1997 Dodge RAM 1500

BARE BONES OF DASH CRACKING/SHATTERING COUSINS BUTTONS/ INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/ SWITCHES TO FALL AROUND AND ON ME WHILE DRIVING. CANNOT SECURE ANY THING IN DASH DUE TO THE CRACKING/ SHATTERING OF INTERNAL DASH. CANNOT SECURE BOLTS OR CLIPS TO BARE BONES OF DASH . CRACKING/ SHATTERING HAS CAUSE THERE TO BE NO WERE TO ATTACH PARTS TO.ALL OF DASH IS AFFECTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER AN UN-RELATED SERVICE TO THE VEHICLE. THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. LATER, WHILE REVERSING FROM A SERVICE BAY AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHEMICALS FROM THE AIR BAG CAUSED BURNS TO THE FACE AND EYES, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT JUMPED OUT OF THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS NEARLY RUN OVER BY THE VEHICLE THAT WAS STILL MOVING IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FRONT AIR BAG SENSOR FAILED AND CAUSED THE INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO ADVISED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 99V02300 (AIR BAGS: FRONTAL). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. ADDITIONALLY, THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE NO LONGER BEING MANUFACTURED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE HE HAD NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL UNTIL AFTER THE FAILURE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. UPDATED 12/09/14*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE REVERSING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V02300 (AIR BAGS). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

ALRIGHT SO AS I BOUGHT MY TRUCK AND HAVE ASKED AROUND MANY PLACES AND ALL HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF RUST AND MOST OF IT IS WHERE THE IDLER ARM BRACKET MEETS THE FRAME AT THE FRONT FRAME RAIL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ONLY AND ALSO THE FRAME HAS BEEN WELL TAKING CARE OF YOU CAN LOOK DOWN THE REST OF THE WHOLE FRAME AND ITS BARELY TOUCHED BY ROT AND WHAT HAPPENS IS IT TENDS TO RUST OUT AND THEN BREAKS AND CAN CAUSE A ACCIDENT MANY PEOPLE CONSIDER PATCHING IF ITS NOT TOO BAD AND MANY HAVE JUNKED IT DUE TO IT BEING NOT REPLACE ABLE DODGE HAS BEEN CONTACTED MANY TIMES ALSO AND REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SOMETHING NEEDS DONE ABOUT THESE CHEAPLY MADE FRAMES I'VE OWNED VEHICLES 9 YEARS OLDER AND THE FRAMES WHERE NO WHERE NEAR ROTTED. *TR

UPON EXITING VEHICLE AFTER SHORT TRIP (2 MILES), NOTICED STRONG FUEL ODOR. LOOKED UNDER TRUCK AND OBSERVED FUEL STREAMING DOWN OVER HOT EXHAUST PIPE BENEATH ENGINE COMPARTMENT. INSPECTION OF ENGINE REVEALED BURST LINE CONNECTING FUEL RAILS, CAUSING FUEL TO SPRAY OVER HOT ENGINE/EXHAUST, EXTREME FIRE HAZARD. CANNOT BE DRIVEN DUE TO FIRE HAZARD. LINE IS NOT RUBBING ON ANYTHING OR FLEXING TO CAUSE FAILURE. *TR

MY REPORT IS NOT NECESSARILY CONCERNING A SPECIFIC INCIDENT. APPROXIMATELY THE DATE AND TIME SPECIFIED ABOVE I NOTICED MY DASH CRACKING, SINCE THAT TIME THE ENTIRE DASH OF MY TRUCK HAS CRACKED AND BROKEN. I HAVE HAD THE CUPHOLDERS BREAK AND SPILL ON ME AND NOW MY DASH BACKLIGHT HAS STOPPED FUNCTIONING. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL IT COMPLETELY FALLS APART. I HAVE APPLIED ADHESIVE TO A DASH COVER TO PREVENT FURTHER DEGRADATION OF THE PLASTIC. FROM WHAT I SEE ON MY TRUCK AND MY FATHER-IN-LAWS 2003 DODGE RAM IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL FLAW IN THE MATERIAL THE DASH COMPONENTS ARE MADE FROM. I FEAR IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHEN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WILL OCCUR. NUMEROUS OTHER DODGE TRUCKS THAT BELONG TO FRIENDS AND COWORKERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. ANY ATTENTION YOU CAN GIVE TO THIS ISSUE WILL BE APPRECIATED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING FROM A SERVICE BAY, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED ERRONEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FRONT SENSOR CIRCUIT FAILED HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE HOW THE FAILURE CAUSED THE ERRONEOUS AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.