This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The steering column on this truck has gotten very hot under the ignition switch area. So hot in fact that the wires and plastic column cover have smoked and melted through. I feel there may be a fire soon. The dealership says nothing is wrong with my model year but the melted hole in my steering column says otherwise I've read there was a recall of this nature but was told in no uncertain terms that they would not be helping me. Help...
Numerous headlight switches replaced due to them burning up to include several inches of the existing wiring harness to switch. I cannot believe that this type of safety issue is not being addressed. You dam sure have knowledge of the problem since the aftermarket auto parts O reilys etc. Carry the switch or switch with wiring harness as an option. After reading here all switches go out about the same... the headlights start going on and off then look for smoke coming from around dash where switch mounted. You can feel the heat from under when switch is burning up. Need a simple relay to stop this show how much Dodge loves its customers!
Several years back ignition switch was recalled for burning up. At that time had replaced ignition switch twice previously. Dodge paid for the switches and labor and replaced ignition switch with new and improved ignition switch. Now approx. 5 to 7 years later ignition switch burning up again taking out door lock, windows, air bag, and abb lights are all on and you cannot operate either window or door lock. Took into shop in spring, Texas called rileys of rayford road in spring, Texas where they informed me that the ignition switch causing all of these problems and needs replaced again! called demontron Dodge in conroe, Texas to see about switch replacement. Nothing yet!
On the morning of 12/7/09 I started my truck to warm it up with the heating fan on high when at some point, somewhere in the wiring harness under the dash overheated and started the interior on fire. Destroying my vehicle. The windshield and driver door windows were broken from the heat but luckily remained intact and not letting air inside to fuel the fire and it eventually extinguished itself.
The contact owns a 1996 Dodge Ram. The contact noticed a chemical odor coming from the dashboard and the heater. The headlights flickered and the instrument panel lighting suddenly dimmed. The headlights went completely dim. The contact turned everything back on, but the headlights only illuminated for a few minutes. After driving without headlights, he noticed smoke coming from the vents on the driver's side. He pulled into his residence and turned off the vehicle, but the headlights remained illuminated. He attempted to turn the headlights off, but was unsuccessful. Smoke filled the vehicle and produced an awful odor. He removed the lamp fuse, but the buzzing noise still indicated that the headlights were illuminated. He reinserted the fuse and the buzzing sound continued. He noticed that the wiring harness was melted. The vehicle has not been repaired and is parked at his residence. The failure and current mileages were 180,000.
- Watertown, WI, USA
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I drive quite a bit during the night time with my vehicle. There seems to be a very serious issuse with the wiring over heating at the headlight switch. I have replaced 5... going to be 6 headlight switches. There is a dangerous amount of head being put out at the switch itself. So much that it actually melts the pigtail at the light switch connection. The light switch itself is destroyed. Its bad especcially when driving down the road and your headlamps, marker lights and dash light all go out. If I do not have a replacment part in my truck at the time, I have to find a spot in between switch position just to get my lights operational to "limp" my truck home. My choice of positions when the switch fails is headlamps with out markers and no dash lights or fog lamps markers and dash lights. Being Dodge has such terrible headlamps I use fog lights to drive when this happenes. Believe it or not he fog lights are better than the driving lights. I recently saw a recall for Dodge durangos with a under dash electrical problem. I would think that this wiring/headlamp switch problem should be a recall! thank you.
Symptoms: Air bag warning lamp illuminates randomly, horn sounds intermittently, cruise control has stopped working. A casual search of the internet shows these three symptoms occur quite frequently on Chrysler/Dodge and Plymouth vehicles. The cause is a faulty clockspring. The risk is having the airbag disengage, I.e. will not deploy. Chrysler has issued recalls for a number of vehicles for this defect, the problem is they refuse to repair many more vehicles that have this safety defect. Chrysler claims a bad installation at certain plants, problem is the defect occurs on many more vehicles then recalled made at other plants. Cost is in the hundreds of dollars to repair. User repair is not advised since the airbag must be removed.
Occasionally, experience difficulty in starting the engine, stalls immediately after starting and during long distance driving, experience intermittent firing, like trembling.
Whenever air conditioning & heater switch is turned on it causes the ignition switch to overheat due to an electrical short. Can NHTSA help in this matter.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- West Valley City, UT, USA