1998 DODGE RAM Electrical Systemhorn Problems

HORN BUTTONE (THE AREA YOU PRESS IN THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL) WILL NO PRESS IN TO HONK, DUE TO DESIGN PROBLEM, DUE TO AIR BAG. THERE IS NOT WAY TO HONK THE HORN

HORN IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO HONK, DEALER SAYS IT IS BECAUSE OF AIRBAG HOUSING AND THERE IS NOT ROOM FOR HORN CONTACTS TO WORK, SO NO MATTER WHERE YOU PUSH OR HOW HARD YOU HIT THE STEERING WHEEL, IT WILL NOT ALLOW THE HORN TO HONK!*AK

HORN DOES NOT SOUND WHEN DEPRESSED; BACKUP LIGHTS LENS COVER IS TINTED. *AK

HORN IS VERY HARD TO LOCATE ON STEERING COLUMN, AND IT IS VERY HARD TO DEPRESS TO GET IT TO BLOW. *AK THIS VEHICLE HAS NARROWLY MISSED BEING INVOLVED IN 2 OR 3 ACCIDENTS BECAUSE THE DRIVER COULD NOT USE THE HORN. *YH

HORN IS LOCATED ON TOP OF STEERING WHEEL WHERE THE AIRBAGS COME OUT. CONSUMER CANNOT PLACE ENTIRE HAND ON THE HORN TO MAKE IT WORK . ONLY A SINGLE POINT HE CAN PRESS WITH HIS FINGER ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY HE CAN HEAR THE HORN. *AK *ML

THE HORN IS VERY DIFFICULT TO APPLY. OWNER HAS TO ADD EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO GET HORN TO FUNCTION. DLR SAYS IT'S NORMAL. *AK

THE DESIGN OF HORN BUTTON HARDENS IN COLD WEATHER CAUSING DIFFICULTIES LOCATING HORN IN A EMERGENCY. OCCASIONALLY THE HORN FAILS TO WORK PROPERLY. THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD GRADUALLY DECREASE WITHOUT BRAKES BEING APPLIED. TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER TO CHECK. *YC

HORN HAS TWO SMALL BUTTONS ON BOTH SIDE OF AIRBAG COVER WHICH ARE TOO SMALL TO LOCATE AND HARD TO PRESS, NOT ALLOWING DRIVER TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER DRIVERS. MANUFACTURER STATES THERE IS NO PLAN TO REVISE HORN. *AK

HORN DIFFICULT TO OPERATE; TRANS SHIFTS OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS AND ENGINE IS UNDER LOAD

MANY OF MY FRIENDS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH 1998 DODGE TRUCKS, CHRYSLER SAYS IT IS "NORMAL" AND WILL NOT FIX. HORN BUTTON WAS RE-DESIGNED FOR 1999 AND DOES NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM.

HORN DIFFICULT TO ACTIVATE, REQUIRES EXTREME FORCE IN VERY SPECIFIC LOCATION.

HORN SENSOR WAS DIFFICULT TO LOCATE IN AN EMERGENCY. IT CAUSED A COLLISION IN WHICH SOMEONE WAS KILLED. *AK

THE PASSENGER'S OR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. ALSO, YOU ALMOST HAVE TO PUNCH THE HORN PAD TO GET IT TO WORK. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELT OR THE HORN. OWNER HAS 2 OTHER TRUCKS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. PLEASE LIST VIN #S FOR OTHER 2 TRUCKS. *AK

I THINK THAT A HORN THAT REQUIRES SO MUCH EFFORT THAT IT IS USELESS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH THE DEALER AND THE COMPANY DISTRICT REPRESENTITIVE SAY THAT THE ALL OF THE 1998 HORNS ARE LIKE THAT. SOMETHING CAN BE DONE. CHRYSLER SAYS IN THEIR SPECS THAT THE HORN SHOULD OPERATE AT 2 LBS OF PRESSURE NOT, THE 10 LBS OR MORE THAT THEY REALLY TAKE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY, IF THERE IS NO PROBLEM (THEY CLAIM) DID THEY FIX IT FOR 1999. SAME STEERING WHEEL AND PAD BUT IT NOW WORKS.

