Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Dodge 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TAKATA RECALL THE WIRING FOR HEADLIGHT SWITCH BURNT UP AND SWITCH MELTED I SAW A LOT OF THE SAME PROBLEMS ON THE INTERNET BUT NO RECALL ON THE 1500 JUST THE 3500 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM
IN THE 1994-2001 MODEL YEAR DODGE RAM 1500, 2500 AND 3500 TRUCKS THERE IS NO RELAY IN THE WIRING CIRCUITRY USE FOR THE HEADLIGHTS. WHEN THE RAM WAS REDESIGNED IN 1994, THE ENGINEERS DID NOT FIND IT NECESSARY TO CHANGE THE 40-YEAR OLD DESIGN FOR THE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM; FEELING ONLY THE NEED TO USE A LARGER GAUGE WIRE TO HANDLE THE EXCESSIVE HEAT OF THE HALOGEN BULBS. UNFORTUNATELY, NEITHER THE WIRES NOR THE SWITCH OR INTERNAL RHEOSTAT (FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING) COULD HANDLE THIS LOAD AND THE FOLLOWING NEAR TRAGIC EVEN HAS BEEN AN ALL TOO COMMON OCCURRENCE. A RECALL (OR AT THE VERY LEAST A TSB HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE 3500 MODEL DODGE RAMS, WHICH ARE COMPRISED OF THE EXACT SAME SWITCH AND WIRING, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN NOTED ABOUT THE 1500 OR 2500 MODELS. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND THIS, AND THIS IS THE VERY REASON I FEEL COMPELLED TO BE WRITING THIS COMPLAINT IN THE FIRST PLACE. ONE NIGHT I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 55-MPH WHEN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, RELAY AND CONNECTED WIRING ALL BECAME OVERHEATED, CAUSING THEM TO MELT. BECOMING FRANTIC, I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY WIGGLE THE DIMMER SWITCH (COMBINATION/TURN SIGNAL SWITCH), THEN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH UNTIL I GOT THEM TO COME BACK ON. DURING THAT EPISODE I HAD THEM GO OUT ON ME ABOUT 4 TIMES THAT I RECALL. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE REMAINS UNFIXED AND IS NOT DRIVABLE AT NIGHT. BEING A MECHANIC, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO CHECK THE RELAYS AND FUSES TO SEE IF THEY WERE BLOWN OR BAD. TO MY DISMAY, I COULD NOT FIND ANY RELAYS! THIS WAS HOW I DISCOVERED, THROUGH SOME ONLINE RESEARCH, ABOUT THE RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH- HOW I WAS NOT ALONE IN THIS SITUATION AND THE REST OF THE AFOREMENTIONED PARAGRAPH. I WILL GLADLY BE AVAILABLE FOR PHONE CALLS, QUESTIONS, AND TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE PARTS IN QUESTION. *TR
TURN SIGNALS FAILED, CHECKED FUSE, REPLACED FLASHER RELAY, REPLACED MULTI-FUNCTION TURN/DIMMER/WIPER SWITCH AND CHECKED ALL BULBS AND STILL NO TURN SIGNALS. HAZARD FLASHERS WORKING CORRECTLY. PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *TR
THE SWITCH FOR THE HEADLIGHTS MUST BE FALSE SINCE THIS IS ALREADY THE SECOND TIME IN THE TWO YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED MY TRUCK THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. I UNDERSTAND THAT RECALLS DO OCCUR, BUT THIS IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND OUT OF MY WALLET. NOW, I DOUBT THAT I WILL BUY A DODGE AGAIN SINCE DODGE DOES NOT COVER ITS MISTAKES. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VENTS. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, IN WHICH HE SUGGESTED THAT THE HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS SWITCH MELTED. *AK *SC
