RoadVitals

2003 Dodge Viper Roadster Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Latest Nov 16, 2012
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2003 Dodge Viper Roadster, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Visibility1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

IT IS KNOWN FACT THAT ALL DODGE VIPERS BUILT BETWEEN 2003-2010 HAVE POWER WINDOW REGULATORS THAT FAIL ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE PLASTIC TUBING BREAKS AND THE WINDOWS WILL NO LONGER MOVE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN ON MULTIPLE FRONTS WHERE A NEED COULD ARISE TO ESCAPE THE CAR THROUGH THE WINDOW. IF THE REGULATOR HAS FAILED, AND THE WINDOW IS IN THE "UP" POSITION, THERE ADDITIONAL HAZARDS. BECAUSE THE REGULATOR IS DESIGNED TO SLIGHTLY LOWER THE WINDOW WHEN CLOSING THE DOOR, IF IT STOPS FUNCTIONING, THE CLOSING OF THE VEHICLE DOORS CREATES STRESS ON THE GLASS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF WINDOWS BREAKING WHILE A VEHICLE IS SIMPLY PARKED AND STILL OTHERS WHERE THE WINDOW FINALLY GIVE WAY TO THE STRESSES OF THE EXTRA PRESSURE AND EXPLODE WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAUSES FLYING GLASS TO HIT THE OCCUPANTS CAUSING CUTS AND POSSIBLE BLINDNESS, AND COULD ALSO LEAD THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. REPLACEMENT REGULATORS ARE NOT ONLY HARD TO FIND, BUT ARE $1,000 EACH. DODGE HAS KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE (AND KNOWN SINCE 2003 WHEN PROBLEMS BEGAN), BUT REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. PLEASE SEE THE NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS ON VIPER CLUB OF AMERICA'S WEBSITE OR VIPER ALLEY. APPARENTLY THE DESIGN HAS FINALLY BEEN FIXED FOR THE 2013 VIPER, BUT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THIS REGULATOR CAN RETROFITTED TO 2003-10 CARS. WITH THIS BEING A KNOWN (AND ADMITTED TO ISSUE) BY DODGE, AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED BY DODGE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEMS AT NO CHARGE TO CURRENT OWNERS. IF DODGE CONTINUES TO BURY IT'S HEAD IN THE SAND ABOUT THIS, THEY ARE JUST AWAITING A LAWSUIT FOR WRONGFUL DEATH CAUSED BY THEIR NEGLIGENCE, WHICH WILL CARRY A HUGE PRICE TAG. *TR

NHTSA ID 10484956 · filed Nov 16, 2012

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .