2003 Dodge Ram Quad Cab

THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE HEAVY DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS WITH DIESEL ENGINES AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS COMMONLY USED FOR COMMERCIAL AND WORK PURPOSES.A COLUMN MOUNTED SHIFT LEVER IS USED FOR GEAR SELECTION AND AN ELECTRONIC PRNDL ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL PROVIDES GEAR POSITION INFORMATION TO THE DRIVER.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE ALSO EQUIPPED WITH A BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK THAT PREVENTS THE SHIFT LEVER FROM BEING MOVED FROM THE PARK POSITION (WHEN THE ENGINE IS ON) UNLESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED AND AN IGNITION-SHIFT INTERLOCK THAT PREVENTS KEY REMOVAL UNLESS THE TRANSMISSION IS IN THE PARK POSITION.COMPLAINANTS GENERALLY REPORT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED IN A FORWARD GEAR AND BROUGHT TO A STOP THROUGH BRAKE APPLICATION ON ALEVEL SURFACE, AT WHICH TIME THE OPERATOR MOVED THE SHIFT LEVER TO ENGAGE THE PARK POSITION.THE OPERATOR THEN OPENED THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND, WITHOUT VERIFYING PARK ENGAGEMENT (E.G., PRNDL GEAR INDICATION), SECURING THE PARK BRAKE, OR TURNING THE ENGINE OFF, EXITED THE VEHICLE.INITIALLY, NO VEHICLE MOVEMENT WAS APPARENT, HOWEVER, A SHORT TIME LATER, TYPICALLY REPORTED AS 10 TO 30 SECONDS, THE VEHICLE MOVED REARWARD UNDER ENGINE POWER.THE INCIDENT OFTEN ENDED IN A VEHICLE CRASH, AND SOMETIMES INVOLVED SERIOUS INJURY.TWO FATALITIES ARE ALLEGED.ODI?S ANALYSIS OF TEST VEHICLES AND SOME INCIDENT VEHICLES FOUND NO EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THAT A SHIFT LEVER PROPERLY PLACED IN PARK COULD UNINTENTIONALLY (I.E., WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT) DISENGAGE FROM THAT POSITION.HOWEVER, ODI DID FIND THAT THE SHIFT LEVER COULD BE INADVERTENTLY PLACED, AND REMAIN AT REST, WITHIN AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION BETWEEN THE PARK AND REVERSE GEAR POSITIONS.WHEN PLACED IN SUCH AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION, THE VEHICLE CAN EXPERIENCE A DELAYED PRESSURIZATION OF THE REVERSE HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT THAT IS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ROLL REARWARD UNDER POWER.THE DELAY PERIOD ALLOWS SUFFICIENT TIME FOR OPERATORS TO EXIT THE STATIONARY VEHICLE WITHOUT PERCEIVING THAT THE SHIFTER IS NOT IN PARK.THE SUMMARY REPORT DISCUSSES THE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS OF THIS ISSUE IN GREATER DETAIL AND COMPARES THE FREQUENCY OF THESE INCIDENTS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES TO OTHER PEER VEHICLES THAT ODI EXAMINED.AS DESCRIBED IN THEIR OCTOBER 4, 2005 LETTER TO NHTSA, DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION (DCC) WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NO. 05V-462, DCC NO. E17) TO INSTALL AN OUT-OF-PARK ALARM SYSTEM IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE ALARM WILL PROVIDE AUDIBLE AND VISUAL FEEDBACK TO ALERT THE DRIVER, AND OTHERS, IF THE DRIVER ATTEMPTS TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING AND THE SHIFT LEVER IS NOT IN THE PARK POSITION.THE TIMING OF DCC?S ACTION HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED.

WHILE DRIVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS OVER 30 AND USUALLY TEMPS BELOW 50, THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND WILL IMMEDIATELY LOSE THROTTLE. "DEAD PEDAL" SOMETIMES THE THROTTLE WILL SURGE THEN DROP OFF OTHER TIMES WHEN SLOWING THE TRANS (AUTOMATIC) WILL START TO CHATTER AS IF A MANUAL,. I USE A STORE PURCHASED OBD COMPUTER TO RESET. GET CODES 2121, 2123 SOMETIMES 0700. THIS SOMETIMES TAKES 2-3 TIMES TO RESET. VERY UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR YEARS, NUMEROUS TIMES, USUALLY IN WINTER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SOMETIMES AT INTERSECTION WHILE ACCELERATING. HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR SOLUTION FOR YEARS!! SEE MANY OTHERS ON NET WITH SAME PROBLEM. WHY ISN'T THIS FIXED BY DODGE AND OR CUMMINS. AGAIN VERY UNSAFE!!

NHTSA ID

11287510

Incident

Dec 6, 2019

Mileage

50,000 mi

THE DASHBOARD IS FALLING APART WITH SHARP PIECES FALLING INSIDE UNDER THE DASH WHICH MAY CUT WIRES OR EVEN THE AIR BAG. IT IS VERY BRITTLE. IT CAN BE MOVING OR STATIONARY.

