I was driving on I55 this morning and all of a sudden my truck started vibrating really bad, the steering wheel was veering, I had to constantly fight to keep in my lane. And when I touched my brakes it veered. Riding really rough, and has power loss. I took it to the nearest shop and they said my driveshaft was very loose, and that it is affecting everything that I described. The center driveshaft support bearing is also failing.
2003 Dodge RAM 2500 transmission problems
55 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 12,000. 11 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 55
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 12,000
- crashes
- 11
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Automatic transmission22
- Automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift6
- Driveline: universal joint3
- Automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)2
- Manual transmission: shift pattern indicator1
- Manual transmission: column shift assembly1
- Manual transmission1
- Driveline: driveshaft1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Dodge RAM 2500 transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines and automatic transmissions, in an attempt to exit the vehicle quickly without shutting off the engine and removing the key, the driver may inadvertently leave the automatic transmission shift control in indicated reverse.
- Risk
- This error is an unintended action that may result in a lack of transmission park pawl engagement and possibly delayed rearward movement of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will perform a software modification to equip these vehicles with an out-of-park alarm. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 05V462000 · Recall details
Related investigations
False park
The subject vehicles are heavy duty pickup trucks with diesel engines and automatic transmissions commonly used for commercial and work purposes.a column mounted shift lever is used for gear selection and an electronic prndl on the instrument panel provides gear position information to the driver.the subject vehicles are also equipped with a brake-transmission shift interlock that prevents the shift lever from being moved from the park position (when the engine is on) unless the brake pedal is depressed and an ignition-shift interlock that prevents key removal unless the transmission is in the park position.complainants generally report that the vehicle was being operated in a forward gear and brought to a stop through brake application on alevel surface, at which time the operator moved the shift lever to engage the park position.the operator then opened the driver side door and, without verifying park engagement (e.g., prndl gear indication), securing the park brake, or turning the engine off, exited the vehicle.initially, no vehicle movement was apparent, however, a short time later, typically reported as 10 to 30 seconds, the vehicle moved rearward under engine power.the incident often ended in a vehicle crash, and sometimes involved serious injury.two fatalities are alleged.odi?s analysis of test vehicles and some incident vehicles found no evidence to indicate that a shift lever properly placed in park could unintentionally (I.e., without driver input) disengage from that position.however, odi did find that the shift lever could be inadvertently placed, and remain at rest, within an intermediate position between the park and reverse gear positions.when placed in such an intermediate position, the vehicle can experience a delayed pressurization of the reverse hydraulic circuit that is sufficient to cause the vehicle to roll rearward under power.the delay period allows sufficient time for operators to exit the stationary vehicle without perceiving that the shifter is not in park.the summary report discusses the technical analysis of this issue in greater detail and compares the frequency of these incidents in the subject vehicles to other peer vehicles that odi examined.as described in their october 4, 2005 letter to the federal safety agency, daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) will conduct a safety recall (the federal safety agency recall no. 05v‑462, dcc no. E17) to install an out-of-park alarm system in the subject vehicles.the alarm will provide audible and visual feedback to alert the driver, and others, if the driver attempts to exit the vehicle while the engine is running and the shift lever is not in the park position.the timing of dcc?s action has yet to be determined.
EA04025
False park
There have been 50 complaints to odi and daimlerchrysler alleging incidents of reverse powered rollaway in subject vehicles that were parked with the engine running and the parking brake disengaged.the incidents are alleged to have resulted in 42 crashes and 3 injuries. According to daimlerchrysler, incident vehicle inspections have not identified any misadjusted or broken parts.a typical incident is believed to involve the following set of conditions:(1) with the vehicle on a relatively level surface, an attempted shift into park inadvertently places the transmission in a position between the reverse and park gear detents; (2) the driver exits the vehicle with the key in the ignition, the engine running, and the parking brake disengaged; and (3) after some delay, the vehicle begins traveling rearward.in prior investigations of other daimlerchrysler products, reverse motion was found to result from a gradual pressurization of the reverse circuit (hydraulic reverse). Daimlerchrysler attributes the incidents to operator error in using a system that functioned as designed.according to daimlerchrysler, the alleged defect cannot occur if the driver:(1) shifts fully into park as indicated by end of shifter travel slam, the forward throw of the shift lever, and/or the illumination of the park indication in the prndl display; (2) removes the key from the ignition; (3) turns the engine off; or (4) engages the parking brake. The subject vehicles are equipped with:(1) daimlerchrysler's re-specific transmissions that have been the subject of two previous odi reverse powered rollaway investigations (ea96-006 & ea01-017); and (2) a column mounted shift mechanism with an electronic gear position indicator (prndl) that is located in the dash display directly forward of the steering wheel.two peer populations of dodge ram pickup trucks were analyzed for comparison with the subject vehicles:(1) my 2001-02 ram 2500/3500 pickup trucks equipped with similar transmissions, but a different shifter with a mechanical prndl; and (2) my 2003-04 ram 1500 pickup trucks equipped with the same shifter as the subject vehicles but different transmissions.the complaint rate in the subject vehicles is significantly higher than in the two peer populations.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis.
