO HELP TO PROTECT IT FROM FURTHER DAMAGE. IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 60 MPH, THE RPM'S IDLED VERY HIGHLY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO THIRD AND FOURTH GEARS AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF SLUDGE AND BUILD-UP INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT, INSTEAD OF REPLACED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 48,000.

IT WAS SNOWING I HAD MY THREE CHILDREN IN THE TRUCK THE WINDOW FOGGED AND WHEN I PUT ON THE DEFROST IT ONLY CAME OUT THE VENTS AND DID NOT CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD I COULD NOT SEE AS I WAS GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. IT WAS FIXED ONCE BEFORE IN 2007 AND DID NOT LAST 6 MONTHS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE TRUCK 2500 4X4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLENTLY WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND THEY CHANGED THE CABLE STABILIZER AND REPLACED THE BALL JOINTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000. UPDATED 03-27-09 *BF UPDATED 04/01/09. *JB