| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 repairs by problem area
Engine (46%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (7%)
Brakes and Traction Control (5%)
Suspension and Steering (26%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (11%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (2%)
Other (2%)
Chart based on 97 repairs.
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 repair cost distribution
$2500+ (0%)
$1000 - $2499 (2%)
$500 - $999 (20%)
$100 - $499 (51%)
< $100 (26%)
Chart based on 84 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2003 Dodge Ram 1500
Engine not specified
| Dodge Ram 1500 in North Carolina, United States Sep 2009 - Apr 2010 | |||
| Apr 2010119000 mi | Needed front right wheel bearing when sold. Needed water hose when sold. | ||
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4dr Extended Cab 8ft bed
345-horsepower 5.7L V8 5-speed automatic RWD
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Michigan, United States Oct 2017 - Jul 2018 | |||
| Apr 201872000 miUS $550 | Window came off track dealership put back in track and applied glue and charged me 550.00 | ||
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4dr Extended Cab 6.5ft bed
345-horsepower 5.7L V8 5-speed automatic RWD
| Dodge Ram 1500 in California, United States Mar 2015 - Dec 2017 | |||
| Dec 201698000 miUS $600 | Driver side wheel bearing shot. Replaced both sides. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Florida, United States Feb 2009 - Jul 2021 | |||
| Mar 2011110000 miUS $900 | Upper and lower ball joints replaced. Tie rod end bad on passenger side. | ||
| Dec 2013123000 miUS $725 | Cylinder 6 broke an exhaust valve spring. Common issue with this engine and model year. | ||
| Sep 2014125000 miUS $88 | Coolant recovery tank developed a leak. Replaced the recovery tank. | ||
| Feb 2015126000 miUS $47 | Old thermostat had failed open. Turned out the gasket around the wax pellet had failed. Replaced with a stock-equivalent thermostat. CEL came up, showing P0551 (power steering pressure failure). Steering worked fine, so I suspected the pressure sending switch. | ||
| Mar 2015126000 miUS $291 | A thrum got louder and louder 'til it became a drone. Replaced the driver's side front wheel bearing. | ||
| Mar 2017134180 miUS $60 | Aftermarket e-fan controller had failed. The replacement has some issues, so the original mechanical fan was re-installed. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Georgia, United States Sep 2012 - Nov 2015 | |||
| Jul 2013114500 miUS $350 | Wheel Hub assembly replaced on both front wheels due to noise. | ||
| Mar 2014122000 miUS $75 | Replaced power seat lift motor. Dodge claims you have to replace whole seat assembly but not true. Found part online w instructions. Another benefit of US brand | ||
| Apr 2015132500 miUS $7 | Limited slip clutch packs started chattering and grabbing while turning. Added LS additive and it has gone away. I added the proper amount last time I serviced the differential but apparently it needed more. Hope this does the trick. | ||
| Sep 2015138000 miUS $30 | AC not cooling at idle. Replaced condenser fan. | ||
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4dr Extended Cab 6.5ft bed
345-horsepower 5.7L V8 5-speed automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Quebec, Canada Jul 2010 - Mar 2012 | |||
| Dec 201082460 miC $300 | Noise from front end. Tie rod ends replaced, still hear noise. | ||
| May 201183080 miC $217 | Replaced left & right front stabilizer links Heater defroster plastic motor doors broken Noise from front end area Replaced stabilzer links Noise gone Vibration from rear when braking Replaced rear rotors, pads & parking brake shoes Vibration gone Replaced front brakes & rotors = 80% worn | ||
| Mar 201287420 miC $150 | clunking from rear differential | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Minnesota, United States Feb 2009 - Aug 2016 | |||
| Apr 2013135200 miUS $200 | rear differential bearings replaced | ||
| Sep 2014138000 miUS $200 | Left front bearing was toast. Had both front bearings replaced. | ||
| Feb 2015141100 miUS $40 | Top idler pulley was making noise. It had failed and the pulley had separated from the bearing. Both idler pulleys replaced and noise was gone. | ||
| Aug 2015144300 miUS $400 | Control arm bushings, upper and lower of both sides in the front changed for new. Getting a lot of vibration. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Arizona, United States Apr 2017 - Jun 2018 | |||
