Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. The contact stated that the instrument panel was cracked approximately one inch starting from the passenger side. Over a two year period, the instrument panel caved in and the indicators were no longer concealed by the panel. Both the manufacturer and dealer were notified of the failure and diagnosed that the instrument panel would have to be replaced yet the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 29,000 and the current mileage was 35,000.
2002 Dodge RAM 1500 electrical complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 93, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I was driving home one night from shopping at walmart and was pulled over by the local law enforcement for not having any tail-lights on my 2002 dodge ram. Come to find out , none of my parking lights worked, but the signal and brake lights did work. Upon further investigation and a visit to the local dodge dealer to find out that the parking light circuit had blown and I would need a new fuse box ($550.00) and a front control module ($250.00) and an hour and a half of labor ($133.50) + tax, totals close to $1000.00 to repair a defect that chrysler/dodge knows about and has the diagnostic equipment to search for such a problem. According to the parts person at that same dodge dealer I went to, this a common problem with dodge trucks. From my investigation on the internet, I found I am not the only person with this problem and that this is not the only model year that has this problem. There should be a recall on chrysler/dodge's part before this result in an accident and/or loss of life on the road due to a faulty circuit on a circuit board. They are making money on an item that involves public safety.
Started truck turned on headlight switch ,was on high beam so pulled lever to dim an lights would not dim then wipers come on and wouldnt shut off and wiper sprayer come on and would not shut off but if I held lever back all went off so have to drive holding lever back.when I got home and shut truck off all of the problems would not shut off even with key out of ignition so had to tie lever back.
Dashboard cracking and holes in it. Engine won't shift gears now and dashboard lights go completely out at times.
Dodge ram gauge cluster goes out about 5 years after the recalled wiring harness was fixed. When the gauge cluster went out I had to pay to have that harness fixed again because that's what shorted it all out. Also the rapier shop was not able to put back my mileage to 63,xxx. It now shows 119,xxx. That's almost 55,xxx miles more then I dove in to that shop with. Yes I have all the old parts. This is a very common thing for this trucks. Dodge does not want to make it right.
Stopped several times for no taillights. Was advised that I could be ran over for not having tail lights. Lamp out indicator was not lit. Mechanic traced problem down to fcm (front control module).
No parking lights. The fuse box is needed to be replaced.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. The contact stated that the exterior lights (parking lights) failed and they would not illuminate when needed. The cruise control light on the steering wheel also failed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the fuse box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but the parts were ordered. The manufacturer was not notified. The current mileage was approximately 101,000. The failure mileage was approximately 100,980.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. The contact noticed that in may 2010, there was a small crack on the right side of the instrument panel. As of august 2010, the crack became bigger from the windshield to over the gauges. The instrument panel was also beginning to separate. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired at the time of the complaint. The contact had not spoken with the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. The VIN was unavailable. The current mileage was approximately 68,000. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
Recently I had to replace the major fuse box in my 2002 dodge ram1500. The old box shorted out and as a result I lost my park lights, driving lights, as well as my license plate lights. I was first made aware of it by the police when I was out driving with no tail lights. It was a good thing I was stopped or I could have been rearended or in a major accident before I noticed they were not working. I ended up replacing the fuse box at a cost of 600.00. I guess this was a concern of dodge because they had fuse boxes onhand and available.
Jan. 10, 2010 a very large crack appeared in the dash on my 2002 dodge 1500 pickup at first it was just a cosmetic thing ,but now all the wiring is exposed the vehicle turn indicators do not work when it is bad weather the windshield wipers don't work and the defrosters will not change from cold to hot. I went to the dealer they advised me it was not their problem ,but I have learned that I am not the only one this has affected and my problem is a serious safety issue.
I have a 2002 dodge ram 1500 4dr 4wd.I just had my truck inspected and all lighting worked fine. I was pulled over easter evening by a new york state trooper and notified that my rear lights were out including parrking, running, and license plate lights, as well as front running lights.I was informed to turn 4 way flashers on while driving at night to my destination. After checking all fuses,b bulbs, relays and wiring are all good. When I checked for similiar problems via internet and my local mechanic and a dodge dealer I was notified that the fuse box would have to be replaced and the front control module. This is a part that should not go bad as you have to change the whole box for just lights going out,which dodge says is an unserviceable part that corrodes within a sealed box?and that has to be changed as a whole unit. There are numerous complaints via internet etc of this problem and that dodge will not budge to fix the problem that they are very aware of occuring.the consumer should not have to pay for this repair estimates are anywhere from $250 to over a $1000 dollars just to replace the defect.and also that dodge has a back order of these because of the numerous problems with them. The consequences are that the lights will go out without notice or a bulb out light being signalled theeby causing another vehicle to rearend or seriously injure someone without these lights at night. The trooper stated also that he has seen this before on dodge trucks.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram. While driving at night the headlights failed. He stated that water entered the power distribution center box and caused it to short circuit. No repairs were made. The failure and current mileages were 95,000.
