NHTSA Complaint #10446142 — 2005 DODGE RAM 2500

DRIVER DOOR POWER LOCK ACTUATOR FAILED, RESULTING IN DISABLING THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE AND THE ONLY KEY CYLINDER ON THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE KEYS WERE LOCKED IN THE TRUCK WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING, AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO ENTER THE VEHICLE WITH A SPARE KEY SINCE THERE IS NO LOCK CYLINDER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR ON THIS TRUCK. NOTE THAT LOCKING THE KEYS IN THE TRUCK WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING WHEN EXPERIENCING THIS FAILURE IS VIRTUALLY INEVITABLE WITH THIS TRUCK, SINCE IT AUTOMATICALLY LOCKS THE DOORS WHEN YOU REACH 10 MPH AND THE OTHER THREE DOORS STAY LOCKED WHEN YOU EXIT FROM THE DRIVER DOOR. I HAD TO CALL AAA TO OPEN THE TRUCK SINCE THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET IN EVEN WITH A SPARE KEY, SINCE THIS FAILURE DISABLES THE ONLY DOOR LOCK ON THE TRUCK. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN SINCE BEING LOCKED OUT OF YOUR RUNNING VEHICLE IN THE WINTER COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE OUT OF CELLPHONE RANGE OR YOUR CELLPHONE IS LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE, AS MINE WAS. *TR