Two problems related to ignition switch have been reported for the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
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.
The heater/ac fan will continue to operate with the ignition key removed from the lock. Sometimes the circuit is energized immediately after the key is removed and at other times it energize's on its own. If not identified in time the fan will drain the vehicle battery. The local Dodge dealer claims they are unable to duplicate the problem. I suspect the ignition lock/switch is probably defective and is causing this problem.