2008 Dodge Ram 3500 Electrical Problems

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 in November of 2023. The vehicle was purchased from the dealer, Louies Auto Sales (1514 E Main St, US Hwy 441, Leesburg, FL 34748). The contact stated when the vehicle was purchased the odometer indicated the mileage was 217,000. The contact attempted to sell the vehicle and the service document indicated that in 2011, the odometer reading was 338,221. The selling dealer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the dealer was no longer in business.

NHTSA ID

11667489

Incident

Nov 4, 2023

Mileage

338,221 mi

There seems to be a problem with the wiring harness in the steering column. Lights in the dash flash. You can turn the vehicle off and restart and it will stop. Sometimes the lights will start flashing again and sometimes not.

NHTSA ID

11540984

Incident

Jun 1, 2023

POWER LOSS OCCURS AT ANYTIME. ALL THE TIME. TRUCK SLOWS DOWN TO IDLE SPEED. REALLY BAD WHEN DOING 70 ON THE INTERSTATE. MUST SHUT ENGINE OFF, PRESS ACCELERATOR SLOWLY FOR 5 TIMES THEN RESTART ENGINE. ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROLLER HAS BEEN REPLACED 6 TIMES NOW. THEY ALL FAILED AGAIN BETWEEN 7 AND 40 MILES. HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IT REPAIRED.

NHTSA ID

11395088

Incident

Apr 6, 2009

Mileage

1,200 mi

TIPM HAS WENT OUT ON TRUCK. HEAD LAMPS, BLINKERS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. WILL REPLACE TIPM

NHTSA ID

11014536

Incident

Aug 9, 2017

Mileage

205,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND EXTERIOR LIGHTING ILLUMINATED BRIGHTLY AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED THAT THE TIPM WAS SMOKING AND CAUSED SIX UNKNOWN FUSES TO BECOME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND RESTARTED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 245,000.

NHTSA ID

10946600

Incident

Jan 19, 2017

Mileage

245,000 mi

ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, THE TIPM HAS FAILED ON THIS TRUCK. THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND ONE HAPPENED IN 2013. THE THIRD TIME IN DEC OF 2015. ALL THREE TIMES THE MOTOR QUIT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND THE DASHBOARD WENT OFF. THE TIPM BOX THEN STARTED SMOKING. I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY CABLES. ON THE THIRD OCCASION, I WAS DELAYED BY HEAVY TRAFFIC IN GETTING TO THE BATTERY CABLES. THE TRUCK WAS ON A STEEP GRADE. THE HORN STARTED HONKING, WIPERS AND WINDSHIELD SPRAYER ACTIVATED, AND THEN THE VEHICLE TRIED TO START ITSELF AND MOVE FORWARD. IF I HAD BEEN UNDER THE HOOD, I WOULD HAVE BEEN RUN OVER. ALSO, THIS TRUCK WAS PULLING A TRAILER ON A MOUNTAIN PASS WITH NO POWER STEERING, BRAKES, OR TRAILER BRAKES DUE TO THIS PROBLEM AND MADE THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ID

10816702

Incident

Dec 10, 2015

Mileage

91,000 mi

ARRIVED AT LOWES, LEFT THE TRUCK RUNNING OUT FRONT OF THE STORE WHILE UNDLOADING RIDING MOWER TO RETURN. WHEN WE CAME BACK OUT VEHICLE HAD SHUT OFF AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. LIFTED THE HOOD AND NOTED FUSE BOX SMOKING. JUMPED BACK IN TRUCK AND MADE SURE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND KEY OUT OF INGNITION. WHILE WAITING FOR FRIENDS TO TOWE THE TRUCK, WIPERS STARTED HORN AND ALARM STARTED THEN CAR STARTED UP AND TOOK OFF ACROSS THE PARKING LOT. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO VEHICLE OR PERSONS IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND WAS GOOD THING WE WAITED OUTSIDE FOR FRIENDS INSTEAD OF RETURNING INSIDE THE STORE. MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO JUMP IN THE TRUCK, BUT WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION HE WAS UNABLE TO BRAKE THE TRUCK OR STEER THE TRUCK, SO BECAUSE IT WAS A MANUAL HE WAS ABLE TO GET IT OUT OF GEAR AND APPLY EMERGENCY BRAKE. SADLY AFTER THIS OCCURRED I HAVE DISCOVERED EVEN MORE HORRIFIC INCIDENCES WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO PEOPLE WHILE DRIVING LEAVING THEM WITHOUT STEERING OR BRAKES. DODGE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND STILL NO RECALL. I'VE EVEN SEEN THIS DESCRIBED AS A "COMMON OCCURANCE".......REALLY ! NO CRASH OR FATALITIES THIS TIME, BUT BY THE SOUND TOO MANY NEAR MISSES AND WHO KNOWS HOW MANY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10777948

Incident

Sep 12, 2015

Mileage

172,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE ODOMETER SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO STATED THAT "IT WAS NOT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT WHEN A TRUCK GOT TO 621,000, THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED"; THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND/OR THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 621,000.