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HEADLIGHT SWITCH PROBLEMS. CONSUMER WAS AWARE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE RAM 3500 SERIES, BUT NOT ON THE RAM 1500, WHICH WAS THE ONE HE HAD. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND SOLD THE CONSUMER A REPLACEMENT SWITCH. HE COMPARED THE NEW SWITCH TO THE ONE ON THE 3500 SERIES, AND STATED THAT THEY WERE IDENTICAL.*AK WHILE DRIVING HOME CONSUMER SMELT WIRES BURNING AND THE HEADLIGHT CUT OFF THEN CAME BACK ON. CONSUMER STATED IF THE SWITCH WAS THE PROBLEM ON THE OLDER MODEL RAM'S, THEN THEY ARE A PROBLEM WITH HIS LATER MODEL. *PH *NLM
I HAVE A 1996 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP, WITH 104,000 MILES. THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH SHORT CIRCUITED WHICH CAUSED THE WIRING CONNECTOR AND THE SWITCH CONNECTOR TO OVER HEAT AND MELT. I HAVE PURCHASED A NEW SWITCH AND THE AUTO PARTS STORE SAYS THIS HAPPENS OFTEN. ALSO WITH THE SWITCH OUT OF WORKING ORDER I HAD NO LIGHTS, THIS HAPPENED AT NIGHT. *JB
HEADLIGHT SWITCH WOULD OVERHEAT WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON. DEALER CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
DISSIMLAR METAL CONTACTS RE. TAILIGHT SOCKETS AND TYPE 3157 BULBS. BRAKE/TURN/EMERGENCY FLASHER SIGNAL LIGHTS FAIL TO LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY (BOTH SIDES). (DASHBOARD FLASHER LIGHTS INDICATE NORMAL OPERATION.) TWICE REPLACED BULBS, BUT WITH LATER FAILURE IT WAS NOTED THAT MOVING UNLIT BULB OR WIGGLING IT CAUSES IT TO WORK. INSPECTING BULB SHOWS CORROSION/ARCING AT CONTACT POINT(S). I NOW CARRY AN EMORY BOARD TO CLEAN CORROSION FROM CONTACT POINTS WHEN FAILURE NOTED/REPORTED. (3-7 MOS MTBF) I INTEND TO REPORT THIS TO THE UNDERWRITERS LAB AND TO "SYLVANIA" AS AN INCOMPATIBILITY/DESIGN ELECTRICAL DEFECT.
HEADLIGHT SWITCH GOT HOT AND MELTED ITSELF AND THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR CAUSING HEADLIGHTS TO QUIT WROKING WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. DASH WAS EXTREMELY HOT ABOVE SWITCH. NO OTHER ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT ADDED TO HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT. CONTACTED CHRYSLER BUT THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I HAVE THE FAILED COMPONENTS AND CAN PROVIDE THEM OR PICTURES IF REQUIRED. REPLACEMENT SWITCH ALSO INCLUDED A CONNECTOR AND PIGTAIL. IS THIS BECAUSE THEY SEE THIS PROBLEM A LOT? NORMALLY YOU WOULD HAVE TO BUY PARTS SEPARATELY.*AK
HEADLIGHT SWITCH FAILED DUE TO OVERHEATING WHICH CAUSED HEADLIGHTS TO GO OUT WHILE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE AT 65MPH. DEALER SOLD ME A NEW SWITCH/KIT AND PROVIDED INSTALLLATION INFORMATION FOR THEIR SAFETY RECALL 819 (WHICH THEY SAID DID NOT APPLY TO THIS VEHICLE). INSTRUCTIONS TALK ABOUT LOOKING FOR A MELTED CONNECTOR WHICH INDEED MY SWITCH DOES HAVE. NEW WIRING HARNESS PROVIDES A RESISTOR OR SOMETHING WHICH MY MECHANIC TELLS ME IS TO DISSIPATE HEAT! DEALER AND CHRYSLER CAN NOT EXPLAIN WHY THIS HAPPENED AND OFFER NO RELIEF BUT I STILL FEEL IF THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A PROBLEM AND ARE MAKING MODIFICATIONS TO SOME OF THE VEHICLES WHY THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE THEM ON ALL OF THEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING AND YOU ARE LEFT WITHOUT LIGHTS! FORTUANTELY I HAD FOG LIGHTS AND THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO TURN THEM ON! THANK YOU. *AK
HEADLIGHT SWITCH OVERHEATS AND CATCHES ON FIRE. ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE DASH WILL GO OUT. ALSO. DEALER HAS SENT AN UPDATED OWNERS MANUEL. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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