2002 DODGE RAM 1500 Electrical System Problems

MY 2002 DODGE CARAVAN HAS NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE PASSENGER AND BACK WINDOWS ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THE INSIDE DOOR PANEL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS ALSO BECOMING LOOSE. THE AIR CONDITIONER STARTED ONLY WORKING ON HIGH SPEED. THEN IT WOULDN'T WORK AT ALL UNLESS YOU GIGGLED THE KEY A CERTAIN WAY. NOW IT WON'T WORK AT ALL. THESE TRUCKS HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. "THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING COLUMN CONTAINS AN UNDER-SIZED TERMINAL FOR THE HVAC BLOWER MOTOR CIRCUIT." PER THE RECALL "'DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRING HARNESS OVERLAY TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION" I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE MONSTROSITY AND HE WAS RUDE AND CLAIMED THIS TRUCK WAS NOT SUBJECT TO THAT RECALL. I ALSO CALLED THE NATIONAL NUMBER AND THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR THEIR DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. WE LIVE IN FLORIDA AND IT IS DANGEROUS TO HAVE TO...

1) INTERIOR BLOWER FAN: (24,000 MILES) FAN WOULD SHUT OFF AT TIMES. FIRST TOLD BY DEALER THE AIR INTAKE WAS BLOCKED WITH LEAVES AND THEY CLEANED IT OUT. TWO WEEKS LATER, I GOT THE RECALL THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE BLOWER WAS OVERHEATING. I HAD THE DEALER DO REPAIR FOR RECALL. THEY CLIPPED THE TWO LIGHTER WIRES AND REPLACED THEM WITH TWO 10 GAUGE WIRES. FAN STILL SHUTS OFF DUE TO TILTING STEERING WHEEL WITH HEAVIER WIRING NOT BEING FLEXIBLE ENOUGH. WIRES STILL GET VERY HOT. 2) RADIATOR FAN CONTROL RELAY: (90,000 MILES) CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CODE WAS FOR RADIATOR FAN CONTROL RELAY CIRCUIT. RELAY WAS REPLACED. 3) ENGINE: (129,000 MILES) OIL SLUDGE CAUSED OIL NOT TO CIRCULATE PROPERLY CAUSING OIL PRESSURE GAUGE TO DROP TO ZERO AND BACK UP TO NORMAL ABOUT 4 TIMES. ENGINE OVER HEATED, WARPING HEADS AND DOING INTERIOR DAMAGE TO RODS...

I TURNED MY FAN ON TO COOL THE INSIDE OF THE TRUCK AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES, IT SHUT OFF. A WHILE LATER, I TRIED IT AGAIN AND IT WORKED, BUT SOON SHUT OFF AGAIN. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THEY CLEANED THE AIR INTAKE OUT AND IT WAS FULL OF LEAVES. THEY TOLD ME THAT IS WHY IT SHUT OFF. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. A FEW WEEKS LATER, I GOT THE RECALL NOTICE ABOUT THE WIRING BEING TOO LIGHT AND IT WAS OVER HEATING. THE DEALER DID THE REPAIR. IT WORKED FINE FOR A GOOD WHILE. EVENTUALLY IT STARTED SHUTTING OFF AGAIN. SOMETIMES I COULD TILT THE STEERING WHEEL TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION AND IT WOULD COME BACK ON. I FLIPPED THE ACCESS PANEL DOWN TO FIND THE REPAIR, THEY CLIPPED THE TWO LIGHTER WIRES AND PLUGGED IN TO I BELIEVE 10 GAUGE WIRE...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL FAILURES RANGING FROM THE FUSE BOX AND POWER LOCK:WINDOWS TO THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND A TECHNICIAN REPEATEDLY REWIRED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, REPLACED THE FUSES, AND THE MOTOR FOR THE POWER WINDOW DEVICES. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REPAIR, THE ELECTRICAL FAILURES RECURRED. SHE RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS MELTED, WHICH CAUSED THE ALARM SYSTEM TO FAIL AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER AND NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER CAN PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE OF WHEN THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. SHE HAS COPIES OF DOCUMENTS PERTAINING TO THE REPAIR HISTORY OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,369.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AT NIGHT, THE BLOWER WOULD TURN ON AND OFF AUTOMATICALLY AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE BLOWER EVENTUALLY FAILED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V078000 (STEERING:COLUMN), IN WHICH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PROPERLY FOR THIRTY DAYS BEFORE FAILING AGAIN. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY NEEDS A NEW COMPUTER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 155,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

