NHTSA Complaint #10538353 — 2012 DODGE RAM 1500

THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT ON MY 2012 DODGE RAM 1500 FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE USES SEPARATE LOW AND HIGH BEAM BULBS. TEST SHOWED THAT BOTH LOW AND HIGH BEAM WERE AFFECTED ON THE FAILED SIDE. I HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED THE TRUCK USED. WHEN I CALLED THE PREVIOUS OWNER HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AT DIFFERENT TIMES WITH EACH HEADLIGHT. HE HAD SIMPLY UNPLUGGED AND REPLUGGED THE HEADLIGHT CONNECTORS TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM. I REMOVED THE FAILED RIGHT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. TEST SHOWED THAT MANIPULATING THE WIRES (PUSH, PULL, STRESS TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER) COMING INTO THE MALE SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR COULD CAUSE THE HEADLIGHT WORK OR FAIL. I PERFORMED A SIMILAR TEST ON THE (WORKING) LEFT SIDE HEADLIGHT WITH THE SAME RESULTS - I COULD FORCE FAILURE AT WILL, EVEN THOUGH THE CONNECTOR WAS FULLY ASSEMBLED AND LOCKED. UPON INSPECTION OF THE CONNECTORS, BOTH APPEARED CLEAN INSIDE. I SPRAYED EACH WITH CONTACT CLEANER ANYWAY, AND REASSEMBLED ONLY TO FIND THE SAME PROBLEM. MANIPULATING THE PINS ON THE FEMALE SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR IN EFFORT TO INCREASE CONTACT PRESSURE RESULTED IN NO IMPROVEMENT WHEN THE CONNECTOR WAS REPLUGGED. AS A FORMER FAILURE ANALYSIS ENGINEER I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A DESIGN / APPLICATION PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHT CONNECTORS USED ON THIS TRUCK. SHORT OF CONTACT PLATING ANALYSIS, IT APPEARS THERE IS INSUFFICIENT CONTACT AREA AND / OR CONTACT PRESSURE ON THE SMALL PINS USED. AS A WORK-AROUND, I USED LONG NOSE PLIERS TO REACH INSIDE THE MALE CONNECTOR BODY, AND TWISTED THE SMALL, FLAT, MALE PINS APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES TO INCREASE CONTACT PRESSURE. AFTER REASSEMBLING BOTH CONNECTORS IN THIS MANNER, I CAN NO LONGER FORCE FAILURE ON EITHER SIDE. THE STOCK HEADLIGHT CONNECTORS USED ON THIS TRUCK PRESENT A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW AND SAFETY ISSUE SINCE AS DESIGNED, HEADLIGHT FAILURE MAY OCCUR AT ANY TIME. *JS