| Mar 2018183000 miUS $140 | New throttle body | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Ohio, United States Sep 2010 - Jun 2011 | |||
| May 2010110000 miUS $21 | Intake manifold stuck open. Got a can of cleaner from Autozone and a fine wire brush and was able to clean fairly easily by taking the "Hemi-hat" off and removing the intake valve. Total repair was about $21.00 and took 25min. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Pennsylvania, United States Jul 2010 - Jun 2014 | |||
| Mar 201199000 miUS $220 | Second time in three years replacing heater core. Front wheel hub bad. Universal joint replaced at rear dif. Third repair trip within just a few weeks. | ||
| Dec 2011108000 miUS $160 | O2 sensor after cat was bad. Replaced sensor and rear brakes/discs. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Alberta, Canada Mar 2010 - Nov 2012 | |||
| Nov 201283080 miC $800 | fuel system- crack in lne | ||
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4dr Extended Cab 6.5ft bed
245-horsepower 5.9L V8 4-speed automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Illinois, United States Oct 2010 - Mar 2013 | |||
| Oct 201257200 miUS $600 | Fuel pump failed | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Utah, United States Jun 2016 - Apr 2018 | |||
| Aug 2016192000 miUS $985 | Replace left front outer tie rod, right front inner tie rod, upper control arm left front. In May of 2016 I had all the tie rods and ball joints replaced prior to an alignment and purchase of new tires. 96 days later I experienced catastrophic failure on passengrr side. The pin snapped in the ball joint due to defective parts and botched installation done by a different shop location of same business. Shop replaced all parts and repaired all damage at no cost to me in Aug 2016. | ||
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4dr Extended Cab 6.5ft bed
240-horsepower 4.7L V8 5-speed manual 4WD, part-time w/low range
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Ontario, Canada Aug 2010 - Feb 2011 | |||
| Sep 201093000 miC $650 | Right front wheel bearing. | ||
| Oct 201093600 miC $1150 | Manifold repair Whining noise from the engine. AC Compressor bearing failure. | ||
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4dr Extended Cab 6.5ft bed
240-horsepower 4.7L V8 4-speed automatic RWD
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Kansas, United States Feb 2015 - Jan 2016 | |||
| Sep 2015163000 miUS $500 | Exhaust manifolds were leaking. Broken bolts on both sides repaced. Automatic transmission serviced. | ||
| Dec 2015174000 miUS $70 | Replaced thermostat. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Indiana, United States Apr 2016 - Feb 2017 | |||
| Jan 2017US $282 | Engine would get hot. Radiator stopped up and was unable to flush. Replaced entire radiator. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in California, United States May 2013 - Jul 2018 | |||
| Sep 201381000 mi | Just had a reman long block put in beacuse I overheated the previous motor. I was flushing out my cooling system and left the radiator cap loose, was coming home from a trip to the mountains when it overheated on the freeway. Temp gauge remained normal. | ||
| Oct 201381200 miUS $150 | check engine light came on, started to lose power and run rough.. code indicated that the #7 cylinder was misfiring, coil was replaced to solve problem. | ||
| Dec 201485000 miUS $350 | rear main seal leaking, motor rebuilt only under 4,000 miles, had a defective seal installed, company that rebuilt the motor covered the cost of replacement. | ||
| Dec 201792000 miUS $800 | radiator leaked at the seam | ||
| Feb 201893000 miUS $53 | Replace water pump | ||
| Jun 201893000 mi | Oil pressure gauge would drop to zero when truck was at idle. Secured loose connection on oil pressure sensor by oil filter. The sensor was bumped during a oil change. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Arizona, United States Oct 2017 - Apr 2018 | |||
| Jan 2018262000 miUS $130 | Replaced all three California emissions catalytic Converters Would not pass emissions because the computer needed updated software as per a TSB for ALL 2003 Ram 1500 and perhaps other years and models. The Dealer is the only ones that can update the computer and they would NOT cover the cost! | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Colorado, United States Dec 2012 - Dec 2015 | |||
