10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
81,554 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Dodge Ram 3500 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2003 Dodge Ram 3500 Owner Comments

problem #10

Sep 232017

Ram 3500

  • 30,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The truck will not shut off. After stopping and turning off the ignition and removing the key, the truck remains running. Sometimes, after about five minutes idling it will shut off on its own. Other times we have had to remove a fuse.

- Roy, WA, USA

problem #9

May 012007

Ram 3500

  • 120,000 miles
Dashboard is collapsing causing electrical failureas well as burning melting plastic behind the dash compartment. It is an ongoing issue. Dealer claims it is "cosmetic" tell that to my electrical system.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #8

May 202014

Ram 3500

  • 94,535 miles
Directionals suddenly started blinking fast. Right & left directional don't opperate, right rear taillight doesn't operate, front left headlight does not opporate, both rear brake lights don't opperate, checked all bulbs by certified mechanic. All bulbs are in good condition. Tested all electrical & lighting lines, certified mechanic concluded that the integrated fuse box is defective & needs a brand new replacement. No corrosion present. Ordered fuse block from dealership, parts dept. Confirms these blocks are on national back order, with 1000's of orders placed. Called Chrysler, they said they can't help as there's no vendor making this part yet. If I got a used part for $400, it'd be an old defective fuse box & I'd have exact same safety issues. Apparently many 2003-2005 Dodge Ram diesels currently have this same electrical problem.

- Oshkosh, WI, USA

problem #7

Aug 142008

Ram 3500

  • 65,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The ventilation system failed as is common with these vehicles. Due to weal parts, the, "doors" that control air flow through the ventilation ducts broke. I have slowly replace each of the four doors as they failed. As they went out it affected every aspect of ventilation, including the defrost. After doing some research it is evident Dodge was fully aware of this issue but made no improvements to the system, continuing to sell these vehicles to an unsuspecting public for several years.

- Green River, WY, USA

problem #6

May 012011

Ram 3500 6-cyl

  • 70,000 miles
Trailer lighting for 2001-2005 Dodge Ram light duty (1500-5500) trucks with integrated heavy duty towing package relays can fail if accidental connection to mis-wired trailer, but are not repairable and parts are not available to replace the integrated power module (ipm). The relays for such are inside a sealed portion of the ipm, and cannot be replaced. There are no fuses or serviceable parts to protect against this failure. This failure results in non- or incorrectly-working trailer lighting which can result in motor vehicle accidents and injury or death.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #5

Aug 092011

Ram 3500

  • 137,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram. The contact stated the wire connecting the ignition wire melted causing the windshield defroster to malfunction. The wire melted due to the size of the terminals to the connector. The lack of a defroster made driving very difficult for the contact. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer stated the wire that connect the ignition to the blower motor needs to be replaced. The contact stated the vehicle was unsafe to to drive due to the impaired vision. The failure mileage was 137,000.

- Otwell, IN, USA

problem #4

Jul 262010

Ram 3500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I own a 2003 Dodge 3500 cummings diesel. The problem is the trailer lights did not work the cause I have found on the internet is that Dodge has wired incorrectly and causes the integrated power module (fuse box) to fail. Also my ECM has gone bad as well. I now have been waiting for repairs for over 2 weeks I am one of 74 waiting for a integrated power module. My cost as I"M told will be over $1100 most truck owners will not know they have this problem because they do not pull trailers as I do. But I have found this to be a common problem with people who do the years look like they occur between the !999 thru 2005 in the 1500 series 2500 series and 3500 series trucks.

- Columbus , GA, USA

problem #3

Oct 262009

Ram 3500

  • 99,000 miles
The alternator bracket is cracked. It could break causing the alternator to fall into the engine fan assembly. If somebody was working on the engine at the time of complete failure, serious injury or death will occur. Same goes for driving down the road and the failure could cause an accident. Dodge is well aware of this/has tsb's yet won't pay for the bracket.

- Wasilla, AK, USA

problem #2

Oct 192009

Ram 3500

  • 200,000 miles
Poor reliability of electrical control and distribution system causes numerous and sometimes intermittent failures of exterior safety-related lighting such as headlamps (low beam and high beam), taillamps, turn signals, brake lamps, and trailer lamps. Problems seem to be exacerbated if vehicle is not operated for a few weeks. Dealer is quoting repair cost in excess of $2000 for replacement of the power distribution center, which is reportedly not a serviceable unit. This high repair cost will undoubtedly cause owners to "take their chances" and continue operating vehicles in an unsafe condition because the repair is so costly and the problems are intermittent. Some users have reported needing to complete this repair more than once over the vehicle lifetime, which further confirms there is an inherent reliability problem with this vehicle's electrical system. Other users report similar issues with windshield wipers reportedly due to the same unit failure. Because Dodge Ram pickup trucks have at least ten different model categories and multiple model years for reporting in the NHTSA online reporting structure, the complaints are spread out and the concentration of problems endemic to this vehicle may not be readily apparent to ODI investigators. Complaints may be reported under "1500", "2500", "3500", "Ram", "Ram 1500", "Ram 2500", "Ram 3500", "Ram quad cab", "Ram pickup", "Dodge truck",..., all due to the same module failure. Complaints are also spread out among many different complaint categories, further diluting the recognition that there is one fundamental root cause of a dozen or more different failure modes.

- Rochester, MI, USA

problem #1

Mar 112004

(reported on)

Ram 3500

  • miles
After numerous attempts to repair the stalling problem, the consumer would like to pursue the lemon law. The rear passenger outside door handle was loose.

- Superior, WI, USA

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