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Problems with 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 VISIBILITY

On average, the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 starts to “feel” problems with the VISIBILITY and its various aspects after 52 092 miles.

Components Affected by VISIBILITY Issues

We have classified the 7 complaints from 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 about VISIBILITY into the following categories.

DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM 18 REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES 1

Recently reported VISIBILITY problems on 2009 Dodge Ram 1500

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. while driving approximately 65 mph, the windshield defroster failed to work. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing where it was determined that the control head and actuators needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. while the vehicle was stationary, the heating system and the defroster stopped working. the contact stated that the windows would not defrost and the heating system blew cold air in the winter of 2015. a dealer was not contacted about the failures. in addition, while driving 75 mph, the steering wheel began to vibrate violently. an independent mechanic replaced the front driver and passenger sides outer tie rods to correct the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the contact stated that the vehicle was recalled per nhtsa campaign number: 09v158000 (equipment) prior to purchasing the vehicle in regards to the hvac system failure. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. when the vehicle was started, the windshield started to fog. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that hvac blower door and motor hvac head unit need to be removed and replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 76,750.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. while driving at approximately 55 mph, the front windshield defroster became inoperable without warning. the contact had to pull over to wipe the windows down and continued driving with the windows down for better visibility. the failure recurred on several occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v158000 (equipment). the approximate failure mileage was 34,900.

My 2009 dodge ram 1500 is making a banging sound behind the glove box. i have had this issue before since it was an heat blend door actuator that went out. the dealership fixed it once and now its back again. is this going to be an on going issue each year and the part needs to be replaced. i was quoted almost "$750" in just labor fees to get it changed out. i don't think this is an issue on my end since the part appears to last for a year. i will continue to monitor the a/c and check with other dodge ram forums on how others had this solved. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the defroster failed to clear the windshield. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the hvac actuator gears was faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 78,500.

Heating and air will not blow air on windshield or passenger which in a high humidity situation(rain) would cause the windows to fog over and not clear unless the vehicle is stopped and the windows rolled down. *js

I have a dodge ram 1500 affected by the k17 recall for parts cdea1k171aa (reprogramming) and cdj1k172aa (recirculation door). the second is a actuator for the recirculation door. this recall was completed on 12/22/2010. in jan and again in mar 2014 two more actuator doors went out due to an electrical issue with the actuator. first, part number 68089742aa, for the blend door and secondly, part number 68089742aa, for the foot actuator and the defrost. the gears were stripped on both doors and the vehicle made a loud thumping from under the dash. both were replaced at my cost. there are four actuator doors in this model ram truck. this is far past coincidental that "actuators" are defective in this truck, but the recall only replaced one when the recall clearly states "actuators", plural. the first i replaced in jan. caused me not to be able to see out the front window from ice and fog. the second in mar. disabled the a/c and heater usage completely. there is a problem with the actuators installed on this vehicle and they need to be replaced by the auto maker at their cost. in the chrysler recall, k17, it states that "if there are mode door actuators that need replacing, up to 4 additional hours may be required". the recall states plural actuator doors. i have submitted a claim to chrysler and they state that the actuators i replaced were not a part of the recall, even though there are four in this vehicle and three of the four have gone bad. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that there was an abnormal knocking sound underneath the dashboard. when the knocking sound stopped, the ventilation system failed and caused the defrost to fail. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the contact was advised that the air blend door and the actuators needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Blend door actuator failure. loud knocking noise coming from inside of the dash, the result of stripped gears inside the actuator slipping. plastic gears became worn and ineffective, causing failure in the blend door actuator. safety is compromised when defrost can fail at any given time causing the driver to lose line of sight with the road and potentially resulting in an accident, and/or loss of life, limb, or eyesight. needs recall immediately to correct malfunctions. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the de-fogging system failed to operate. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 69,000.

Heater/ac stopped working right after i had recall service done to "reprogram hvac control head and inspect/replace actuator". heater and ac not working and there was a popping noise coming from under dash before recall work done. after recall service done, popping noise went away, but continued to have problems off and on with ac and heater not working. within month after recall service work performed, ac and heater stop working altogether and dealership tells me hvac control head is now bad and needs replacing to the tune of $400.00. they say it has nothing to do with hvac recall and the work they performed. dodge customer service give me same speech. not their fault, etc. etc. i just find it very strange that after my truck was serviced for this recall notice, not the same part is "bad" and i have to replace it at my expense. come on dodge---stand behind your product. shopping for another truck for someone else in the family. already own this dodge and one other. however, done with dodge products as i am tired of the recall notices and them not standing behind their (faulty) products! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the dashboard and afterwards the defrost became inoperable. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the actuator needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired however the failure recurred approximately two years later. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

Ii cut my vehicle off and heard a clicking noise in the dash.... now my a/c and heat only comes from the floor vents. i have no defrost or vent dash air flow. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that that the windshield defrosting system failed. the heating and air conditioning actuator had been replaced however, the failure was not corrected. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 69,000 and the current mileage was 69,110.

