23 of the 513 complaints about the 1997 Dodge RAM are about the electrical system — 4% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 109,200 miles.
23
Complaints
0
Crashes
9
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
97 DODGE RAM CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE DASH HAS MANY CRACKS AND THE FRONT SPEAKERS ARE NOT WORKING AND WITH SEVERAL UNEXPLAINED ELECTRICAL ISSUES**CC
NHTSA complaint #10193171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 2- 3 DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE HAD DIFFICULTIES INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT STATED THE KEY BECAME STUCK ,AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME . THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE DID NOT GET THE VEHICLE BACK FROM THE REPAIR SHOP BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD REPLACEMENT. THE REPAIR SHOP PUT THE STEERING COLUMN IN WRONG POSITION , AND ADVISED HER THEY WOULD NEED TO ORDER A NEW ONE. ALSO, THEY CUT THE AIR BAG WHEN REPLACING THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLEWAS A 1997 DODGE RAM .
NHTSA complaint #10178311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
THE VEHICLE HAD AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE UNDER THE DASHBOARD, WHICH RESULTED IN A FIRE. *JB THE CONSUMER HAS REQUESTED INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER VEHICLES (SAME MAKE/MODEL) WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. SCC
NHTSA complaint #10011266 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 40MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. SMOKE STARTED COMING INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE VENT. SHORTLY AFTER THE VEHICLE WENT UP IN FLAMES. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS
NHTSA complaint #8023019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
THIS WILL BE THE FOURTH TIME THIS PART IS BEING REPLACED AND THIS TIME IT CAUSED A FIRE AND GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN THE NEXT TIME.
NHTSA complaint #746955 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM RECALL 00V-135 BECAUSE THEY CLAIMED THE CONSUMER ALTERED THE WIRING HARNESS ON THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER CONTENDS THAT THE ONLY ALTERATION OF THE WIRING IS THE INSTALLATION OF A SET OF AIR HORNS WHICH DO NOT CONNECT TO THE IGNITION WIRING. NLM
NHTSA complaint #560062 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH DID NOT SHUT OFF, CAUSING SOLENOID TO GET HOT AND BLOW UP. DEALER WAS REPAIRING VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #872722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED.YH
NHTSA complaint #782048 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
HEADIGHTS ON LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS BECAME INOPERATIVE UPON TILTING STEERING WHEEL DOWNWARD. RAISING TILT WHEEL, THE HEADLIGHTS BECAME OPERATIVE. POSITION OF STEERING WHEEL DID NOT EFFECT HIGHBEAMS, ONLY THE LOWBEAMS. UPON REMOVAL OF THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN COWL, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE LOWBEAM WIRE TO THE DIMMING SWITCH HAD BECOME CHAFFED BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE TILT ASSEMBLY, MELTING THE WIRE INSULATION, AND CREATING A HIGH RESISTANCE CONNECTION TO THE STEERING COLUMN, STRONG ENOUGH FOR THE WIRE TO PART BUT NOT ALLOWING THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT FLOW NEEDED TO BLOW THE FUSE TO THE LIGHTING CIRCUIT OVERCURRENT DEVICE. BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS 12,000 MILES PAST WARRANTY ( 36 MONTHS/36,000 MILES) THE SELLING DEALER REFUSED TO TREAT THE PROBLEM AS FACTORY DEFECT AND STATED OVER THE TELEPHONE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS MINE AND THAT I WOULD MOST LIKELY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. IT IS MY POSITION THAT WIRING HARNESSES IN SUCH A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME SHOULD NEVER SHORT-OUT OR BECOME SO DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE, CREATING A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD, HEADLIGHT FAILURE, AND WORST CASE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WHILE DRIVING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME...MARSHALL SEARLES
NHTSA complaint #713665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
1. TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE. AFTER KEEPING THE TRUCK FOR 34 DAYS, DEALERSHIP FINALLY PUT IN A REBUILT TRANNY. 2. DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, RENDERING IT USELESS. DEALER BLAMED IT ON THE BUG SHIELD. 3. BATTERY COMPLETELY DIED RIGHT AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. 4. FRONT WHEELS MAKE CONSTANT CLICKING NOISE...SUSPECT FAILED BEARINGS. 5. STEERING WHEEL MADE CRACKING SOUND WHEN TURNING TO LEFT OR RIGHT...TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT. TRUCK IS TOTAL PIECE OF JUNK!
NHTSA complaint #713221 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BRAKES DON'T STOP AT LOW SPEEDS AND LOCK UP UNDER WET CONDITIONS, RING AND PINION DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR AT 19500, DEAD BATTERY (H.D.) AFTER 2 YEARS
NHTSA complaint #711074 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT THE STARTER AND WIRES WERE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE DEALER IS INSPECTING THE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #844671 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
CIGARETTE LIGHTER FUSE BLEW OUT.
NHTSA complaint #544431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
VEHICLE SITTING IN DRIVEWAY AFTER BEING USED ALL DAY. OWNER WAS ALERTED TO PROBLEM WHEN THE HORN ON THE VEHICLE STARTED BLOWING. OWNER WENT OUTSIDE OF HOME TO SEE WHY THE HORN BLOWING AND FOUND THE VEHICLE ON FIRE. CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT. FIRE OF VEHICLE FULLY INVOLVED WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #705477 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED.YH
NHTSA complaint #782048 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #704753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
SINCE JULY OF 1997, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ALSO, A THUMP IN THE FRONT END INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING DOWN ALL TYPES OF ROAD, A SPARK KNOCKED SO LOUD I SOMETIMES WONDER IF THE MOTOR IS GOING TO LAST. THERE IS OFTEN THE SMELL OF BURNING WIRES AND BURNING FLUID AND SOMETIMES THE CAB FILLS WITH SMOKE. IN ADDITION, CRUISE CONTROL GAINS SPEED (SOMETIMES 5 TO 8 MPH OVER WHAT IT IS SET AT). THE ODOMETER GAINS MILES.
NHTSA complaint #703327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
DRIVING 30MPH ANOTHER DRIVER NOTICED FLAMES UNDER VEHICLE. OWNER PARKED. GOT KIDS OUT & NOTICED SMOKE & THEN FLAMES SHOT OUT. VEHICLE TOTALED. INVESTIGATORS SAID ELECTRICAL WIRES FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, BUT NO DEFECTS INVOLVED. HAS PICTURES.
NHTSA complaint #830657 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FLICKER OUT WHEN DRIVING DARK ROADS. WOULD THEN REAPPEAR FOR FEW MINUTES THEN OFF AGAIN. INTERIOR LIGHTS REMAIN ON. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS.
NHTSA complaint #828496 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WIRING THAT ATTACHES TO BRAKE LIGHTS, CAUSED VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #822444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE COUGHT FIRE. OWNER THINKS THE THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE MANUFACTURER WILL SEND OUT AN INVESTIGATOR .
NHTSA complaint #817339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
ELECTRICAL: DRIVING DOWN HGWY WHEN SUDDENLY NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. FIREFIGHTERS SAID CAUSE OF FIRE WAS INSULATION FROM THE FIREWALL MADE OF FLAMMABLE MATERIAL.
NHTSA complaint #814640 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE JUST SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT (6) TIMES SINCE PURCHASING VEHCILE ON DEC. 7, 1996. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP (3) TIMES FOR PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.
NHTSA complaint #806544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.