2002 Dodge RAM 1500

THE HEATED ELECTRIC MIRRORS ON MY 2002 DODGE 1500 QUAD CAB PICKUP ARE DEFECTIVE. BOTH THE PASSANGER AND DRIVERS SIDE MIRRORS WHICH MOUNT TO THE DOOR FRAME HAVE COME APART. THE DESIGN OF THE MIRROR AS WELL AS THE COMPONENTS INSIDE ARE FAULTY. THERE IS A SHAFT INSIDE THE MIRROR CASE THAT HOLDS THE MIRROR STATIONARY BY THE TENSION HELD BY A COIL SPRING ON THE HOUSING. THE NORMAL PURPOSE OF THIS MECHANISM IS TO ALLOW THE MIRROR TO FOLD IN OR OUT WHEN THE MIRROR STRIKES A FIXED OBJECT, SAVING THE MIRROR FROM BEING BROKEN. IN THIS FAULTY ASSEMBLY, THE RETAINER CLIP WHICH HOLDS THE COIL SPRING AND MIRROR HOUSING IN PLACE FAILS, ALLOWING THE MIRROR TO SWING TOWARD THE FENDER WHEN SLOWING OR TOWARD THE DOOR WINDOW WHEN SPEEDING UP. NOT ONLY DOES THIS RENDER THE MIRROR USELESS, IT ALSO INCREASES THE CHANCES OF HAVING AN ACCIDENT FORM NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING BEHIND THE VEHICLE WHEN BACKING OR ANYTHING TO THE SIDE WHEN SWITCHING LANES. THE MIRROR COULD POSSIBLE COME OFF THE SHAFT COMPLETELY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND BY BECOMING A PROJECTILE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE MIRROR COULD ALSO HIT THE DOOR GLASS CAUSING IT TO SHATTER. REPLACEMENT MIRRORS ARE ON BACK ORDER ACCORDING TO THE DEALER AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MIRRORS THAT HAVE FAILED. BOTH THE MECHANICS AT THE DELEARSHIPS AND CHRYSLER KNOW ABOUT THE DEFECT. THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE MIRRORS REPLACED IS AFTER THEY ACTUALLY FAIL. AFTER THE PASSANGER SIDE MIRROR FAILED, I HAD IT REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR UNLESS IT ACTUALLY FAILED. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, IT FAILED AS WELL, LEAVING ME IN VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC WITHOUT A DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR.I BELIEVE CHRYSLER SHOULD RECALL ALL VEHICLES WITH THE DEFECTIVE MIRRORS AND REPLACE THE PAIR TO GET THIS DANGER OFF THE STREET

THE MECHANISM THAT HOLDS THE OUTSIDE MIRROR IN PLACE FAILED DUE TO UNKNOWN CAUSE. THE MIRROR FLOPS AROUND MAKING VISION IN IT IMPOSSIBLE. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE ON BACKORDERR AND PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR A MONTH OR MORE DUE TO THE NUMBER OF THES FAILURES NATIONWIDE THEY WERE OVERWHELMED WITHORDERS. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE PERSONALLY KNEW OF MANY VECHICLES DRIVING THAT HAD BOTH MIRRORS BROKEN IN THE SAME WAY. THEY TRIED TO TAPE IT IN PLACE BUT THIS FAILED TO HOLD THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT ON THE FREEWAY WHICH MEANS I HAD NO VISION DOWN THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR AND I BELEIVE THE IS ILLEGAL AS WELL A VERY DANGEROUS. I BELIVE THA IF THIS IS AS IT APPEARS TO BE A VERY LARGE SCALE PROBLEM THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OF THIS MIRROR. I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH SIMPLE REPLACEMENT IF THIS IS A PROORLY MANUFACTURED PART.*AK