Three problems related to front suspension hub have been reported for the 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving at an unknown speed, black smoke emitted from the rear of the vehicle without warning. In addition, when the brake pedal was depressed, an abnormal sound emitted from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brakes, calipers, and rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the hub bearing, wheel hub, axle shaft assembly, and driveshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Lastly, the front driver side headlight failed to operate. The head lamp was replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 201,281.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. While driving approximately 60 mph, the driver noticed that the abs warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The tire and the wheel detached from the vehicle causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a ditch. The driver and passenger were able to exit the vehicle from the front driver side door. The driver inspected the vehicle and noticed that the front passenger side hub was fractured, causing the tire to detach. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Wheel and hub was damaged and broken off during a 10 mph curb hit.