2003 Dodge RAM Quad CAB

Typical pattern

11.5% of complaints about the 2003 Dodge RAM Quad CAB came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2003 vehicle — around the middle of the 228 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is structure (46 complaints), typically at 6.9 yr or about 69,000 miles.

Complaints: 156
Median age at failure: 4.3 yr
Median mileage: 50,000 n=119
Crash / fire / tow: 11.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 11 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, INTERMITTENTLY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP/ BRAKES FAILED, AND TURN SIGNAL WAS NOT WORKING. DEALER HAD INSPECTED VEHICLE 3 TIMES; FIRS T TIME BATTERY CABLE, SECOND TIME DEALER KEPT VEHICLE 1 DAY AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND THIRD TIME INSTALLED A MONITOR FOR TEN DAYS, AND STILL COULDN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM. (DEALER STATED THIS WA SAN ELECTRIC ISSUE.

Service brakes, hydraulic 16,000 mi 1.2 yr in service

UNSAFE CONDITION OF STEERING WHEEL SHAKE AND BRAKE PEDAL PULSATING BECAUSE BRAKES ARE PULSATING DUE TO ADVANCED AND PREMATURE ROTOR WARPAGE. THIS TRUCK HAS 18K MILES, AND WAS REPAIRED PREVIOUSLY (OBVIOUSLY INEFFECTIVELY) FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 11 mo in service

WARPED ROTORS ON FRONT BRAKES CAUSE TRUCK TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE WHEN TRYING TO STOP TRUCK. *AK

Structure 40,000 mi 4.6 yr in service

2003 1500 QUAD CAB WITH A CRACKED DASHBOARD. DODGE HAS AGREED TO PAY FOR PART, BUT I HAVE TO PAY FOR LABOR. $250.00. NO WAY! $30,000 TRUCK SHOULD HOLD UP BETTER. DODGE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *AK

Other RAM Quad CAB model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2003 Dodge RAM Quad CAB

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other RAM Quad CAB model years

How to read this