2003 DODGE RAM 2500 Complaints

A RECALL IS DUE. DRIVING THE 2003 DODGE HEAVY DUTY 2500 HEMI PICKUP TOWARDS WORK IN THE DARK MORNING HOURS OF 02-10-05 IN ANCHORAGE ALASKA, THE WIPER ARM AND ATTACHED WIPER BLADE ON THE (LEFT) DRIVERS SIDE WINDSHIELD FELL OFF AT 45 MPH WHILE IN USE ON A RARE 40 F DEGREE WARM MORNING, HEAVILY SANDED AND SLUSHY COVERED ROAD WAY. THE VIEW BECAME INSTANTLY BLURRY AND HARD TO FOCUS ON THE DANGERS AHEAD, WHILE THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES BARELY ESCAPED THE PROJECTILE OF THE ASSEMBLY OF STEEL AND PLASTIC. THE SECOND VEHICLE HIT IT AND DESTROYED ANY ATTEMPTS TO INVESTIGATE ITS REASONS FOR FAILURE TO STAY WITH THE TRUCK. WHEN SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP AND CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD TO SEE SHE WAS GREATLY SHAKEN AND AFRAID OF THE FINAL DURATION TO WORK. SHE THEN SWAPPED THE PASSENGER SIDE TO THE DRIVERS SIDE AND FINISHED HER TRIP. SHE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THE ARM FELL OFF AGAIN, AND SAID THAT IT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE, DUE TO THE ICE AND SNOW THAT DEPOSIT IN THE PLASTIC TRIM COVER OF THE ARMS LOCKING CLIP BELOW THE ARMS BASE. THAT THE ARM HITS THE ICE AND SWITCHES THE LOCK INTO THE OFF POSITION AND THAN THE MOTOR POWER TOSSES THE ARM OFF THE TRUCK IN ANY GIVEN DIRECTION. THE DODGE DEALER DECLARES TO US THIS IS A COMMON EVENT IN THE NORTHERN ENVIRONMENTS. THEY WARRANTED THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY AND ADMITTED THAT THIS ONLY HAPPENS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THEY ADMITTED THE PROBLEM WAS ALWAYS THE DRIVERS SIDE BECAUSE THE WAY THE SNOW PILES AND MELTS INTO AN ICY DAM IN THE ARMS WAY TO OPERATE FREELY. I BELIEVE THAT A BLACK NEOPRENE DOUGHNUT COULD BE PLACED UNDER THE ARM AND THROUGH THE SPLINTED SOCKET BELOW THE ARM TO STOP THE ICE DAMMING IN THIS SENSITIVE AREA AND OR A SCREW INSERTED INTO THE SAFETY TAB TO PREVENT THE ICE FROM OPENING THE SWITCH. DRIVERS IN THE NORTHERN CLIMATES SHOULD BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. AND THE ARM COULD USE A LEASH TO KEEP FROM LEAVING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER I WENT TO WAS LITHIA OF SOUTH ANCHORAGE. APPARENTLY THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *JB

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS FAIL WITH VERY LOW MILEAGE. I KNOW OF THREE OWNER 3 TRUCK THAT THE BALL JOINTS FAILED, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO HANDLE WRONG, SHAKE AND BOUNCE OUT OF CONTROL. DODGE WILL NOT FIX, THE COST IS OVER 1,000. MINE FAILED AT 35,000 MILE ALL THE TRUCKS FAILED BELOW 40,000,THIS ON A 35,000 DOLLAR TRUCK. *JB

THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) OPENED AN INVESTIGATION ON JULY 22, 2003 CONCERNING 1998 - 2003 DODGE DURANGO VEHICLES TO ADDRESS COMPLAINTS REGARDING FRONT SUSPENSION BALL JOINTS. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE INVESTIGATION, AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM EXPERIENCED BY SO MANY. MY SUSPENSION BALL JOINT WENT BAD AND BROKE WHILE FIXING SOMETHING ELSE. IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A DEFECTIVE PART AND OR DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE, AND THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO MAKE THE CUSTOMER PAY FOR THE MISTAKES BY DODGE. *AK

