Your vehicle report
2003 Dodge RAM 1500
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 1,171
- Received Nov 2002 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Dashboard cracks near passenger airbag184 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly86 complaints · 7.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Front brake rotors warp and wear early41 complaints · 3.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #15V312000Do not driveChrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2003 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks manufactured August 29, 2002, to July 25, 2003 to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 76 crashes, 12 fires, 80 people injured, 6 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Engine burns excessive oil between changes
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 56 |
| 2004 | 72 |
| 2005 | 49 |
| 2006 | 34 |
| 2007 | 42 |
| 2008 | 41 |
| 2009 | 39 |
| 2010 | 59 |
| 2011 | 53 |
| 2012 | 37 |
| 2013 | 39 |
| 2014 | 39 |
| 2015 | 275 |
| 2016 | 196 |
| 2017 | 75 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 3 |
| Total | 1,171 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dashboard cracks near passenger airbag | 184 | 16% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 86 | 7.3% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 41 | 3.5% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 28 | 2.4% | – | NHTSA recall #15V312000 |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 26 | 2.2% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 26 | 2.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 24 | 2.1% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 20 | 1.7% | – | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 19 | 1.6% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 15 | 1.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 13 | 1.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 11 | 0.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 10 | 0.9% | – | |
| Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares | 9 | 0.8% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 9 | 0.8% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 9 | 0.8% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 9 | 0.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 8 | 0.7% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 7 | 0.6% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 7 | 0.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #15V312000May 26, 2015385,686 vehicles affected
Do not drive: NHTSA advises this until the repair is done.
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2003 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks manufactured August 29, 2002, to July 25, 2003 to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger’s frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began on March 16, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R26. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 14V770.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN