2000 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

THE DASHBOARD IN MY 2000 DODGE RAM 1500 SLT HAS BEEN SLOWLY CRACKING FOR THE PAST 6 YEARS OR SO AND HAS NOW A SIZEABLE HOLE FROM A PIECE BREAKING OFF. MY CONCERN IS THE "DRY INSULATION" THAT CAUSES DUST TO FILTER INTO MY VENTILATION SYSTEM AND BLOWS INTO THE CAB FOR ME AND MY PASSENGERS TO BREATH. NOT HEALTHY AT ALL. THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE RECALLED OR PAID FOR A REPLACEMENT. THERE IS NO SOLUTION OTHER THAN TO REPLACE. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2000 DODGE RAM BRAND NEW. ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO I NOTICED SOME SMALL CRACKS IN THE DASH, THEN SOME TIME LAST YEAR, THE DASH STARTED COLLAPSING IN HUGE SECTIONS. I THEN STARTED HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. I CHECKED WITH MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID IT IS A RESULT OF THE SUN HITTING THE WIRES THROUGH THE HOLES IN THE DASH. I THEN BOUGHT A DASH COVER TO STOP ANY FURTHER SUN DAMAGE BUT CONTINUE TO HAVE INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. IT HAS GOTTEN TO WHERE IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

DASHBOARD FAILURE ON 2000 DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCK. THE DASHBOARD HAS FRACTURES / CRACKS THAT PROPAGATE TO AIRBAG AREA PASSENGER SIDE. I HAVE SHUT AIRBAG OFF ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IN FEAR OF AIRBAG IGNITION AND FLYING SHARDS OF HARD PLASTIC COMING FROM DECOMPOSING DASH. IT IS APPARENT THAT THIS PLASTIC MATERIAL IS DEFECTIVE CONSIDERING THE VEHICLE IS GARAGED AND HAS ONLY 46,000 MILES ON IT'S OD. DASH AREA ON DRIVERS SIDE HAS COMPLETELY FRACTURED WITH PIECES BEGINNING TO DISLODGE AND FALL INTO WIRING HARNESS ABOVE STEERING AREA. FEAR IS CHAFFING OCCURRING AT WIRE HARNESS LOCATIONS FROM DISLODGED PLASTIC SHARDS AND CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR ELECTRICAL INTERIOR FIRE. *TR

DASH OF 2000 DODGE RAM 1500 CRACKING IN SEVERAL AREAS AND IS NOW FALLING APART CAUSING LOOSE PIECES TO BECOME LODGED BELOW THE DASH AREA THAT COULD INTERFERE WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG OR BECOME FLYING PIECES IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

`LIKE THOUSANDS OF OTHER DODGE RAM OWNERS, I HAVE A SEVERELY CRACKING AND COLLAPSED DASHBOARD IN MY 2000 RAM 1500. THE CRACKING STARTED AROUND 60KMI AND HAD STARTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ORIGINATING FROM THE BOLTS SECURING THE UPPER DASH TO THE INSIDE FIREWALL. EVENTUALLY A CRACK WILL FORM FROM ALL OF THE BOLTS, WITH SOME CRACK CONNECTING WITH OTHERS CAUSING PIECES OF THE DASH TO COLLAPSE. ONCE THIS HAPPENS, THE UPPER (5) BOLTS WILL BE PROVIDING NO SUPPORT TO ANY PART OF THE DASH, EXCEPT FOR THOSE PIECES DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE BOLTS. THIS VEHICLE WAS ASSEMBLED IN THE MEXICO PLANT. I BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE INSTALLATION. MY THEORY IS THAT WHEN THE DASH IS ORIGINALLY INSTALLED, THE DASH IS RESTED UPON (2) BOLTS AT THE BOTTOM UNDER THE SIDE KICKPLATES AND THEN THE TOP (5) ARE USED TO BRING THE DASH INTO ITS FINAL RESTING POSITION. WHILE DOING THIS, THERE MAY STILL BE RESIDUAL FORCES ON THOSE TOP BOLTS PULLING THE DASH DOWN EVEN AFTER THE (2) LOWER BOLTS ARE TIGHTENED. THE PROCEDURE SHOULD BE TO PUSH OR HOLD THE DASH IN PLACE UNTIL THE LOWER (2) BOLTS ARE TIGHTENED AND THEN THE TOP (5) BOLTS ARE THERE ONLY TO SECURE THE UPPER DASH ONLY. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND INSTALLING A CENTER SHIMMY BRACE THAT WOULD BE USED TO POSITION THE ASSEMBLY IN THE FINAL RESTING POSITION THAT WOULD CONNECT BETWEEN THE DASH SUBFRAME AND THE INSIDE FIREWALL. ONCE IN POSITION THE DASH THE LOWER (2) BOLTS CAN BE TORQUED. THEN THE (5) TOP BOLTS WOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTING TO HOLD THE DASH IN PLACE. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY HAZARD DURING AN EVENT WHERE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS DEPLOYED AND POTENTIAL SHARP PIECES OF THE CRACKED DASHBOARD ARE THROWN ABOUT THE CAB AREA. *TR