NHTSA ID

10761015

Incident

Aug 3, 2015

Mileage

621,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE RAM 3500. WHEN THE IGNITION KEY WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED IN COLD TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH SAFETY IGNITION INTERLOCK SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V795000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA ID

10749729

Incident

Sep 26, 2014

Mileage

140,000 mi

AFTER MY SON PURCHASED HIS 08 MEGA CAB 4X4 , HIS SIGNAL LIGHTS STARTED CROSSING, IN OTHER WORDS WHEN YOU TURN ON LEFT IT SIGNALED RIGHT AND WIPERS DON,T FUNCTION EXACTLY RIGHT WHEN CHANGING LANES TRAFFIC THOUGHT WE WERE GOING RIGHT AND THEY WENT LEFT ON THE INTERSTATE AND WE ALMOST COLLIDED BOTH GOING TO THE LEFT

NHTSA ID

10746611

Incident

Aug 25, 2014

Mileage

95,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE WINDSHIELD RESERVOIR EMITTED WASHER FLUID ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND EMITTED A BURNING ODOR. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TOTAL INTERGRADED POWER MODULE FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

NHTSA ID

10588917

Incident

Mar 20, 2014

I WAS TURNING ONTO ANOTHER STREET I SMELLED ELECTRICAL SMOKE. TRUCK STARTED TO RUN ROUGH THEN STALLED. ELECTRICAL SMOKE FILLED THE CAB. EVERYTHING THAT WAS ELECTRICAL TURNED ON AND WAS EITHER FLASHING BLINKING OR RUNNING. I PUT TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND PULLED THE IGNITION KEY. THE STARTER ENGAGED ON ITS OWN. I HAD TO PULL BATTERY CABLES OFF TO KILL POWER TO THE TRUCK BY HAND NO TOOLS. THE TIPM MODULE BURNED INTERNALLY. IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING THE TRUCK WOULD HAVE BURNED. IF THE TRUCK WAS IN GEAR IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF BY ITSELF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10502097

Incident

Feb 12, 2013

Mileage

160,000 mi

TIPM (TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE) CAUGHT FIRE. LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE TRUCK (STEERING, BRAKES, ETC.) AND THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID PUMP EMPTIED THE CANISTER ONTO THE WINDSHIELD SO I COULD NOT SEE THE ROADWAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10479608

Incident

Oct 4, 2012

Mileage

89,000 mi

DRIVING DOWN MY STREET. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND WINDSHIELD WASHER FUNCTION TURNED ON. I PULLED OVER AND TRIED CYCLING MY KEY TO RESTART THE TRUCK. THEN WITH THE KEY IN OFF POSITION SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. OPENED THE HOOD TO SEE THE TIPM (TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE) SMOKING. THE TRUCK THEN STARTED BY ITSELF AND NEARLY RAN ME OVER (MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCK WAS IN 2ND GEAR). TRUCK MOVED ABOUT 10FT BEFORE SHUTTING OFF AGAIN. GOT TRUCK IN NEUTRAL BEFORE STARTER REENGAGED AND COULD DO NOTHING TO STOP STARTER FROM TURNING THE ENGINE OVER UNTIL BOTH BATTERY TERMINAL WERE DISCONNECTED. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED BACK TO MY HOUSE AND THE TIPM WAS FOUND BADLY BURNED. ABOUT 1/4 OF THE MAIN CIRCUIT CARD BURNT UP AND DISINTEGRATED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10459658

Incident

May 18, 2012

Mileage

112,000 mi

OWNER OF 2008 DODGE 3500 DUALLY WAS DRIVING DOWN ROAD WHEN FUSE BOX CAUGHT FIRE. WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTED CONTINUOUSLY SQUIRTING AND SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD. GOING 75MPH WITH HORSETRAILER IN TOW, VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING, SHUT OFF LEAVING OWNER WITHOUT POWER, LIGHTS, STEERING OR BRAKES WHILE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STILL SQUIRTING CONTINUOUSLY AND WIPER BLADES NOT WORKING. IF THIS HAPPENED 1 HOUR LATER OWNER WOULD BE DEAD AS NEXT PART OF ROAD HAS EXTREME DOWNGRADE WITH CURVES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NEAREST DODGE DEALER WHERE FUSE BOX WAS REPLACED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. TOOK VEHICLE HOME 6 HOURS LATER NEW FUSE BOX FUSE BLOWN AND WIRES STARTING TO MELT AGAIN. TOOK VEHICLE INTO LOCAL DODGE DEALER AND TRADED IN FOR DIFFERENT TRUCK. WHEN DODGE/CHRYSLER ENGINEER FLEW IN TO EXAMINE OLD FUSE BOX THE BOX WAS BURNT TO A CRISP. BOTH LOCAL DODGE DEALER AND DODGE/CHRYSLER ENGINEER WERE TOLD VEHICLE IN QUESTION IS UNSAFE AND WILL KILL SOMEONE. OWNER WAS TOLD TRUCK WILL BE SOLD AT AUCTION "AS IS" AND SENT OUT OF THE LOCAL AREA. OWNER STILL HAS OLD FUSE BOX FOR EVIDENCE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10457709

Incident

Apr 30, 2012

Mileage

140,000 mi

TAIL LIGHT AND COMPONENT FAILURES DUE TO 1157 BULBS OVERHEATING AND MELTING THE PLASTIC SOCKET AND SURROUNDING PLASTIC HOUSING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10442048

Incident

Dec 31, 2011

Mileage

15,011 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE RAM 3500. NO OCCUPANTS WERE IN THE VEHICLE NOR THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED ON ITS OWN AND CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE. THE BUMPER OF THE VEHICLE WAS BADLY DAMAGED. HE TURNED THE BATTERY CABLES OFF IN ORDER TO STOP THE ENGINE FROM RUNNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ARE REPAIRING THE ENGINE BUT NOT THE BUMPER. HE WAS TOLD TO CALL THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO REPAIR THE BUMPER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. UPDATED 02/24/10. *LJ THE TRUCK WAS IN 1ST GEAR AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PARKED ON AN INCLINE. UPDATED 09/02/10*JB

NHTSA ID

10297107

Incident

Dec 10, 2009

Mileage

20,000 mi