Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | |||
| 12/13/2010 | 34000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that the defroster was inoperable. both the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 34,000 and the current mileage was 44,000. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 12/13/2010 | 34000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that the defroster was inoperable. both the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 34,000 and the current mileage was 44,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 12/13/2010 | 34000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that the defroster was inoperative. the dealer and manufacturer were notified, but denied any assistance with repair to the defect. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 34,000 and the current mileage was 44,000. the vin was unavailable. nw | |||
| 06/25/2011 | 144000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. while parked the contact noticed minimal air was emitting from the defroster vents. the contact stated there was a hinge that fractured on the blend door not allowing the air to come in contact with the windshield properly. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics and was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage 144,000. | |||
| 06/25/2011 | 144000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. while parked the contact noticed minimal air was emitting from the defroster vents. the contact stated there was a hinge that fractured on the blend door not allowing the air to come in contact with the windshield properly. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics and was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage 144,000. kmj | |||
| 06/25/2011 | 144000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. while parked the contact noticed minimal air was emitting from the defroster vents. the contact stated there was a hinge that fractured on the blend door not allowing the air to come in contact with the windshield properly. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage 144,000. ds | |||
| 07/01/2007 | 60000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500 quad. the contact stated that the dashboard was fractured and sharp edges were exposed. the dealer advised the contact to notify the manufacturer of the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, did not offer any assistance. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 104,000 and the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. kmj | |||
| 07/01/2007 | 60000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500 quad. the contact stated that the dashboard had fractured and the sharp edges were a hazard and could result in an injury. the dealer advised the contact to notify the manufacturer. the manufacturer was aware of the failure; however, did not offer any assistance. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 104,000. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. bw | |||
| 10/01/2010 | 232000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that fluid was leaking out of his vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the heater coil was defective and needed to be replaced. the contact mentioned that heater coil was replaced four times. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 232,000 and the current mileage was 245,000. | |||
| 10/01/2010 | 232000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that fluid was leaking out of his vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the heater coil was defective and needed to be replaced. the contact mentioned that heater coil was replaced four times. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 232,000 and the current mileage was 245,000. rvk | |||
| 10/01/2010 | 232000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that fluid was leaking out of his vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local shop who diagnosed that the heater core was defective and needed to be replaced. the contact mentioned that heater core was replaced a total of four times. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offered any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 232,000 and the current mileage was 245,000. pm | |||
| 08/10/2011 | 130000 | ||
| When i tried to switch the ac to defrost, it would not worked. kept hearing a thunk from inside the dash. defrost would not switch over and air continued blowing from vents. created an extreme visibility impairment. | |||
| 12/01/2009 | 71000 | ||
| No heat or defrost on my 2003 dodge ram 2500. all air blows out dash. problems defrosting windows and keeping clear. was told by the dealer that it is not covered and would have to pay for it out of my pocket. at least $1000. | |||
| 12/06/2010 | 150000 | ||
| Defrosters will not come on when control knob is turned to defrost position. during my recent trip from one state to the next i had to drive through a snow/ ice storm and needed to defrost my windshield, i turned the knob to defrost but nothing came out it just continued to blow through the vents. i have been having this problem now and it is causing dangerous commutes for me. | |||
| 11/02/2010 | 140000 | ||
