NHTSA Complaint #10476518 — 2001 DODGE RAM 1500

HEADLIGHTS WERE ON HIGH BEAM AND DIMMED LIGHTS AND LOST ALL OF THE HEADLIGHTS . IT WAS EARLY MORNING BUT THERE WAS ENOUGH LIGHT FOR ME TO SLOW AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I KEPT MOVING THE DIMMER SWITCH BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAM UNTIL THE LIGHTS FINALLY CAME BACK ON. I LEFT THEM IN LOW BEAM AND DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY TO WORK ON LOW BEAM. WHEN I GOT HOME LATER AFTER WORK I WAITED TILL NIGHT TIME AND PULLED MY TRUCK INTO MY CAR PORT AND REPEATED WHAT HAD HAPPENED ON THAT MORNING. ON ABOUT THE FIFTH TRY THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN , I THEN REPEATED FLIPPING THE DIMMER SWITCH BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAM AND AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS WAS ABLE TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS BACK ON. THE NEXT DAY TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS , THEY REPLACED THE DIMMER SWITCH AND THE MECHANIC WHO WORKED ON MY TRUCK TOLD ME THAT WAS NO THE FIRST ONE HE HAD REPLACED AND TOLD ME I WAS VERY LUCKY. IF IT HAD FAILED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY AND UNDER DARKER NIGHT CONDITIONS AND AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE WRECKED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. *TR *JS