Problems with 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving all of the gauges have quit working headlights stay on will not turn off.

Tried to get the truck started and could not get it to work. took the keys out and throw them up on the dash and the truck started and all electronical stuff in truck came on. then when driving home it would rev up and down and would try to shut off when i had to stop

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. an independent towing company towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the contact took the vehicle back to the independent mechanic who informed the contact that the wire harness convertible box had a lot of corrosion around it and needed to be replaced. a collision shop was contacted. the dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 200,000.

Intermittent turn signal failure. turn left signal on, and flash then right signal will occasionally flash. sometimes left and right will alternate. this is not the same as emergency flashers where both lights are on at the same time. this is dangerous, i'm in a left turn lane with my left blinker on but my truck is telling other drivers that i want to turn right. the failure, erratic behavior is random and intermittent.

The fcm and pdc are extremely bad on the 2002 dodge. they corrode causing your brake lights, blinkers, headlights and emergency flasher not to work. dodge should have been mandated to recall and replace both parts on every truck. the corrosion is do to the poor design of the pdc "fuse box" with holes in the bottom allowing water and moisture to enter the pdc and start to corrode. this in turn causing the fcm " front control module" to short out. this is a severe danger to the truck owner as well as other motorists and pedestrians on the road. this is a very serious matter and needs to be looked in to and fixed. i have personally experience this and have almost been hit several times by motorists behind me do to the fact my taillights quit working and my blinkers did as well. i have replaced my fcm and pdc 4 times already and each one shorts out after a year. that's $600-$1200 each time. dodge is responsible for this problem.

While driving over railroad tracks last week, the key slid out of the ignition. when i attempted to pull to the right shoulder, my steering colomn locked and the motor finally died and coasted to a stop.

When i turn on the heater the blend door and actuator make a popping sound when turned heat on , blend doors broken and actuator not working properly. it occurs while vehicle stationary and in motion when heat is turned on.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. while driving 75 mph, the hvac blower motor failed to operate without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 03v078000 (steering). the failure mileage was 190,000.

I was on my way home from picking up my paycheck driving on the highway in the fast lane doing around 70 mph when all of a sudden my truck shut down with no warning and then restarted. i immediately got off of the highway and took back roads. about 1.5 miles from my home at a red light the truck once again shut down completely, no engine, no electric, nothing, it was completely dead on a fairly busy road. i had to have the truck towed home and have not been able to get it started at all. i went online to see what might be the cause and have found many related cases to what i am dealing with.

Dashboard cracked, lamp light is on and alarm keeps dinging. checked all lights and they are all working.

Dash board has shattered and the air condition/heater does not blow. *tr

Vehicle problem first started when turning steering wheel to the right entirely. currently vehicle airbag light comes on and of through all ranges of steering. *js

The speedometer stopped working, abs light on, ebrake light on, airbag light on, no controls for defroster, found no power to fuses on 32-38 several people online in forums have the same problem. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram. the contact stated that the gear shifter would lock into any gear. also, the key was able to be removed from the ignition key althought the vehicle was not in park. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was unknown. pam

Hello, i have just bought a 2002 dodge ram 1500 truck from my father in-law. before he sold it to me he mentioned that the air blower for the air conditioning and heater doesn't work. he said it was a recall that he never took in to get serviced. so i looked the truck up on the website www.recalls.gov. and sure enough there it was. a recall on the steering column electrical connect. now i remember riding with my father in law and he would be constantly moving the steering wheel up and down using the tilt when the air conditioning would cut off and that made it turn back on. the problem is is when i get on the dodge site and search for recalls using the vin number this recall doesn't show up. i called a dealership and they said it didn't show up either. i find it a little odd that my truck doesn't show this recall is needed when it is very obvious that this steering column electrical connect is the very issue i'm having. and i recall that my father in law has had this issue for a long time maybe not long after he bought the truck new. i think my truck should be honored this recall service beings it is a safety hazard. thanks for your time. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to restart the vehicle. the failure occurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. the contact replaced the terminal battery, but the failure persisted. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

Vehicle has severe dash cracking. power windows are not working and lamp indicator will not shut off causing ongoing beeping. concerned that dash parts are stuck inside causing driving conditions to be unsafe. would like to be notified if an investigation has been done to remedy the problems at dealer cost. *tr

