WASHINGTON — US regulators are looking into whether there may be a new ignition switch defect, this one involving older Dodge Ram pickups. There have been three reports of the trucks starting without the clutch being engaged. An incident that occurred Aug. 25 resulted in a death, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday.
Earlier this year, General Motors recalled 2.59 million cars to correct a flaw in which switches could slip out of the ‘‘on’’ position while driving. The Dodge investigation involves about 110,000 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks from model years 2004 to 2006. NHTSA formally opened the case on May 19, the agency said. Chrysler, owned by Fiat, said it is cooperating fully.