NHTSA Complaint #713952 — 1999 DODGE RAM

THE HORN IS DEFECTIVE. THIS TRUCK IS MANUAL SHIFT. THERE ARE TWO PROBLEMS. 1ST, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCATE THE HORN BECAUSE OF THE PLACEMENT OF THE AIRBAG. IT REQUIRES NUMEROUS HARD PUSHES TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IT IS. A LESS THAN WHAT I WOULD ESTIMATE TO BE A 5 POUNDS OF PRESSURE WILL NOT MAKE THE HORN SOUND. I HAVE TRIED TO USE THE HORN ON AT LEAST THREE INCIDENCES AND WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE HORN SOUND. IN A NON-EMERGENT SITUATION (SITTING AT A LIGHT) I WAS ABLE TO SOUND THE HORN AFTER SUBSTANTIAL PRESSURE. 2ND : IN EMERGENT AVOIDANCE SITUATION (3 TIMES) YOU CAN NOT SOUND THE HORN AND DOWNSHIFT AT THE SAME TIME. BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE STEERING WHEEL ON THE LEFT SIDE, AND THE PLACEMENT OF THE CRUISE CONTROL, MY LEFT HAND CAN NOT REACH THE HORN WITHOUT TURNING LOOSE OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THAT LEAVE NO HANDS ON THE WHEEL BECAUSE THE RIGHT HAND IS TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE THE COMPONENT PART REQUIRES THAT THERE BE NO HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I WOULD LIKE THIS ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. I AM FEMALE, 5'7" 135 POUNDS. I DO NOT HAVE A WIDE ENOUGH SPAN IN MY HAND TO BE ABLE TO HOLD ON TO THE STEERING WHEEL WITH FOUR FINGERS WHILE MY THUMB TRIES TO REACH THE HORN. IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. THAT TAKES YOU BACK TO PROBLEM NUMBER 1.