| I was driving down the road and turned on the heater in my truck and the windsheild imediately fogged up to the point i could not see. i had to roll down the window to see out and to pull over to the side of the road to avoid a head on collision. once i was stopped i noticed the problem was no matter what position i set the defrost or heat on, the air only blew out the vents on the dash panel. i went to the dodge dealer and they told me the whole dash had to come out of my truck, drain the cooling system and air conditioning system to replace some broken plastic parts, costing around 1,500.00 to 2,000.00. after researching this problem on line, i have found numerous people, all with the same problem. i feel this is a safety hazard because within 5 seconds my vision was completely obstructed and could have not only resulted in my death but that of someone else. this truck almost killed me once when it jumped into reverse and almost ran over me. yes they ended up creating a recall for this problem, but that did not pay to repair my truck or my neighbors house that my truck ran into. i think it is unfair for us as consumers to comtinue to pay for dodge's flawed engineering. they have a tsb on this problem so they are completely aware of it. | |||
| 10/21/2008 | |||
| Defroster and floor vents do not work. heat and a/c only blows out of the dash vents. took to dealer and was told that they get 2 to 3 in a month with the actuator door is broke and dodge has been made aware but no recall. i was told this is not a safety issue. living in northern michigan in the middle of winter with no defrost is a safety issue. hard to drive if you can't see. cost will be between 1200 and 1500 dollars for something that should be recalled. | |||
| 05/16/2010 | 61650 | ||
| I can't defrost my windshield on my 2003 dodge truck. last weekend when it started to rain, my windows fogged up and i had no defrosters to clear them. i almost caused a wreck on i-10 and finally had to pull into a rest stop until the rain stopped and the humity dropped. the ac works good, just can't get air to the windshield. dodge knows how to fix the problem, but says it's not a safety issue. | |||
| 11/06/2006 | 56000 | 1 | |
| I'm a 3 time dodge owner currently have a 2003 ram 2500 slt hemi, 2004 ram 1500 short bed, 2005 durango hemi. each one has problems. what i don't understand is how the nhtsa and dodge don't see the safety danger involved. the 2003 has the most serious safety issues. a dash that is cracking so bad that pieces are now starting to fall out. if an accident were to occur this is a projectile hazard . i have taken pictures of the dash. i hope know one gets injured from projectile fragments of the dash. the more serious issue with the 2003 is the flapper door on the actuator motor that changes the air flow from vent to floor or defrost. dodge does not see this as a safety issue. i don't see the difference between the defrost to the windshield not working and a windshield wiper recall; they both affect your view. we don't drive the pickup if ice and snow are in the forecast. i could not believe all the complaints about this issue and nothing is being done. lets wait until one of these 2 issues injuries someone seriously or even sadder yet someone is killed!!!!! there is always a lawyer waiting. i would think any problem that affects your site or view for driving would be most dangerous. *tr | |||
| 03/16/2008 | 88000 | 1 | |
| 2003 dodge ram pickup has defroster that will not work because air only blows out front vent. unable to defrost ice while driving. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2007 | 90000 | 1 | |
| The defrost door and the blend door in my 2003 dodge ram 2500 is inoperative. it failed during the winter of 2007. the windshield will not clear thus causing an extreme hazard when attempting to drive the vehicle in inclement weather.i took the vehicle to the dealership in may 2008 and they admitted there was a problem and that there was a technical service bulletin but would not cover the repair due to being out of warranty. i agreed to pay for the repair. upon them repairing it they discovered that all of the inside duct doors had failed and charged me to replace all of them. it has again broken and the dealer will not cover the repairs. i asked how it could fail again and they told me chrysler has not corrected the failed parts and are providing faulty parts for the repairs. i contacted chrysler and they declined any assistance. this is a serious safety hazard as the windshield and all other windows will fog over preventing visibility. i have searched the internet and have found this to be a large scale problem in these trucks. a safety recall should be done. *tr | |||
| 12/26/2008 | 40000 | 1 | |
| It was snowing i had my three children in the truck the window fogged and when i put on the defrost it only came out the vents and did not clear the windshield i could not see as i was going down the highway and had to pull off the road. it was fixed once before in 2007 and did not last 6 months. *tr | |||
| 10/18/2006 | 86000 | 1 | |
| The heater/ defroster does not function properly. it results in no heat by my lower extremities and poor defrosting of windshield. i contacted the dealership and they informed me that i was not the only 2003 dodge ram 2500 to have this issue. i took it to another mechanic and he confirmed that i was not the first with this issue. i count ten including myself. i went to the manufacture and got a copy of a service bulletin detailing this issue, but no formal recall was ever issued. chrysler refuses to do anything because they do not consider this a safety issue. i personally consider poor visibility from one's windshield due to faulty defroster a safety issue. no one has had a crash to my knowledge, but if a cop can write a citation for a minor chip, could they not do the same for a foggy windshield? *tr | |||
| 10/13/2008 | 45130 | 1 | 06/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. while driving 35 mph in the rain, the windows fogged up. the defogger switch and air conditioner would not switch over to defrost the windows. the contact went to the dealer and they stated that it was a damper door in the air vent, which tells the air whether to flow towards the door or the floor. if the door breaks, there is nowhere for the air to flow. tsb number 24-004-03 was referenced. the dealer stated that this was an electrical failure, which only covered 12,000 miles; therefore, the contact has to pay for the repairs. the failure mileage was 45,130. updated 11/12/08. *lj updated 11/14/08. *jb | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM | |||
