Problems with 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

2003 dodge ram 1500. consumer writes in regards to light switch still not working after repairs. *smd the brakes and rotors were replaced. also, the left front axle seal was starting to leak. *jb

While driving came up to lights and the engine stalled had no steering and no brake put engine in park restarted and drove on this has happened numerous times in nd out of traffic. when pulling hard to the left or right the engine will begin to stall did this while truck was sitting in front yard. had a tune up done and went away for a while but now it is starting up again. *tr

I was going over a bridge on 144 in tulsa oklahoma when i felt my right wheel starting shaking real bad so i started to pull over to the side of the road , when all of a sudden the wheel just fell off with the brake and rotor intact. i had just purchase this vehicle 2 weeks earlier and only had 43,000 miles on it. i had to get a wrecker to take it to a specialist in broken arrow where he had a chrysler representative come look at it and stated that model had a defect in it and should not have happen at that mileage. he said there was no wear and tear on the tires to prove wore out parts. also my concern if there is a defect in this type of truck why hasn't it been recalled. if this incident had happen during 5 o'clock rush hour this could have been very serious if not fatal. what does it take to get things like this taken care. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the vehicle vibrated when the brake was depressed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on three occasions. on the first occasion the dealer replaced the rotors and calipers. the vehicle was taken to the dealer 5,000 miles later, but the dealer refused to repair the vehicle again. the vehicle was taken to another repair shop, and 9,000 miles later, the rotors and calipers were changed a second time. the contact stated that the rotors were too small for the vehicle. the failure mileage was 92,000.*ak

2003 dodge ram rear speed sensor will fail, causing erratic speedometer behavior and dashboard abs and emergency brake lights to come on. this sensor is responsible for telling the abs system the speed of the vehicle and how much pressure to apply when braking. operating the vehicle with this sensor not working properly could lead to erratic stopping lengths, not to mention unreliable speedometer and odometer readings. this is evidently a recurring problem among many year models of the vehicle, and the same part number is used in many applications for daimler chrysler vehicles. i am yet to get the part changed, but will have the repair shop keep the part.

2003 dodge ram 1500 4x4 quad cab - shimmy felt in steering wheel while braking. 1st repair 12/16/03 (7217 miles), 2nd repair 3/24/05 (23401 miles) - dodge replaced front brake calipers, pads and machined rotors. 3rd complaint 1/19/06 (33315 miles) - dodge refuses to repair because it's over the 1 year/12000 mile warranty period. *nm

Dt: the contact states there is an nhtsa recall campaign 04v185000 concerning the abs brakes module. this vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall, but it is not included in the recall due to vin. the vehicle has not been repaired.*ak

The truck has continually had an intermitten problem with a resistence sensation, as if thy parking brake was on. i thought at the time it was an engine problem because of excessive raw fuel smell at the tailpipe. dealer shop found nothing wrong at 3,218 miles (12/01/05). at 18,000 miles (5/2/05) there was a complete brake faliure, lose of brake pressure. brake light came on and i believe the anti-lock braking sysetem froze and shorted out, because the unit was humming very loud and was getting very hot after the key was removed.i called on the evening of 5/3/05 and asked to have the defective part given to me. they said they would.

When brake pedal is slightly depressed it has a lot of shaking, also second time the truck is in for engine light and electronic thottle module. *jb

Before 9000 miles, my front brakes had severe vibration and pedal pulsation. the dealer said the rotors were warped and replaced them. after only 13000 additional miles the problem re-occurred. again the dealer said the rotors were warped and needed replacement. i have corresponded with the manufacturer and they have denied any problem. the brakes are unreliable and cannot be expected operate correctly in case of an emergency. *jb

I own a 2003 dodge ram 1500 with 20" wheels. problem is warping rotors. at 8,706 mile had the rotors replaced. at 30,941 miles tsb replaced calipers and turned rotors. at 43,412 miles turned rotors. at 47,300 miles replaced rotors. at 56,137 miles turned rotors. i traded a 1998 ram 1500 for the 2003, it had 192,000 miles and never warped the rotors. the vibration from the warped rotors has to decrease the efficiency of the brakes, and could eventually cause a failure in a steering or suspension component. if this is not addressed, someone could be seriously injured or killed.*ak

Heavy vibration and squealing when brakes applied. took truck to dealership where the calipers were to be replaced and roters turned. when the roters were turned they completely disentegrated. technician stated that i was extremely lucky this did not occur while driving. calipers and roters were replaced

While driving the digital dashboard components went out. vehicle was then driven to a dealership, who indicated that water had gotten into the anti lock braking system and shorted out the wiring. dealership did not know how the water got into the system. abs module and the wiring harness needed to be replaced.*ak

Dt: the contact stated there was major vibration in the front end of the vehicle due to rotor warpage. when depressing the brake pedal from any speed over 20 mph the front end of the vehicle shimmied,and it was very difficult to hold the vehicle on the road. the vehicle has been to the dealership on four occasions. the brake rotors, calipers, and pads were repaired every four to five months. the manufacturer was contacted. there were no recalls. *ak updatd 01/25/06. *jb