My 2009 ram doesn't have any defroster.the recall for the ac module was done on 5/12/2012 at bald hill dodge warwick ri. at the time of doing then recall the dealer installed a defroster actuator in the truck which was not part of the recall.over the past couple of weeks i have noticed a banging noise coming from the dash.i took the truck to the dealer for the problem of noise and a malfunctioning defroster.i was told they would have to remove the dash and look for the problem and it my take 8 hours to do so and i might have to pay for the service.i pointed out that according to the slip from 5/12/2012 it only too 2 and a half hours to do the recall and change the oil. i have found out thru then internet that this is a common problem with this model .i don`t see why i have to pay close to a &1000 for a problem that was supposed to be fixed . if you have any questions please call me at [xxx] thank you information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr ..updated 02/25/13 *bf

My dodge ram blend door motor has a loud clicking noise and will not deflect the heat to defrost. this fault limits visibility. i have heard this fault is common with the dodge ram series. *tr

Defroster / heater/ air conditioner control fails. this problem was suppose to be addressed in k17 recall. k17 recall was performed on 03/22/2011. heater / defroster / air conditioner controls are still defective as per description of k17 recall. i believe this is a safety issue that dodge needs to address. in the winter there is no defroster available and there is no way to manually switch to the defroster mode.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated the vehicle exhibited an abnormal popping noise when the air conditioner was activated. in addition, the heater and air control for the defroster also failed. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the vehicle and offered no further assistance. the failure mileage was 39,400.

I received a recall for my truck that had something to do with the air conditioning/heating. when i took my truck in to have the recall fixed, it was already not working. there is a knocking up under the dashboard, air/heat only comes out vents in dash and defrost, it will not blow out of other vents such as floor, etc.. i took my vehicle to the dealer to get the recall and problem fixed. obviously my truck was already faulty due to the recall issue. when i picked up my truck, it was still "knocking" and the air/heat was not blowing out of all vents. i told the dealership it was not fixed and he told me that they fixed only what they were supposed to and i would have to "pay" to have the problem fixed! the problem occurred "as a result" of the recall, and i feel it is there responsibility to fix it. then in july 2013, i called the same dealer to have a new recall fixed (rear axle pinion nut-nhtsa 13v-038). they did not have the part and needed to order it and told me they will call me when it arrived. today, november 5, 2013, i still have not received a call from this dealership to fix my rear axle pinion nut. i have been taken advantage of by this particular dealership over and over again. the only time i take my vehicle to this dealership is to fix recalls and they still find ways to take advantage of me. for all other needs of my truck i go elsewhere! just need some direction on the pinion nut. i would like to have it fixed before it stops working and results in a crash. in addition, i still feel that the dealership should fix the air/heat issue, due to that fact that it stopped working as a result of the defect. i do not believe it will cause a crash unless it changes and quits blowing out of the defrost vents. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, heat would not blow from the vents. as a result, the contact was unable to defrost the windshield. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 09v158000 (equipment:electrical:air conditioner). the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 41,000. the vin was unavailable.

The defrost function no longer works on my 2009 dodge ram. it has automatic climate controls which was not covered under the previous recall. the defrost function no longer functions at any time rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive. *tr

Annoying sound behind the dash. this is cause by defective system on the electronics of the car. it concerns the recall with k17 reprogram hvac control head and inspec/replace actuators. this problem has been going on with this vehicle since new, here is 4 years later 2 repairs by dealer one replacement by owner and the problem still going on. the famous motor actuators for the vent opening and closing. also the change of temperature while the ac is on it has its own mind to go to heat not allowing the full cool effects of the system. i have had this problem since i purchased the truck if this time get fix it will be at their own expense if not i down to my last nerve. would have to seek legal advise. i have posted in carcomplains.com a lengthy explanation for those who wish to read the whole story. here it is dec 5, 13 an it started in may 7, 10. an still not fix. *tr

A year and a few months after purchasing a new dodge ram 1500 pick-up truck, one day its dash began emitting a loud repetitive popping sound and the heater / a/c would no longer function in a defrost / defog mode. as i live in a high-humidity gulf coast area, this is a driving safety issue. my local dodge service department investigated and found that this continuing problem was due to broken plastic "blend door". the dodge service department was unable to fix the problem because according to them, the required part is unavailable due to a "nationwide shortage". at least 8 weeks have gone by with this same excuse -- i suspect this a delaying tactic waiting for the warranty to expire. *tr

After doing a basic search i ran into the similar problem regarding the chrome around the shifter. the previous person mentions tinting the windows.....don't worry friend i have "limo tint" a the sun still reflects and will either affect me or my passenger. i thought maybe it was just me but after observing my passenger being blinded and reading this, it assures me that this is definitely a safety hazard and not me just being sensitive. *tr

Ac/heat as you are driving and the ac is on heat comes out at the same time. system doesn't know whether is on ac/heat. now a loud ticking sound has come on. this has happen since the vehicle was bought new. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the mirrors were too small; when he was driving, he could not see other vehicles using the mirrors. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the contact also filed a complaint with the manufacturer. the current and failure mileages were approximately 30,000.

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