NHTSA Complaint #10550626 — 2001 DODGE RAM 2500

TURNED KEY TO START POSITION AND ENGINE WOULD NOT CRANK OVER. TURNED KEY OFF AND BACK ON AND FOUND NONE OF THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON (WATER IN FUEL, TEMP, BRAKE, SEAT BELT, ETC.). THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE DASH OR IGNITION SWITCH. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THE MAIN POWER FEED WIRE TO THE IGNITION SWITCH (8 GAUGE STRANDED) BROKEN AT THE CONNECTOR BELOW THE STEERING WHEEL HUB. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALS THAT THIS WIRE FLEXES EACH TIME THE STEERING WHEEL IS TILTED. I ATTACHED A NEW CONNECTOR TO THE WIRE AND PLUGGED IT BACK IN, AND EVERYTHING WORKED AS NORMAL. AFTER ABOUT A MONTH I TILTED THE WHEEL UP WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY QUIT AND I HAD THE SAME NO-START, NO-LIGHT CONDITION AS THE FIRST TIME. FOUND THE REPLACEMENT CONNECTOR HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE PLUG AND RECONNECTED IT WHICH AGAIN CURED THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE MORE UNTIL I FINALLY SPLICED IN ABOUT 5 INCHES OF NEW WIRE TO MAKE A LOOP AND RELIEVE THE STRESS ON THE ORIGINAL WIRE. IF THIS CONDITION, THE FIRST TIME THE WIRE BROKE, HAD HAPPENED WHILE I WAS UNDERWAY AND WANTED TO ADJUST THE STEERING WHEEL TILT, I WOULD HAVE LOST ENGINE POWER, STEERING ASSIST, BRAKE ASSIST, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE. THIS WOULD HAVE ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS AND UGLY ACCIDENT. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE, SO MAYBE MINE WAS JUST A FLUKE. BUT I DOUBT IT. I THINK THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A DEADLY PROBLEM. MEANWHILE, MY DASHBOARD IS ALSO IN PIECES. I JUST COVER IT UP AND TRY NOT TO LOOK AT IT. AFTER ALL, IT'S A DODGE... *TR