I own a 2003 dodge ram 1500. the brake rotors warped within 10,000 miles. after extensive talks with the dealer they machined the rotors. after another 10,000 miles, they warped again. after talking to several dodge ram 2003 owners i learned that many have been having similar problems. i feel that the dealer should replace my rotors. the steering wheel has extreme wobble when breaking with the warped rotors. *nm

When applying the brakes vehicle bounced. vehicle was not covered under warranty. manufacturer had not been contacted.*ak

One day i was driving my dodge ram pickup. i was coming to a stop while applying my brakes the pedal went to the floor. i did get the truck to stop with out any crashes. ever since then i have noticed brake noise. now when i press on the brake pedal and i am on a slippery surface or going over a bump my brakes grind. i have taken the truck to two different dodge dealers and both of them try to tell me that this is normal. *jb

Brake shimmy, warped rotors at 6,000 miles. resurfaced and failed again at 15,000. truck is mom's mini-van. only pulled a tent trailer once. i believe there is a design flaw or brakes too small for heavier "hemi" engine.*ak

I went to midas and had my brakes checked due to the fact when i began to slow down my truck would shake and bounce like the rotors were warped. my truck has only 30,000 miles and it has always shaked a little from the day i got it. *jb

Warped front brake rotors within first 7500 miles. dealer turned rotors but rotors warped again within 5000 more miles. dealer says out of warranty.*ak

Front end shakes when braking. tires are blad on on side due to frount end out of place. this has been in too the dealer 3 times for the front end and 2 times for the brakes.*ak

When slightly depressing the brake pedal, lots of shaking. *jb

I have a 2003 dodge ram 1500 truck. within 8 months of purchasing this truck the trucks brake rotors warped, causing the truck to shake violently upon pressing the brakes. dodge has yet to issue any sort of recall and i have read thousands,upon thousands of other owners have the same issue. there are times when i drive my car where i have to struggle just to keep the car in control when i brake. something needs to be done about this.*ak

1] no problem just applied brakes 2] when i apply brakes it vibrates the front end. 3] i took to randall knoll dealership in terrell and they kept the vehicle all day and said they didn't find a problem and ask if i wanted to put new brakes on so i said if it would fix the problem so they applied the new brakes and nothing changed the vibration. or shaking when you applied the breaks. this problem has been going on for over a year. took the truck to a local shop and had the rotors turned and then replaced and still the problem exists. please advise what the problem is when you have to apply the breaks quick you become afraid that the vehicle will not stop. *jb

1 st.-brakes pulled to right couldn't keep truck on road went into ditch. 2nd.-brakes again pulled to right,went from left lane[4 lane highway]to right lane before stopping. 3rd-brakes pulled to right went onto right shoulder before stopping,based upon 40+years of working on cars ,the right front brakes drag went the are heated up and fade out completely,have been to dealer twice truck was bought in 02-2003 and has less than 15000 miles,still pulls to right. *ak

While braking steering wheel vibrated and consumer heard a squeaking noise coming from the front brakes. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

While driving at 60 mph vehicle vibrated, and took longer to stop the vehicle when applying the brakes. dealer determined that rotors were warped, and were not cover under warranty. consumer indicated that on the www. carmax.com found many complaints on warped rotors for the dodge, ram, 1500.*ak

Second time to go to dealership about warped rotors. they try to get away with just turning them, but issue just returns. dc has some major issues with their rotors and safety is a major factor, but the way they are dealing with the situation also needs to be addressed. *jb

Vehicle shakes really bad when braking and is hard to stop if you have to stop quick. *jb

My rotors warped after about 10,000 miles, the dealer resurfaced them. they warped again after another 8,000 miles, they replaced them. then they warped again after another 6,000 or so miles. i don't do heavy traffic driving, so i am not riding my brakes, and even if i were, they should not be warping so quickly.*ak

While driving consumer depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and front of the vehicle vibrated, the brake pedal went down to the floor, and the vehicle hit the rear of another vehicle. vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that front left rotor was bent. this could have caused the brake failure. *ak

The vehicle's front brake rotors warped. this caused the pedal to lock up and resulted in extended stopping distance. the dealer is aware of the problem. *nm

At approximately 15,000 (mostly highway driving) miles on my 2003 dodge ram 1500 truck, when depressing the brake pedal, increasingly severe cab and steering wheel vibration occurs. warranty for brakes expired at 12 mos/12k miles. dealer initial recommendation was to offer to turn the front disc rotors. dealer said problem caused by driving style or vehicle usage, although i don't tow or carry heavy loads. dealer did not acknowledge a tsb for this problem till i brought it to their attention. tsb says to turn rotor, replace pads, and replace calipers. seems like the rotor is the issue and should be replaced.*ak

Pulsation when braking. rotors pitted per dealer. resolution of turning not accepted by customer. rotors replaced at 8936 miles. *jb

Front brake rotors warped in less than 8000 miles causing a strong front-end vibration when braking at highway speeds. *la

2003 dodge ram 1500 and brakes started pulsating at about 13000 miles..told dealer..told me was a wear item..tuff luck..now i have a 30k truck that bouces when the brakes are applied. i cant believe the brake rotors are already junk..and now the trucks stopping ability is not as good. can i make the dealer install new rotors?*ak

