2002 Dodge RAM 1500

JAN. 10, 2010 A VERY LARGE CRACK APPEARED IN THE DASH ON MY 2002 DODGE 1500 PICKUP AT FIRST IT WAS JUST A COSMETIC THING ,BUT NOW ALL THE WIRING IS EXPOSED THE VEHICLE TURN INDICATORS DO NOT WORK WHEN IT IS BAD WEATHER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK AND THE DEFROSTERS WILL NOT CHANGE FROM COLD TO HOT. I WENT TO THE DEALER THEY ADVISED ME IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM ,BUT I HAVE LEARNED THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THIS HAS AFFECTED AND MY PROBLEM IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 4DR 4WD.I JUST HAD MY TRUCK INSPECTED AND ALL LIGHTING WORKED FINE. I WAS PULLED OVER EASTER EVENING BY A NEW YORK STATE TROOPER AND NOTIFIED THAT MY REAR LIGHTS WERE OUT INCLUDING PARRKING, RUNNING, AND LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS, AS WELL AS FRONT RUNNING LIGHTS.I WAS INFORMED TO TURN 4 WAY FLASHERS ON WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT TO MY DESTINATION. AFTER CHECKING ALL FUSES,B BULBS, RELAYS AND WIRING ARE ALL GOOD. WHEN I CHECKED FOR SIMILIAR PROBLEMS VIA INTERNET AND MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND A DODGE DEALER I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE FUSE BOX WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THE FRONT CONTROL MODULE. THIS IS A PART THAT SHOULD NOT GO BAD AS YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE WHOLE BOX FOR JUST LIGHTS GOING OUT,WHICH DODGE SAYS IS AN UNSERVICEABLE PART THAT CORRODES WITHIN A SEALED BOX?AND THAT HAS TO BE CHANGED AS A WHOLE UNIT. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS VIA INTERNET ETC OF THIS PROBLEM AND THAT DODGE WILL NOT BUDGE TO FIX THE PROBLEM THAT THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF OCCURING.THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR ESTIMATES ARE ANYWHERE FROM $250 TO OVER A $1000 DOLLARS JUST TO REPLACE THE DEFECT.AND ALSO THAT DODGE HAS A BACK ORDER OF THESE BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THEM. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT THE LIGHTS WILL GO OUT WITHOUT NOTICE OR A BULB OUT LIGHT BEING SIGNALLED THEEBY CAUSING ANOTHER VEHICLE TO REAREND OR SERIOUSLY INJURE SOMEONE WITHOUT THESE LIGHTS AT NIGHT. THE TROOPER STATED ALSO THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE ON DODGE TRUCKS. *TR

DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE AFTER A RAIN STORM, SEVERAL SAFETY FEATURES STOPPED FUNCTIONING: WIPERS, TURN SIGNALS, HORN, HEADLIGHT CONTROL. I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE IS NOT FUNCTIONING BUT THESE HAVE BEEN VERIFIED. NARROWED THE PROBLEM DOWN TO THE FCM (FRONT CONTROL MODULE). THE FCM IS CONNECTED TO THE IPM (INTEGRATED POWER MODULE). COME TO FIND OUT THE IPM IS NOT SEALED FROM THE ELEMENTS. THE CIRCUIT BOARD IS EXPOSED FROM THE BOTTOM WHICH ALLOWS WATER TO SPLASH INTO THE MODULE THEREBY SHORTING THE FCM. I BELIEVED DODGE KNOWS THIS IS A POOR DESIGN AND IS UNSAFE BECAUSE I'VE READ THAT THEY'VE DESIGNED A REPLACEMENT IPM WHICH IS SEALED FROM THE ELEMENTS. THIS IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF OBVIOUS REASONS. *TR

