NHTSA Complaint #11330776 — 2016 RAM 1500

THE DRIVER'S SIDE INTERIOR DOOR LATCH HAS FAILED EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50K MILES. THIS OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. I AM A SAFETY ENGINEER. THE INTERIOR LATCH FUNCTION IS A SAFETY CRITICAL MEANS OF EMERGENCY EGRESS AKIN TO CRASH BARS ON BUILDINGS; NO WAY SHOULD IT FAIL IN A VEHICLE THIS RECENTLY BUILT AND OF SUCH LOW MILEAGE. RAM INFORMED ME IT WAS A NON-WARRANTY ITEM WHICH IN ITSELF SURPRISING. THE REPAIR BILL IS $521, WHICH IN SOME CASES WILL BE EXPENSIVE ENOUGH THAT SOME WILL FORGO GETTING IT FIXED, IMPERILING THEMSELVES SHOULD THEY NEED TO QUICKLY EGRESS THE VEHICLE IN THE EVEN OF A FIRE OR SUBMERSION, FOR EXAMPLE. I ASKED THEM FOR INFORMATION ON HOW FREQUENTLY THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF FAILURE PARTICULAR LATCH MECHANISM AND THEY WERE MOST DEFINITELY NOT FORTHCOMING. I ASKED THEM TO ELEVATE MY CASE TO SOMEONE MORE SENIOR, GIVEN CRITICAL THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT. THEY REFUSED. SO, I GUESS THE BALL IS IN NHTSA'S COURT. SOMEONE SHOULD DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO FCA AND INQUIRE ABOUT THE FAILURE RATE OF THIS PARTICULAR MECHANISM. *TR