THE DASHBOARD ON MY TRUCK CRACKED, THEN BEGAN LOSING PIECES. SOME PIECES HAVE BEEN PROPELLED AT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS BY THE AIR CONDITIONING AND WHEN WINDOWS ARE OPEN. WIRING PROBLEMS APPEAR TO BE DEVELOPING (I AM NOW RECEIVING "LAMP OUT" WARNINGS). I HAVE PLACED A DASH COVER TO LIMIT EXPOSURE TO THESE HAZARDS, BUT I HAVE SEEN NEWS REPORTS THAT MANY OTHER CONSUMERS ARE EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS, AND THAT THEY CONTINUE TO WORSEN. *TR

PARKING LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION. LAMP OUT INDICATOR LIGHT ON DASH IS NOT ON. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED TO BE IN THE FUSE BOX CIRCUIT BOARDS ALSO KNOWN AS THE PDC (POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER). APPARENTLY CORROSION OCCURS INSIDE THE BOX AND THE GROUND IS LOST. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT PART NUMBER IS 56045433AE. THAT PART NUMBER IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND HAS BEEN REPLACED BY PART NUMBER 56045433AF. NEITHER PART IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM DODGE DEALERS. THERE DEPOTS ALSO SHOW NO STOCK AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. AS THE CORROSION CONTINUES OTHER ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE LOST RESULTING IN A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

I WAS STOPPED BY POLICE DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY PARKING/RUNNING LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. THE SIGNALS AND STOP LIGHTS WORKED FINE. MY 2002 DODGE RAM IS AT THE GARAGE. THEY FOUND THE CIRCUIT BOARD (POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER) UNDER THE FUSE BOX IS BURNED OUT. COST FROM DODGE, $400.00. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE LIGHT WENT OUT FROM THE CAB. THE DASH LIGHTS WORKED AND THE HEAD LIGHTS WORKED. THE GARAGE INFORMED ME THAT IS HAPPENING A LOT TO OTHER DODGE RAMS. *NM

FIRST THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING IN 3RD GEAR AT TIMES,THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING ISSUE THAT THE DEALER CAN'T REPRODUCE. THE LAMP OUT LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF WITH THE BELL THIS WILL DO IT INTERMITTENTLY FOR AS LONG AS 30 MIN STRAIGHT AND THIS TRUCK IS ALL OVER THE ROAD WHEN YOU HIT BUMPS AT HIGH SPEED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. THE CHECK ENGINE, AIRBAG, AND CHECK GAUGES LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 03/28/06

I HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER,WHICH CAUSED ALL OF MY GAUGES TO STOP WORKING. NO SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, BATTERY, OIL OR TEMPERATURE GAUGE. MY TURN SIGNALS, HORN, INTERIOR LIGHTS, WIPERS, AND POWER DOOR LOCKS ALSO FAILED. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT I HAD NO STOP/BRAKE LIGHTS OR FOG LIGHTS, BUT HAD HEADLIGHTS AND PARKING LIGHTS EVEN THOUGH THE INTERIOR SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. EVEN THOUGH THIS TRUCK WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY OF 2002 AT JERRYS DODGE (NOW SAFFORD DODGE, AND THE THREE YEAR WARRANTY WAS JUST UP, I ONLY HAD 7,078 MILES ON THE TRUCK AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUSTER BUT I HAD TO PAY. I THINK THIS CLUSTER SUDDENLY GOING OUT IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. THANK GOD MINE WENT OUT IN THE DAY TIME AND NOT AT NIGHT. I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED AS IT IS. THIS...

THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER,WHICH IS CAUSING THE HEAD LIGHTS, BLINKERS, AND INTERIOR LIGHTS NOT TO FUNCTION. OWNER WILL CONTACT MANUFACTURER. *NM OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS INCLUDED FOG LAMPS; WINDSHIELD WIPERS; TURN SIGNALS, BRAKE LIGHTS AND ALL CLUSTER FUNCTIONS. DEALER REPLACED A SHORTED CLUSTER. *TT

MY COMPUTER SYSTEM WENT OUT IN MY 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCK. I SPOKE WITH AN INDIVIDUAL NAMED CHRIS ON 9/15/04 REF#12633025. THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT TAKE ANY STEPS TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT THERE AREN'T ANY RECALLS ON THE COMPUTER SYSTEMS IN THESE TRUCKS. IT'S GOING TO COST ME $600.00 TO GET THIS PROBLEM WITH MY LEMON FIXED.*AK

VEHICLE STALLED WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS AND/OR BRAKING. THIS RESULTED IN LOSES OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND MECHANIC PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, BUT NO FAILURE WAS FOUND.

VEHICLE HAS LUNGED FORWARD WHILE IN DRIVE. ENGINE IDLE ELECTRONICALLY ADVANCES WHILE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE, DRIVER MUST KEEP FOOT FIRMLY DEPRESSED ON BRAKE TO AVOID ACCIDENT. ALSO HAVING SIGNIFICANT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS - SPECIFICALLY GAUGES DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AND HORN/LIGHTS ENGAGE. PROBLEMS ARE INTERMITTENT. *NLM