NHTSA Complaint #10137893 — 2002 DODGE RAM 1500

I HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER,WHICH CAUSED ALL OF MY GAUGES TO STOP WORKING. NO SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, BATTERY, OIL OR TEMPERATURE GAUGE. MY TURN SIGNALS, HORN, INTERIOR LIGHTS, WIPERS, AND POWER DOOR LOCKS ALSO FAILED. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT I HAD NO STOP/BRAKE LIGHTS OR FOG LIGHTS, BUT HAD HEADLIGHTS AND PARKING LIGHTS EVEN THOUGH THE INTERIOR SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. EVEN THOUGH THIS TRUCK WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY OF 2002 AT JERRYS DODGE (NOW SAFFORD DODGE, AND THE THREE YEAR WARRANTY WAS JUST UP, I ONLY HAD 7,078 MILES ON THE TRUCK AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUSTER BUT I HAD TO PAY. I THINK THIS CLUSTER SUDDENLY GOING OUT IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. THANK GOD MINE WENT OUT IN THE DAY TIME AND NOT AT NIGHT. I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED AS IT IS. THIS IS THE FOURTH INCIDENT OF A FAILED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THAT I KNOW OF. I AM SURE THERE ARE MORE, AND I HAVE READ THAT CHRYSLERDAIMLER/DODGE HAS HAD CLUSTER PROBLEMS IN SOME OF THEIR OTHER VEHICLES.*JB