THE HORN IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE THROUGH THE AIRBAG. MANY TIMES IT HAS FAILED TO SOUND AT ALL.

HORN CAN NOT BE SOUNDED IN A QUICK EMERGENCY SITUATION DUE TO AIRBAG CONFIGURATION. CAN ONLY BE SOUNDED IF THUMB IS PRECISELY PRESSED EXACTLY ON TWO SPOTS INDICATED WHILE LOOKING AT THOSE SPOTS IE: CAN NOT HAVE EYES ON ROAD..

DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE HORN ASSEMBLY, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DEPRESS THE HORN PAD IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO LOCATE THE HORN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT DUE TO THE AIRBAG LOCATION, IT IS DIFFICULT TO LOCATE AND TO HONK. *SLC

HORN BUTTON DIFFICULT TO PRESS. MUST BE CENTERED. WILL NOT WORK IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. *AK

THE HORN BUTTONS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO LOCATE/PRESS. THE RESULTING DELAY TO ACTIVATE THE HORN IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION ,COULD BE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS TO DRIVER/OCCUPANTS OR PEDESTRIANS. *AK

THE BUTTON SEEMS VERY HARD TO PUSH ESPECIALLY IF COLD. TOO MUCH PLASTIC??

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACTIVATE THE HORN, THE COVER FOR THE AIR BAG IS A HARD PLASTIC AND YOU REALLY HAVE TO PUSH TO ACTIVATE IT. IN AN EMERGENCY, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. *AK

WHEN TRYING TO USE THE HORN, YOU HAVE TO PUSH SO HARD THAT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IT TO WORK WITHOUT GOING OFF THE ROAD. THE RUBBER COVERING THE STEERING WHEEL CENTER IS WAY TO HARD TO OPERATE THE HORN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY OTHER PEOPLE WITH '98 DODGE TRUCK, RAMS THAT THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS TO INSTALL A '99 RAM AIRBAG ASSEMBLY. I AM GOING TO BE GOING TO MY DEALER IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND I AM GOING TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IT WOULD MAKE IT A LOT EASIER IF THE NHTSA WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE HEARD THAT DEALERS REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM IN MANY CASES. *AK

HORN VERY HARD TO OPERATE ,AIR BAG COVER GETS TOO HARD IN COLD WEATHER

HORN IS EXTREMELY HARD TO BLOW. ECCESSIVE PRESSURE REQUIRED. ESTIMATED 25 - 30 POUNDS.

HORN IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO BLOW, YOU HAVE TO TAKE EYES OFF THE ROAD TO FIND HORN BUTTON

THE HORN ON THE DODGE RAM P/U IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ENGAGE OR SOUND. A PERSON HAS TO PUSH THROUGH THE AIRBAG TO MAKE THE HORN SOUND. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS AND HAVE SEEN THE PROBLEM IN SEVERAL VEHICLES. ANY HELP YOU CAN GET DODGE TO DO IN REPLACING THE HORN WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

THE HORN IS VERY HARD TO PUSH TO MAKE IT SOUND. IN AN EMGERENCY SITUATION IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE DEALER IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

HORN BUTTON HARD TO PUSH IN PANIC SITUATION. MUST USE EXTREAM PRESSURE TO ENGAGE.

IF HORN IS NOT PUSHED IN PARTICULAR WAY THE HORN WILL NOT WORK. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THAT IS THE WAY IT WAS MADE. *AK

HORN DIFFICULT TO HONK, OPERATES INTERMITTENTLY.

VERY HARD TO DEPRESS HORN BUTTONS. MUST USE EXCESSIVE FORCE IN CENTE ROF STEERING WHEEL TO HONK HORN.

DUE TO BUILD UP OF PRESSURE IN THE AIR BAG MODULE, THE HORN SENSORS ARE EXTREMELY HARD TO APPLY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

THE DRIVER HAS TO PRESS DOWN ON THE HORN PAD EXTREMELY HARD BEFORE THE HORN WILL BLOW. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. *AK

HAVE TO PUT EXTREME PRESSURE ON THE HORN PAD IN ORDER FOR THE HORN TO SOUND. WHEN DRIVER NEEDS THE HORN TO GO OFF QUICKLY IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. *AK