NHTSA Complaint #10717455 — 2012 DODGE DART

THE HORN FAILS TO HONK QUICKLY AND RELIABLY WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL HORN SWITCH IS PRESSED. TO EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IS LIKE, WHEN YOU WANT TO "DOUBLE TAP" THE HORN TO SIGNIFY TO A FRIEND IN A PARKING LOT, OR AS OFTEN HAPPENS WHEN I'M DRIVING TO SIGNAL TO ANOTHER DRIVER A "DOUBLE QUICK HONK" OF CONCERN. IF THE HORN SOUNDS, ITS EITHER A SINGLE SHORT BLAST OR EXTRA LONG BLAST. THE CAUSE OF THIS, IS THAT THE HORN SWITCH GOES TO ONE DBUS CONTROLLER THAT MUST CYCLE THROUGH THE INPUTS, ONCE THIS FIRST CONTROLLER SEES THE HORN SWITCH ACTIVE *IT* THEN SENDS A SIGNAL ON TO ANOTHER CONTROL MODULE, THIS ONE TOO OPERATES ON A DATABUS/SCAN TYPE SYSTEM, AND SO HAS TO CYCLE THROUGH ITS INPUTS UNTIL IT HAPPENS UPON THE "HORN SWITCH ACTIVE" SIGNAL, AND THEN THE SECOND MODULE ACTIVATES THE HORN RELAY TO SEND CURRENT TO THE HORN. BECAUSE BOTH DATABUSS SCANS ARE SO SLOW, IT EITHER MISSES THE HORN PRESS INITIALLY, OR WHEN IT PICKS UP ON THE HORN SWITCH PRESS, IT FAILS TO SEE THE SWITCH HAS BEEN RELEASED FOR UNTIL THE 1ST MODULE HAS CYCLED BACK TO THE INPUT, .. AND AGAIN THE SAME HAPPENS WITH THE 2ND MODULE. IN THREE CASES NOW, ITS CAUSED ROAD RAGE, WHEN THE OTHER DRIVER THOUGH I WAS "LAYING ON" THE HORN, WHEN ALL I ATTEMPTED WAS A DOUBLE TAP, BECAUSE THEY WERE ENCROACHING ON MY LANE AS I WAS PASSING AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY DIDN'T HIT ME. THE HORN IS AN INSTRUMENT FOR WARNING, AND ITS OBVIOUS WHEN SOMEONE ATTEMPTS TO PISS SOMEONE ELSE OFF BY HOLDING DOWN ON THE HORN SWITCH .. WHERE A DOUBLE TAP IS USUALLY TAKEN AS A CAUTIONARY ALERT, AND FOR THE HORN NOT TO FUNCTION RELIABLY EVERY TIME AND WITH THE SPEED THAT A HUMAN CAN PRESS THE HORN SWITCH, IS AN ABSOLUTE FAILURE ON DODGE'S PART TO HAVE A SAFETY DEVICE OPERATING PROPERLY. THIS HAPPENS EVERY DAY, ALL THE TIME, AND I'M TOLD BY OTHERS, THAT ITS LIKE THIS NOW ACROSS ALL OF DODGE'S FLEET, THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED!