Electrical
Filed Feb 14, 2002
Fire reported
VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED DUE TO FIRE WHICH STARTED IN THE REAR OF VEHICLE NEAR AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET. *JG
- NHTSA ID
- 564294
- Incident
- Nov 11, 2001
1979 Dodge Ram
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest Feb 14, 2002
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
0 injuries, 2 deaths reported
Overview
Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1979 Dodge Ram, most frequently naming the body & structure, driver assistance and electrical categories. 2 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Body & structure133.3%
- Driver assistance133.3%
- Electrical133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Body & structure
Filed Sep 4, 2001
THE PICKUP IS VERY DANGEROUS AND IS NOT TO BE ON THE ROAD, ACCORDING TO CHRYSLER BODY SHOP MANAGER. THE FRAME SEPARATED 2" AT THE WELD, JUST UNDER THE DRIVERS DOOR AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE THE WELD IS CRACKED. THE FRAME IS READY TO BREAK IN 2. LUCKILY IT WAS FOUND BEFORE SOMEONE DRIVING IT GOT KILLED OR KILLED SOMEONE ELSE ON THE HIGHWAY. CHRYSLER WAS NOTIFIED BUT IT HAS BEEN 8 DAYS AND STILL HAVE NOT HEARD WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE TRUCK IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, BUT ANYONE CAN SEE THAT WHEN IT WAS WELDED BY THE MANUFACTURER, THE WELDING DID NOT PENETRATE THE METAL. ANOTHER WORDS, A VERY POOR WELDING JOB. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MANY PEOPLE THAT OWN DODGE TRUCKS THAT THE FRAME IS VERY WEAK. THEY ARE NOT TOUGH TRUCKS AS THEY ADVERTISE THEM TO BE. NOW I HAVE A TRUCK SITTING IN MY YARD THAT IS STILL FINANCED AND NOT ABLE TO USE. PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE. IF THAT FRAME WOULD OF BROKE IN 2 GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS, CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD OF HAPPENED?*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 751640
- Incident
- Aug 27, 2001
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 20, 1997
Crash reported2 deaths reported
THE VEHICLE SELF STARTED AND DROVE THROUGH A GLASS ENTRANCE OF A STORE, AND KILLED 2 CHILDREN. PROBLEM HAS BEEN FOUND. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 817246
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
9002688
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; EQUIPMENT
68069384A$, R8069384A$, 68086182A$, R8027067A$, RL002012A$ - Gasket, Cylinder Head Cover Before replacing injectors for Diagnostic Trouble Codes P0201, P0202, P0203, P0204, P0205, and/or P0206, please make sure that the wiring loom and/or connector in the valve cover gasket is not the root cause to your concern. In addition, make sure that the wiring attaching nuts are torqued to their proper value.~
190393
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING COLUMN COUPLER SERVICE. *TW
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — |
| 2010 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 59.7 |
| 2009 | 9 | 6 | 1 | — |
| 2008 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 56.1 |
| 2007 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 49.2 |
| 2006 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 46.7 |
| 2005 | 40 | 5 | 0 | 53.1 |
| 2004 | 58 | 7 | 2 | 61.0 |
| 2003 | 53 | 7 | 1 | 59.0 |
| 2002 | 116 | 6 | 1 | 58.4 |
| 2001 | 318 | 14 | 1 | 62.0 |
| 2000 | 147 | 11 | 1 | 63.4 |
| 1999 | 366 | 13 | 0 | 56.1 |
| 1998 | 483 | 17 | 0 | 57.4 |
| 1997 | 398 | 11 | 5 | 65.2 |
| 1996 | 625 | 14 | 9 | 66.6 |
| 1995 | 611 | 16 | 10 | 66.9 |
| 1994 | 469 | 22 | 13 | 66.6 |
| 1993 | 54 | 1 | 2 | 47.9 |
| 1992 | 58 | 2 | 1 | 53.5 |
| 1991 | 51 | 3 | 2 | 58.5 |
| 1990 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 44.4 |
| 1989 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 42.6 |
| 1988 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 42.6 |
| 1987 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 29.9 |
| 1986 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 49.3 |
| 1985 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 41.8 |
| 1984 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1979Viewing | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.