2001 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

I CURRENTLY OWN A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE THE DASHBOARD HAS BEGUN TO CRACK IN NUMEROUS PLACES FOR NO REASON. DODGE REFUSED TO RECALL THE VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH HUNDREDS OF OTHER DODGES HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. ALSO FROM NEWS BROADCASTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE DEVELOPED WHICH CAN CAUSE MAJOR VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUES. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 SLT. ALTHOUGH I HAVE TAKEN EXTREMELY GOOD CARE OF THIS TRUCK, THE DASH HAS CRACKED INTO A MILLION PIECES. IT IS ABOUT TO FALL IN. I DOUBT MY AIR BAGS WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY IN A CRASH, DUE TO THE DECREASED STRENGTH OF THE SURROUNDING AREAS, AND THE FACT THAT THE TOP OF THE DASH IS ABOUT TO FALL INTO THE AIR BAG COMPARTMENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. ELECTRICAL WIRES CAN BE SEEN THROUGH THE CRACKS. EVERY TIME I TURN THE BLOWER ON NEAR THE WINDSHIELD, TINY PIECES OF DASH THAT HAVE BROKEN OFF BLOW UP AND AROUND THE TRUCK, OFTEN INTO MY EYES. THIS CERTAINLY ISN'T SAFE, SINCE I CAN'T SEE WITH PLASTIC IN MY EYES!!! THIS SEEMS TO BE AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM. IF YOU REVIEW THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS LISTED ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM AT WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, YOU WILL SEE JUST HOW MANY DODGE OWNERS ARE DEALING WITH THIS. THE PLASTIC USED TO MAKE THE DASH IS OBVIOUSLY SUBSTANDARD, AND ALL CRACKED DASHES SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED AT DODGES EXPENSE. *TR

I FILED A COMPLAINT A FEW WEEKS AGO ABOUT MY 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 SINCE THEN I AM NOW HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. FIRST THE WINDOWS THEN THE RADIO AND DOME LIGHT AND NOW THIS MORNING WHEN I WAS LEAVING FOR WORK AT :30 MY HEAD LIGHTS WENT OUT. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. WHAT IF I HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD. I DRIVE DOWN THE INTERSTATE EVERY MORNING AT AROUND 5:30. *TR

THE DASHBOARD OF MY 2001 RAM 1500 PICKUP RECENTLY STARTED CRACKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE CRACKS WERE STRAIGHT LINE CRACKS FROM THE SCREW HOLES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND NOT THE SPIDERWEB TYPE THAT RESULT FROM EXPOSURE. YESTERDAY A PIECE BROKE OFF OVER THE VENTILATION INTAKE AND FELL INTO THE DASH AND SUDDENLY BLACK SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT OF THE VENTS. A TRAVEL FIRE EXTINGUISHER HAD TO BE EMPTIED INTO THE VENT SYSTEM TO KEEP THE CAB FROM BECOMING ENGULFED. CHRYSLER SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL EVEN THOUGH I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM. IF ONE OF MY FRIENDS DID NOT HAVE THE EXTINGUISHER IN THEIR CAR THIS MIGHT HAVE ENDED WITH LOSS-OF-LIFE - MINE. THE VEHICLE SMELLS LIKE SMOKE WHENEVER IT IS STARTED AND I AM CONCERNED THAT IT WILL CATCH FIRE AGAIN IF I ATTEMPT TO DRIVE IT. *TR

I OWN A 2001 DODGE RAM PU TRUCK 5.2 .I WAS DRIVING DOWN ROAD AT NIGHT AND WENT TO CLICK MY BRIGHT LIGHTS ON AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. CHECKED THE FUSE AND IT WAS GOOD. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

MY FRONT END RIM AND TIRE LOCKED UP AT 59 MPH-CAUSING A SEVERE SWERVE TO THE LEFT/RIGHT-THEN I SWERVED INTO AN 18 WHEELER;AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY;SEATBELTS WERE NOT UNLATCHING PRIOR TO ACCIDENT SO NOT USABLE AT THE TIME. *TR

I PARKED MY PICKUP AFTER WORK ONE EVENING WENT OUT THE NEXT MORNING AND THE DASH WAS CRACKED. IT IS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 THIS WAS IN 2004 THE NEXT MORNING I WENT OUT FOR WORK AND THE DASH WAS CRACKED AND HAS SINCE COMPLETELY CAVED IN. SOME ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS HAVE STOPPED WORKING. NOW I KNOW THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD COMPLAINT BUT SO FAR IS NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY RISK. WELL WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SOME ONE IS INJURED BEFORE IT IS CONSIDERED A SAFETY RISK. IS THE WIRING GOING TO SHORT OUT AND CATCH ME ON FIRE OR IS MY LIGHTS GOING TO BE THE NEXT THING TO GO OUT IS THE AIR BAG GOING TO DEPLOY PROPERLY SHOULD I HAVE A WRECK, OR WILL IT JUST DEPLOY WHILE I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD FOR NO REASON. I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE I CAN NOT AFFORD TO. DEFECTIVE PLASTIC WAS USED IN THE DASHES FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND DODGE REFUSES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. MAYBE INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS YOU SHOULD CHECK ON THIS PROBLEM NOW AND MAYBE SAVE SOMEONE FROM INJURY OR SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE MAYBE MINE. *TR

1. AFTER EXITING INTERSTATE, DRIVER WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND APPLIED BRAKES. DRIVER NOTICED REDUCTION IN BRAKING ABILITY AND "MUSHY" BRAKE PEDAL. DRIVER PULLED BACK INTO PARKING SPOT TO INSPECT VEHICLE. 2. BRAKE LINE FOR DRIVER SIDE REAR BRAKE RUPTURED RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY. BRAKE LINE RUPTURED DUE TO CORROSION. 3. REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE LINE WAS REQUIRED. PART IS AVAILABLE. *TR

PURCHASED A USED 2001 DODGE RAM IN 2004. KEPT IT CLEAN, STACKED NOTHING ON THE DASH, KEPT IN THE GARAGE GOOD PART OF THE YEAR. FALL OF 2008 WENT OUT TO MY TRUCK AND FOUND 4 CRACKS IN THE DASH AND ONE IN THE BEZEL AROUND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HAVE NOT CALLED DODGE YET DUE TO NO WARRANTY AND PURCHASING TRUCK USED. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP THAT IN 2005 A CRACK STARTED FROM THE WINDSHIELD TO THE FRONT OF THE DASH AND THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER ANOTHER CRACK AND THEN THE WHOLE DASH STARTED CAVING IN AND NOW THERE IS NOT REALLY A DASH LEFT AND EVERYTHING UNDER IT IS EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS . *TR