2003 Dodge RAM 1500 Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 56 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 42,318 miles. The words owners use most often: “valve spring” (13% of reports).
- 56engine and engine cooling complaints
- 42,318median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 68%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Valve spring: mentioned in 7 of 56 complaints (13%)
- Oil pressure: mentioned in 5 of 56 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 51 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 56 complaints, 1 a fire.
Dodge RAM 1500 engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 RAM 1500 | 8 | 1% | 100,017 |
| 2011 RAM 1500 | 5 | 1% | 50,000 |
| 2010 RAM 1500 | 13 | 3% | 54,800 |
| 2009 RAM 1500 | 9 | 1% | 35,000 |
| 2008 RAM 1500 | 8 | 1% | 56,050 |
| 2007 RAM 1500 | 13 | 3% | 34,000 |
| 2006 RAM 1500 | 21 | 3% | 45,000 |
| 2005 RAM 1500 | 77 | 7% | 51,900 |
| 2004 RAM 1500 | 116 | 11% | 43,000 |
| 2003 RAM 1500 | 56 | 5% | 42,318 |
| 2002 RAM 1500 | 58 | 7% | 60,000 |
| 2001 RAM 1500 | 51 | 5% | 62,300 |
| 2000 RAM 1500 | 25 | 5% | 61,000 |
| 1999 RAM 1500 | 39 | 6% | 70,000 |
| 1998 RAM 1500 | 35 | 7% | 79,000 |
| 1997 RAM 1500 | 20 | 6% | 31,000 |
| 1996 RAM 1500 | 32 | 11% | 102,000 |
| 1995 RAM 1500 | 13 | 6% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
2003 dodge ram 1500. Consumer writes in regards to passenger airbag recall replacement parts still on back order. Vehicle has multiple recalls that relates to steering, lighting, visibility, electrical, engine issues and requests loaner vehicle. *smd the consumer stated the additional recalls…
Truck stalls every time i start slowing down for a stop sign or red light and sometimes when i turn corners. When idling it shuts off immediately unless i throttle to keep rpms up. Also stalls when i put it in reverse. I've been almost hit several times when pulling into an intersection. Replaced…
While driving came up to lights and the engine stalled had no steering and no brake put engine in park restarted and drove on this has happened numerous times in nd out of traffic. When pulling hard to the left or right the engine will begin to stall did this while truck was sitting in front yard…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Dodge RAM 1500s have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 56 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 (5% of the 1,171 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 42,318 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “valve spring”, in 7 of 56 complaints, followed by “oil pressure” (5).
Other 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 problems
See all 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all RAM 1500 years.