NHTSA Complaint #10444059 — 2004 DODGE RAM 3500

MESSAGE: I DRIVE A 3500 DODGE RAM PICK UP TRUCK. RECENTLY I WAS BEGINNING TO HAVE DIFFICULTY SEEING DUE TO WINDSHIELD FOGGING UP. I TURNED ON THE DEFROSTER ON AND THERE WAS NO HELP IN THE VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. MY VISIBILITY WENT TO ZERO VERY QUICKLY. I VEERED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND INTO A DITCH BEFORE I COULD GET MY VEHICLE STOPPED. UPON INVESTIGATION OF THE PROBLEM, I DISCOVERED THAT THE BLEND DOOR IN THE HVAC SYSTEM HAD BROKEN. THE BLEND DOOR DIRECTS THE AIR TO THE APPROPRIATE VENTS AS DIRECTED BY THE VEHICLE OPERATOR. THE DOOR BEING BROKEN WOULD PREVENT THE DIRECTION OF AIR TO ANYWHERE EXCEPT THE DEFAULT LOCATION WHICH IN THIS CASE WOULD BE THE DASH VENTS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM IN THIS VEHICLE. THE DEFAULT LOCATION OF THIS DOOR SHOULD WITH OUT A DOUBT BE THE DEFROST LOCATION. AFTER HAVING THIS NEAR MISS I HAVE INVESTIGATED OTHER REPORTS OF THIS VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THEY ARE NUMEROUS. MY DETERMINATION OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD IMMEDIATELY HAVE A SAFETY RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. *TR