Seven problems related to windshield have been reported for the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
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 in this small town of 2,500 people another 2003 Dodge truck came in for repairs to the same dealership with the same problem in the same week. Dodge is obviously using faulty materials.
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. Kmj.
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.
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.
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.
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 declined any assistance. This is a serious safety hazard as the windshield and all other windows will fog over preventing visibility. I have searched the internet and have found this to be a large scale problem in these trucks. A safety recall should be done.
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?.