THE HEATER / AC FAN BECAME INOPERATIVE AT ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE HIGH SPEED SETTING. WHEN I REMOVED THE FAN SPEED RESISTOR BLOCK I FOUND THE AREA TO BE PACKED WITH DRY AND BURNT LEAVES AND ACORN CAPS, CONSISTENT WITH THOSE FROM THE COAST LIVE OAK TREES ON MY PROPERTY AND IN MY COMMUNITY. THE RESISTOR BLOCK POWER SUPPLY IS EQUIPPED WITH A SPRING-LOADED SOLDER CONNECTION APPARENTLY DESIGNED TO INTERRUPT POWER IF THE CIRCUIT BECOMES HOT ENOUGH TO APPROACH THE MELTING POINT OF THE SOLDER. THE SYSTEM PARTIALLY WORKED BY CUTTING POWER UNDER EXTREME HEAT CONDITIONS. I FEEL THOUGH, THAT ALLOWING A LARGE QUANTITY OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS TO ENTER AND COLLECT IN AN AREA WHERE HEAT APPROACHING THE MELTING POINT OF SOLDER IS PRESENT IS UNACCEPTABLE. I PHOTOGRAPHED AND RETAINED ALL OF THE DRY TREE MATERIAL POSSIBLE THAT WAS REMOVED FROM THE RESISTOR / FAN AREA. MUCH OF IT WAS REDUCED TO A BLACK CARBON POWDER. THE VOLUME WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 50 CUBIC INCHES OF LOOSE MATERIAL. I RESOLDERED THE SPRING-LOADED CONNECTION AND RE-INSTALLED THE RESISTOR BLOCK. INITIAL TESTS SHOWED THAT IT WAS OPERATING CORRECTLY AND COOL TO THE TOUCH. SEVERAL HOURS OF DRIVING THIS PAST WEEKEND PRODUCED THE SAME RESULTS BUT I WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE THE RESISTOR. *TR

MY 2002 DODGE CARAVAN HAS NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE PASSENGER AND BACK WINDOWS ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THE INSIDE DOOR PANEL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS ALSO BECOMING LOOSE. THE AIR CONDITIONER STARTED ONLY WORKING ON HIGH SPEED. THEN IT WOULDN'T WORK AT ALL UNLESS YOU GIGGLED THE KEY A CERTAIN WAY. NOW IT WON'T WORK AT ALL. THESE TRUCKS HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. "THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING COLUMN CONTAINS AN UNDER-SIZED TERMINAL FOR THE HVAC BLOWER MOTOR CIRCUIT." PER THE RECALL "'DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRING HARNESS OVERLAY TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION" I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE MONSTROSITY AND HE WAS RUDE AND CLAIMED THIS TRUCK WAS NOT SUBJECT TO THAT RECALL. I ALSO CALLED THE NATIONAL NUMBER AND THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR THEIR DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. WE LIVE IN FLORIDA AND IT IS DANGEROUS TO HAVE TO RIDE IN A VEHICLE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING. OUR DODGE CARAVAN ALSO HAS A DEFECTIVE AIR CONDITIONER. I RUE THE DAY I EVER BOUGHT A DODGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. IN 2006, THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED IN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. WHEN HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE HEADLIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE TURN SIGNALS, HORN, AND BRAKE LIGHTS NO LONGER WORKED. HE CALLED DAIMLER CHRYSLER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS DID NOT WORK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. HE FEELS THESE ARE ALL SAFETY ISSUES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,844 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