Driving through a puddle after a rain storm, several safety features stopped functioning: wipers, turn signals, horn, headlight control. I'm not sure what else is not functioning but these have been verified. Narrowed the problem down to the fcm (front control module). The fcm is connected to the ipm (integrated power module). Come to find out the ipm is not sealed from the elements. The circuit board is exposed from the bottom which allows water to splash into the module thereby shorting the fcm. I believed dodge knows this is a poor design and is unsafe because I've read that they've designed a replacement ipm which is sealed from the elements. This is dangerous because of obvious reasons.
The heater / AC fan became inoperative at anything other than the high speed setting. When I removed the fan speed resistor block I found the area to be packed with dry and burnt leaves and acorn caps, consistent with those from the coast live oak trees on my property and in my community. The resistor block power supply is equipped with a spring-loaded solder connection apparently designed to interrupt power if the circuit becomes hot enough to approach the melting point of the solder. The system partially worked by cutting power under extreme heat conditions. I feel though, that allowing a large quantity of combustible materials to enter and collect in an area where heat approaching the melting point of solder is present is unacceptable. I photographed and retained all of the dry tree material possible that was removed from the resistor / fan area. Much of it was reduced to a black carbon powder. The volume would be approximately 50 cubic inches of loose material. I resoldered the spring-loaded connection and re-installed the resistor block. Initial tests showed that it was operating correctly and cool to the touch. Several hours of driving this past weekend produced the same results but I would like to replace the resistor.
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 ride in a vehicle without air conditioning. Our dodge caravan also has a defective air conditioner. I rue the day I ever bought a dodge.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. In 2006, the battery was replaced in the contact's vehicle. When he started the vehicle, the headlights remained illuminated and the turn signals, horn, and brake lights no longer worked. He called daimler chrysler and was informed that there were no recalls for the vehicle. The contact stated that the tail lights did not work when the vehicle was purchased. He feels these are all safety issues. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current mileage was 138,844 and failure mileage was 84,000.
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 and bearings. Engine had to be replaced with used engine. 4) passenger window switch: (for the past 20,000 miles) passenger side switch works intermittently. 5) parking lights: (149,000 miles) was informed by another driver that I had no tail lights. Checked fuses and relay and everything was ok. Took truck to garage, they checked and could not find a problem. Garage called dodge dealership, they told them it would probably need the front control module replaced. The garage did not charge me and told me they did not want to just start replacing parts costing over $200 trying to pin point a problem and I needed to take it to the dealership. The dealership checked it and told me I would need to replace the power distribution module and the front control module due to both having an internal short. Why bother having fuses if you can just have circuit boards costing over $200 each blow out? 6) ignition park lock: (149,000 miles) got a recall notice about ignition park lock needing replaced. Dealership repaired. This truck definitely has its share off defects, with the engine and wiring. More should be done as far as recalls.
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 in their place. The heavy wires are too stiff to flex and when pushed certain ways the fan shuts off. I also noticed where the wires are plugged in, the wires are so hot you can barely touch them. I don't feel this was a very good fix for the problem, since although the fan does not shut off due to overheating, it still is heating up under the dash and may cause a fire under the dash.
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. The contact stated that the instrument panel began to crack in january of 2008. By june of 2008, the panel had cracked into small pieces and a piece fell into the air conditioning motor, which prevented him from using the air conditioner. The dealer would not repair the vehicle for free and is charging $800. The manufacturer provided the contact with reference number 17583492 and advised him to check with the dealer. The contact feels that the manufacturer should replace the instrument panel for free. The failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 116,000. Updated 09/13/08. *lj updated 09/17/08.
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 the federal safety agency 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.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. While the vehicle was parked without the key in the ignition, the vehicle rolled down a hill. The vehicle crashed into a trailer and both were damaged. There were no injuries. The contact received a recall notice for the ignition interlock after the failure occurred. The ignition interlock was replaced. The parking brake was not engaged. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 80,125.
Excessive cracks have formed in both dashboard pieces. The plastic has become very brittle and sharp pieces are beginning to fall into the wiring underneath. Nothing particular happened that caused it, they just appeared overnight. Conversations with the local dodge dealer and chrysler customer service yeilded no assistance. I am concerned of the sharp edges of the plastic falling into the dashboard wiring and causing electrical failures while driving or, in the event of an airbag deployment, shards of the shattering plastic impaling the driver or passenger.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. The contact stated that the instrument panel is beginning to shatter in several different places, leading to the air bag. He stated that the air bag will eventually deploy. The dealer accused him of tightening the screws too tightly underneath the instrument panel; however, the contact stated that he has never touched the instrument panel in that regard. Other dealers have stated that this is a common occurrence with this make and model. The failure mileage was 55,000 and current mileage was 79,199.
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.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. Approximately one and a half years ago, the vehicle's instrument panel began to crack asw well as the dashboard. The crack gradually spread from the driver side to the passenger side of the vehicle. In addition, the air vent detached. The cause of failure has not been diagnosed. The current mileage is 56,000 and failure mileage was 42,000. Updated 10/18/07
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.
Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminated while driving 55 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer, and a computer diagnostic identified a failure to the condenser fan relay, due to an undersized fuse. A technical service bulletin, # o8-002-03, was issued by the manufacturer, which stated the fuse was not large enough and the condenser fan needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted.
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.
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