2003 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE ROLLED BOTH REAR WINDOWS DOWN, THE NOISE LEVEL WAS VERY HIGH. THE HEADLINGER IN THE CEILING SHOOK AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE AS WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY AND IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,962.

JUST FOUND A CRACKED DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE CLOSE TO THE AIR BAG IN MY 2003 DODGE RAM. SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY 1999 RAM AND GOT WORSE. I AM CONCERNED THIS COULD BE A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH ELECTRONICS AND AIRBAGS. *TR

WENT TO TURN ON MY LEFT DIRECTIONAL AND HAD A LOSS OF DIRECTIONALS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, WINDSHIELD WASHER AND FOUR WAY FLASHER. CHECKED PROBLEM THOROUGHLY AND FOUND IT TO BE A FAULTY MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH INSTALLED BEHIND STEERING WHEEL. *TR

THE DASHBOARD ON MY 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 IS CRACKED AND CONTINUES TO CRACK MORE AND MORE EACH DAY. I AM AFRAID THAT PIECES THAT MAY FALL INSIDE THE AIRBAG COMPARTMENT WHICH MAY LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY IF THEY BECOME DEPLOYED. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. *TR

ON AUGUST 2, 2010, IN THE EARLY EVENING, MY SPOUSE, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, FELL ASLEEP WHILE DRIVING OUR 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 SLT QUAD CAB AND HIT A STANDARD SIZE STEEL STREET SIGN, A STANDARD GAUGE GUIDE WIRE FOR A TELEPHONE/POWER POLE, AND FINALLY THE TELEPHONE/POWER POLE ITSELF. THE IMPACT OF THIS CRASH DESTROYED THE TRUCK. THANKFULLY, MY WIFE WAS WEARING HER SAFETY BELT, AND SUFFERED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. THE GUIDE/SUPPORT WIRE HAD EMBEDDED ITSELF INTO THE FRONT BUMPER AND HOOD AND HAD TO BE CUT OUT. AMAZINGLY, NEITHER THE DRIVER NOR PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IN THIS INCIDENT. AS THE POWER POLE HAD BROKEN IN TWO, THERE WERE LIVE ELECTRICAL WIRES AT THE SCENE. EMERGENCY CREWS TOOK NEARLY 7 HOURS TO CLEAR THE SCENE AND RESTORE POWER AND CABLE TO A LOCALIZED AREA. SHE HAD BEEN TRAVELING IN A SSE DIRECTION ON HESPERIA AVENUE IN VICTORVILLE, CA AT APPROX. 45 MPH. THE WEATHER WAS IDEAL FOR ROAD TRAVEL: CLEAR, DRY, WINDLESS, WITH TEMPERATURE AROUND 95 F. THE VEHICLE WAS WELL-MAINTAINED AND HAD APPROX. 42,200 MILES ON IT. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH INTO THIS MATTER AND FOUND PRIOR INSTANCES OF SIMILAR AIRBAG NON-DEPLOYMENTS IN CHRYSLER VEHICLES. IN MY OPINION, IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE TOO FEW, AND'OR POORLY LOCATED, AND'OR DEFECTIVE AIRBAG SENSORS ON THIS AND OTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCTS. THIS IS NOT A TOTAL CONDEMNATION OF CHRYSLER OR THE DODGE RAM. WE ENJOYED THIS TRUCK VERY MUCH FOR OVER 7 YEARS. WE ASSOCIATE MANY HAPPY MEMORIES WITH THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER THIS IS A GLARING PROBLEM THAT MUST BE RECTIFIED. THE LIKELIHOOD OF OTHER CATASTROPHIC CRASHES RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH IS HIGH. THE AIM OF SAFETY AIRBAGS IS TO REDUCE INJURIES AND DEATH. AN AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILURE FROM THIS HIGH SPEED AND HIGH IMPACT CRASH SCENARIO SHOULD NEVER OCCUR. PLEASE EXERCISE ALL LEGAL AND ETHICAL DUE DILIGENCE IN ALL MEANS AND MANNER AVAILABLE TO PERSUADE/DEMAND/FORCE CHRYSLER CORP. TO RECALL THIS AND OTHER PRODUCTS IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM FUNCTIONAL AND SAFE FOR THE PUBLIC. *TR

MY 2003 RAM 1500 QUAD CAB DRIVER SIDE HANDLE BROKE AT JUST 36,500 MILES AND THE SERVICE TECH AT THE DEALER THE THERE IN NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THAT IT WAS ON MY OWN. I ONLY WEIGHT 150 LBS. AND LANDED ON MY BACK ON THE STREET. IF THE DEALER WOULD JUST REPLACE IT I WOULDN'T BE COMPLAINING. THAT IS A REALLY CRAPPY MATERIAL USED TO MAKE THIS HANDLES. PS: MUST OF THE PLASTICS USE ON THE INTERIOR OF THIS TRUCKS IS CRUMBLING DOWN. *TR

