Possible safety defect in P5

[Monstermile]

I was driving the other day and heard a rattle from the hatch area. Stopped the next chance I got and checked and the rear hatch wasn't latched. Funny thing is my door ajar light was not on. So I tested it with the doors and the light does work. Shouldn't that light be on if the hatch isn't completly closed???

 

[cbcbd]

That has happened to me before. yeah, I have no idea why it doesn't show up. I drove with my hatch not fully closed twice. You're right, I never thought of that as a safety defect.

 

[iLisa]

Mine did the same thing..
I was trying to lock it using the keychain thing and it wouldn't work.. I thought it was a defecting keychain but the doors wouldn't lock because the hatch wasn't all the way closed... lol

 

[808*MP5]

it wouldn't be that hard to fix yourself....you could use the switch that turns on the rear light to also turn on the "door ajar" light....this means running wire from the rear switch to the "door ajar" light itself...
or
wire the rear switch to one of the switches for the back doors...

either way... easy fix.

hope this helped...

i'll try this myself and post pics when i get some time.

 

[johnnyB5646]

I couldn't figure out why my alarm wasn't working either, then I realized what was wrong. I thought it was wierd that the "door ajar" or even the dome light didn't come on.

 

[808*MP5]

i'd imagine everyone's alarm would be the same way....unless you had a really good installer.

i wonder how many other are at risk and don't even know it.

 

[cbcbd]

808*MP5, your fix is intriguing, but I wonder if with the trunk half-closed the trunk light even comes on. If it doesn't then it won't help to wire it to that.

 

[808*MP5]

true....but its better than nothing.....

and you'd know that your hatch is protected by your alarm.

 

[mctoone]

Same thing happened to me...A few months ago I posted a question saying that my car would not beep when I pushed the lock button on the key fob twice. Someone said to check the hatch. I drove home with it obviously ajar but didn't know it. It has happened a couple of times before that = I heard a rattling and thought something was wrong with my car but it turned out to be the hatch not quite closed...No indication of this though. Why doesn't the door ajar symbol come on????

 

[EviLMaN]

not realy a safty issue unless u have people in ur trunk. well itll suck for them if u do lol

 

[Monstermile]

not realy a safty issue unless u have people in ur trunk. well itll suck for them if u do lol

Umm if it isn't fully latched there is the slight possibility it could fly open while you are driving. Then anything in the hatch becomes a potential hazard to anyone else on the road.

 

[cbcbd]

Umm if it isn't fully latched there is the slight possibility it could fly open while you are driving. Then anything in the hatch becomes a potential hazard to anyone else on the road.

True, I guess I should remove my knife and land mine collection I keep in my trunk.

 

[MP5s Make Ready]

(lol)

 

[mctoone]

Well it's a real drag when you get into the car and start driving and THEN hear the rattle of the hatch undone....It would be nice if you saw that something was opened BEFORE you started driving...then you wouldn't have to pull over and shut the hatch.....make sense?

 

[alexlitov]

There are little rubber things on the hatch. Screw them in slightly...problem fixed.

 

[brucelee]

There are little rubber things on the hatch. Screw them in slightly...problem fixed.

say wha? which problem, the safety defect or the rattle? that's a rhetorical question...just because the rattle is gone doesn't mean it's safe...
if you meant neither then what do you mean?

 

[loccusst]

Dodge had to recall a ton of caravans becaust the latch would fly open in a crash and occupants were not safe. If that was a safety issue then so is the hatch not being closed. I can't see the door ajar light not coming on being a safety issue, just the hatch not closing. The fact that the alarm may not work when the hatch is opened bothers me. But then again thats what a good after market installation of an alarm is for.