Horn Assembly problems of the 2013 Dodge Ram 1500

Driving truck in town approx 35 - 40 mph. Can give exact detail / location. Vehicle transmission in "drive". Vehicle has center consul. As vehicle was climbing gradual hill, transmission automatically downshifted. Vehicle immediately went to full throttle uncontrollably. Engine rpm jumped to 6k - 7k. Vehicle speed still increasing. Stepped on gas pedal several times thinking it was stuck with no effect - rpm remained constant. Then put both feet on brake pedal - rpm remained constant. Then shifted transmission into neutral position. Check etc / red lightning bolt message now on in message center located between tach & speedometer. Rpm's now at a constant 4k with vehicle in neutral and coasting. No place to turn off without blocking traffic. Stopped at lighted intersection - vehicle still at 4k rpm. Shifted back into "drive", tires chirped and truck lunged forward still at 4k rpm. Parked vehicle in safe place adjacent to gas station and shut off - transmission still either in gear or neutral. Engine off - shifted into "park". Waited 3-4 minutes and attempted to restart vehicle. Engine icon, ect icon and red steering wheel with explanation point icon where all on. Vehicle cranked, but acted like no fuel / spark and would not start. Vehicle towed to dealership on flatbed. No word back from dealer yet. Mileage 5,443 - mostly highway. Note: no floor mats just factory rug and cruise control was not "on" or in use in any way. Only modifications to vehicle are the addition of a spray bed-liner and topper. I was born and raised around cars and have good mechanical ability including ground-up restorations of pre 1970 vehicles. This is a real and tangible example of a 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 bighorn with unintended acceleration. This is unacceptable for any vehicle, but especially for a new, $46,000 vehicle. I am lucky that I did not hurt anyone or end up dead.

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the horn failed to sound after numerous attempts. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the horn would activate only when pressure was applied to the logo that was affixed in the center of the steering wheel. The technician also informed the contact that the vehicle was functioning as designed. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 2,900.

The ram trucks use a logic circuit to control all electronics. The horn in these vehicles also uses this logic circuit, instead of using the traditiional direct connect or relay configuration that most cars/trucks use. Because of this logic circuit, there is an approximate 1 second delay between the time the horn is depressed until the horn actually sounds. This vehicle was in for service this week and the dealer indicates this is normal for this truck. This is dangerous. By the time the horn sounds, an accident could have occurred. This does not just affect my truck. This problem is well documented on the ram owners forum , with some people having longer or shorter delays. A quick tap of the horn yields no sound, because you must press on the horn for about a second before the horn sounds.

My 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 on multiple occasions has nearly allowed accidents due to the horn being delayed. I complained and took in to the dealership to be repaired but the Dodge service representative told me there is not a problem because it works as designed. Obviously there is a flaw in their design. I researched this problem on the internet and many people have complained of the same thing. The horn control on this particular model operates through the computer and that is what is said to be causing the delay. The delayed horn in my vehicle has nearly allowed accidents on multiple occasions by consequently causing a delayed response from the drivers of other vehicles. Dodge needs to fix the problem before people are seriously hurt or killed. Thanks for your help!!.