2003 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB Complaints

A CRACK IN THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEAR THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOTICED BACK IN JANUARY BUT WE ARE UNCERTAIN EXACTLY HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN THERE. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS, THE CRACK AGGRESSIVELY SPREAD THROUGH THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO CAUSE THE CRACK AT ANY TIME. THE DASHBOARD HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED WITH CONDITIONERS, AND THERE WERE NO OTHER AREAS WITH PROBLEMS.*AK

8 INCH CRACK ON PASSENGER SIDE OF DASHBOARD IN A 2003 DODGE RAM TRUCK. LOCAL NEWS REPORT DONE INVOLVING DODGE TRUCK DASHBOARDS COLLASPING, FALLING IN LIKE A SINKHOLE. STARTED WITH JUST CRACKS LIKE ON MY DODGE. *AK

NOT SURE WHAT LEAD TO THE FAILURE, BUT MY 03 DODGE RAM PICK UP DASH IS CRACK FROM NEAR WINDSHIELD SIDE TO NEAR THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT ON THE OTHER SIDE IT HAS NOT GOTTEN TO BE DANGEROUS YET OR CAUSE OTHER FAILURES YET THAT I KNOW OF. DODGE DEALER SAID THAT SINCE IT IS SIMPLY COSMETIC THEY WILL NOT REPLACE IT AND IF THEY DO IT WILL COST OVER 1,000.00. *TR

A-PILLAR-MOUNTED INGRESS HANDLE ON PASSENGER SIDE. I OWN A 2003 RAM 1500 QUAD CAB PICKUP. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW IN OCTOBER 2003. TODAY, I WAS TRYING TO GET IN THE TRUCK THROUGH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AND STOOD UP TO TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD AND THE A-PILLAR-MOUNTED INGRESS HANDLE CAME OFF. THIS TRUCK HAS 4X4 SO IT IS TALLER THEN THE REGULAR TRUCK. YOU HAVE TO USE THAT HANDLER TO KEEP YOUR BALANCE. LUCKILY ,I DIDN'T GET HURT BECAUSE I USED THE SEAT AND THE DOOR TO AVOIDE FALLING. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, AND UNFORTUNATELLY THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING TO REPLACE THE A-PILLAR-MOUNTED INGRESS HANDLE BECAUSE THE TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE TRUCK HAS OVER 60,000 MILES AND I'VE HAD IT 36 MONTHS. MY COMPLAINT WAS WHY DON'T THEY BUILLD THIS HANDLES STRONGER. THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO HELP THE PERSONS GET INTO THE VEHICLES. SHOULDN'T THEY BE ABLE TO HOLD AT LEAST AN AVERAGE SIZE PERSON?*AK

2003 1500 QUAD CAB WITH A CRACKED DASHBOARD. DODGE HAS AGREED TO PAY FOR PART, BUT I HAVE TO PAY FOR LABOR. $250.00. NO WAY! $30,000 TRUCK SHOULD HOLD UP BETTER. DODGE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *AK

I HAVE A 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB WITH THE 4.7 LITER ENGINE. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 94,000 MILES ON IT. IN THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER (AT ABOUT 90,000 MILES), THE THROTTLE CABLE BEGAN STICKING IN COLD WEATHER (ABOUT 25F AND BELOW). MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED THE TRUCK IN SEPTEMBER OF 2003 WHEN IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 6,000 MILES ON IT. I DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE THROTTLE CABLE UNTIL DECEMBER OF 2006. AS THE ENGINE WARMED UP, THE CABLE WOULD STOP STICKING. ON VERY COLD MORNINGS, EVEN AFTER THE ENGINE WARMED UP, THE CABLE WOULD START TO STICK WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I WOULD PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE CABLE WOULD FREE UP. I REPLACED THE THROTTLE CABLE AND HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT SINCE. I REPLACED THE CABLE ON 1/21/07. IT HAS BEEN VERY COLD HERE LATELY AND IT HAS BEEN WORKING FINE. THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE INCREASED BRAKING DISTANCES OR INABILITY TO STOP THE VEHICLE IF THE THROTTLE IS STUCK AT NEAR WIDE OPEN THROTTLE. I DO STILL HAVE THE THROTTLE CABLE THAT I REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. *NM

03 1500 RAM QUAD CAB WIND NOISE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE WIND NOISE IS SO BAD THAT YOU THINK THERE IS A WINDOW DOWN ESPECIALLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, I HAD TO TAKE THE TRUCK BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES THEY REPLACED WEATHER STRIPING ON BOTH SIDES BUT THE VEHICLE STILL HAS A VERY BAD WIND NOISE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. DEALER KEEPS SAYING (COULD NOT DUPLICATE COMPLAINT) I AM A RETIRED MECHANIC AND KNOW BETTER BECAUSE I RIDE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHEN MY WIFE DRIVES AND IT WILL DRIVE YOU CRAZY I KNOW THAT THE WIND NOISE IS NOT A NORMAL CONDITION YOU CAN LOOK AT THE REAR DOORS ON BOTH SIDES AND SEE THEY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED DOWN BUT IT'S OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY NOW BUT IT WAS IN IT AT THE TIME OF (COMPLAINT'S) SO I GUESS I WILL HAVE TO REPAIR IT MYSELF. I HAVE RIDDEN IN OTHER TRUCKS WITH QUAD CABS AND THEY ARE SO MUCH QUIETER SO WHAT IS THE DEAL ! ( IT TAKES 2 PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE TO DIAGNOSE THE COMPLAINT) YOU CAN HEAR IT FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT BUT NOT AS BAD. PERSONALLY I THINK THEY ONLY SEND 1 PERSON WHEN THEY TRY TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. SO I GUESS ILL HAVE TO DIG OUT MT TOOL BOX AND FIX IT PROPERLY MYSELF. I AM A VERY DISGUSTED DODGE QUAD CAB 1500 OWNER! *JB

