1999 Dodge RAM 1500

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKING AND SEPARATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS IN WHICH THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CRACKS BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF MY THEN BRAND NEW DODGE RAM 1500, THE DASHBOARD BEGAN TO CRACK. THE CRACKS CONTINUED TO GROW IN SIZE AND INCREASE IN NUMBER UNTIL CHUNKS OF THE DASHBOARD BEGAN TO CAVE IN AND POP OUT. CURRENTLY THE DASHBOARD IS EITHER MISSING COMPLETELY IN VERY LARGE SECTIONS, OR CHIPPED, CRACKED AND CAVED IN OTHERS. THERE IS NO WAY THAT THIS WILL NOT CAUSE, OR IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN AN ACCIDENT, OR EVEN JUST UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKED AND OVER TIME IT HAD INCREASED IN SIZE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH HIS STEREO DUE TO THE CRACK IN THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

THE DASH STARTED CRACKING YEARS AGO AND CONTINUES TO CRACK SO BADLY THAT CHUNKS ARE FALLING OFF LEAVING SHARP EDGES EXPOSED. THERE ARE MANY RAM OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. IT'S APPARENT THAT THIS A A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. I DON'T WANT TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SAME DASH AND HAVE THE SAME THING HAPPEN, BUT THERE A RISK OF BEING SERIOUSLY CUT BY THE SHARP POINTED EDGES AS THE DASH CONTINUES TO CRACK AND FALL APART. *TR

MY 1999 DODGE RAM TRUCK DASH ASSEMBLY IS FALLING APART. THE UPPER PAD STARTED BY CRACKING AND FINALLY FALLING INTO THE MAIN DASH AREA ABOUT 70% OF THE DASH PAD IS BROKEN OFF. NOW THE MAIN DASH ASSEMBLY IS CRACKING AND UNABLE TO HOLD THE ACCESSORIES ATTACHED TO IT ON ITS OWN. I AM ASKING DODGE TO REPLACE THE DASH ASSEMBLY AT THEIR COST WITH NO LUCK. *TR

THE DASH IN THIS VEHICLE IS CRACKING AND FALLING APART APPARENTLY FROM EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT. THIS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY FROM EXPOSURE TO SHARP OBJECTS LOCATED UNDER THE DASH AND COULD CAUSE PLASTIC SHARDS TO BE EMBEDDED IN ONES FACE AND EYES SHOULD THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT A REPLACEMENT FROM DODGE WILL DO THE SAME THING AND WILL COST ME ABOUT $1200 TO REPLACE. I HAVE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT ALMOST ALL 1999 DODGE RAM'S HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM AS DO OTHER YEAR RAM'S. *TR

1999 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD PICK-UP. CRACKING-FRACTURED DASHBOARD AND BEZEL. THE DASHBOARD PANEL HAS HAD SEVERAL LONG CRACKS COMPLETELY TRANSVERSING AND TRANSECTING THE DECK IN MANY AREAS AND MANY NEWER ONES. WHAT STARTED AS A FEW THIN CRACKS HAVE CONTINUED TO MULTIPLY AND WIDEN. NOW, THE ENTIRE DASH HAS FRACTURES. PIECES HAVE FALLEN INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE DASH AMONG THE WIRING AND DUCTS LEAVING LARGE HOLES ON TOP. THE BRITTLE PLASTIC EDGES ARE VERY SHARP AND LEAVE THE SURFACE UNEVEN AND WEAKENED. AN AFTERMARKET FABRIC OVERLAY WAS APPLIED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AT FIRST TO CONCEAL CRACKS, BUT RECENT INSPECTION REVEALED CURRENT STRUCTURAL FAILURE CONDITION. THE INSTRUMENT BEZEL IS ALSO CRACKED IN SIMILAR AREA TO DASH CRACKS. THESE WEAKENED COMPONENTS AND THE STATE OF FRACTURE PROGRESSING THROUGHOUT PANEL CONCERNS ME AS TO THE SAFETY AND FUNCTION OF THIS VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. WHAT AFFECT COULD IT HAVE ON THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING OR THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AND FUNCTION OF COMPONENTS ATTACHED TO THE DASH PANEL? LOOSE PLASTIC PIECES COULD BECOME DANGEROUS TO OCCUPANTS AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT OR BECOME LODGED FUNCTIONALLY IMPAIRING DRIVEABILITY. INTERNET RESEARCH HAS INFORMED ME THAT THIS IN NOT AN ISOLATED CASE. AFTERMARKET VENDORS HAVE FULL DASHBOARD REPLACEMENT PART FOR ~$400., PRESUMABLY BETTER ABS QUALITY THAN OEM PART. THE DODGE DEALER QUOTED ABOUT $900. FOR LABOR ONLY! THESE VENDORS ALSO CARRY A MOULDED ABS PLASTIC "DASH CAP AND BEZEL" OVERLAYS TO BE GLUED OVER DAMAGED DASHES TO "IMPROVE APPEARANCE", (~$300.), A QUICK DYI JOB, BUT WILL NOT SOLVE STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS NOR CONTINUED BREAKAGE OF ORIGINAL DASH FROM BELOW CAP, ADDITIONALLY THESE OVERLAY "CAPS" DO NOT HAVE THE ATTACHMENT TABS FOR AIRBAG OR INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, ETC., SO THE ORIGINAL TABS WOULD HAVE TO DO THE JOB BUT MAY BE STRUCTURALLY COMPROMISED FROM CRACKING ALSO. I HAVE YET TO DECIDE WHICH IS THE BEST OPTION TO TAKE. IN ANY CASE, THE OLD PART IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR THE TIME BEING. *TR