2003 Dodge Ram 3500

Reliability tier: verified - see /disclosure/

Engine: 5.9L ISB common rail (Cummins, 5.9L)

Applicable failure modes (5)

• Common-rail injector wear / nozzle carbon (03-07)
• Intake grid heater / relay failures (cold starts)
• Head gasket failure on tuned common-rail trucks (03-07)
• Fuel lift (transfer) pump failures
• Turbo wastegate actuator seize / boost control (HX35W, HE351CW)

Applicable parts (12)

• 5.9L Cummins Throttle Position Sensor / APPS (XDP)
• 5.9L Cummins Reman Long Block (2003-2007)
• 5.9L Cummins Fuel Pressure Gauge (Isspro / PPE)
• cummins-5_9: engine-gasket-set (honest catalog gap)
• 5.9L Cummins Billet Grid Heater Replacement (1/2-inch taller)
• 5.9L Cummins Head Gasket Set, common-rail (Mahle / Fire Ring, 03-07)
• cummins-5_9: injector-seal-kit (honest catalog gap)
• 5.9L Cummins Common-Rail Injectors, early build (S&S, 2003-2004.5)
• 5.9L Cummins Lift Pump, 03-04.5 Direct Replacement (FASS DRP04)
• 5.9L Cummins Mechanical Lift Pump Kit (Waterman, upgrade)
• 5.9L Cummins Water Pump (Diesel Site cast iron / XDP Xtra Cool)
• cummins-5_9: turbo-actuator (honest catalog gap)

Platform recipes (4)

• Common-rail injector replacement for 2003-2007 trucks (mode fm-c59-cr-injector-wear): worn nozzles and copper-seal blow-by ('chuffing')
• Fuel supply health across all three 5.9 generations (mode fm-c59-lift-pump-failure): every electric frame pump on these trucks is a consumable, and 2005+ moved it in-tank
• Killer Dowel Pin (KDP) prevention for the 12v P-pump engines (mode fm-c59-kdp-dowel-pin): the dowel pin that locates the front cover can back out and drop into the gear case
• VP44 death cascade repair for 1998.5-2002 24v trucks (mode fm-c59-vp44-failure)

Recalls that include this truck (2)

• 05V-462 (October 6, 2005) - POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT: 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...
• 03V-033 (February 5, 2003) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, EQUIPPED WITH CUMMINS DIESEL ENGINES AND MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, MAY EXPERIENCE AN ELEVATED IDLE SPEED AFTER EXTENDED CRUISE CONTROL USE.

Matched by the model and model year NHTSA lists for each recall - a recall often covers only part of a year's production, so read its text for the build dates and versions it names. Whether a recall is still open on your VIN is not known here; check nhtsa.gov/recalls. All recalls, investigations and bulletins for this engine: /recalls/cummins-5_9/

Reference for this truck