MY TRUCK ALL OF THE SUDDEN WHEN DRIVING THE NIGHT BEFORE WAS UNABLE TO TURN TO THE RIGHT (VERY DIFFICULT..NO PROPER STEERING TO THE RIGHT). TO THE LEFT IT WAS FINE. IT CONTINUED TO HAVE THE PROBLEM WHEN I TRIED DRIVING AGAIN TODAY. I TOOK IT TO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP TODAY (NEXT MORNING) AND THEY TOLD ME THE TRUCK NEEDED A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP, RACK, & PINION. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD WITH JUST OVER 50,000 MILES ON IT...IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY WELL TAKEN CARE OF SINCE PURCHASING IT FROM DODGE DEALER LAST FALL. THIS IS THE 2ND MAJOR REPAIR IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS (I JUST HAD A REAR SEAL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT REPLACED AS WELL). AS OF RIGHT NOW THE TRUCK IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL I DECIDE WHAT TO DO. THEY SAY IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTIES FOR THIS ISSUE OR ANY RECALLS. IT IS VERY UPSETTING THAT THIS NEW OF A VEHICLE HAVE SUCH MAJOR ISSUES ALREADY. *JB

THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN IN TO BE LOOKED AT BECAUSE THERE WAS A VIBRATION. I TOLD THEM IT WAS A U-JOINT OR BEARING GOING OUT. THE TRUCK HAD BEEN IN THE SAME SHOP 4 TIMES, FOR THE SAME THING -THE U-JOINT OR BEARING. THE MECHANIC AT THE SHOP SAID THAT THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE BALANCED BUT THEY DID NOT DO THAT AT THIER SHOP. I TOKK IT TO ANOTHER PLACE, THEY LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THE TIRES DID NOT NEED TO BE BALANCED,BUT THEY BALNCED THEM ANYWAYS. SO I HAD TWO OPINIONS ON THE TRUCK. THE NEXT NIGHT I PICKED UP THE GUYS I WORK WITH AND WE WENT TO WORK. ON THE WAY HOME THE DRIVE SHAFT, DRIVE LINE,YOLK, AND TRANSFERCASE CAME APART AND TRIED TO COME UP THROUGH THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING HOLES IN THE FLOORBOARD, AND IT PULLED THE ELECTRICAL WIRING OUT WHICH CAUSED ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS TO COME ON. ANYONE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT. I GOT THE THE TRUCK TO A NEARBY CONVIENENT STORE AND I CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TOW MY TRUCK TO THE SHOP. I CALLED MY WIFE AND WE WENT AND PICKED UP ALL THE PARTS OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE TRUCK, WHICH IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THEY TOOK PICTURES AND SENT THEM TO THEIR REPS. THEIR REPS IN ANOTHER STATE SAID IT WAS IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE IN 4 LOW UNDER EXTENSIVE TORQUE IN A MUD HOLE. IT HAD NOT RAINED HERE IN OVER A MONTH. SO THE DIRT ROAD I WAS ON WAS DRY AND SMOOTH. I DID NOT HAVE IT IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE. WHY BUY A 4 WHEEL DRIVE IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO USE IT. THEY SAID I WAS DRIVING FAST CAUSING EXTENSIVE TORQUE!? I WAS DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT AND PEOPLE DRIVE FAST AND THEIR VEHICLES DON'T FALL APART. THEY SAID THEY WOULDN'T COVER THE DAMAGE, EVEN THOUGH THEIR MECHANIC MADE A WRONG DIAGNOSIS. IT IS THEIR FAULT AND THEY SHOULD TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX IT, WITH NO MONEY COMING OUT OF MY POCKET. I GET PAID TO DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK. NOW I DON'T HAVE A TRUCK TO GET ME TO WORK. THE SHOP SAYS THEY WILL PAY HALF THE COST TO FIX IT AND I CAN PAY THE OTHER HALF. THEY SAY THEY ARE DOING ME A FAVOR BY DOING THIS. *NM

ON JULY 30, 2006 MY CABIN CONTROLS (A/C, DEFROST, VENT AND WINDOW WIPERS) WOULD NOT WORK. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM IN THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE STEERING COLUMN. MY LOCAL MECHANIC MADE AN ATTEMPT TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT WHEN HE CONTACTED DODGE FOR A REPLACEMENT PART THEY REFUSED TO SELL IT TO THEM DUE TO A RECALL ON THE MODEL YEAR BEFORE MINE (2002). I HAD TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO DAVE CROFT MOTORS IN COLLINSVILLE, IL FOR REPAIR COSTING ME APPROX 2X'S MORE THAN MY LOCAL SHOP. DAVE CROFT SAID THE WIRING HARNESS AND IGNITION SWITCH WAS BAD DUE TO THE FAULTY PART. WHEN I QUESTION DODGE ABOUT THIS HARNESS AND THE RECALL THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ME ANY INFORMATION. DAVE CROFT FIXED THE PROBLEM AS OF THIS DATE HOWEVER, I AM STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM DODGE IF THEY WILL COVER THIS REPAIR. (RECALLED PART IN 2002 DODGE IS THE SAME PART IN MY 2003). *JB