1997 Dodge Ram 2500 Electrical Problems

TRAVELLING AT NIGHT WITH HIGH BEAMS ENGAGED WHEN ALL LIGHTS WENT OUT. I MADE AN EMERGENCY STOP BY THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. I PROCEEDED AND A FEW MINUTES LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. EVENTUALLY I DETERMINED THAT IT I LEFT THE HIGH BEAMS OFF IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN. TOOK TRUCK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH. PROBLEM RECURRED ABOUT 1 MONTH LATER. REPLACED MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH ON MY OWN THIS TIME. PROBLEM RECURRED AGAIN AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS, THIS TIME HOT/BURNING WIRES COULD BE SMELLED. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY FINALLY DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED LIGHT SWITCH IN DASH. BY THIS TIME ONE OF THE WIRES HAD NEARLY BURNED ALL THE WAY TO THE MAIN HARNESS. REPLACED SWITCH AND ALL FINE FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. BEEN LIVING WITH NO HIGH BEAMS WAITING FOR TIME TO RIG A RELAY TO TAKE LOAD OFF SWITCH. CHRYSLER HAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT HONOR IT DUE TO MY VIN NOT BEING ONE OF THE TARGETED MODELS... COMPLETE [XXX]! *JS

NHTSA ID

10690359

Incident

Nov 26, 2000

Mileage

68,650 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHEN ADJUSTING THE STEERING WHEEL, CERTAIN FUNCTIONS FAILED ON THE VEHICLE. THE SPECIFICS ON THE FUNCTIONS THAT FAILED WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 225,000.

NHTSA ID

10667386

Incident

Jan 11, 2013

Mileage

225,000 mi

HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS NOT SAFE TO HANDLE LOAD OF ELECTRICITY FROM THE HEADLIGHT AND MARKER LIGHT WIRES. I HAVE REPLACED SWITCH 4 TIMES AND STILL SAME PROBLEM. LIGHTS STOP WORKING BECAUSE THE SWITCH MELTS AND BEGINS TO BURN. THE RECALL FOR 1997 DODGE RAM HEADLIGHT SWITCH SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXTENDED FOR ALL MODELS BUILT IN THAT YEAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10479925

Incident

Jul 30, 2012

Mileage

129,000 mi

1997 DODGE RAM 2500, WITH OVERHEATING HEAD LAMP SWITCH. CONCERNS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE! *TR

NHTSA ID

10421362

Incident

Jan 1, 2011

Mileage

180,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMALL CRACKS IN THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL CLUSTER. THE CRACKS MANIFESTED INTO LARGE, TRIANGULAR, SHARP, PLASTIC CHUNKS THAT ARE FALLING INWARD INTO THE VEHICLE AND ALSO FLYING THROUGH THE WINDOW WHEN HE WAS DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE AND HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. HE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THEY HAD CALLS IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE, BUT THEY DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 100,000.

NHTSA ID

10360254

Incident

Oct 13, 2009

Mileage

100,000 mi

THE OUTER DASH SILENCER PAD CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED THE CLUTCH AND FUEL LINES. IT FRIED THE COMPUTER, THE OCCUPANTS WERE ALMOST KILLED. THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED #737, IN AUGUST 1997. THE CUSTOMER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER PAID ALL REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE CLAIM WAS DENIED. CHRYSLER WILL NOT HELP THE CONSUMER WITH THE REPAIR BILLS, TOM KELLY MADE A DECISION AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT HE DOES NOT COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE AND HIS DECISION WAS FINAL. THE CONSUMER HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE BEFORE THE INCIDENT AND WAS OUT OF STATE WHEN IT HAPPENED. THE CONSUMER REALIZED THE RECALL WAS FOR DODGE TRUCKS BUILT MARCH 7, 1997 THROUGH MAY 15, 1997 AND THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS BUILT ON MAY 16, 1997. *JB THE ALTERNATOR WAS INOPERATIVE DUE TO A BAD PCM WHICH WAS REPLACED. THE A/C HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE AFTER THE PCM WAS REPLACED. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10120838

