Head lights go out when driving or sometimes flickers on/off when driving, traced wiring and noticed that wiring was burnt at pig tail connector which is the head light switch at the part called bezel... Never had any trouble with it until this year and couldn't understand why wire burnt, the plastic/bezel melted first rather than fuse tripping. This occurs when driving anywhere but it occurred first when I was headed to work at 3am in highway 74 which is mountainous and very curvy road... Extremely dangerous. I believe this is a defective part and is safety risk.
1997 Dodge RAM 1500 lights problems
17 complaints (5% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 105,000.
- owner complaints
- 17
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical mileage
- 105,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Headlights: switch4
- Headlights4
- Tail lights1
- Fog lights1
- Brake lights1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Dodge RAM 1500 lights problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Dodge RAM 1500 lights
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 1997 Dodge RAM 1500 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The low beam headlights cut out while I was driving at night to the store a motorist flashed their lights at me while I was at a light.. Checked all fuses and had mechanic look it over. They narrowed it down to the steering column it will be 400$ to fix. The wire harness pin plug had overheated and melted. Almost caused a fire. I had smelled burning electric smell. Was only able to hold hi beam lever to keep hi beams engaged to be able to drive with lights till problem is fixed.
Dash starting cracking and falling apart, wires got messed up and some things don't work. Parts of the plastic of the dash come out the vents when you turn on the heat or air. Part with the VIN went somewhere to parts unknown.
I am the second owner of this vehicle the night after I bought it I repositioned the steering wheel closer to my lap and the headlamps went out causing me to not be able to see I flicked on the high beams and was able to see again. But if I hadn't done that I could have had an accident.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge ram 1500. The contact stated that the headlight switch malfunctioned. The tail lights, dashboard lights, and exterior running lights also would not activate when the headlights were engaged. The contact did not call the manufacturer nor was the vehicle taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. The contact stated the faulty headlight switch made it difficult to drive at night. The failure mileage was 83,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge ram 1500. The contact stated that the headlight switch would operate intermittently. The dealer was contacted and determined that there were no recalls for the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 200,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge ram 1500. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the headlights were abnormally dim. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed an unusual yellow film on the headlights lens. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact did not call the manufacturer regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 94,500 and the current mileage was 95,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge ram 1500. While driving 40 MPH the headlight switch failed. Upon further inspection he noticed that the wires in the housing had melted. After he purchased the parts from the dealer, he performed the repair. The failure mileage was 140,000.
I own a 1997 dodge ram 1500 4 wd pickup. I have had it for 3 years and have had numerous problems with the head lights cutting on and off, and then going off and not coming back on. I spent several hundreds of dollars to have the problem fixed, but it still does it. I have been told by mechanics that do this type of work for a living that this is a manufacturers defect in the wiring somewhere. And that there are several vehicles( dodge trucks) with this same problem. I believe that dodge needs to put out a recall on this issue and got the problem resolved. I like many people take my chances having to drive at night.
Dashboard cracked/split into pieces causing wires to be cut. Loss of headlamps, taillamps, and brake lights. Unknown if any damage has been done to the airbag system. How do I check that?
Questions about the 1997 Dodge RAM 1500 lights
Does the 1997 Dodge RAM 1500 have lights problems?
Owners have filed 17 complaints about the lights of the 1997 Dodge RAM 1500, 5% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1997 Dodge RAM 1500 lights problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 105,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Dodge RAM 1500 lights?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Dodge RAM 1500 have the most lights problems?
The Dodge RAM 1500 model years with the most lights complaints are 2006 (139 complaints), 2012 (46 complaints) and 2007 (38 complaints).
Other 1997 Dodge RAM 1500 problems
Body 70Transmission 56Brakes 53Fuel system 29Airbags 24Electrical 23Engine 23Steering 23Suspension 21Tires 16Acceleration 14Visibility 14Locks 10Wheels 9Seats 6Seat belts 2
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