2003 DODGE RAM 2500 Visibility Problems

THE MECHANISM (HVAC) THAT DIRECTS HOT AND COLD AIR AMONG THE WINDSHIELD, DASH, AND FLOOR FAILED. IT WAS A VERY COLD DAY IN DECEMBER AND I WAS ATTENDING A FUNERAL 150 MILES FROM HOME. IT WAS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD KEPT FROSTING UP AND MY FEET BECAME VERY COLD BECAUSE ALL THE HEAT WAS COMING OUT OF THE DASH. THE HVAC COULD NOT BE FIXED EN ROUTE BECAUSE (1) IT TOOK THREE WEEKS TO GET A NEW HVAC HOUSING, (2) IT WAS A SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND REPAIR STATIONS WERE CLOSED, AND (3) THE REPAIR TAKES ABOUT 8 HOURS BECAUSE THE ENTIRE DASH HAS TO BE REMOVED TO REPLACE THE HVAC HOUSING AND DOORS. IT COST $1,417.45 TO FIX. (I CAN FURNISH A COPY OF THE INVOICE IF YOU LIKE.) I HAVE LEARNED THAT THE FAILURE OF THIS HARD-TO-GET-AT PLASTIC HOUSING IS NOT UNCOMMON AMONG DODGE TRUCKS. IN FACT...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISORS FRACTURED AND OBSTRUCTED THE VIEW OF THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. MA 08/13/15 UPDATED 09/10/15*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE SUN VISOR NEVER FRACTURED, BUT WOULD PIVOT DOWN. THIS WOULD BLOCK THE VIEW OF THE ROADWAY. UPDATED 12/1/2015*JS

I DRIVE TO WORK ON A HIGHWAY 5 DAYS A WEEK AND STARTED TO HAVE LOTS OF VIBRATION AND IT ONLY OCCURRED AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND WOULD CLUNK. TURNS OUT BOTH U-JOINTS FOR THE REAR DRIVE-SHAFT HAD STARTED TO FAIL AND WERE ALLOWING UNWANTED MOVEMENT. AFTER REPLACING THE U-JOINTS THE TRUCK WAS FINE FOR A FEW WEEKS THEN I HEARD SQUEALING OF METAL ON METAL CONTACT AND THERE WAS A SLIGHT WOBBLE. TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND THEY SAID THE HUB BEARINGS WERE SHOT AND WERE MOVING SO MUCH AS TO ALLOW THE WHEEL TO MOVE. AFTER REPLACING THE BEARINGS THE TRUCK WAS FINE FOR ABOUT A MONTH THEN THE WOBBLE WAS BACK AND THE TIE-RODS FOR THE STEERING LINKAGE WERE BAD, SO REPLACED THE STEERING LINKAGE WITH DODGES NEW SETUP SINCE IT WAS HARD TO FIND THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT CAME ON MINE SINCE THERE IS A RECALL...

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.

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.

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.

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND TURNED ON THE HEATER IN MY TRUCK AND THE WINDSHIELD IMMEDIATELY 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...

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. *TR

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 HUMIDITY 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. *TR

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...

2003 DODGE RAM PICKUP HAS DEFROSTER THAT WILL NOT WORK BECAUSE AIR ONLY BLOWS OUT FRONT VENT. UNABLE TO DEFROST ICE WHILE DRIVING. *TR

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...

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

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

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