1995 Dodge Ram 2500 Electrical Problems

I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK THIS PAST SUMMER. I FOUND RECENTLY THAT SEVERAL SAFETY RECALLS HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED ON THE TRUCK. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER. THEY REFUSED TO COMPLETE THE IGNITION SWITCH WIRING RECALL UNTIL I PAID THEM TO TRACE ALL OF THE WIRING THAT COULD BE AFFECTED BECAUSE ONE OF THE WIRES ON THE IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS HAD MELTED. THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW MUCH THIS MIGHT COST ME. THE DEALER CONTACTED FCA TO SEE IF THE FACTORY WOULD "CONTRIBUTE" TO THE COST. FCA DECLINED. I CONTACTED FCA AND THEY TOLD ME ON A VEHICLE OF THIS AGE THEY WERE NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING BEYOND THE EXTENT OF THE RECALL REPAIR. I SAID THAT WAS FINE - JUST DO THE RECALL. THEY REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE THE RECALL REPAIR UNLESS I AGREED TO ALLOW THE DEALERSHIP TO TRACE ALL OF THE WIRING THEY SUSPECTED COULD BE DAMAGED. I'M AT A LOSS HERE. WHO CAN I CONTACT FOR HELP? FCA KNOWS THE WIRING FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL MELT AND POSSIBLY CAUSE A FIRE. IT IS QUITE EVIDENT THE WIRING HAS MELTED - EVEN BURNT OFF. HOW IS IT THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMPLETE REPAIR OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY THIS KNOWN DEFECT? THEY SEEM TO BE SAYING THEY ARE NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THEY ARE CALLING THE SERVICE ADVISER AT THE DEALERSHIP THEIR "TRAINED EXPERT". AND HE CANNOT CONFIRM THAT THE FAILURE IS NOT JUST "WEAR AND TEAR". IS THIS TRUE? DOES NHTSA ALLOW MANUFACTURERS TO USE THIS AS AN EXCUSE TO NOT PERFORM A RECALL?

NHTSA ID

10836788

Incident

Feb 17, 2016

Mileage

202,000 mi

NHTSA # EA198010 HEADLIGHT SWITCH RECALL EXCLUDED THE B1500 AND B2500 SERIES STATING THAT THE POWER DRAW IS NOT AS GREAT AS THE B3500 SERIES. THIS IS IN ERROR. MY 1995 B2500 BURNED OUT THIS SAME LIGHT SWITCH AND LEFT ME WITH NO HEADLIGHTS. (I HAVE NOT ADDED ANY ADDITIONAL LIGHTING). I REQUEST THAT EA98010 BE REOPENED TO INCLUDE THE B1500 AND B2500 SERIES TRUCKS AS THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHICH IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE B3500 SERIES. I REPLACED THE SWITCH AT MY EXPENSE AND CAN SEND YOU THE OLD ONE IF YOU NEED IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10490140

Incident

Dec 24, 2012

Mileage

203,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH BELOW THE STEERING COLUMN BURNED. THEREWAS A CLOSED INVESTIGATION , EA99027 AND RECALL # 00V135000 RELATING TO THIS FAILURE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 120,000.*AK

NHTSA ID

10188043

Incident

Apr 14, 2007

Mileage

120,000 mi

LIGHT SWITCH CIRCUITRY BURNED INSIDE DASH AND CAUSED HEAT DAMAGE TO DASH AND WIRING INSIDE. VEHICLE WAS RECALLED FOR WIRING AND WHEN RECALL WAS COMPLETE, FUEL GUAGE AND TEMPERATURE GUAGE FAILED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE AND IGNITION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS BELIEVED TO BE RELATED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10043756

Incident

Aug 12, 2003

Mileage

17,000 mi

STARTER STAYED ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING (DODGE DIESEL 95') RESULTING IN ENGINE FIRE.

NHTSA ID

10000409

Incident

Dec 24, 2002

Mileage

69,624 mi

WITH CAMPER ON TRUCK, FOG LIGHTS ON AND ALL OTHER LIGHTS, HEAD,LIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS, AND CLEARANCE LIGHTS ON AN ODOR WAS COMING FROM THE DASH. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME A TRUCKER INFORMED ME BY CB RADIO THAT I HAD NO CLEARANCE LIGHTS OR TAIL LIGHTS AND I NOTICED THAT MY FOG LIGHTS ALSO WENT OUT. UPON REPLACING THE LIGHT SWITCH THE BLOCK WHICH ATTACHES THE WIRES TO THE LIGHT SWITCH HAD MELTED, THAT IS WHAT CAUSED THE ODOR. WHAT CAUSED THE OVERHEATING OF THE SWITCH I DO NOT KNOW. DODGE HAS A RECALL ON THE 3500 SERIES LIGHT SWITCH BUT NOT 2500.*AK

NHTSA ID

767050

Incident

Aug 25, 2002

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE THROTTLE CABLE BECAME UNHOOKED, CONSUMER HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN VEHICLE INTO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE THROTTLE CABLE REPLACED DUE TO A RECALL.*JB

