"How reliable is the 2003 Dodge Ram 3500?"

"Based on 330 NHTSA complaints, the 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 has a median complaint mileage of 79084 miles. The most common issue is Air Bags."

"What are common problems with the 2003 Dodge Ram 3500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 is Air Bags, accounting for a significant portion of the 330 total complaints filed."

2003 Dodge Ram 3500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 330 complaints

330

Total Complaints

79,084mi

Median Mileage

Air Bags

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

44,250 25th Percentile

79,084 Median Mileage

113,750 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags

Structure

Steering

Unknown Or Other

Suspension

Body

Power Train

Automatic Transmission

Front

Tires

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE GAS NOZZLES ARE TOO SMALL, GAS IS BEING POURED EVERYWHERE. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A FIRE COULD START. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. PH"

"WHEN THE TRAILER WAS USED, IT BENT THE MAIN SPRINGS WHICH SUPPORTED BOTH THE TRUCK AND TRAILER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. IF THE SPRING WERE TO BREAK IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *JB"

"RE: HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) HEADLIGHTS. HID'S ARE OFTEN BLINDING BOTH FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND FROM REAR VIEW MIRRORS. COMBINE THIS WITH THE FACT THAT MANY AUTO HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT PROPERLY ADJUSTED AND IT GETS EVEN WORSE. ADD SUV'S, WITH THEIR HEADLIGHTS ALREADY AIMED SO HIGH, AND HID'S ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 77 complaints

25th: 71,201 mi Median: 100,000 mi 75th: 142,630 mi

Structure 36 complaints

25th: 62,500 mi Median: 84,000 mi 75th: 99,500 mi

Steering 32 complaints

25th: 67,000 mi Median: 105,000 mi 75th: 150,000 mi

Unknown Or Other 17 complaints

25th: 81,250 mi Median: 97,301 mi 75th: 133,750 mi

Suspension 15 complaints

25th: 55,500 mi Median: 92,000 mi 75th: 122,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 43 FL: 27 CA: 24 AL: 20 AZ: 18 WA: 16 OH: 13 MI: 12 TN: 10 NC: 10

Who Files Complaints?

19.4%

Original Owners

80.6%

Second+ Owners

Dodge Ram 3500 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1993	26	-	Switch	0
1994	102	86,879	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	4
1995	132	64,935	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	11
1996	182	115,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	8
1997	153	108,000	Switch	5
1998	134	93,500	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	13
1999	146	115,000	Structure	11
2000	77	87,285	Structure	5
2001	168	77,500	Structure	15
2002	59	48,500	Steering	4
2004	275	69,184	Air Bags	52
2005	240	84,000	Steering	31
2006	349	79,500	Steering	19
2007	284	80,000	Steering	19
2008	219	66,650	Steering	13
2009	130	48,600	Steering	9
2011	293	48,700	Steering	5
2012	498	46,840	Steering	6

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28