1) INTERIOR BLOWER FAN: (24,000 MILES) FAN WOULD SHUT OFF AT TIMES. FIRST TOLD BY DEALER THE AIR INTAKE WAS BLOCKED WITH LEAVES AND THEY CLEANED IT OUT. TWO WEEKS LATER, I GOT THE RECALL THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE BLOWER WAS OVERHEATING. I HAD THE DEALER DO REPAIR FOR RECALL. THEY CLIPPED THE TWO LIGHTER WIRES AND REPLACED THEM WITH TWO 10 GAUGE WIRES. FAN STILL SHUTS OFF DUE TO TILTING STEERING WHEEL WITH HEAVIER WIRING NOT BEING FLEXIBLE ENOUGH. WIRES STILL GET VERY HOT. 2) RADIATOR FAN CONTROL RELAY: (90,000 MILES) CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CODE WAS FOR RADIATOR FAN CONTROL RELAY CIRCUIT. RELAY WAS REPLACED. 3) ENGINE: (129,000 MILES) OIL SLUDGE CAUSED OIL NOT TO CIRCULATE PROPERLY CAUSING OIL PRESSURE GAUGE TO DROP TO ZERO AND BACK UP TO NORMAL ABOUT 4 TIMES. ENGINE OVER HEATED, WARPING HEADS AND DOING INTERIOR DAMAGE TO RODS AND BEARINGS. ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH USED ENGINE. 4) PASSENGER WINDOW SWITCH: (FOR THE PAST 20,000 MILES) PASSENGER SIDE SWITCH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. 5) PARKING LIGHTS: (149,000 MILES) WAS INFORMED BY ANOTHER DRIVER THAT I HAD NO TAIL LIGHTS. CHECKED FUSES AND RELAY AND EVERYTHING WAS OK. TOOK TRUCK TO GARAGE, THEY CHECKED AND COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. GARAGE CALLED DODGE DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD THEM IT WOULD PROBABLY NEED THE FRONT CONTROL MODULE REPLACED. THE GARAGE DID NOT CHARGE ME AND TOLD ME THEY DID NOT WANT TO JUST START REPLACING PARTS COSTING OVER $200 TRYING TO PIN POINT A PROBLEM AND I NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED IT AND TOLD ME I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE AND THE FRONT CONTROL MODULE DUE TO BOTH HAVING AN INTERNAL SHORT. WHY BOTHER HAVING FUSES IF YOU CAN JUST HAVE CIRCUIT BOARDS COSTING OVER $200 EACH BLOW OUT? 6) IGNITION PARK LOCK: (149,000 MILES) GOT A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT IGNITION PARK LOCK NEEDING REPLACED. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED. THIS TRUCK DEFINITELY HAS ITS SHARE OFF DEFECTS, WITH THE ENGINE AND WIRING. MORE SHOULD BE DONE AS FAR AS RECALLS. *TR

I TURNED MY FAN ON TO COOL THE INSIDE OF THE TRUCK AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES, IT SHUT OFF. A WHILE LATER, I TRIED IT AGAIN AND IT WORKED, BUT SOON SHUT OFF AGAIN. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THEY CLEANED THE AIR INTAKE OUT AND IT WAS FULL OF LEAVES. THEY TOLD ME THAT IS WHY IT SHUT OFF. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. A FEW WEEKS LATER, I GOT THE RECALL NOTICE ABOUT THE WIRING BEING TOO LIGHT AND IT WAS OVER HEATING. THE DEALER DID THE REPAIR. IT WORKED FINE FOR A GOOD WHILE. EVENTUALLY IT STARTED SHUTTING OFF AGAIN. SOMETIMES I COULD TILT THE STEERING WHEEL TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION AND IT WOULD COME BACK ON. I FLIPPED THE ACCESS PANEL DOWN TO FIND THE REPAIR, THEY CLIPPED THE TWO LIGHTER WIRES AND PLUGGED IN TO I BELIEVE 10 GAUGE WIRE IN THEIR PLACE. THE HEAVY WIRES ARE TOO STIFF TO FLEX AND WHEN PUSHED CERTAIN WAYS THE FAN SHUTS OFF. I ALSO NOTICED WHERE THE WIRES ARE PLUGGED IN, THE WIRES ARE SO HOT YOU CAN BARELY TOUCH THEM. I DON'T FEEL THIS WAS A VERY GOOD FIX FOR THE PROBLEM, SINCE ALTHOUGH THE FAN DOES NOT SHUT OFF DUE TO OVERHEATING, IT STILL IS HEATING UP UNDER THE DASH AND MAY CAUSE A FIRE UNDER THE DASH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL FAILURES RANGING FROM THE FUSE BOX AND POWER LOCK:WINDOWS TO THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND A TECHNICIAN REPEATEDLY REWIRED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, REPLACED THE FUSES, AND THE MOTOR FOR THE POWER WINDOW DEVICES. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REPAIR, THE ELECTRICAL FAILURES RECURRED. SHE RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS MELTED, WHICH CAUSED THE ALARM SYSTEM TO FAIL AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER AND NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER CAN PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE OF WHEN THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. SHE HAS COPIES OF DOCUMENTS PERTAINING TO THE REPAIR HISTORY OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,369.