NHTSA ID

564233

VEHICLE CAB WAS FILLING UP WITH SMOKE. LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, WHICH NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

899254

Incident

Nov 12, 2001

FUEL SENSOR MALFUNCTIONS. *YH

NHTSA ID

562914

40 AMP FUSE HAS BLOWN TWICE, AND JUST RECENTLY BLEWOUT A THIRD TIME.*AK

NHTSA ID

889252

Incident

May 20, 2001

I TOOK THE TRUCK IN FOR AN ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CHECK. THE DEALER PERFORMED THE FIX AND WORKED THE 3 FACTORY RECALL ISSUES, INCLUDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IGNITION SWITCH. THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH DID OVERHEAT AND MELTED THE STEERING COLUMN PLASTIC SHROUD. HE ALSO NOTICED A 2-3" SECTION OF THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS BEHIND THE FUSE BOX WITH 2 WIRES THAT WERE BURNT WITH THE INSULATION COMPLETELY BURNT OFF. HE WAS HESITANT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR FEAR OF IT STARTING A FIRE. THE DEALER NOTIFIED ME THAT THE REPAIR MAY COST $2000.00, AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. MAYBE A RELATED ISSUE, BUT THE RADIO SHORTED OUT 2 DAYS BEFORE THE SERVICE CALL AND THE TECHNICIAN SAID THERE WAS NO POWER TO THE FUSE BLOCK. IS THIS ISSUE (THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS REPAIR/REPLACEMENT) COVERED UNDER THE RECALL OF THE IGNITION SWITCH, OR SHOULD IT BE IF THERE IS EVIDENCE OF MAJOR FAILURE OF THE HARNESS?

NHTSA ID

744074

Incident

Apr 11, 2001

WIRING HARNESS IN STEERING COLUMN WAS SMOKING AND BURNING AND REQUIRED IMMEDIATE REPAIRS, WHICH OWNER MADE WITH PARTS FROM DEALERSHIP, A MONTH LATER THE PROBLEM WAS CONSIDERED A RECALL (00V-135), CONSUMER REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. CJ

NHTSA ID

559304

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE CAUSED FIRE PRIOR TO RECALL 00V135, CONSUMER PURCHASED THE RECALL KIT AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE KIT AND FOR INSTALLATION FEES. *SLC

NHTSA ID

558700

Incident

Jan 1, 2000

DIESEL FUEL HEATER SENSOR SHORTED OUT AND CAUSED AN UNDER HOOD FIRE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER TO CALL INSURANCE AGENCY. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID

876319

Incident

Nov 18, 2000

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AT 60 MPH SMOKE CAME OUTOF DASHBOARD. HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. WIRING HARNESS HAD BURNED OUT, HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PART(HEADLIGHT SWITCH) AS 3500 TRUCK SERIES, WHICH HAD BEEN RECALLED. *AK

NHTSA ID

875836

Incident

Nov 12, 2000

RECALL CAMPAIGN NO:00V135, REPLACED 2 TO 3 MONTHS AGO. *AK

NHTSA ID

736330

Incident

Nov 13, 2000

CONSUMER WENT TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIR COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE AND WAS CHARGED WITH ADDITIONAL REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE, WHICH WERE ALL POSSIBLY RELATED TO THE RECALL DEFECT. *MJS

NHTSA ID

553458

Incident

Jul 26, 2000

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH FRONT HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, AND THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OPENED THE HOOD, AND DISCOVERED THAT WIRE TO THE HEADLIGHTS MELTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

850199

Incident

Oct 5, 1999

ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCCASIONS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED IGNITION FAILURE DUE TO ELECTRICAL WIRING THAT WAS MELTED / BURNT AND CORRODED, CAUSING OTHER COMPONENTS TO MALFUNCTION. *YC

NHTSA ID

548214

THE ENGINE STARTED WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN GEAR AND NO ONE IN THE VEHICLE, STARTER WOULD NOT DISENGAGE AND THE HEATING ELEMENT ON THE INTAKE EXPLODED AND CAUGHT FIRE. THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE WITH ALL THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT TODAY. *AK

NHTSA ID

707091

Incident

Jun 1, 1999

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE CAUSED OVERHEATING WHICH CAUSED BURNING AND MELTING OF WIRING RELAY HARNESS.

NHTSA ID

532618

Incident

Nov 10, 1997

FUEL SENSOR WILL FLUCTUATE AND THEN GO TO EMPTY AND REMAIN THERE. ALSO, IGNITION SWITCH BEGAN OVERHEATING, BURNING THE INSULATION AROUND THE A/C WIRING ATTACHED TO THE STEERING COLUMN. IN ADDITION, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR , WITH HEAT ON, WOULD JUMP TO 3000-4000 RPMS. *AK

NHTSA ID

817746

Incident

Nov 10, 1997

CLUTCH SLAVE UNIT REPLACED.

NHTSA ID

507924

Incident

Jul 19, 1995