PE04039
What 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
On a 35mph street, truck suddenly bucking as if it was going to stall, and the RPM's were erratic. I put it in n pulled over and shut it off. It restarted with no issues. I drove about 9 miles, pulled into my driveway and was coasting up it, when suddenly the truck accelerated. I depressed the brake, nothing. I slammed it in park and shut it off. It happened a few times while idling, or moving at a slow rate. I was stopped at a light when it suddenly accelerated into a 50mph, 4 lane main thoroughfare. I stepped on parking brake, turned it off and thanked god that I was unharmed. I started back up, put it in d, depressed the gas pedal (light turned green) and it would not accelerate. I took my foot off the gas, then it bucked a few times and accelerated on it's own. I depressed the brake pedal, but it kept revving up and accelerating. Again, I depressed the emergency brake and shut it off. It just happened again as I was coming up my suburban 35mph street. I got to approximately 20mph when it wouldn't accelerate further. I bucked and choked, RPM's jumping up and down the last 100 yards. I turned into my driveway at an idling rate and it took off like a shot. I pressed the brake and it still kept accelerating. If I hadn't turned the wheel, I would have driven through my garage. This is not an isolated incident. I suffer from idiopathic cardiomyopathy and ckd, these incidents have caused me to be unable to breathe as my heart was beating so fast. This must be addressed immediately!
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v462000 (power train). The contact called mark dodge at 337‑474‑2640 (located at 3777 gerstner memorial blvd, lake charles, la) and was informed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Takata recall. Passenger airbag recall; another recall because the vehicle can jump out of gear and move forward.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. The contact stated that the gear would shift out of the park position into reverse and roll backwards independently. Whenever the vehicle was placed into park, the contact had to apply the emergency brake to avoid the vehicle reversing without warning. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who provided a temporary remedy, in which if the vehicle's door was open and the vehicle began to reverse, the horn would automatically sound to warn those nearby. The failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 9,500.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 05v462000 (power train) and 15v312000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. Updated 08/17/16*lj the consumer stated the transmission failed at 2,500 miles. The ball joints and water pump failed and the windshield leaked. Updated 10/26/16.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. The contact stated that the gear shift failed to switch from the park position without warning. The contact was able to shift gears after the brake transmission shift interlock was disconnected. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.
At 138916 mile took vehicle in for warranty recall n62 left outer tie rod assemble , since that time have had six instances of uncontrolled sever and dangerous vibrations almost to the point of losing control at highway speeds of 60-70mph. The most recent occurrence was yesterday while making a left hand curve at 60mph; vehicle not has approximately 141,000 miles
I lost control of steering , the steering wheel just spun with no control and I was driving through a school zone with grade school letting out and I went in other lane of traffic in between cars and headed to a gas pump at gas station and I hit brakes as soon as I was out of opposite lane with head on traffic and gas pump was rite off side of road I could have been killed or killed others when this happened, I had to fix my truck because I never knew of recall and also transmission went out at 55,000 miles and transfer case also another 20,000 miles later , I have a truck I can't drive because I can't afford to put a transmission and transfer case in it and I almost lost my life from all the trouble it's gave me and I could have killed others at the school zone. I'd like for dodge to fix my truck for all the trouble iv had and this happen on city street and I was in motion wen this happened, if I'd hit gas pump it would have blown up and killed a lot people and children
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. While driving in snow at approximately 30 MPH, the steering wheel seized and required excessive force. The contact crashed into guard rails. The vehicle sustained front end, passenger, and rear end damage. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was not repaired. On another occasion, when the vehicle was shifted into park with the engine running, the gear independently shifted into reverse. The contact placed the vehicle into park and shut off the vehicle engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be determined. An alarm system was applied to the vehicle to alert the driver of independent gear changes, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle was unsafe to operate. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20.
Questions about the 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 transmission
Does the 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 55 complaints about the transmission of the 2003 Dodge RAM 2500, 8% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 12,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 transmission?
Yes, 1 recall: 05V462000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Dodge RAM 2500 have bad transmission?
The Dodge RAM 2500 model years with the most transmission complaints are 2004 (110 complaints), 2005 (63 complaints) and 2003 (55 complaints).
Other 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 problems
Steering 159Body 146Airbags 138Suspension 122Visibility 45Electrical 26Brakes 20Engine 20Lights 13Tires 11Acceleration 10Wheels 9Fuel system 8Driver assistance 5Seats 3Seat belts 2Locks 1
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