Driving on flat surface street, heard loud popping noise. later realized it was the dash popping and noticed multiple straight cracks beginning in the corners of dash vents, gradually expanding. creates multiple small, sharp shards of plastic. potential for numerous projectiles of plastic if ever the airbags were to deploy not to mention now that the entire dash is weakened small parts intermittently fall into the dash area causing electrical problems with all the gauges, causing warning lights to illuminate and potential for fire is obvious considering other dodge recalls for wiring problems in this model truck. *js

There was an electrical failure in the wiring system from the fuse block this is known to be a common problem with the dodge rams the abs light, brake light and airbag light as well as the engine light all come on also the odometer and speedometer also stop working. this stops the abs system from working as well as the airbags i have had to change the fuse block as well as the rear speed sensor, and the dash cluster because of this over a three year period now, the first time all of my lights stopped working as well as the dash gauges and door locks. why is this and ongoing problem with this and nothing seems to get done about it the first time i got a copy of a service bulletin and dodge tried to tell me it was only good for diesel models and i have the same issues. there seems to be a real history of these problems with this vehicle and the dealers are all aware of this. *tr

I have a 2002 dodge ram 1500 quad cab and have had to replace all the heating and cooling components in this truck in the past few years. last year i started having an issue with the heat/ac not working unless the steering wheel was in the up position. i had all the parts to the control board behind the dash replaced, all new knobs, etc. still didn't work. then we started diving into these sites that talk about all/any issues that people are having with this model truck. so we see that we need to replace the register in the steering column. well that worked for about a week and now, again, if i want ac/heat i have to raise the steering up and drive. not very safe!! are dealerships honoring recalls for this part still? what about all the wiring? does that need to be replaced to stop the constant blowing up of the register? this is a great looking truck but the money dumped into it to keep it on the road is outrageous. i could have purchased two trucks by now. *tr

Air conditioning works fine, as long as the vehicle is moving. when stopped at traffic lights or intersections, the a/c gets warm, as if the condenser is not working. when starting up again, it gets cold after a bit of time. searched the internet, and found this is a problem that occurs often, and many said check the fuse #39. on aug. 1, i checked the fuse, and found that the plastic and metal parts of the fuse had melted onto the spot it was plugged into. all of the other fuses seem to be fine, but there is a tiny chunk of metal i cannot remove from the fusebox to plug in another fuse, nor do i want to plug in another fuse, as i don't know why the previous one melted. i am not sure if this is covered in any recalls. also, when i tried to have the truck inspected, it failed for the check engine light, and there are several recalls listed in the possible cause list for the code that registered in the inspection machine. *tr

On july 8, 2012, the mother carried her 2 year-old daughter to her husband's parked 2002 dodge ram 1500 pickup equipped with a manual transmission. the mother opened the passenger door, inserted the ignition key into the ignition switch, turned the key as the mother was trying to activate the air conditioner and cool the vehicle down before her husband came out to drive them home from church.the vehicle was in 1st gear and lurched forward when the key was turned.the speed of 2 mph at time of incident is an approximation only. the mother was struck by the moving vehicle which knocked her child from her arms to the pavement. the child suffered severe head trauma and was removed to the hospital by ambulance. the child later died in the emergency room. the accidental death was caused by failure of the clutch ignition interlock safety switch, compression spring, and attendant parts. this is the same defect involved in recall no.14v795000 and is at least the second death caused by this same defect. the only difference is that recall no. 14v795000 covers vehicles back to only 2004, and this vehicle is a 2002 model year. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the keys could be easily removed from the ignition while driving or when any gear. occasionally, the vehicle could not be shifted into park, causing the vehicle to accelerate backward. the dealer was notified of the issue who advised that there were no recalls for the vehicle. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 208,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500 quadcab. while driving approximately 55 mph, the contact approached a turn however, the turn signal failed to respond when engaged. the windshield wipers, horn and rear brake lights became inoperable. in addition, both turn signals would not function upon activation. a certified mechanic inspected the vehicle and was unable to determine the cause of failure. in addition, large fragments of material separated throughout the dashboard surface. there were also numerous cracks within the dashboard. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the permanent malfunctions. the approximate failure mileage was 112,000.