I OWN A 2003 DODGE RAM 2500 PICKUP TRUCK. FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WITH A DIESEL ENGINE. VEHICLE HAS 30,000 MILES. ON 2 DECEMBER 2005, WHILE DRIVING TO WORK WITH OUT ANY WARNING THE STEERING LOCKED, RENDERING ME HELPLESS UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. AFTER I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE LOCATION I ATTEMPTED TO TEST THE STEERING. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT STEER TO THE RIGHT OF CENTER. IT WILL STEER TO THE LEFT BUT SEEMS TO HAVE A DIMINISHED POWER ASSIST PERFORMANCE AT FIRST. WHILE CYCLING THE STEERING SYSTEM SEVERAL TIMES THE POWER ASSIST TO THE LEFT IMPROVES. HOWEVER ONCE THE STEERING REACHES THE CENTER POINT TO THE RIGHT THE STEERING LOCKS AND WOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER RIGHT OF CENTER. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DOMINION DODGE SERVICE REP 1259 E. MAIN STREET SALEM VIRGINIA, AND THEY HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING GEAR BOX HAS FAILED. ALTHOUGH IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT A COMPONENT OF THIS TYPE COULD FAIL, IN THE 30 YEARS AS AN AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC AND A MASTER IN HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY I HAVE YET SEEN OR HEARD OF A STEERING GEAR BOX FAILURE THAT WOULD RENDER A VEHICLE COMPLETELY INCAPABLE OF CONTROLLING STEERING. MOST OF MY EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD IS USUALLY WORN COMPONENT THAT CAUSE POOR PERFORMANCE IN THE STEERING CAPABILITY. USUALLY THIS OCCURS AT GREATER THAN 100,000 MILES, NOT AT 30,0000. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 05V462000 CONCERNING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THIS CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS MODIFIED BY THE BRAUN CORPORATION. THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY A DODGE, RAM, 2500, AND HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO A DODGE RAM B 2500 VAN.*AK UPDATED 01/04/06. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES AND THERE IS A HEAVY VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END. THIS PROBLEM ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN A MINOR ONE VEHICLE ACCIDENT. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND RAN INTO A DITCH. NO ONE WAS INJURED, BUT SOME DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT ON FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER NOTICED THE STABILIZER BAR BROKE. NO REPAIRS WERE DONE AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE EXPENSE. *AK

2003 DODGE RAM 2500 IN DECEMBER 2004 I HAD TO HAVE ALL 3 BALL JOINTS REPLACED THE TRUCK ONLY HAD 42262 MILES ON IT. THEN JUST LAST MONTH IN OCTOBER I HAD TO REPLACE ANOTHER BALL JOINT AS IT WAS GOING OUT ALREADY. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR ON A VECHICLE

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS EXCESSIVE PLAY WITHIN THE STEERING AND A SHIMMY IN THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE AT SPEEDS OF 65 MPH. THE TRUCK COULD STRIKE A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THERE WOULD BE COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION OF THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER DISCOVERED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS ABOUT TO FALL OFF. ALSO, HE NOTED THAT THE PITMAN ARM, TIE ROD, AND STABILIZER BAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED DUE TO THE EXPENSE. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY DID NOT OFFER ANY COST ASSISTANCE. *AK

DT: CONSUMER PURCHASED A 2003 RINKER BOAT TRAILER IN JULY 2003. IN AUGUST 2003 THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE FOLLOWING JULY 2004 ANOTHER TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONSUMER DID NOT REMEMBER LOCATION OF THE TIRE ON THE TRAILER AT THAT TIME. THE NEXT TIRE BLEW OUT IN APRIL 2005 AND AGAIN THE CONSUMER DID NOT REMEMBER WHICH TIRE IT WAS. ON JULY 17, 2005 THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. THIS WAS THE FORTH BLOWOUT. EACH TIME A BLOWOUT OCCURRED THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER. THE LAST TIRE BLEW OUT ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2005. THE LAST BLOWOUT WAS ON THE LEFT BACK TIRE. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THESE TIRES AT HIS OWN EXPENSE EACH TIME. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THESE BLOODS. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TIE ROD ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE ON THE 2003 DODGE RAM 3500 WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. THE DRIVER DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE DRIVING BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. THE STEERING WAS GONE AND THE TRUCK WASUNDRIVEABLE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO PICK UP THE TRUCK AND TAKE IT TO A DEALER. THE DEALER SAID THAT WAS THE FIRST TIE ROD THAT BROKE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONSUMER WAS GOING TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE DEALER SAID THAT IS WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER WAS NOT GOING TO HELP WITH ANY EXPENSES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED AT THIS POINT. *AK