NHTSA Complaint #10465932 — 1996 DODGE RAM 1500

IN THE 1994-2001 MODEL YEAR DODGE RAM 1500, 2500 AND 3500 TRUCKS THERE IS NO RELAY IN THE WIRING CIRCUITRY USE FOR THE HEADLIGHTS. WHEN THE RAM WAS REDESIGNED IN 1994, THE ENGINEERS DID NOT FIND IT NECESSARY TO CHANGE THE 40-YEAR OLD DESIGN FOR THE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM; FEELING ONLY THE NEED TO USE A LARGER GAUGE WIRE TO HANDLE THE EXCESSIVE HEAT OF THE HALOGEN BULBS. UNFORTUNATELY, NEITHER THE WIRES NOR THE SWITCH OR INTERNAL RHEOSTAT (FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING) COULD HANDLE THIS LOAD AND THE FOLLOWING NEAR TRAGIC EVEN HAS BEEN AN ALL TOO COMMON OCCURRENCE. A RECALL (OR AT THE VERY LEAST A TSB HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE 3500 MODEL DODGE RAMS, WHICH ARE COMPRISED OF THE EXACT SAME SWITCH AND WIRING, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN NOTED ABOUT THE 1500 OR 2500 MODELS. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND THIS, AND THIS IS THE VERY REASON I FEEL COMPELLED TO BE WRITING THIS COMPLAINT IN THE FIRST PLACE. ONE NIGHT I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 55-MPH WHEN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, RELAY AND CONNECTED WIRING ALL BECAME OVERHEATED, CAUSING THEM TO MELT. BECOMING FRANTIC, I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY WIGGLE THE DIMMER SWITCH (COMBINATION/TURN SIGNAL SWITCH), THEN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH UNTIL I GOT THEM TO COME BACK ON. DURING THAT EPISODE I HAD THEM GO OUT ON ME ABOUT 4 TIMES THAT I RECALL. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE REMAINS UNFIXED AND IS NOT DRIVABLE AT NIGHT. BEING A MECHANIC, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO CHECK THE RELAYS AND FUSES TO SEE IF THEY WERE BLOWN OR BAD. TO MY DISMAY, I COULD NOT FIND ANY RELAYS! THIS WAS HOW I DISCOVERED, THROUGH SOME ONLINE RESEARCH, ABOUT THE RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH- HOW I WAS NOT ALONE IN THIS SITUATION AND THE REST OF THE AFOREMENTIONED PARAGRAPH. I WILL GLADLY BE AVAILABLE FOR PHONE CALLS, QUESTIONS, AND TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE PARTS IN QUESTION. *TR