Hello,
I have found several issues pertaining to several Dodge vehicles having turn signal issues. I am having something similar, but I have not found anything about 3rd generation Dodge Dakotas and I'm hoping to get a little help. About 50% of the time when I try using the left turn signal, it will do some funky things. Sometimes it will switch between left and right signals, sometimes it will be only the right signal, sometimes it will be only the left signal, and sometimes it will be the hazards. I originally assumed it would be a short in the wire and would need to get a new wiring harness for it, but after reading the many forums it sounds like it is a relay/flasher problem. Again, this was on many other vehicles, but I couldn't find any information on 3rd generation Dakotas. I was doing some research and having a really difficult time finding that part for my Dodge at any of the auto parts stores. With this generation of Dodge, do I need to replace the whole control arm? Or is it actually the relay? Or was my first thought correct that it could be a short in the wires? Has anyone else had a similar issue with a 3rd gen? Thank you all for your time and your help!

 

I called the dealership and they had mentioned that 99% of the time, this issue is caused by corrosion to the trailer hitch wiring. I popped the rubber off of the connector and sure enough there was a bunch of green corrosion around it. They are ordering a replacement and I should have this fixed tomorrow. I will provide an update if that does indeed resolve the problem.

 

I haven't heard of that being an issue on a Dakota, I guess maybe it's a common issue on the Ram pickups.

I hope that's the fix. And Welcome Aboard.

 

To me, this screams "multi-function switch". In the Gen3a (prior to 2008) these were a real problem because the line voltage went through the switch and burned up the connectors. In the Gen3b models, only signal voltage goes through the switch but it can still be a problem. Mine was doing similar things, so I went to the junkyard and found a compatible switch from a ram van, I think. Was doing the swap and just unplugging and re-plugging the switch solved the problem.

I would try a hard-reboot by pulling the battery terminals for a bit and trying again, or pulling the switch harness (in the steering column) and re-plugging. If neither of these work, swap out the switch.

 

I am getting the trailer wiring switched out tomorrow afternoon and will provide an update once done. I was talking to a buddy of mine about this and he had a similar issue, but with his Toyota Tacoma. When he would press the brake, his turn signal would go off. Turns out, it was the same thing the dealership recommended for me. He had corroded trailer hitch wires and once he got that replaced, it fixed the issue. I'm feeling pretty confident that the corroded trailer hitch wires are they issue, but if this doesn't fix it then the next thing would be to replace the switch all together.

 

I have driven 3 times since my trailer wiring harness got replaced yesterday and I have not had a single issue with the turn signal. I think it is safe to say that the issue is resolved. What happens is that a signal is sent to the trailer wiring harness to tell the trailer to turn on its turn signal. But when it gets there and the trailer is not there, it continues on to the rest of the vehicle. When there is corrosion it can get the signal messed up and send the wrong ones. That's why I wasn't ever getting a consistent turn signal or even the same turn signal. As stated originally, sometimes it would be the right, sometimes it would be the left, and sometimes it would be both or alternate between the two. Hopefully this helps someone down the road! Always check your trailer hitch wiring harness for corrosion.