2002 dodge ram 1500 slt 2wd 5.9 v8 (gas) with 86,000 miles. turn signals have suddenly become dangerously intermittent. also, occasionally when signaling 'left' the right dash indicator for the turn signals will flash instead. it happened twice today, we turned the signal off then back 'on' and it worked properly. because this is intermittent we cannot duplicate the problem to determine if the outside bulbs are flashing left or right, therefore we worry they might be incorrectly signaling our intentions to other drivers. while searching on-line for a solution before we determine a repair course of action, we discovered this is common to the dodge ram trucks from 2002 through at least 2008 model year trucks, but the dealer did not mention or address it in advance of failure. we paid in advance for a seven year 100% warranty with no deductible, which has not expired. we believe dodge had prior knowledge of the weakness and could have repaired it during the no-deductible warranty period. the passenger door window switch continues to fail. its a simple plug-in module and i have replaced it twice with the factory part, and now its intermittent again after less than one year. from the mileage its clear we are not wearing out switches. *tr

When turning left and signal is applied, the right blinker comes on inside & outside and when right signal is applied nothing happens inside or outside. *tr

About 50% of the time when i turn the turn signal to the left the right side blinks. i have to turn them off and try again and it will work. the other day i was entering a on ramp and i signaled to the left and no one would let me in. i had to slow down so i wouldn't get ran off the road but almost got rear ended. i looked down and the right signal was on but the lever was to the left. i could have died. i have also noticed that the hazard button will not stay down. it is always popped up and the hazard flashers stay on and run the battery down. i have to take the button down so the battery wont drain. *tr

Severely cracked dash board. parts falling down into the electrical wiring including airbag area. continues to crack in different areas. major portions of the dash is caving in. could cause gauge, lighting, airbag and heating/cooling problems. *tr

Have had a cracked dashboard for quite some time now, i have filed a complaint before and could not get a resolution from chrysler/dodge. my dashboard has cracked to pieces causing a safety hazard. finally my electrical systems have started to malfunction due to the pieces of my fallen dashboard falling on electrical components, there was a small short/fire that caused my cruise control to stop working and my dash lights also. i feel it has been long enough and something needs to be done before, someone not as lucky as me, gets really hurt from this safety hazard issue that has haunted us dodge ram owners for a long time. we need to get our dashboard replaced asap. *tr

Our dodge ram 1500 was working fine one day the next day the headlights, turn signals, and brake lights were not functioning. we checked fuses and anything else obvious. the next day we took it to a mechanic, after half a day of checking he found that the fuse and relay center (integrated power module) which is located under the hood was corroded. this box is not air tight and allows water to get inside and corrode the insides. dodge dealer advised they replace the fuse and relay center and fcm (front control module) together. the fcm is connected to the ipm (integrated power module). come to find out the ipm is not sealed from the elements. the circuit board is exposed from the bottom which allows water to splash into the module thereby shorting the fcm. i believed dodge knows this is a poor design and is unsafe because the new parts have been redesigned which is sealed from the elements. this is dangerous because of obvious reasons. i believe this is a design defect and should be recalled because the wiring system problems result in loss of lighting. for it is very dangerous to drive this way. per nhtsa info: when is a recall necessary? when a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment (including tires) does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. when there is a safety-related defect in the vehicle or equipment. what is a safety-related defect? the united states code for motor vehicle safety (title 49, chapter 301). examples of defects considered safety-related--wiring system problems that result in a fire or loss of lighting. *kb

I own a 2002 dodge ram 1500 and my taillights/running lights suddenly stopped working. i was nearly rear ended by another vehicle. i checked with a technician and he stated this was a common problem due to moisture in the fuse box. it was going to cost me close to 1000.00 dollars to be repaired. the tech stated this should not happen and it is a manufacturing defect. he stated a replacement comes with a shield to protect it from shorting out. it sounds to me like this is a problem that dodge should be liable for since it is a "manufacturing defect" *kb

Started truck turned on headlight switch ,was on high beam so pulled lever to dim an lights would not dim then wipers come on and wouldnt shut off and wiper sprayer come on and would not shut off but if i held lever back all went off so have to drive holding lever back.when i got home and shut truck off all of the problems would not shut off even with key out of ignition so had to tie lever back. *tr

