1998 DODGE RAM 1500 Electrical System Problems

TRUCK SETTING STILL IN YARD, HORNS STARTING BLOWING WITHOUT ANYONE AROUND, PULLED FUSE TO STOP. TWO SHOPS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. HORNS DO NOT WORK AT ALL NOW. REPLACED WITH NEW HORNS AND STILL DON'T WORK.

DROVE MY 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 TO EMPTY MY TRASH, STARTED BACK HOME AND HAD DRIVEN LESS THAN 1/4 MILE WHEN THE TRUCK HESITATED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL OUT AND THERE WAS SOME SMOKE BEGINNING TO COME UP THROUGH DASH AREA ON DRIVERS SIDE. THINKING I MIGHT HAVE A BUSTED RADIATOR HOSE I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER IN THE YARD OF PERSON DOING REPAIR WORK ON AN OLD BUILDING. WHEN I OPENED MY TRUCK DOOR ON DRIVERS SIDE FLAMES SHOT BETWEEN THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR AND SEAT. I JUMPED OUT OF THE TRUCK BUT WAS NOT INJURED. THE MAN SAW FLAMES SHOOTING FROM THE TRUCK AND I WAS VERY FORTUNATE HE HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. HE KEPT SPRAYING THE TRUCK UNDER THE HOOD AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL JUST AS THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT TRUCK SHOWED UP. THERE WERE A LOT HOT SPOTS AND...

TRUCK WAS PARK BOTH TIMES..ONE TIME OVER NIGHT..THEN SECOND TIME PARKED AT WORK FOR 8 HOURS..WENT TO GET INTO TRUCK, NOTHING HAPPEN , NO SEAT BELT WAS WORKING.. WHY THERE NO RECALL ON SOMETHING LIKE SEAT BELT A BIG SAFETY ISSUE?? THERE WAS NOTHING I DID WRONG. *TR

I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF DEFECTIVE CLOCKSPRINGS THAT DISABLED AIRBAGS IN CERTAIN DODGE PRODUCTS (SAFETY RECALL 982)(NHTSA IDENTIFICATION NUMBER 01V-153). THE RECALL INCLUDED VEHICLES IN THE VIN LAST 8 DIGITS WS501493 TO WS771681. MY 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 HAS A LAST EIGHT DIGITS OF [XXX]. THUS, IT DOES FALL WITHIN THE RANGE OF RECALLED VIN NUMBERS. HOWEVER, FOR SOME REASON MY TRUCK IS NOT DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THOSE RECALLED. HOWEVER, I HAVE AN AIRBAG LIGHT THAT IS ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL MOUNTED CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BOTH OF THESE ARE INDICATIONS OF A DEFECTIVE CLOCKSPRING JUST AS ON THE RECALLED VEHICLES. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AND WHY MY VEHICLE MAKE MODEL AND YEAR IS NOT DESCRIBED AS RECALLED EVEN THOUGH THE LAST EIGHT VIN DIGITS FALLS WITHIN THE RANGE OF...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER FOR THE HORN TO ACTIVATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE AIR BAG AND HORN CONTACT UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

1998 DODGE RAM DASHBOARD IS CRUMBLING INTO LITTLE PIECES. I SMELL BURNT WIRES COMING FROM MY DASH SOMETIMES. I FEEL IT MAY START A FIRE. *TR

I HAVE A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP TRUCK. LIKE MANY OF THESE TRUCKS MY DASHBOARD IS LITERALLY BREAKING APART AND COLLAPSING. I HAVE READ ON LINE WHERE THIS IS VERY COMMON WITH MY VEHICLE. MY TRUCK HAS AN AIRBAG BUILT IN THE DASH BOARD AND I AM CONCERNED THAT A SHARP PLASTIC SHARD COULD CAUSE SEVERE BODILY INJURY IF THE AIRBAG IS DEPLOYED OR IF THE AIRBAG WILL EVEN WORK SINCE THE DASH BOARD HAS CAVED IN. DEALERS ARE NOT WILLING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE DASHBOARD WIRING COULD CATCH FIRE. *TR

BACK IN MAY 08 SPEED SENSOR WENT OUT THEN ABS SENSOR WENT OUT A FEW DAYS LATER CAUSING NO POWER BRAKES AND COULD HAVE CAUSE MY WIFE TO HAVE A WRECK. BOTH REPLACED. NOW GETTING ENGINE CODES FOR O2 SENSORS AND TRUCK SPUTTERS AND CUTS OUT AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE OVER 30 MPH. REPLACED SENSORS. NOW RECEIVING CODES FOR PCM AND NOW REPLACING. THIS IS BEGINNING TO CONCERN ME. WILL THE NEXT PROBLEM CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE SERVICE AND ABS WARNING ILLUMINATED AND HE HEARD A HUMMING SOUND COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,000. RETURN USPS, MADE 2ND ATTEMPT 08/07/07 FAILED. *BF

DASHBOARD OF MY 1998 DODGE RAM PICKUP UNEXPECTEDLY STARTED CRACKING AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, THIS IS CAUSING ELECTRICAL FAILURES WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

FROM THE DAY I SAW THAT 96 DODGE TRUCK ROLLING DOWN THE STREET I FELL IN LOVE. I SAVED EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TO PURCHASE THE BIG BAD 1500 4X4 5.9(98)WITH EVERY OPTION AVAIL. HAD EVERYTHING AND FROM WEEK 1 HAD PROBLEMS. FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING "DUE TO FRAME STRESS" IT ABOUT 2 WEEKS INTO IT. BRAKE FAILURE CAUSE SERIOUS ASSAULT ON GUARD RAIL, AND DODGE SAID I MUST HAVE BEEN DRIVING TO FAST (@ 30 MPH). THEY REFUSED ANY WARRANTY BECAUSE "NOTHING CAN TOUCH THE WHEEL" AND SINCE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER 93 DAYS LEMON LAWS DID NOT APPLY SO AFTER (2) $900 BRAKE JOBS TWO WEEKS APART EVERYTHING WAS FINE. NOT TO MENTION DAMAGE TO BODY I PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET. NOW I JUST GO THROUGH AN ENTIRE SET OF BRAKES EVERY 6 MONTHS. BUT I STOP UNTIL THEN.. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT 38 K MILES,...

WHILE MY WIFE WAS SITTING WITH THE TRUCK ON, IN PARK, IT BURST IN TO FLAMES. THE ENTIRE FRONT AND CAB OF THE TRUCK WAS BURNED. IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE SUSPECTED BY THE FIRE DEPT. VERY SCARY AND VERY DANGEROUS!!!

SEAT BELT INDICATOR LIGHTS CONTINUALLY ON, REPLACED DASH CIRCUIT BOARD, SEAT BELT RELAY AND SEAT BELT, SYMPTOM CONTINUED AFTER THREE REPAIR ATTEMPTS NOT ABLE TO RECTIFY FAILURE. YH