| Jan 201561500 miUS $650 | Installed new shocks, plus springs since no add'l labor. Just routine maintenance, really. Significantly improved ride. The truck was beginning to "bottom" more roughly and "clunk" more on bumps or rough pavement, of which we get a lot in Colorado. | ||
| Oct 201571000 miUS $97 | Replaced bad brake pedal light switch. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in North Carolina, United States May 2010 - Jan 2012 | |||
| Jul 201029700 miUS $300 | Emissions parts replaced. Did a smoke test but no leaks in the system. Replaced more parts in the emissions system. | ||
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4dr Extended Cab 6.5ft bed
240-horsepower 4.7L V8 4-speed automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Georgia, United States May 2017 - Jan 2022 | |||
| Oct 2017267000 mi | Parasitic draw on battery causing dead battery. Traced issue to OEM radio fault which activated the body module. Replaced radio with aftermarket. | ||
| Nov 2017267000 miUS $400 | Lower ball joints were worn out resulting in loud squeaking. Replaced lower ball joints, upper control arms with ball joints, drag link bushings, tie rod ends, and sway bar bushings. | ||
| Jul 2021285000 miUS $150 | Alternator voltage regulator failed. Replaced alternator. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Massachusetts, United States Jun 2011 - Jun 2022 | |||
| Aug 201167000 miUS $550 | Intermediate Axle shaft outer splines worn completely off where it connects to the CV shaft, Dodge changed part numbers,Front end made wicked grinding noises and 4 wheel no longer worked, note that grinding noise went away if put in 4 wheel | ||
| Oct 201168000 miUS $125 | Vacuum hose was cracked and was leaking, small leak | ||
| Jan 2012US $477 | Left front wheel hub went bad, made groaning sounds. Truck did not vibrate or wobble or pull to one side. When taken apart looked like it was ready to completly fail New sticker Oct. Replaced hub,CV axle, up ball joint, out tie rod. | ||
| Mar 201273000 miUS $39 | Rear speed sensor failed, giving me a ABS light and the check engine light. Went online and saw that it was the speed sensor that is most likey the problem. Engine light came on and gave me a P0441, found several parts could be the problem. Found kinked hose on leak detection pump where mechanic cut and put on hose clamp, replaced hose (mech worked on truck 1 year prior to fix same problem). | ||
| Mar 201383000 miUS $79 | Replaced front Shocks. Cleaned control arms of dirt and debris and painted rusted areas on control arms and frame. | ||
| Jul 201385000 miUS $25 | Exhaust pipe in front of the muffler rotted out, had to remove old pipe and replace 24" section and three clamps. | ||
| Aug 201385700 miUS $725 | Exhaust repair failed and I had to replace entire exhaust system, could not get pipes out of muffler, Installed new stainless steel system and replaced mid pipe from cat (not ss steel) | ||
| Oct 201386500 miUS $140 | Rear end seal and transmission seal both leaking. Removed drive shaft and replaced both seals. Ended up removing rear end plate and clean basket and replaced fluid. Installed new gasket with rtf sealer. | ||
| Jan 201489300 miUS $273 | Was leaking oil, found oil pan had rust and eaten through the pan. One small hole allowed oil to leak out. Had to replace oil pan and windage plate. A real pain to install with motor in, oil suction tube is located in front. Found Power steering hose leaking between fitting and hose. Replaced hose. | ||
| Jul 201498000 miUS $140 | AC clutch coil shorted out blowing fuse. Bought new clutch and tools to remove old clutch. New clutch plate was too thick and I could not get proper gap, ended up using old clutch plate. | ||
| Oct 2014102000 miUS $35 | ABS sensor in rear end was failing and allowing the ABS to light up sometimes. Not all the time. Replaced sensor on top of rear end and solved the problem | ||
| Aug 2015116800 miUS $450 | Wheel wells in the bed of the truck rotted out, cut out old metal and replaced them with aftermarket panels. Welded them in, little bit of bondo and painted, just like new. Was told I could not get an inspection sticker due to the rust. | ||
| Jan 2016127000 miUS $342 | Emergency brakes not working. Wheel stud broken. To replace brake shoes and stud, you have to remove axle, replaced axle bearings and seals, damm calipers sticking after all put together, replace calipers. Rotorshadcracksandpitting replaced | ||
