2001 Dodge RAM 2500

THE DASHBOARD IN THIS VEHICLE STARTED TO DISINTEGRATE AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD A DASH COVER AND WINDOW SUN PROTECTION IN AT ALL TIMES, SINCE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS LIKE A SINKHOLE OPENING UP IN DASH. IT IS NOW CAUSING WIRING PROBLEMS TO THE POINT I HAVE IT IN THE SHOP. CALLED DODGE TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL AS THE MECHANIC SAID HE HAS THE SAME TRUCK, WITH SAME ISSUE, AND EVERY DODGE 2001 TRUCK HE WORKS ON HAS THE SAME ISSUE. DODGE WOULD NOT COMMENT. I HAVE A DODGE RAM 2500 1992, AND THE DASH LOOKS LIKE NEW. IT IS A DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. IT CAN CAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS TO SHORT OUT WHILE DRIVING. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2001 RAM NEW FROM DEALER . I PUT A DASH MAT ON FIRST WEEK I OWNED . A FEW YEARS AGO I NOTICED A DIP IN THE MAT . I TOOK IT OFF AND NOTICED A SECTION OF MAT MISSING. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER AND RECEIVED NO HELP . I AM NOW MISSING MOST OF MY DASH TOP . THERE ARE NUMEROUS SHARP PIECES WHICH MAY CAUSE DAMAGE IN THE DASH AREA . I FOUND A LONG TIME MOPAR MECHANIC AND HE INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL THE CHRYSLER CARE LINE . THEY TOLD ME THE MECHANIC HAD NO RIGHT TELLING ME HE HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AS THEY HAD NONE ON FILE. THREE DAYS LATER I RECEIVED A LETTER THANKING ME FOR CALLING THEM AND A LICENSE PLATE FRAME CONGRATULATION ME ON 200000 MILES . THIS IS THEIR WAY OF SAYING SORRY . WHILE CHECKING ON OTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT ISSUES , I FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS . THIS IS A LARGE SAFETY ISSUE AS COULD CAUSE FIRE OR FLYING PIECES . *TR

DASH BOARD TOTALLY DESTROYED LIGHTS AND A/C SWITCH WON;T WORK PROPERLY RADIO IS ATTACHED ONLY BY 2 SCREWS I AM AFRAID THAT THE LIGHTS WILL NOT OPERATE AT NITE ANYMORE AND BECAME UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CONTACTED LOCAL DODGE DEALERS, INDICATING THEY DON"T HAVE ANY RECALLS ON THIS ITEM AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH DEFECTIVE MATERIAL, BUT CHRYSLER REFUSED TO KNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. *TR

TURNED KEY TO START POSITION AND ENGINE WOULD NOT CRANK OVER. TURNED KEY OFF AND BACK ON AND FOUND NONE OF THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON (WATER IN FUEL, TEMP, BRAKE, SEAT BELT, ETC.). THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE DASH OR IGNITION SWITCH. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THE MAIN POWER FEED WIRE TO THE IGNITION SWITCH (8 GAUGE STRANDED) BROKEN AT THE CONNECTOR BELOW THE STEERING WHEEL HUB. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALS THAT THIS WIRE FLEXES EACH TIME THE STEERING WHEEL IS TILTED. I ATTACHED A NEW CONNECTOR TO THE WIRE AND PLUGGED IT BACK IN, AND EVERYTHING WORKED AS NORMAL. AFTER ABOUT A MONTH I TILTED THE WHEEL UP WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY QUIT AND I HAD THE SAME NO-START, NO-LIGHT CONDITION AS THE FIRST TIME. FOUND THE REPLACEMENT CONNECTOR HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE PLUG AND RECONNECTED IT WHICH AGAIN CURED THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE MORE UNTIL I FINALLY SPLICED IN ABOUT 5 INCHES OF NEW WIRE TO MAKE A LOOP AND RELIEVE THE STRESS ON THE ORIGINAL WIRE. IF THIS CONDITION, THE FIRST TIME THE WIRE BROKE, HAD HAPPENED WHILE I WAS UNDERWAY AND WANTED TO ADJUST THE STEERING WHEEL TILT, I WOULD HAVE LOST ENGINE POWER, STEERING ASSIST, BRAKE ASSIST, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE. THIS WOULD HAVE ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS AND UGLY ACCIDENT. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE, SO MAYBE MINE WAS JUST A FLUKE. BUT I DOUBT IT. I THINK THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A DEADLY PROBLEM. MEANWHILE, MY DASHBOARD IS ALSO IN PIECES. I JUST COVER IT UP AND TRY NOT TO LOOK AT IT. AFTER ALL, IT'S A DODGE... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS CRACKS ACROSS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE DASHBOARD. IN ADDITION, A MASSIVE HOLE WAS LOCATED WITHIN THE CENTER OF THE DASHBOARD NEAR THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS STARTING TO FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 178,000. *TR