2001 Dodge RAM 1500

Where the sway bar is bolted to the chassis has completely deteriorated causing sway bar to completely detach from both sides of the frame. This has caused it very difficult to steer and nearly impossible the more MPH the vehicle goes. I own another vehicle nearly exactly the same but a 1998 dodge ram 1500 vin number [XXX]. It to has the same exact problem. I believe that the quality of steel used in manufacturing the frame of these vehicles was not up to standards. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASH BOARD WAS DISINTEGRATING. PIECES OF THE DASHBOARD WERE PENETRATING THROUGH THE HEATER VACUUM SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSED THE HEATER NOT TO WORK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000.

DASH PANEL HAS CRACKED BADLY TO THE POINT PIECES HAVE FALLEN OUT EXPOSING WIRES, CONNECTORS, DUCTS AND OTHER UNDER-DASH COMPONENTS. I AM CONCERNED THIS MAY AFFECT INFLATION OF AIR BAGS AND POTENTIAL FOR PIECES OF CRACKED DASH TO CAUSE SEVERE INJURY IN THE EVENT OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. DASH PANEL CRACKING ON THESE MODELS IS WELL KNOWN TO CHRYSLER, AND HAS DRAWN NATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION (EG NEW YORK TIMES, 2013). CHRYSLER HAS APPARENTLY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ITS LIABILITY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM.

THE HOOD LATCH BEHIND THE GRILL BROKE OR FAILED. MY HOOD FLEW UP AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND SHATTERED MY WINDSHIELD. THE HOOD AND HINGES ARE BENT. IT FELT LIKE I HIT A BRICK WALL. I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. I GRADUALLY GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I COULD NOT PULL THE HOOD DOWN. A GENTLEMAN STOPPED TO HELP ME AND WE GOT THE HOOD DOWN BUT IT WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE HOOD HAD TO BE SECURED WITH A BUNGEE CORD. MY TRUCK WAS TOWED AND IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP. THEY WILL BE REPLACING THE HOOD, WINDSHIELD AND HOOD LATCH. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION I WAS PUT IN FROM A FAULTY HOOD LATCH.

DASH, FROMT COVER COVERING INSTUMENT PANEL. SEVERLY CRACKED SO BRITTLE,THAT EVEN JUST A SINGLE TOUCH MAKES IT CRACK AND FALL APART. MY YOUNGEST SON HAS GOTTEN CUT BY THE SHARP EDGES OF THE CRACKS BEFORE. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. I HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT I WOULD BE CONCERNED THAT THOSE SHARP SHARDS OF HARD PLASTIC COULD FLY AN INJURY MY XHILDREN AND MYSELF.

I BELIEVE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE INTO THOUSAND TWO AND IN APPROXIMATELY 2006, THEY DASHBOARD STARTED SEVERELY CRACKING AND FALLING APART IN PIECES. I PURCHASED A DASHBOARD COVER TO TRY TO HOLD THE DASHBOARD IN PLACE AND PREVENT CHUNKS OF THE DASHBOARD FROM FLYING LOOSE AND HITTING EITHER MYSELF OR A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE. ON DECEMBER 23, 2017, I WAS DRIVING AND A CHUNK OF THE DASHBOARD FLEW OUT OF THE AIR CONDITIONER VENT AND HIT ME IN THE EYE. LUCKILY I WAS NOT HURT BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED THIS WILL NOT BE THE CASE NEXT TIME. I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER VEHICLE TO DRIVE AND I GOT AN ESTIMATE FOR $1500 TO REPLACE IT AND I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THIS, NEITHER SHOULD I HAVE TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE I'VE DONE RESEARCH AND IT WAS A MAJOR FAULTY DEFECT ON THE MANUFACTURES PART. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE SO THAT I'M NOT INJURED OR A PASSENGER RIDING WITH ME IS NOT INJURED. MY NUMBER IS [XXX] AND MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS [XXX] SINCE I HAVE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I DON?T HAVE ANOTHER ONE AND CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THE DASHBOARD, IF ANYONE IS INJURED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, I WILL HOLD THE MANUFACTURE RESPONSIBLE. I'M UNABLE TO TAKE ANY PICTURES OF THE DASHBOARD BECAUSE IF I REMOVE THE DASHBOARD COVER, CHUNKS OF THE PLASTIC SHARP DASHBOARD WILL FALL INTO THE INSIDE OF THE PANEL AND POSSIBLY DAMAGE THE VEHICLE EVEN MORE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 2001. SINCE THEN, THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES. ONCE BY DODGE AND 2 TIMES BY ME. THIS DASHBOARD CONTINUES TO CRACK AND SPLIT. NOW THE BEZEL HAS CRACKED INTO SEVERAL PIECES. NOW, WITHIN THE LAST WEEK, THE GLOVEBOX, MADE OF THE SAME PLASTIC MATERIAL HAS SPLIT AND BROKEN AT THE HINGES. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM THAT IS ALL OVER NHTSA'S COMPLAINT BOARD UNDER SEVERAL LOCATIONS SUCH AS BODY, STRUCTURAL, AIRBAGS. THESE DASHBOARDS HAVE CRACKED SO BADLY, NO ONE KNOWS WHICH PORTION OF THE VEHICLE THAT IS AFFECTED BUT COULD SHOW UP IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE BLAMED THIS ON UV DEGRADATION, I HAVE OTHER VEHICLES FROM 1986 AND 87 THAT STILL HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO HAVE A1999 DODGE 1500 THAT THE DASH HAS ALSO CRACKED AND I HAVE REPLACED AS WELL. WHEN WILL NHTSA FINALLY ISSUE A RECALL FOR FREE REPLACEMENTS. RIGHT NOW, MOPAR AND AFTERMARKET PARTS CONTINUE TO SELL THE DASHBOARD THAT HAS MULTIPLE DEFECTS. IF THE DASH COMES APART DURING A CRASH, SHRAPNEL FROM THE DASH CAN BE BLOWN INTO A PERSONS FACE OR CHEST DURING AN AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. IT IS ALL OVER THE WEB ABOUT POOR DASHBOARDS ON THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. WHEN IS THE RECALL? IT IS ALL OVER NHTSA'S WEB SITE UNDER VARIOUS CATEGORY'S. WHEN IS THE RECALL GOING TO OCCUR? A LOT OF DODGE OWNERS ARE TIRED OF PULLING MONEY OUT THERE POCKETS TO FIX A REOCCURRING PROBLEM FOR A DEFECT THAT DODGE/CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF? THE VEHICLE'S CRACKING AND BREAKING OF THE DASH, BEZEL AND GLOVEBOX ARE MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL. THE PROBLEM CRACKS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY, IN MOTION, ON STREETS OR HIGHWAYS. CAN NHTSA HELP GET A RECALL DONE ON THIS CONTINUING PROBLEM?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASH ASSEMBLY FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED AND CAUSED THE CONTROLS TO COLLAPSE INWARD INTO THE DASHBOARD. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG ON/OFF SWITCH WAS ATTACHED TO THE PANEL, THE HEADLAMP SWITCH, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, AND OTHER CONTROLS. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE COULD CAUSE ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND PREVENT THE AIR BAGS FROM DEPLOYING OR OPERATING CORRECTLY. THE DEALER WAS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE 2009 AND WAS INITIALLY INFORMED THAT IT WAS A COSMETIC ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED AGAIN OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS SIXTEEN YEARS OLD WITH 240,000 MILES, IT COULD NOT BE SERVICED BY THEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE HAD BEEN ONGOING SINCE 2005. IN 2005 THE FAILURE WAS NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY DEFECT, BUT NOW THAT IT IS THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO AGE. *JS