| Mar 2016130000 miUS $240 | Lower ball joint needed replacement, ended up replacing both upper and lower balljoints ( same age), $110. While replacing ball joints found brake pads were worn. Brake ling going to caliper was rusted and began to leak, caliper had cracks, so replace caliper, brake line and pads, $130. | ||
| May 2016135000 miUS $75 | Condenser fan stopped running. No blown fuse, system kept shutting off with a big kick. Low side had over 100 lbs, scared me I thought the compressor or expansion valve blew, noticed that the fan was not running, rad very hot need more chars | ||
| Sep 2016143000 miUS $261 | Hyd lifter making noise,replaced pass side so far,brake booster in way on drivers side, special tool to remove rocker arms,made job easier,replaced spark plugs, still have to do drivers side, expecting to take longer as booster makes it diff the lock all windows button failed to allow other buttons to work, this is a problem with dodge, 35 dollars for an upgraded switch from switchdoctor dot com | ||
| Jul 2017160000 miUS $340 | Replaced rear shocks, The bilstein shock I put on several years ago had a bigger bolt hole and was making noises when driving. Replaced with KYB shocks ( with the correct bolt hole) 4.7 running a little hot 211F. replaced water pump, hoses, temp sensor. still running 211F. Replaced serp belt, replaced left side lifters (tapping when started), valve cover gasket. Replaced antifreeze, thermostat. Still running 211 degrees even on hot days, sometimes will go to 213 F | ||
| Aug 2017164000 miUS $170 | Main frame rotted out both sides under read door area in frame, box frame with no holes for water to drain. cleaned up frame and installed new metal on frame area all around to box in approx 28 inches, only did passenger side ( drivers side is the same condition) | ||
| Feb 2018176000 miUS $104 | Radiator developed a leak in the plastic side tank area (drivers side) upper front. Mid pipe from converter to muffler rotted out Drivers window Attachments separated from window, has to take off door panel and cover, remove window clips and clean out glue. Clean window attachment area, prime window and re-glue attachments and replace door panel. | ||
| May 2018178000 miUS $63 | Swaybar link broke, replaced swaybar link | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in California, United States May 2009 - Nov 2011 | |||
| Jun 200956000 miUS $367 | Sensor before Cat. Converter was bad. | ||
| Dec 200971000 miUS $579 | Manifold problems Bad Catalytic Converter | ||
| Apr 201076000 miUS $450 | Timing belt clicking noise, lifters, bad catalytic converter connection to exhaust | ||
| May 201076000 miUS $1100 | Replaced catalytic converter, leaking exhaust manifolds. Leaking power steering pump. Repaired Third Brake Light. | ||
| Sep 201080000 miUS $110 | Could not replicate the problem - Changed oil as requested and reset check-engine light. | ||
| Oct 2011101000 mi | Check Engine Light | ||
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4-door
8-cylinder automatic 4WD
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Wisconsin, United States Mar 2010 - Jun 2011 | |||
| Apr 201056000 miUS $400 | Leaking power steering rack replaced. | ||
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 2dr Regular Cab 8ft bed
240-horsepower 4.7L V8 4-speed automatic RWD
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Georgia, United States Mar 2010 - Jun 2011 | |||
| Apr 201091000 miUS $60 | Power steering pump was whining. Replaced and changed fluid. | ||
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 2dr Regular Cab 6.5ft bed
345-horsepower 5.7L V8 5-speed automatic RWD
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Indiana, United States Feb 2012 - Nov 2017 | |||
| Dec 201596000 miUS $187 | Differential pinion seal leaking. Had seal replaced. Check engine light. Code P0441. Found broken hose clamp at leak detector valve. Replaced hose clamp, cleared code from system. | ||
| Dodge Ram 1500 in Georgia, United States Dec 2012 - Jan 2013 | |||
| Jan 2013US $200 | Deafening lifter noise(not the regular HEMI tick) sounded like i had broken a valve spring. quitened down a little so i drove it home and tore it down,Sludge trapped in ends of rocker shafts had broken loose and stopped up 3 rear lifters. | ||
See TrueDelta's information for all Dodge models.
