NHTSA Complaint #10299632 — 1999 DODGE RAM 1500

1999 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP HAS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHTS. WHEN SWITCHING FROM HIGH BEAMS TO LOW BEAMS. THE HIGH BEAMS GO OFF BUT THE LOW BEAMS DO NOT COME BACK ON. I HAVE HAD TWO DODGE DEALERS PLUS ANOTHER GARAGE LOOK INTO FIXING THIS PROBLEM. BOTH DODGE DEALERS SAY THEY COULD NOT VERIFY MY COMPLAINT. THE LAST DODGE DEALER PERFORMED ANOTHER ELECTRICAL WIRING TRACE DIAG AND CLAIMS ALL CIRCUIT OPERATING AS DESIGNED. YET THEY CONTINUE GUESSING AT WHAT MIGHT CAUSE THE PROBLEM AND CHARGE ME FOR REPLACING PARTS THEY CANNOT VERIFY WHERE EVER BAD OR EVEN CAUSING THE FAILURE OF THE LOW BEAMS TO COME BACK ON. THE NORMAL EVENT IS THAT WHEN AN ONCOMING VEHICLE IS COMING AT ME AND I NEED TO TURN OFF THE HIGH BEAMS. THE HIGH BEAMS ARE TURNED OFF WITHOUT ANY LOW BEAMS COMING ON. THIS CREATES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY OF BOTH AUTOS OPERATING ON THE SAME SECTION OF ROADWAY. THIS PROBLEM CURRENTLY HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS. AFTER THIS SECOND DODGE DEALER CHARGED ME FOR REPLACING ANOTHER SWITCH (ANOTHER GUESS BY THEIR MECH). IT TOOK ME LESS THAN 30 SECONDS TO SHOW A WITNESS DRIVING WITH ME WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AS THE LOW BEAMS FAILED TO COME ON AFTER ONLY THREE ATTEMPTS OF SWITCHING HIGH BEAMS TO LOW BEAMS. YET DODGE DEALERS STILL SAYS EVERYTHING IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. THERE IS CLEARLY A DEFECT HERE IN DESIGN. TO DATE IT HAS NOT RESULTED IN A CRASH BUT THERE IS NO TELLING WHEN THE LOW BEAMS WILL FAIL TO COME ON WHEN DRIVING AND THEY ARE NEEDED. THE FIRST TIME I HAD THIS PROBLEMS WAS AT MILEAGE 77,439 BACK ON 11/08/05. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO CLEAR UP AFTER THE FIRST DODGE DEALER HAD REPLACED THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH. BUT NOW THE PROBLEM IS BACK AGAIN. SO THE SECOND DODGE DEALER DID NOT FEEL THIS SWITCH WOULD OF GONE BAD AGAIN AFTER JUST 37,000 MILES OF USE ON THIS SWITCH. *TR