NHTSA ID

11193027

Incident

Mar 11, 2019

Mileage

86,725 mi

WIPERS DO WHAT THEY WANT TO, NO- OFF DONT SEAT STOP IN MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD

NHTSA ID

11120153

Incident

Dec 1, 2016

Mileage

140,000 mi

TAKATA RECALL / I RECEIVED THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V312000 (AIRBAGS) FRONTAL PASSENGER AIR BAG INFLATOR HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE THE DASHBOARD WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE EXISTING DASHBOARD WITHOUT DAMAGING THE DASHBOARD FURTHER. DODGE STATED THEY WILL NOT COVER THE PARTS NOR LABOR TO REPLACE THE DASHBOARD. THE DEALER CONTACTED WAS NATIONAL DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP RAM LOCATED AT 2223 N MARINE BLVD, JACKSONVILLE, NC 28546. I BELIEVE THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR AND SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE CAUSED IN THE COMPLETE OF THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND CONTACTED THE DEALER. SEE ATTACHED EMAILS/PICTURES.

NHTSA ID

11102894

Incident

Apr 20, 2017

CRACKED DASHBOARD FOR NO REASON. CAR WAS PARKED. OPENED VEHICLE TO FIND CRACKED DASH. TOLD BY DEALERSHIP NOT THEIR PROBLEM. NEVER HAD ANY VEHICLE EVER DO THIS BEFORE. HAVE PURCHASED DODGES FOR YEARS, BUT NOW WILL NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER IF THEY DON'T OWN UP TO THEIR OBLIGATIONS.

NHTSA ID

11041600

Incident

Jul 15, 2009

Mileage

38,490 mi

2003 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB 4X4 HAD VEHICLE TOWED AND WHEN TOW TRUCK DRIVER HOOKED CHAINS TO FRAME RAILS TO WINCH VEHICLE ON TO TOW TRUCK THE CHAINS RIPPED THE STEEL OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME DO TO THE FRAME BEING ROTTED I HAVE UPLOADED PHOTOS. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY CONCERN DO TO THE FACT THE FRAME IS ENCLOSED AND THERE IS NO REAL WARNING OR SIGNS OF THE INTEGRITY OF THE REMAINING STRUCTURE OF THE FRAME. IT IS IN MY OPINION THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND FRAME SHOULD BE RECALLED THERE ARE MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME TRUCKS EVEN A LOT NEWER THAN THIS ONE BUT SAME FRAME AS MINE AND THE SAME PROBLEM THERE IS NO REASON OTHER THAN POOR ENGINEERING AND PREP OF THIS FRAME I OWN MANY OLD PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT ARE 30+ YEARS OLDER THAN THIS TRUCK AND NO ROT ISSUES LIKE THIS WEAR AND TEAR IS ONE THING BODY ROT ECT IS NORMAL BUT THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT GIVES NO WARNING MANY OF THESE TRUCKS DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD SUCH AS MINE HAULING EQUIPMENT ECT IMAGINE 20K LBS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE TRUCK SPLITS IN HALF DO TO THE INTERNAL FRAME ROT HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL DIE BEFORE THIS ISSUE I'D RECALLED BY CHRYSLER? TOYOTA DID IT TO THERE TRUCKS WHY SHOULDN'T DODGE PLEASE DON'T LET DODGE IGNORE THIS IT COULD BE SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY THAT GETS SERIOUSLY HURT OR DIES DRIVING ONE OF THESE TRUCKS OR FROM SOMEONE ELSE DRIVING ONE OF THESE TRUCKS. FYI I HAD THE PITTMAN ARM JOINT SNAP ON MY TRUCK WITH OUT WARNING IT WAS A SCARY MOMENT WHEN U LOSE STEERING I WAS LUCKY AND DIDN'T CRASH AND NO ONE GOT HURT .

NHTSA ID

11031653

Incident

Apr 21, 2016

Mileage

220,000 mi

SO MANY OF THESE TRUCKS HAVE DASHBOARDS THAT ARE LITERALLY FALLING APART AND THE RECALL ON THE AIRBAGS CAN'T BE DONE WITHOUT THE DASHBOARDS BEING REPLACED WHICH IS ABOVE $1400.00! MY 2004 TOYOTA 4RUNNER DASHBOARD DID THE SAME THING, ONLY NOT AS EXTREME AS FALLING APART LIKE MY DODGE RAM 1500. TOYOTA DID THE RIGHT THING AND RECALLED THE DASHBOARD! THIS TRUCK WAS JUST PURCHASED FOR MY SON AND NOW THEY CAN'T AND WON'T REPLACE THE AIRBAG UNLESS WE PAY TO HAVE THE DASHBOARD REPLACED? IF THE MANUFACTURER OF DODGE DOESN'T DO THE SAME AND I OR ONE OF MY PASSENGERS IS HURT BECAUSE OF THE RECALL AIRBAG, YOU BEST BELIEVE THERE WILL BE A HUGE LAWSUIT COMING THEIR WAY!

NHTSA ID

11004734

Incident

Jul 12, 2017

THE DASHBOARD AND HVAC SYSTEM HAS CRACKED TO PIECES CAUSING THE DEFROSTERS TO BE INOPERABLE MOST OF THE TIME AND CONSTANTLY BLOWS PIECES OF PLASTIC AND FOAM OUT OF THE VENTS OCCASIONALLY GETTING IN THE DRIVER'S EYES AND NOSE CAUSING SNEEZING AND DISTRACTING IRRITATION.

NHTSA ID

11004058

Incident

Jan 10, 2005

Mileage

500,000 mi

KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not program to the vehicle, use the "AC" NIC level part and submit a part warranty.

KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not program to the vehicle, use the "AC" NIC level part and submit a part warranty.

Disinfectant Solution Recommended for COVID-19

Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the correct test equipment for testing batteries and charging systems, and also warranty reimbursement when battery replacements are necessary.

Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.

Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.