Problems with 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 VISIBILITY

Defrost vent won't work every other setting works fine. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the doors on the front passenger and the rear passenger side failed to open. also, the contact mentioned that the windows and the locks would not operate. the contact stated that this was a recurring failure. the vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the vehicle was working up to specifications. the vehicle was not repaired. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a crash and the air bags failed to deploy. no further details of the crash were provided. the vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 43,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge 1500. while driving approximately 55 mph the contact noticed the defroster was not defrosting the windshield and there was no air flow. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 175,000.

Heater blower fails to blow to the floor or defrost. truck windshield started to fog up and couldn't get it to clear because the defrost blend door is broken. very dangerous problem with dodge vehicles. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the passenger side windows would not operate properly. the driver side window would operate occasionally. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that there were no recalls and offered no other assistance. the failure mileage was 93,000.

During freezing temp the windshield fogs up or has ice on it and the air does not blow up to the window or down on the floor just straight out of the dash. this is very dangerous andd after having the vehicle run for over 45 min the window is still not defrosted maybe just a small patch and after trying to see out of a small patch of the windshield i'am so surprised there are not many recks caused from this i have friends that have dodges and i know of 7 other dodge trucks that have this same issue. and it is very expensive to get it fixed, out of the 7 i know there is 1 that has gotten it fixed so how many other drivers are out there with this issue that can not see?

In 2008 when the truck was under warranty the dash started cracking. i was advised and up until october, 2010 (when the warranty expired) that the cracked dashboard is considered cosmetic and not covered by warranty. starting in dec. 2010 the defroster instead of sticking once in a while and requiring a switch from defrost to vent back to defrost to get it to work, started not working. dodge will not repair the defrost issue which is a safety issue unless i replace the dash. i believe that the cracked dash which by itself is probably something that is more a customer satisfaction and poor engineering effort becomes a safety issue when it must be replaced because of issues that occur with the defrost system. many times i have driven this truck in bad weather conditions where i need the defroster just to see out of the windshield and the fogging occurs while i am driving (typically on a highway/interstate). now i'm forced to replace something "cosmetic" or "not a safety issue" due to something that is? the issues with the defrost breaking are common. i strongly encourage the nhtsa to require dodge to replace or repair broker defrosters as these systems even in vehicles dating back into the 1950's rarely if ever require any repair and for good reason...safety. if dodge then believes the dash needs replacing they should be required as part of the safety replacement requirements to "replace/repair and all peripheral components required to correct the issue". i, and as i read many others, would truly appreciate an evaluation of this matter and attention by the nhtsa. thank you for your time. *tr

On november 19, 2009, i was driving my 2003 dodge ram 1500 on the expressway with my windows down. the wind from the windows being down caused part of the cracked dashboard to fly up and hit my face. it caused me to lose control for a second but was able to overcome. cracked dashboards are a known issue with dodge ram trucks and is a safety hazard. someone is going to get killed from this. i guess dodge will fix their defect once this happens. hopefully i won't be the test case! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 1500. the contact was unable to use switch from defrost to heat. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that there were no recalls or warranties for the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 117,000.

I have experienced a serious heating problem with this vehicle. the blend doors go bad in the heating system which in turn cause the windshield to ice over and which produces serious visibility problems. *tr

2003 dodge ram 1500 blend/mode door 1 replaced in 2007 for $300 out of pocket expense unable to use defroster to clear car windows. broke again 2010. no dealer assistance or manufacturer assistance. this is unsafe due to unable to clear fog or frost from windows while driving. *tr

No heater defrost controls. *tr

There is a defect in dodge ram truck recirculation doors, inside the duct work. the plastic door breaks where the hinge holds it. the door then falls over the interior fan and causes the air flow to stop. a telltale sign is the fan making a roaring noise with little or no air flowing. *tr

2003 dodge ram 1500 quad-cab. during normal use and care the dashboard has cracked in two places. a piece has broken off the dash and fell down into the area behind the dashboard. subsequently, the heater stopped blowing hot air. the heater failure appears to be due to the broken piece of the dash interfering with the heater mechanism behind the dash. no repair or replacement has been attempted at this time. the plastic inserts in the door handles have also failed. this includes the components that hold the window, mirror, and door lock controls. *tr

Besides heat not working, numerous gas cap replacements, numerous shorts in brake light, radio cutting off, my dash has cracked in several places which could cause injury if touched by youngsters. apparently numerous complaints on all of the above!! *tr

The problem began with the ignition remaining on with the key out. the next thing was the headlights not switching between bright and dim.third came the wipers not turning on all the time.now the turn signals are working improperly. *tr

Dodge ram 2002 has a recall that could cause a serious electrical fire and foggy windows. this problem also occurs on the 2003 model that i own as well and they do not want to repair it. i have photographs of the heat that has been caused by the under sized wiring harness to become bare and could cause a fire. i have repaired the truck my self with no help from dodge using the same repair kit for the 2002. some dealerships will not sell me the item, one finally did. to help me out ******************mar 10, 2003 | recall id# 21715 recall reason steering:column recall date mar 10, 2003 model affected ram 1500 potential units affected 287725 recall summary on certain pickup trucks, the electrical connector at the bottom of the steering column contains an under-sized terminal for the hvac blower motor circuit. localized heating from current flow with the blower speed set on high may cause the terminal contacts to relax and lose electrical contact. this can cause the hvac blower motor to become inoperative. consequence this condition could cause impairment of visibility in inclement weather, increasing the risk of a crash. remedy dealers will install a wiring harness overlay to correct this condition. owner notification began april 15, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403. notes daimlerchrysler corporation c11 *tr***********************************

Dt*: the contact stated the windshield and front seat windows would not defrost. the vehicle was driven to the dealer, who could find no problem.

Purchased a ram 1500 quad cab slt from budget and now the power window buttons on all doors but the driverside do not work and the locking button on driver side intermittently stops working. also the lamp out light keeps coming on even after replacing the bulbs. even after the 5th time. *tr

While driving down the interstate, it started to rain, i turned on my windshield wipers and they did not work, neither did my turn signals and hazard flashers. i pulled over and after a while they started working, now there are times when the windshield wipers and turn signals do not work, and then sometimes you turn the left turn signal on and the right one flashes and vise versa. i am taking it into the dealership monday this issue doesn't happen all the time, i would guess about fifty percent of the time. *jb

Have had the truck less than two years and have had service because of faulty motor in windshield wipers, bad coil in engine, mis-firing, causing the cylinders and valves to be replaced, fuel cap replaced, fuel line replaced because of water in the lines, heater had bad piece, causing heat to not come out of defrost or floors, shifter for 4-wheel drive will not shift. has been in shop 13 days(3 visits) in last 4 weeks. needs to go back this week for shifter. *ak

My 2003 dodge ram 1500 4x4 truck has an issue with the air selector. i cannot defrost my windshield or warm the floor. it is broken with air blowing out of the vents to my face. my vehicle was fixed once before for the same problem. there are also many forums or posts in reference to the problem. dodge has made a poor design which is faulty and expensive to fix. i believe there should be a countrywide recall to fix the problem and upgrade the plastic doors dodge uses for the heat/ a/c system. *tr

Consumer states there is a blind spot on the windshield. it is where the door column and the windshield come together. it prevents consumer from seeing on either side. the pillar is quite wide. *ak *nm