I was driving home one night from shopping at walmart and was pulled over by the local law enforcement for not having any tail-lights on my 2002 dodge ram. come to find out , none of my parking lights worked, but the signal and brake lights did work. upon further investigation and a visit to the local dodge dealer to find out that the parking light circuit had blown and i would need a new fuse box ($550.00) and a front control module ($250.00) and an hour and a half of labor ($133.50) + tax, totals close to $1000.00 to repair a defect that chrysler/dodge knows about and has the diagnostic equipment to search for such a problem. according to the parts person at that same dodge dealer i went to, this a common problem with dodge trucks. from my investigation on the internet, i found i am not the only person with this problem and that this is not the only model year that has this problem. there should be a recall on chrysler/dodge's part before this result in an accident and/or loss of life on the road due to a faulty circuit on a circuit board. they are making money on an item that involves public safety. *tr

Dodge ram gauge cluster goes out about 5 years after the recalled wiring harness was fixed. when the gauge cluster went out i had to pay to have that harness fixed again because that's what shorted it all out. also the rapier shop was not able to put back my mileage to 63,xxx. it now shows 119,xxx. that's almost 55,xxx miles more then i dove in to that shop with. yes i have all the old parts. this is a very common thing for this trucks. dodge does not want to make it right. *tr

Stopped several times for no taillights. was advised that i could be ran over for not having tail lights. lamp out indicator was not lit. mechanic traced problem down to fcm (front control module). *tr

No parking lights. the fuse box is needed to be replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the exterior lights (parking lights) failed and they would not illuminate when needed. the cruise control light on the steering wheel also failed. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the fuse box needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired but the parts were ordered. the manufacturer was not notified. the current mileage was approximately 101,000. the failure mileage was approximately 100,980.

Recently i had to replace the major fuse box in my 2002 dodge ram1500. the old box shorted out and as a result i lost my park lights, driving lights, as well as my license plate lights. i was first made aware of it by the police when i was out driving with no tail lights. it was a good thing i was stopped or i could have been rearended or in a major accident before i noticed they were not working. i ended up replacing the fuse box at a cost of 600.00. i guess this was a concern of dodge because they had fuse boxes onhand and available. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact noticed that in may 2010, there was a small crack on the right side of the instrument panel. as of august 2010, the crack became bigger from the windshield to over the gauges. the instrument panel was also beginning to separate. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired at the time of the complaint. the contact had not spoken with the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. the vin was unavailable. the current mileage was approximately 68,000. the failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

I have a 2002 dodge ram 1500 4dr 4wd.i just had my truck inspected and all lighting worked fine. i was pulled over easter evening by a new york state trooper and notified that my rear lights were out including parrking, running, and license plate lights, as well as front running lights.i was informed to turn 4 way flashers on while driving at night to my destination. after checking all fuses,b bulbs, relays and wiring are all good. when i checked for similiar problems via internet and my local mechanic and a dodge dealer i was notified that the fuse box would have to be replaced and the front control module. this is a part that should not go bad as you have to change the whole box for just lights going out,which dodge says is an unserviceable part that corrodes within a sealed box?and that has to be changed as a whole unit. there are numerous complaints via internet etc of this problem and that dodge will not budge to fix the problem that they are very aware of occuring.the consumer should not have to pay for this repair estimates are anywhere from $250 to over a $1000 dollars just to replace the defect.and also that dodge has a back order of these because of the numerous problems with them. the consequences are that the lights will go out without notice or a bulb out light being signalled theeby causing another vehicle to rearend or seriously injure someone without these lights at night. the trooper stated also that he has seen this before on dodge trucks. *tr

jan. 10, 2010 a very large crack appeared in the dash on my 2002 dodge 1500 pickup at first it was just a cosmetic thing ,but now all the wiring is exposed the vehicle turn indicators do not work when it is bad weather the windshield wipers don't work and the defrosters will not change from cold to hot. i went to the dealer they advised me it was not their problem ,but i have learned that i am not the only one this has affected and my problem is a serious safety issue. *tr

Dashboard started cracking in 2010 and has progressively gotten worse. it now has open holes and completely cracked. and since the last few months it is causing electrical failure and dangerous to drive. this situation i have now found out to be very common for my truck and now realize that this is not common wear for this or any other vehicle. chrysler has told me they are not excepting any responsibility for the product failure and that it's up to me to pay for the costly repairs. this is unacceptable as this problem is clearly a product defect that they are aware of and should at no cost to the consumer be fixed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram. while driving at night the headlights failed. he stated that water entered the power distribution center box and caused it to short circuit. no repairs were made. the failure and current mileages were 95,000.

