2003 Dodge RAM 1500 Structure Problems
Owners have filed 237 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 75,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “dashboard cracked” (12% of reports).
- 237structure complaints
- 75,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 11mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,200typical repair cost reported by owners
- 17%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.
- Dashboard cracked: mentioned in 29 of 237 complaints (12%)
- Dash board: mentioned in 25 of 237 complaints (11%)
- Falling apart: mentioned in 19 of 237 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical structure repair on the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 at $1,200, and half of them between $1,150 and $2,250.
Based on 7 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 173 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 237 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 11 an injury.
Dodge RAM 1500 structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 RAM 1500 | 24 | 3% | 75,500 |
| 2011 RAM 1500 | 23 | 3% | 60,500 |
| 2010 RAM 1500 | 26 | 5% | 70,000 |
| 2009 RAM 1500 | 41 | 6% | 69,000 |
| 2008 RAM 1500 | 11 | 2% | 92,556 |
| 2007 RAM 1500 | 10 | 2% | 58,000 |
| 2006 RAM 1500 | 17 | 2% | 78,000 |
| 2005 RAM 1500 | 24 | 2% | 87,250 |
| 2004 RAM 1500 | 50 | 5% | 68,000 |
| 2003 RAM 1500 | 237 | 20% | 75,000 |
| 2002 RAM 1500 | 278 | 34% | 75,000 |
| 2001 RAM 1500 | 548 | 49% | 75,965 |
| 2000 RAM 1500 | 248 | 48% | 78,000 |
| 1999 RAM 1500 | 240 | 39% | 86,308 |
| 1998 RAM 1500 | 102 | 20% | 96,000 |
| 1997 RAM 1500 | 70 | 19% | 100,000 |
| 1996 RAM 1500 | 35 | 12% | 136,000 |
| 1995 RAM 1500 | 36 | 17% | 93,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists structure 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.
Rear fenders are rusted such that wiring harness falls off from underside if fenders and rubs on tires. Middle of frame rusted through on right and left side and dealer's floor lift went about half-way through both sides when the technician. tried to raise truck to check wiring under truck. The…
The frame/chasis rusted through and dealer could not raise truck because lift went through frame. If it had not been noticed at dealership, we and others could have been killed if the frame had broken through on the highway. The dealership and repair shop can confirm. The box and other body…
2003 dodge ram 1500 dashboard cracked all over. If involved in an accident the sharp pcs of hard plastic would definitely impale the occupants. Dodge states its only a few trucks but i have not seen one 2003 dodge ram with a dashboard on one pc. Once i was forced to brake hard and my passenger…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Dodge RAM 1500s have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 237 owner complaints about structure for the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 (20% 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 structure?
No recall currently lists structure for this vehicle.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 75,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix structure problems on the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,200 (half paid between $1,150 and $2,250), from 7 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 2003 Dodge RAM 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “dashboard cracked”, in 29 of 237 complaints, followed by “dash board” (25).
Other 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 problems
See all 2003 Dodge RAM 1500 problems or structure problems across all RAM 1500 years.