2001 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

I OWN A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP TRUCK. RECENTLY I WENT OUT TO MY TRUCK TO GO TO WORK AND NOTICED A LARGE CRACK IN MY DASH BOARD RUNNING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE DASH FROM THE WINDSHIELD TO THE FRONT OF THE DASH. THIS OCCURRED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. AND NOW AS OF THIS DATE 11 SEP 2008 I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL MORE CRACKS ARE NOW PRESENT. IT IS CONCERNING BECAUSE THE BIGGEST CRACK RUNS CLOSE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AREA. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE AIRBAG MIGHT DEPLOY WHILE DRIVING IF THE DASH COLLAPSES AS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OTHER DODGE RAM PICKUPS. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT MIGHT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE AN INJURY. *TR

THE DASHBOARD AND BEZELS ON MY 2001 DODGE RAM PICKUP TRUCK ARE CRACKING. I FEAR THIS WILL AFFECT THE FUNCTIONING OF THE AIRBAGS. THE DODGE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. DODGE CORPORATE HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. *TR

CRACKED DASH BOARD, SPLITTING, AND CAVING IN, ON 2001 DODGE RAM. NEW CRACKS FORMING ALL THE TIME. ONLY HAVE 38,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK BOUGHT NEW. THE CRACKS RUN FROM THE VENTS TO THE WINDSHIELD AREA. *TR

ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO THE DASH ON MY RAM 1500 STARTED CRACKING. THE DASH IS CRACKED IN MULTIPLE PLACES ALL ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE TRUCK. I HAVE NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS AND REGULARLY USE A WINDSHIELD SUN SCREEN WHEN PARKED. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET WEB SITES AND ONE NEWS ARTICLE ON THIS PROBLEM. I AM REALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE MY WIFE'S COUSIN'S DODGE RAM 1500 CRACKED AND CAVED IN. THIS MUST BE VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

I, LIKE COUNTLESS OTHERS, OWN A 2001 DODGE RAM PICK UP IN WHICH THE DASHBOARD IS DISINTEGRATING. CHRYSLER/DODGE REFUSES ANY RESPONSIBILITY ALTHOUGH THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM. FULL COST TO REPAIR IS OVER $1,000.00. I HAVE BEEN TOLD A VARIETY OF EXCUSES SUCH AS "PARKED IN THE SUN" OR HAVING USED INTERIOR SURFACE PROTECTORS. THROUGH MY OWN RESEARCH I'VE FOUND THAT THE MOST LIKELY NAMED CULPRIT IS THE USE OF NON-VIRGIN OR RECYCLED PLASTIC OR POLYMERS AS A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF FORMING MATERIAL. MY DASH STARTED AS A SMALL CRACK BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND DEFROSTER VENT, AND HAS NOW BEGUN SPREADING TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT, CURRENTLY 8 INCHES. THIS IS NOT JUST A COSMETIC ISSUE BUT ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL. IMAGINE WHAT SHARDS OF PLASTIC CAN DO DURING A SMALL FENDER BENDER OR TO WIRING AND EQUIPMENT BEHIND THE DASH. FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN READING ABOUT OTHER'S EXPERIENCES I CAN SOON EXPECT THE ENTIRE DASH COVER TO CONTINUE CRACKING AND ULTIMATELY FALL APART. IT'S OBVIOUS THAT CHRYSLER/DODGE SIMPLY EXPECTS TO WAIT EVERYONE OUT AS THEY TRADE IN OR SELL THEIR TRUCKS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY OF UNSTABLE FUEL PRICES. HOWEVER, MANY OF US RELY ON OUR TRUCKS FOR DAILY LIFE, BUY WITH THE INTENT OF KEEPING THEM FOR MANY YEARS IN GOOD RUNNING SHAPE AND APPEARANCE AND EXPECT THE MANUFACTURER TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO THE OWNERS OF THEIR VEHICLES. I FEEL THAT CHRYSLER/DODGE IS JUST "DODGING" THE ISSUE. *TR

THIS PROBLEM IS ON A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCK WITH ONLY 48,435 MILES ON IT. (BALL JOINT FAILURE) ONE LOWER BALL JOINT HAD .25 INCH OF FREE PLAY THE OTHER ONE HAD .10 INCH OF FREE PLAY, ONE UPPER JOINT HAD .07 INCH OF FREE PLAY . I REPLACED ALL 4 OF THE BALL JOINTS JUST FOR SAFETY. TOTAL COST WAS $780 . IF THESE BALL JOINTS HAD GREASE NIPPLES THIS FAILURE WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I CONTACTED DODGE AND THEY WOULD ONLY COVER $110 OF THE REPLACEMENT COST. *TR

DASH BOARD IS FALLING APART. STARTED CRACKING 2 YEARS AGO AND NOW IS SEGMENTED INTO ABOUT 5 MAIN PARTS. PURCHASED TRUCK NEW IN 2001. CONTACTED DODGE AND THEY SAID I HAD TO PAY FOR REPAIR,IF A RECALL WAS DONE THEN I WOULD GET REMBURSED. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD IF IN CRASH PARTS COULD FLY INTO THE FACE OF DRIVER OR PASSENGER. *TR

I HAVE INCURRED THE DASH OF MY 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 CRACKING FOR APPROXIMATELY THE LAST THREE YEARS. IT HAS VERY SHARP PIECES AND IS CONTINUING TO BREAK. MY DEALERSHIP SAID THAT IT COULD BE FIXED AT A VERY EXPENSIVE COST. I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS UP TO THE CONSUMERS OF THE DODGE PICKUPS TO HAVE TO FIX THIS AT THEIR COST. I KNOW OF SEVERAL OTHERS IN MY HOME TOWN THAT ALSO DRIVE THE 2001 DODGE RAM AND THEY HAVE INCURRED THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR

AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN TWO SEPARATE CRASHES ONE BEING HEAD ON AT 35MPH OVER $6000. IN DAMAGE TO TRUCK 2 ND TIME SAME TRUCK AFTER BEING ROLLED BECAUSE STEERING BOX GAVE OUT AGAIN 2ND TIME FOR THAT TOO. NO AIR BAGS COMPANY CLAIMS CRASH WAS NOT ENOUGH TO DEPLOY TRUCK WAS TOTALED AND MY HUSBAND IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A EVENING WITH HEAD TRAUMA. *TR

THE DASH ON MY 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 STARTED CRACKING AND LARGE PIECES OF DASH HAVE BEGAN TO BREAK OFF. THE MAIN CONCERN IS THAT PIECES OF DASH COULD FALL OFF AND DISABLE THE SOME OF THE VEHICLES ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS (IE. HEAD LIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS ECT..) ANOTHER CONCERN IS THAT IN A COLLISION A PIECE OF DASH COULD BREAK OFF AND HIT MY SPOUCE OR ONE OF MY CHILDREN CAUSING INJURY. *TR