1999 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

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

1998 DODGE RAM 1500, LEFT REAR TIRE CAME OFF THE VEHICLE. THE TWO LUGS THAT HELD THE TIRE BROKE OFF. BF (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0371-89)*JB

MY 1999 DODGE RAM 1500 DASH IS WEATHERED AND CRACKED BADLY. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON THING AMONG DODGE RAMS OF THIS AGE. I FEAR THAT IN A CRASH SITUATION THE DASH COULD BE VERY HARMFUL WHEN DISLODGED. THE EDGES OF THE CRACKS ARE VERY SHARP AND WOULD BECOME AIRBORN VERY EASILY IN AN IMPACT. *TR

1999 DODGE RAM 1500 DASH IS CRACKING. THE CRACKING STARTED WITH NO ACTION TO CAUSE SUCH CRACKING. THE CRACKING IS SPREADING TO A POINT THE ENTIRE CENTER SECTION OF THE DASH WILL SOON CAVE IN LEAVING ALL WIRING BEHIND THE DASH EXPOSED. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH DODGE TRUCKS. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!! *TR

THE UPPER DASH PANEL/PAD IN THE 1999 SERIES OF DODGE RAM PICKUP'S HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING CRACKS IN IT. THESE CRACKS START AND THEN DO NOT STOP. ON MY PARTICULAR TRUCK I AM MISSING A HUGE CHUNK OF THE DASH DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE SEARCHED AND SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR A REPLACEMENT PART, BUT TO MY SURPRISE THERE ARE NONE AT A DECENT REPLACEMENT RATE. THE BODY MAN I SPOKE TO AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT ALL THE DODGE DASH PADS ARE LIKE THIS, AND I HAVE FOUND HIM TO BE CORRECT. I HAVE READ COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF INCIDENTS OF SIMILAR PROPORTIONS IN FORUMS ALL OVER THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE MAKERS OF DODGE ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ITEM AND REPLACE IT AT NO COST TO OWNERS LIKE ME EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM WITH A PRODUCT THAT WILL NOT CRACK LIKE THIS ONE HAS. IT IS DANGEROUS TO PEOPLE NOT ONLY BY THE SHARP CORNERS OF BROKEN PIECES OF DASHBOARD, BUT FOR SOME IT HAS SHORTED OUT WIRES THAT HAVE MELTED FROM EXPOSURE TO THE SUN AND CAUSED SEVERE RISK TO THEIR SAFETY. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. I MYSELF HAVE CUT MY ARM OPEN ON A PIECE OF BROKEN DASH WHEN ONE OUT OF NO WHERE JUST DECIDES TO BREAK OFF. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 DODGE 1500 WITH 79,000 MILES ON IT . ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO MY DASH STARTED TO CRACK I NOW HAVE A LARGE HOLE IN MY DASH AND CAN SEE THE AIR BAG MATERIAL . I'M THINKING THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS. DODGE WON'T DO ANYTHING . I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW. *TR

CRACKING AND BROKEN DASH. THE DASH AROUND THE AIR VENTS AND PILLARS ARE BROKEN AWAY IN LARGE CHUNKS WITH CRACKS EXTENDING FROM AROUND 3" AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE DASH. DASH IS LOOSE AS A RESULT OF THE CRACKING AND BROKEN PIECES THAT HAVE FALLEN OUT. THIS IS A "COMMON PROBLEM" TO DODGE RAMS. DODGE SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND REPLACE THE DASHBOARDS WITH DECENT ONES INSTEAD OF EXPECTING CUSTOMERS TO PAY $800 FOR THE SAME INFERIOR AND FAULTY PART. THESE DASHBOARDS SHOULD BE REPLACED DUE TO AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING FLAW/PROBLEM. *TR

SHOULD HAVE NEVER CRACKED KEPT BOARD CLEANED AND WELL HYDRATED USING PROPER CLEANING PROCEDURES. CRACKED DASHBOARD CAUSES CUT HAZARD DUE TO SHARP EDGES. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 DODGE RAM 1500 AND THE DASH IS COMPLETELY BROKEN OUT. I HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AFTER THE PIECE FELL INSIDE DASH. RIGHT NOW I JUST HAVE A PIECE OF CLOTH OVER THE HOLE TO KEEP THE SUN OFF THE WIRING. THE SHARP EDGES ARE DANGEROUS IF I WAS EVER INVOLVED IN A CRASH. *TR