OUR 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 DASH STARTED CRACKING AND CAVING IN NEARLY A YEAR AGO. AS TIME GOES BY CRACKS WORSEN AS WELL AS NEW CRACKS HAVE APPEARED. PLASTIC DASH PIECES ARE FALLING BEHIND (INTO) DASH BOARD AND COMING OUT SOMETIMES IN THE FLOORBOARD. CONCERNED ABOUT AIR BAG SAFETY. WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ENTIRE DASHBOARD IN ORDER FOR THE PROBLEM TO BE FIXED. OUR DAUGHTER OWNS THE SAME YEAR DODGE TRUCK AND HERS IS DOING THE SAME THING. ALSO, OUR STEERING WHEEL MAKES CRACKING, POPPING SOUND WHEN TURNING. AND THE BALL JOINTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO BE BAD. *TR

2003 RAM 1500 UPPER AND LOWER DASH IS FALLING APART. I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THIS TRUCK SENSE I PURCHASED IT OFF THE LOT. CHRYSLER SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT IT IS HAPPENING ON MOST OF THE TRUCKS OUT THERE. *TR

I WAS GETTING INTO MY PICKUP TRUCK WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF LEAVING WORK TO GO HOME FOR DAY. I REACHED IN AND GRAB THE GRAB HANDLE LOCATED ON THE "A-PILLAR" AND STARTED TO PULL MY SELF INTO MY VEHICLE. THE "A-PILLAR" GRAB HANDLE BROKE, CAUSING ME TO FALL BACKWARD STICKING MY HEAD ON THE DRIVERS DOOR AND THEN THE GROUND AS I CONTINUED THE FALL TO THE GROUND. AS A RESULT OF THIS FALL I DEVELOPED A SUBDURAL HEMATOMA AND ALMOST DIED TWICE AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART. BOTH THE DRIVERS SIDE "A-PILLAR" GRAB HANDLE AND "B-PILLAR" GRAB HANDLE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE ARE IN THE HANDS OF A FORENSIC ENGINEER WHO HAS DETERMINED THAT BOTH PARTS WERE SUBSTANDARD. THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS ALSO CRACKED AROUND HOLD DOWN BOLTS AND READY TO FAIL. PICKUP TRUCK WAS A 2003 DODGE QUAD CAB 1500 4X4 ON FACTORY 20" TIRES. CHRYSLER LLC. IS WELL AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS BUT HAS CHOSEN TO DO NOTHING! IN 2003 WHEN MOTOR TREND TESTED THE DODGE QUAD CAB FOR THEIR " TRUCK OF YEAR AWARD" THE PART FAILED ON MOTOR TREND MAGAZINE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS SERIOUS INJURIES REPORTED PERTAINING TO THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS, BUT CHRYSLER HAS DECIDED THAT THEIR BOTTOM LINE WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEIR CUSTOMERS HEALTH. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE MADE FOR THESE PARTS TO STOP THESE INJURIES. I ENDED UP MISSING 3.5 MONTHS OF WORK AND MY HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY ENDED UP PAYING OUT OVER $350,000.00 FOR THESE INJURIES. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK IN 2003 NEW AND I DID SO IN GOOD FAITH. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO ACT IN GOOD FAITH AND REPLACE THESE PARTS AND PROTECT THEIR CUSTOMERS. *TR

ON MARCH 23, 2003 I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING IN MY 2003 DODGE 1500 QUAD CAB. THE "A-PILLAR" WITH THE GRAB HANDLE ON IT CAME LOOSE FROM THE TRUCK(THE PLASTIC CRACKED AND WENT OVER THE BOLTS HOLDING IT ON.) I FELL BACK AND STRUCK MY HEAD ON THE DRIVERS DOOR AND THEN AGAIN STRUCK MY HEAD ON THE GROUND. I SUFFERED A SUBDURAL HEMATOMA AND WAS FLOWN BY HELICOPTER TO ST. LOUIS FOR SURGERY. MY FAMILY WAS TOLD TO TELL ME BYE ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS BECAUSE E DOCTORS THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE. I MADE IT BUT RAN UP HUGH MEDICAL AND THERAPY BILLS. WHEN RESEARCHING THIS ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT THIS GRAB HANDLE FAILURE HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES CAUSING SOME INJURIES TO MAJOR INJURIES. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT CHRYSLER HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN 2003. MOTOR TREND MAGAZINE EXPERIENCE THIS SAME FAILURE IN 2003 WHEN THEY WERE TESTING THIS VEHICLE. DODGE DID NOTHING AND WHEN YOU'VE GONE THROUGH WHAT I HAVE THAT JUST. *TR