Warped brake rotors have been replaced several times on the front and once on the rear of the truck. this problem started at 11700 miles and continues to this day. *la

Front brake rotors have warped and caused a vibration / pulsation in the braking. dealer re-surfaced the rotors but i think this is only a temporary fix. why would rotors warp at 5,000 miles??? must be a defective design.*ak

While braking in rainy weather rotors caused the vehicle to vibrate. dealership tried to repair the vehicle 4 times, but had not resolved the problem. *ak

I have a 2003 dodge ram 1500 quad cab - at approximately 5400 miles, the front end began to shake like the rotors were possibly warped. i took it to the dealership to have it checked and was told the rotors were definitely warped. the rotors were replaced, but i have a really big problem question. why is this happening? i don't drive the truck hard or use excessive braking, but i have found numerous complaints regarding other '03 dodge ram owners and warped rotors at low mileages (http://www.dtwtrucks.com/forums/topic.ten?id=56542l). shouldn't there be a service bulletin on this issue already or even a recall? with the amount of complaints that i've seen, it seems as though no one wants to do anything about this but replace or turn the rotors and leave it at that. the warranty on the brakes only lasts 12 months or 12,000 miles. if they keep warping, then the rotors will have to be replaced every 6,000 miles or so for as long as i own the truck. not something i want to have to do. will someone please fix this before dodge is faced with a possible lawsuit? should that happen, i feel there will be many dodge ram owners that will want a part of the outcome... *la

2003 dodge ram 1500 quad cab w/17" wheels. taken in at 17,883 miles for brake shudder or vibration. they gave a free brake inspection and resurfaced the front rotors. it was taken in again at 25,506 miles for the same brake shudder or vibration. they replaced caliper's, washer br, pad kit, and resurfaced rotors. now at 34,000 miles i have the same brake shudder or vibration.*ak

Brake rotors warped for the 3rd time in 13k miles.....very dangerous because there were no puddles or hard braking involed as the dealer trys to pin the blame on driving habbits and weather....what happens when im towing????*ak

Warping rotors on 2003 dodge ram 1500 5.7l. there is a long history of problems with this trucks rotors here is just one example from a dodge truck web site the link is http://dtw.truckmoxie.com/forums/topic.ten?pos=1&id=56542 *la

Brake rotors warp every 7000 miles or so. rotors replaced by dealer 12/29/2003 at approximately 8k miles. now have 15k miles and steering wheel shakes and shudders when stopping, just like before. there is a safety defect here.*ak

Truck shakes when brake applied. *la

At 5,000 miles, my brakes began to shake when braking. i suspect warped rotors due to the fact that so many other rams have had this problem. i have taken the truck to the dealer and he just want to turn them. this is a recurring problem and decreases the life and effectiveness of my brakes. there needs to be a recall. this is unsafe and unacceptable. why is dodge allowed to sell vehicles with substandard parts? massive documentation about problem on dodgetruckworld.com.*ak

I have a 2003 dodge ram 1500 quad cab with just over 6,000 miles on it. at around 5,000 miles the brake pedal started to vibrate under braking and vibration could be felt in the steering wheel. about 200 miles later the brakes started squeaking. currently, i suspect the front rotors to be warped and have seen multiple complaints online by other ram owners with similar issues. *la

2003, dodge, ram 1500, hemi, 20" wheels, warped rotors. rotors replaced at 7000 miles. warped rotors reduces stopping power and therefore increases stopping distance. i believe this is an issue that really needs to be addressed because it can lead to accidents as a result of stopping distance . *ak

I purchased my dodge ram 1500 4x4 in june of 2003. in september of 2003 i was working in richmond, va. and started getting a vibration in the steering wheel when i braked. i took it to a dodge dealership in richmond, where they found nothing wrong with the truck. in october of 2003 i traveled to california for work, and still had the problem. i took it to a dealership in orange county where they found "nothing wrong with the truck.". i then returned to texas where i took it to a dealership in corpus christi, tx. where they told me the rotars where warped, and i must have gotten my brakes wet and warped them. after 7 hours, the district manager ok'd them to turn my rotors- the truck was past its 12,000 mile warranty. they then told me i may have future problems with my rear rotors. in aug. of 2004, i came to florida to work and started having a severe vibration in my brakes. since the dealerships were closed during the hurricanes, i took the truck to a goodyear, where they turned my rear rotars. i know have a worse vibration in the front end of the truck. dodge is giving me the run around- the calipers and rotars need to be replaced( dealership service manager in winter haven, fl. told me that dodge is aware of the calipers not being large enough for the torque put out by the hemi engine and they have issued new calipers. i need help. this has been going on since the truck had 8,000 miles and i am now at 49,000.*ak

The vehicle would shimmy when braking at 50 mph or more, the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer on three separate occasions. during that time the dealer made the following repairs: 1st. turn both rear rotors. 2nd. resurface both front rotors and 3rd. replaced the caliper. but the problem continued. please provide any further information. *jb....*ak