Worst 2003 Dodge 1500 Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Airbags
Structural Problems
Body Structure
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2003 Dodge 1500.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags | 445 | 27 | 1 | 111,143 mi | |
| Structural Problems | 158 | — | — | 70,337 mi | |
| Body Structure | 72 | 4 | — | 95,837 mi | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 62 | 6 | 1 | 148,725 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 47 | 4 | 3 | 75,686 mi | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor | 43 | 1 | — | 18,787 mi | |
| Steering Defects | 31 | 2 | — | 101,882 mi | |
| Suspension Failures | 31 | 3 | — | 108,731 mi | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 23 | — | 1 | 27,690 mi | |
| Engine & Cooling | 22 | — | — | 69,473 mi | |
| Engine Problems | 21 | — | 1 | 240,898 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 20 | 6 | — | 65,096 mi | |
| Wheel Issues | 16 | 2 | — | 100,412 mi | |
| Automatic Transmission | 15 | 4 | — | 21,553 mi | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 12 | — | — | 101,920 mi | |
| Power Train:Driveline:Differential Unit | 12 | — | — | 51,246 mi | |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 11 | 8 | — | 54,319 mi | |
| Power Train:Axle Assembly | 11 | 8 | — | 30,865 mi | |
| Visibility | 11 | 1 | — | 90,554 mi | |
| Wipers & Visibility | 9 | 1 | — | 88,583 mi | |
| Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle Shaft | 8 | 2 | — | 18,583 mi | |
| Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | 8 | — | — | 173,800 mi | |
| Brakes | 8 | 2 | 1 | 111,941 mi | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 8 | — | — | 25,543 mi | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 8 | 1 | — | 18,813 mi | |
| Tire Defects | 8 | 2 | — | 66,540 mi | |
| Other Equipment | 7 | 1 | — | 57,950 mi | |
| Suspension:Rear | 7 | 1 | — | 140,001 mi | |
| Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System | 7 | — | — | 72,143 mi |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2003 Dodge 1500. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2003 Dodge 1500
1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting ~385,686 vehicles.
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.
Other Dodge 1500 Years
Wider context: See the full Dodge 1500 reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2003 Dodge 1500
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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