My Dodge Truck Keeps Honking Randomly – Why And What To Do?

You park your Dodge Truck and leave it for the day. But it still honks randomly, even without you as the driver in the cabin. Why is it doing it and what can you do about it? We researched these concerns for your convenience and here’s what we found.

A Dodge truck's horn may honk on random occasions because of problems like a faulty key fob or a bad shifter lever. Make sure that the repair methods you use should come from the results of your troubleshooting.

So continue reading as we talk about the possible causes of this issue in greater detail. We’ll also tackle some possible solutions that may help restore your Dodge truck’s horn’s proper functions as you go through this post.

Why Is My Dodge Truck Randomly Honking?

A Dodge truck may honk its horn randomly, even without human intervention, because it encountered an issue. Some of the possible causes of these events are:

Faulty Key Fob

Generally, pressing the buttons on the key fobs of certain Dodge truck models will make enable or disable certain features. For example, you can lock or unlock the door on your Dodge Ram with the key fob. But taking advantage of these functions can also activate the vehicle’s horn.

A faulty Dodge truck key fob may have a short circuit, causing the vehicle’s horn to sound at random moments. This glitch can also turn different features on and off, which may cause further harm to the truck.

If the key fob has no signs of having a short circuit, this problem may lie because of a low battery. So changing the old battery to a new unit may help solve this problem.

Bad Shifter Lever

Owners of the Dodge Cummins pickup truck, particularly the 2003 to 2005 models, may notice that their horns are honking frequently. It’s can be because of a bad shifter lever that moves after the driver didn’t fully set it into the “Park” position.

The result is that the engine will remain running, causing the truck’s honking alarm to go off. The headlamps will also flash repeatedly in this scenario.

This particular problem is quite widespread across different Cummins’ models that Dodge issued a recall for them. Cummins owners should contact the vehicle maker to take advantage of certain privileges in helping them solve this problem.

Blown Horn Fuse

Many trucks, including those made by Dodge, have horns that use electricity to work. The power comes from the horn fuse, which can be susceptible to short-circuiting if left unmaintained.

However, it’s important to know the location of the correct fuse since your vehicle will typically have more than one. Tinkering with an incorrect fuse may lead to further problems with your Dodge truck.

You may check your owner’s manual or consult the vehicle manufacturer for the horn fuse’s location. Otherwise, contact a reliable automotive repair technician immediately, especially if the horn won’t stop honking.

How Do I Stop My Dodge Truck Horn From Blowing Randomly?

Take note that the repair procedure to use in fixing your Dodge truck’s horn should depend on your initial findings. In this section, you’ll learn some possible ways to stop your vehicle’s horn from honking randomly based on your troubleshooting efforts:

Replace The Key Fob Battery

First, check your owner’s manual to see what battery to purchase for your Dodge truck’s key fob. For example, a 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 key fob typically uses two CR2450 batteries. But some Dodge Ram models may use one CR2032 button battery.

After purchasing the correct unit, here are the general steps on how to replace your Dodge truck’s key fob’s battery:

What You’ll Need

• Replacement battery
• Screwdrivers

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Press and hold the key fob slider. Then, pull the emergency mechanical key out of the key fob’s main body.
2. Remove the screw and set it aside temporarily.
3. Pry open the two pieces of the key fob’s shell. You may use your hands for this step or a flathead screwdriver.
4. Take out the old battery and install the new one while paying attention to its orientation.
5. Return the parts of the key fob’s shell and secure them with the screw.
6. Test the key fob to see if the truck’s horn alarm still honks randomly.

Check out this pack of CR2450 batteries on Amazon.

You can also watch the video below to see a visual guide for the steps mentioned above:

Clean The Key Fob

In particular, corrosion from the key fob’s shell might be on its control board. This residue can cause the board to short circuit, causing the Dodge truck’s horn to honk erratically.

Here are the steps to do this repair job:

What You’ll Need

• Cotton swab
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Screwdrivers

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Remove the key fob’s mechanical key.
2. Take out the screw and pry apart the two pieces of the key fob’s case.
3. Place a small amount of isopropyl alcohol onto one end of the cotton swab.
4. Use the cotton swab to remove the corrosion from the key fob’s control board’s contact points.
5. Reassemble the key fob and see if the honking problem persists.

The video below will also show you a visual representation of these steps:

Replace The Horn Fuse

As mentioned previously, a vehicle will usually have different fuses stored in its fuse box. So you need to find the correct fuse to remove and replace. Otherwise, you might be bringing unintentional harm to your Dodge truck.

So consult your Dodge owner’s manual first before continuing with this procedure. Search for information about the horn fuse’s location in the vehicle.

Once found, continue this process by following these steps:

What You’ll Need

• Replacement automotive fuse
• Pliers

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Park the vehicle at a safe location and engage the hand or parking brake.
2. Open the hood and expose the fuse relay box.
3. Remove the bad horn fuse with the pliers and replace it with a new unit.
4. Wait for a few minutes to check if the Dodge truck’s horn still honks aimlessly.

Check out these automotive fuses on Amazon.

Watch the video below to see the location of a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 horn fuse if you need help finding it:

How To Replace Horns On A Dodge Truck?

If the techniques in the previous section didn’t solve the problem, replacing the horn on your Dodge truck might be your final DIY option. This process usually follows these general steps:

What You’ll Need

• Replacement horn assembly
• Socket wrench

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Remove the horn assembly’s mounting bracket with the socket wrench.
2. Wiggle and pull out the horn assembly.
3. Disconnect the wires attaching the horn assembly to the rest of the truck.
4. Connect the wires to the new horn assembly.
5. Place and secure the new horns into their mounting bracket.
6. Wait for a few moments to check if the horns don’t activate randomly.

Check out this Dodge Ram replacement horn assembly on Amazon.B07BZD63KL

Also, this video shows how to replace the horns on a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck:

How Much Does It Cost To Get Your Car Horn Fixed?

The expenses to repair a car horn often depends on different factors, which include the vehicle's specific model. But prepare to spend about $81 to $214 for professional repair services. Also, additional fees might be present if the experts find extra work to complete on your car’s horn.

Final Words

Perhaps the first step to repairing your Dodge truck’s horn that honks randomly is to identify the source of this issue. Then, use the appropriate techniques to solve the problem. Also, don’t forget that you can rely on expert technicians to fix this concern for you, particularly if you don’t want to risk bringing further harm to your vehicle.

If you liked this post, here are other great reads you can check out:

Chevy Truck Not Shifting Gears—Why And What To Do?

Power Windows And Gauges Not Working—Why And What To Do?