| 10/17/2012 | 89881 | 1 | |
| The defroster will not activate-found tsb 24-004-03 relates to this issue. chrysler should have recalled these vehicles for repair due to numerous number of failures and safety issue related to not having de-ice or defrost capability. *tr | |||
| 11/15/2007 | 52000 | 1 | |
| The switch on the climate control panel cannot change the air from the floor to the vents or defrost. the door in the air box does not move. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2007 | 70000 | 1 | 08/03/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the defroster and heat malfunctioned. the visibility through the windshield was limited. the defroster was on for 45 minutes and the windshield would not defrost. the dealer replaced the door that directs the air. the failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 72,000. updated 02/14/08 *tr | |||
| 07/04/2006 | 94500 | 100 | 06/08/2006 |
| A downpour came while i was driving with 5 children in the truck. the window fogged up and i turned on defroster and the air wouldn't come through defroster! i was blinded! the air will not blow through my defroster. *nm | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - BLOWER | |||
| 09/24/2006 | 75000 | 2 | 05/26/2003 |
| Blower dafters will not operate properly to defrost windshield in freezing temperatures or rain. making it impossible to see while driving in this kind of weather. *tr | |||
| 03/09/2007 | 100000 | 1 | 05/05/2003 |
| When turning on defroster for my window it would not blow through. *jb | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - CONTROLS/WIRING | |||
| 08/15/2007 | 69000 | 6 | 04/11/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that his vehicle would not start and the fans for the air conditioner were not working. after he adjusted the steering column, the air conditioner worked. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and they were unable to duplicate the failure. the failure remained and the contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. the dealer stated that the wiring circuits were burned, but they could not determine when the fire occurred. they refused to repair the vehicle for free because it exceeded the warranty. a complaint was filed with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 69,000 and current mileage was 71,000. the consumer stated cuevas informed him the air/heat controls did not work in all positions. updated 12/13/07 *tr | |||
| VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES | |||
| 11/07/2002 | 1400 | 10/24/2002 | |
| Seat becomes a problem when the temperature gets colder. cool mornings will cause the seats to rise 3 inches causing driver or passenger not to sit correctly and buckle seat belt. this also causes driver to readjust mirror as temperatures rise and cushion lowers. as these changes occur driver must adjust seat forward and back making use of mirrors impossible without numerous corrections daily.also, vehicle wanders on highway, driver must continuously move steering wheel to keep vehicle between lines on consumer's side of the road. in addition, detected clunking noise coming from steering box. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | |||
| 02/01/2013 | 100000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that while driving various speeds and depressing the brakes, the vehicle would jerk to the left. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they advised the contact that they were unable to duplicate the failure. as a precaution, the brakes were replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000. the current mileage was approximately 104,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Mix door fails to blow heated air up through defrost vents. visibility is zero when it is below freezing and there is moisture in the air. it appears there is no recall for this even though it is an extreme safety hazard. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 70000 | ||
| Mix door fails to blow heated air up through defrost vents. visibility is zero when it is below freezing and there is moisture in the air. it appears there is no recall for this even though it is an extreme safety hazard. | |||
| 09/30/2010 | 1 | ||
| When i turn signal to left makes right signal comes on, when you turn right signal on makes left signal comes on. the lamp out light keeps coming on and going off when you turn the left signal on then off again. i checked none of the lamps are out. has been took to dealer twice and had the wiring harness in the steering column fixed, it quit for a while and then starts the same thing again.the dealer claims using the tilt on the steering wheel is the cause of the problem. i think the problem is in the turn signal arm because it affects the signals and the wipers. i have talked to other dodge owners who are experiencing the same problems. i feel there should be a recall on it because it could turn into a safety issue. *tr | |||
| 09/30/2010 | |||
| When i turn signal to left makes right signal comes on, when you turn right signal on makes left signal comes on. the lamp out light keeps coming on and going off when you turn the left signal on then off again. i checked none of the lamps are out. has been took to dealer twice and had the wiring harness in the steering column fixed, it quit for a while and then starts the same thing again.the dealer claims using the tilt on the steering wheel is the cause of the problem. i think the problem is in the turn signal arm because it affects the signals and the wipers. i have talked to other dodge owners who are experiencing the same problems. i feel there should be a recall on it because it could turn into a safety issue. | |||