2000 Dodge RAM 3500

ELECTRIC SEAT FIRE, SAFETY FUSE FAILED TO BLOW. FUSE BLOCK MELTED, SEAT MOTOR SHORTED OUT,WIRING HARNESS BURNED INTO FIRE WALL, ACROSS CARPET, AND UNDER SEAT INTO FOAM PADDING. TRUCK WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, AND WAS NOT ON. PROBLEM OCCURRED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN ON THAT DAY. UPON INVESTIGATION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ORIGINAL SEAT WIRING HARNESS HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED AT THE PLANT. CHRYSLER HAS INSPECTED THE TRUCK AND DENIED ANY LIABILITY, AND HAS FAILED TO OFFER ANY CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. YET ON 2-20-2008 THEIR PARTS MANAGER ADMITTED THAT THEY HAD REROUTED THE NEW WIRING HARNESS WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO, AND FURTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES ARE STILL OCCURRING. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A TRUCK FOR 6 WEEKS NOW, AND MY STATE FARM INSURANCE IS HAVING TO COVER AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURE FLAW. *TR

2000 DODGE RAM 3500 QUAD CAB/ELECTRIC SEAT WIRING HARNESS FIRE. SAFETY FUSE FAILED, THUS RESULTING IN SMOLDERING FIRE BETWEEN SEAT FOAM AND ALONG CARPET BELOW THE SEAT. HARNESS WAS INSTALLED OVER METAL FRAME, AND COMPROMISED WHEN ANYONE WOULD SET ON THE SET. OVER TIME THE PROTECTIVE COATING WORE OFF AND THE WIRING GROUNDED OUT ON SEAT FRAME. WE GOT UP ONE MORNING ONLY TO FIND THE TRUCK FILLED WITH SMOKE, AND WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE REASON. I CONTINUED TO USE THE TRUCK OCCASIONALLY, EVEN THOUGH I HAD NO DASH LIGHTS, RADIO, DOME LIGHTS, ETC... FINALLY ONE DAY ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS LATER I HAPPENED TO LEAN ON THE SIDE OF THE SEAT AND SAW A BURNED PLACE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I WAS ABLE TRACE A FIRE TRAIL. I DROVE THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT, AND WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T HELP ME. THAT I WOULD HAVE TO FIX IT MYSELF. I RETURNED HOME WITH THE TRUCK AND CONTACTED AN ELECTRICIAN TO COME LOOK AT THE TRUCK FOR ME. HE TOOK ONE LOOK AT THE DAMAGE AND SAID THAT IT WAS A FAULTY WIRING JOB FROM THE FACTORY, AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO HELP ME. HE SUGGESTED I CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP. SO I RETURNED WITH THE TRUCK AND CONTACTED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH THE 800 NUMBER I WAS GIVEN. BOTH CHRYSLER AND MY STATE FARM AGENT SAID THE TRUCK WAS UNSAFE AND NOT TO DRIVE IT UNTIL A REPRESENTATIVE FROM CHRYSLER INSPECTED THE TRUCK. STATE FARM'S ADJUSTER WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SEE THE TRUCK UNTIL AFTER CHRYSLER FINISHED THEIR 'INVESTIGATION'. I RECEIVED A LETTER 1/18/2008 FROM CHRYSLER ABSOLVING THEM OF ANY LIABILITY, OR DEFECT. I FEEL THAT SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG HERE AND WOULD APPRECIATE SOMEONE CHECKING INTO THIS. BEFORE SOME IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED EXCESSIVE CRACKING ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL CLUSTER. THE CRACKING HAS PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED AND CREATED A LARGE HOLE IN THE PANEL, CAUSING PARTICLES TO FALL INWARDS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. HAD REPAIR DONE (DEALER) THEN NEXT DAY VEHICLE MAKES NO CONTACT WITH STARTER, EVERYTHING ELSE WORKS. REPAIRED AT DEALER, HEADLIGHTS DON'T WORK. WITH RENTAL VEHICLE REPLACEMENT OF STARTER (DEALERSHIP ADVISED), REPLACEMENT OF ALTERNATOR ( DEALERSHIP ADVISED), REPLACEMENT OF BATTERIES (DEALERSHIP ADVISED), HEADLIGHTS NOT WORKING. BROUGHT BACK TO HOUSTON TO DEALER ALL AT MY EXPENSE OF $1,850.00. TOOK TO ANOTHER DEALER AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED AN ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS TO THE TUNE OF $2,823.00. ALL TECHS HAVE MADE THE SAME COMMENT, DODGE MADE THE WIRING TOO TIGHT, CONSTANTLY IN A BIND WHEN RAISING AND LOWERING THE STEERING WHEEL. DON'T TRUST THEM ANYMORE. WAS THERE A FIRE QUESTION; NOT YET. DATE IS APPROXIMATE. *NM

CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE STEERING PROBLEMS SUCH AS VEHICLE STEERS HARD. VEHICLE WANDERING ON ROAD. EXCESSIVE PLAY IN STEERING BOX. DEALER FOUND BENT STEERING DAMPER, REPLACED STEERING BOX, AND TRACK BAR. CONSUMER STATES STEERING IS TOO TIGHT. DEALER ADJUSTED BOX TO REDUCE STEERING EFFORT. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE STILL WANDERS. *TT

CONSUMER STATES THIS IS THE SECOND MAJOR PROBLEM THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THE ENGINE, IN MARCH THE ENGINE WAS REBUILT, THE OIL WAS CHANGED 1-2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FIRE, THE FIRE APPEARED TO HAVE STARTED FROM THE ALTERNATOR, THE FIRE CAUSED THE BATTERY TO MELT AND ACID GOT ALL OVER, THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CLAIM 16-N124-673. *SLC