Incident

Apr 20, 2005

Mileage

161,000 mi

DT: CONSUMER NOTICED THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD ABOVE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WHILE DRIVING. IMMEDIATELY CONSUMER TURNED THE ENGINE AND THE HEADLIGHTS OFF. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES IT STOPPED SMOKING. AFTER WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES, THE ENGINE STARTED, BUT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON. CONSUMER CALLED DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR MAKE AND MODEL. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT CHECKED THIS VEHICLE. CONSUMER CHECKED THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND A RECALL FOR THE 3500 SERIES BUT NOT THE 2500 SERIES. DISCOVERED THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET DUE TO EXPENSE. *TT

NHTSA ID

10122044

Incident

May 19, 2005

Mileage

120,000 mi

WHEN THE CONSUMER PULLED OUT OF A GAS STATION, THERE WAS A SMELL OF PLASTIC BURNING. SUDDENLY FLAMES APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. THE MECHANIC STATED THE MAIN BOLT FOR THE 120 AMP VIBRATED OFF, WHICH CAUSED THE WIRING TO HEAT UP AND CATCH FIRE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10019826

Incident

Apr 26, 2003

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH CONSUMER SAW FLAMES UNDER HOOD. DEALER REPLACED RELAY SWITCH AND SOLENOID.*AK

NHTSA ID

8011843

Incident

Jun 10, 2002

THE ENGINE WOULD NOT STOP RUNNING. WIRING TO FUEL SOLENOID STARTED BURNING. ENGINE STARTED TO SHUTDOWN AND THE STARTER ENGAGED. THIS APPEARS TO BE COMMON BECAUSE A CUMMINS DEALERSHIP MENTIONED THAT IT HAPPENS OFTEN ON DODGE TRUCKS AND SO DID ANOTHER DODGE DEALERSHIP ONCE THE VEHICLE GETS AROUND OR ABOVE 75,000 MILES. THE NEW SOLENOID IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL. HOW EVER DODGE SAYS THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF STD WARRANTY AND WILL NOT ASSIST. IF RESERACHED YOU WILL FIND THAT IN OTHER APPLICATIONS THIS ENGINE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SOLENOID.

NHTSA ID

756384

Incident

Nov 28, 2001

AROUND 6 MONTHS AGO A PLUME OF THICK BLACK SMOKE EXITED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I INSPECTED THE ENGINE BUT COULD NOT LOCATE THE SOURCE AND FIGURED IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOMETHING FALLING ON THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. RECENTLY I DISCOVERED MELTED AND CORRODED WIRES LEADING TO THE FUEL PREHEATER. NO FUSE WAS BLOWN. I HAVE NOT TAKEN THIS VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR YET, SO THE COST ESTIMATE IS SIMPLY A GUESS. IF A SHORT EXISTED IN THE PREHEATER, THEN THE FUSE SHOULD HAVE BLOWN. EITHER THE FUSE IS TO LARGE, OR THE WIRE SIZE IS TOO SMALL FOR THE APPLICATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

750270

Incident

Dec 1, 2000

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, FIRE CONTAINED TO ENGINE COMPARTMENT ONLY, APPARENTY THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY AND IT IGNITED THE ENGINE, CLAIM 15-3030-879. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900659

Incident

Nov 14, 2000

BATTERY & IGNITION FAILED. *YC

NHTSA ID

606669

Incident

Mar 1, 1998

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE CAUSED CALIPER, PAD, DRUM AND SHOE FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID

606288

Incident

Dec 1, 1997

BRAKES OVERHEAT AND PULL HARD CONTINUALLY.

NHTSA ID

542087

THE PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT LOCKS TIGHTLY AND PASSENGER CANNOT MOVE. *AK

NHTSA ID

523263

TAPE PLAYER INOPERATIVE.

NHTSA ID

521155

Incident

Aug 5, 1997

CD PLAYER, WHICH IS FACTORY INSTALLED, FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

522671

Incident

Jul 4, 1997

ENGINE: EXPERIENCED A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FIRE TOOK PLACE BECAUSE OF THE CHEAP MATERIAL THAT IS USED FOR THE FIREWALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

814019

Incident

Jun 14, 1997