2003 Dodge RAM 2500 Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2003 Dodge RAM 2500, 21% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 95,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “takata air bags” (25% of reports).
- 138air bags complaints
- 95,000median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 1related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Takata air bags: mentioned in 34 of 138 complaints (25%)
- Give specific become: mentioned in 9 of 138 complaints (7%)
- Provide estimated receive: mentioned in 9 of 138 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 31 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 138 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 5 an injury.
Dodge RAM 2500 air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 RAM 2500 | 11 | 4% | 71,994 |
| 2011 RAM 2500 | 1 | 0% | 104,995 |
| 2010 RAM 2500 | 2 | 1% | 96,000 |
| 2009 RAM 2500 | 16 | 7% | 82,000 |
| 2008 RAM 2500 | 30 | 9% | 121,500 |
| 2007 RAM 2500 | 46 | 13% | 45,000 |
| 2006 RAM 2500 | 77 | 11% | 128,000 |
| 2005 RAM 2500 | 76 | 18% | 137,000 |
| 2004 RAM 2500 | 90 | 15% | 130,000 |
| 2003 RAM 2500 | 138 | 21% | 95,000 |
| 2002 RAM 2500 | 6 | 4% | 51,200 |
| 2001 RAM 2500 | 18 | 4% | 98,000 |
| 2000 RAM 2500 | 10 | 5% | 160,000 |
| 1999 RAM 2500 | 18 | 6% | 128,000 |
| 1998 RAM 2500 | 18 | 8% | 82,050 |
| 1997 RAM 2500 | 9 | 4% | 175,000 |
| 1996 RAM 2500 | 11 | 4% | 257,000 |
| 1995 RAM 2500 | 7 | 3% | 142,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Problem: 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.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengerÂs frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began on March 16, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R26. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 14V770.
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 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 09E001000 (Steering), 13V528000 (Steering) and 15V312000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the…
Vehicle was involved in a collision going 50 mph on a highway and another vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign at a cross road and we struck them with the front of the vehicle on their passenger door. Air bags did not deploy causing 2 of the passengers in the vehicle to hit their head/face on the…
[redacted][XXX] REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Dodge RAM 2500s have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 138 owner complaints about air bags for the 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 (21% of the 661 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 2500 air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 95,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2003 Dodge RAM 2500?
The most frequent phrase is “takata air bags”, in 34 of 138 complaints, followed by “give specific become” (9).
Other 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 problems
- Steering problems (159)
- Structure problems (146)
- Suspension problems (122)
- Power Train problems (55)
See all 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 problems or air bags problems across all RAM 2500 years.