THE FRONT COVER AND TOP OF THE DASHBOARD ON MY 2000 DODGE RAM 1500 HAS BEEN SLOWLY FALLING APART OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. I HAVE REMOVED THE FRONT INSTRUMENT COVER DUE TO DANGEROUS SHARP EDGES. THE TOP OF THE DASH HAS SPLIT INTO FOUR SECTIONS WITH NUMEROUS CRACKS RADIATING FROM THE BOLTS NEAR THE WINDSHIELD. HAD A 6"X10" SECTION OF THE TOP DASH POP OUT AND LAND IN MY LAP WHEN I HIT A POTHOLE. *TR

THE DASH ON MY DODGE RAM 1500 IS COMPLETLY FALLING APART. THIS STARTED WHEN THIS TRUCK HAD 30,000 MILES BUT NOW THE WIRING ,CONTROLING RADIO,SPEAKERS LIGHTS, ETC IS BEING AFFECTED - THIS HAS NOW BECAME A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 TRUCK ON INTERSTATE GOING 70 MPH AND STARTED TO SLOW DOWN DUE TO EXIT TRAFFIC. WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES MY TRUCK WENT INTO ACCELERATION. NO CRUISE WAS ON. KEPT APPLYING BRAKES AND TRUCK KEPT ACCELERATION. KEPT APPLYING BRAKES AND FINALLY GOT SPEED DOWN TO 20 MPH. I'M IN PANIC MODE AND NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO I PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK AND THEN TURNED THE KEY OFF. BRAKES SMOKED BADLY. GOT OUT OF TRUCK TO SEE PROBLEM AND THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK. STARTED TRUCK UP AGAIN AND IT DID THE SAME THING BUT THIS TIME PUT GEAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED KEY OFF. UNSTUCK THROTTLE AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO GET TRUCK TO A MECHANIC. THEY CHECKED THE THROTTLE KIT AND IT SEEMED OK (IT WAS NOT ONE THAT WAS ON A RECALL LIST). THE MECHANIC DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT CAUSED PROBLEM. THEY PUT A NEW KIT IN AND CLEANED FUEL INJECTORS AND IT HAS BEEN RUNNING OK. FORTUNATELY I WAS ON INTERSTATE HWY. IF I HAD BEEN ANYWHERE ELSE I FEEL CERTAIN I WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS CAUGHT ME BY TOTAL SURPRISE AND NOT KNOWING HOW TO HANDLE A VEHICLE IN THIS SITUATION I FEEL I WAS PRETTY LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T BURN MY BRAKES UP, BLOW MY TRANSMISSION OR GET KILLED. I WISH I KNEW WHAT REALLY CAUSED THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR CRASH WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL. THE BOTTOM OF THE FRONT BUMPER FELL ON THE ROAD AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER WAS INJURED. SHE SUFFERED A DISLOCATED BROKEN STERNUM. THE POLICE RESPONDED BUT DID NOT FILE A REPORT. THE OWNER DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELTS HAD ALSO FAILED DURING THE CRASH. THE BELTS DID NOT LOCK IN PLACE. THE OWNER BELIEVED THAT THE REASON FOR THE PASSENGER WAS INJURED WAS BECAUSE THE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED BOTH SEAT BELTS AT CHRYSLERS EXPENSE. THE MECHANIC TESTED THE NEW BELTS AND THE NEW DRIVERS SIDE BELT WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NOT LOCK. THE DEALER ORDERED ANOTHER SEAT BELT AND IT APPEARED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 109,795. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 120,000. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, HE STRUCK A SAND HILL. THE VEHICLE RECEIVED MINIMAL DAMAGE AND DID NOT HINDER DRIVABILITY. UPDATED 11/17/10

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE PERFORMING MAINTENANCE ON HIS VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LEFT CONTROL ARM BRACKET WAS PARTIALLY TORN AND EXHIBITED A STRESS FRACTURE. HE REFERENCED RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 00V007000, SUSPENSION, FRONT, CONTROL ARM LOWER ARM. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THE CONTACT DOES NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 98,000.