2003 Dodge RAM 1500 Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 125 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 74,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear end” (26% of reports).
- 125power train complaints
- 74,000median miles at failure
- 22mention a crash
- 12mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 30%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.
- Rear end: mentioned in 32 of 125 complaints (26%)
- Pinion nut: mentioned in 12 of 125 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 103 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 125 complaints, 22 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 12 an injury.
Dodge RAM 1500 power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 RAM 1500 | 92 | 13% | 65,500 |
| 2011 RAM 1500 | 176 | 26% | 44,000 |
| 2010 RAM 1500 | 229 | 47% | 60,000 |
| 2009 RAM 1500 | 231 | 34% | 69,000 |
| 2008 RAM 1500 | 73 | 13% | 84,459 |
| 2007 RAM 1500 | 61 | 12% | 63,500 |
| 2006 RAM 1500 | 100 | 13% | 89,500 |
| 2005 RAM 1500 | 593 | 51% | 110,967 |
| 2004 RAM 1500 | 181 | 16% | 120,678 |
| 2003 RAM 1500 | 125 | 11% | 74,000 |
| 2002 RAM 1500 | 99 | 12% | 82,500 |
| 2001 RAM 1500 | 95 | 9% | 57,570 |
| 2000 RAM 1500 | 45 | 9% | 60,000 |
| 1999 RAM 1500 | 59 | 10% | 70,000 |
| 1998 RAM 1500 | 85 | 16% | 90,000 |
| 1997 RAM 1500 | 56 | 16% | 70,001 |
| 1996 RAM 1500 | 52 | 17% | 106,000 |
| 1995 RAM 1500 | 30 | 14% | 86,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train 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.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the driveshaft detached. Due to the failure, the gear oil and rear differential fluid leaked out of the vehicle. The contact was able to temporarily repair the driveshaft. The dealer and the manufacturer…
The driveshaft to pinion gear at the differential comes loose during normal driving. I have replaced the bit numerous times, but it keeps coming loose. There is a recall on same truck but different years. The exact problem the other Rams have is exact issue with mine. When it comes loose, the car…
Rear end of my ram 1500 pickup model year 2003 locked up doing 60 MPH on the interstate broke the drive shaft and the front of the rear end and yoke off. This is the third rear end I have put in this truck. This has been reported all over the internet thousands and thousands of times over about…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Dodge RAM 1500s have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 125 owner complaints about power train for the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 (11% 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 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 74,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “rear end”, in 32 of 125 complaints, followed by “pinion nut” (12).
Other 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 problems
See all 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 problems or power train problems across all RAM 1500 years.