Driving through a puddle after a rain storm, several safety features stopped functioning: wipers, turn signals, horn, headlight control. i'm not sure what else is not functioning but these have been verified. narrowed the problem down to the fcm (front control module). the fcm is connected to the ipm (integrated power module). come to find out the ipm is not sealed from the elements. the circuit board is exposed from the bottom which allows water to splash into the module thereby shorting the fcm. i believed dodge knows this is a poor design and is unsafe because i've read that they've designed a replacement ipm which is sealed from the elements. this is dangerous because of obvious reasons. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the instrument panel was cracked approximately one inch starting from the passenger side. over a two year period, the instrument panel caved in and the indicators were no longer concealed by the panel. both the manufacturer and dealer were notified of the failure and diagnosed that the instrument panel would have to be replaced yet the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 29,000 and the current mileage was 35,000.

Significant cracks in both primary dash and auxiliary dash section between dash and windshield. existing cracks growing/opening and new ones developing. starting to experience unexplainable electrical issues, like power windows, and door locks not working on occasion. dealer quoted replacement cost is outrageous. *tr

Dashboard cracking and holes in it. engine won't shift gears now and dashboard lights go completely out at times. *tr

1) interior blower fan: (24,000 miles) fan would shut off at times. first told by dealer the air intake was blocked with leaves and they cleaned it out. two weeks later, i got the recall that the wiring harness for the blower was overheating. i had the dealer do repair for recall. they clipped the two lighter wires and replaced them with two 10 gauge wires. fan still shuts off due to tilting steering wheel with heavier wiring not being flexible enough. wires still get very hot. 2) radiator fan control relay: (90,000 miles) check engine light came on and code was for radiator fan control relay circuit. relay was replaced. 3) engine: (129,000 miles) oil sludge caused oil not to circulate properly causing oil pressure gauge to drop to zero and back up to normal about 4 times. engine over heated, warping heads and doing interior damage to rods and bearings. engine had to be replaced with used engine. 4) passenger window switch: (for the past 20,000 miles) passenger side switch works intermittently. 5) parking lights: (149,000 miles) was informed by another driver that i had no tail lights. checked fuses and relay and everything was ok. took truck to garage, they checked and could not find a problem. garage called dodge dealership, they told them it would probably need the front control module replaced. the garage did not charge me and told me they did not want to just start replacing parts costing over $200 trying to pin point a problem and i needed to take it to the dealership. the dealership checked it and told me i would need to replace the power distribution module and the front control module due to both having an internal short. why bother having fuses if you can just have circuit boards costing over $200 each blow out? 6) ignition park lock: (149,000 miles) got a recall notice about ignition park lock needing replaced. dealership repaired. this truck definitely has its share off defects, with the engine and wiring. more should be done as far as recalls. *tr

The heater / ac fan became inoperative at anything other than the high speed setting. when i removed the fan speed resistor block i found the area to be packed with dry and burnt leaves and acorn caps, consistent with those from the coast live oak trees on my property and in my community. the resistor block power supply is equipped with a spring-loaded solder connection apparently designed to interrupt power if the circuit becomes hot enough to approach the melting point of the solder. the system partially worked by cutting power under extreme heat conditions. i feel though, that allowing a large quantity of combustible materials to enter and collect in an area where heat approaching the melting point of solder is present is unacceptable. i photographed and retained all of the dry tree material possible that was removed from the resistor / fan area. much of it was reduced to a black carbon powder. the volume would be approximately 50 cubic inches of loose material. i resoldered the spring-loaded connection and re-installed the resistor block. initial tests showed that it was operating correctly and cool to the touch. several hours of driving this past weekend produced the same results but i would like to replace the resistor. *tr

I was just driving along, crack my dash cracked from front end to almost the back. the crack caused me to jump swerve my truck almost causing an accident. dodge has been no help and my dash has deteriorated even more ever since, i'm getting very worried it might affect the air bags as all the dash pieces fall into the recess where the air bags are which would be a bad thing should there be an accident. *tr