1998 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

THE DASH BOARD BEGAN TO CRACK, NOW IT IS VIRTUALLY NON EXISTENT. I CANNOT PLACE ANYTHING ON THE DASH BECAUSE IT HAS HUGE CHUNKS MISSING. IF I ROLL DOWN MY WINDOWS ON THE INTERSTATE, SOME MORE PIECES OF THE DASH FALL OFF . IT IS UNUSABLE. IT MAY BE A HAZARD BECAUSE SMALL SHARP PLASTIC PARTS SHOULD NOT BE IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER. I HAVE CUT MY HAND ON THE EDGES WHEN I WAS PICKING UP ALL THE BROKEN SHARDS OF PLASTIC. I AM APPALLED THAT DODGE IS NOT ACCOUNTABLE FOR SHORTCOMINGS IN NEARLY EVERY SINGLE DODGE PICKUP TRUCK. I HAVE HAD MECHANICS THAT HAVE TOLD ME TO GO ELSEWHERE, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INEVITABLE BREAKING OF THE DASH THAT OCCURS WHEN YOU HAVE TO WORK ON THE INTERIOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD FRACTURED INTO PIECES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT BOTH SIDE VIEW MIRRORS FRACTURED DOWN THE MIDDLE WHEN THE DEFROST SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

I WENT OFF THE ROAD GOING ABOUT 65 MPH AND HIT A TREE, HEAD ON. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST INCIDENT INVOLVING MY TYPE OF VEHICLE (DODGE RAM). *TR

I LIKE MANY OTHERS HAVE A DASH THAT HAS CRACKED AND NOW POSE'S A PROBLEM. AFTER DOING SOME ON-LINE AND LOCAL RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND EVERYONE THATS A '98 - '01 DODGE RAM HAS HAD THE SAME REPORTED PROBLEM. LOCAL DODGE SAID THEY CAN BE REPLACED OR REPAIRED BUT THEY WILL CRACK AGAIN.. DASH CAPS ARE BEING USED TO COVER THE PROBLEM. "COVERING" THE PROBLEM IS NOT A FIX. I WANT TO KNOW WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL FROM DODGE ON THIS ISSUE. JUST HOW MUCH DAMAGE WILL A DAMAGED DASH CAUSE IN THE EVENT OF A "JUST RIGHT" ACCIDENT THAT CAUSE A BODY PART THAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF DRIVER AND PASSENGER(S) IF IT SHATTERS? BROKEN PLASTIC CAN BE AS DAMAGEING AS GLASS.

I HAVE A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB SPORT 360 4X4 WITH THE 5.9. MY DASH HAS NOW STARTED CRACKING AND THE CRACK IS GETTING WORSE. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE CRACK IS ABOUT 4 INCHES IN LENGTH AND IS SPREADING. IT IS LOCATED RIGHT ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CLOSE TO THE VENT BY THE FRONT GLASS. I HAVE BEEN A DEDICATED DODGE OWNER ALONG WITH EVENING OWNING A DODGE WEBSITE (WWW.DODGE-CHAT.COM) AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT THAT DODGE HAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF THIS ISSUE. I THINK DODGE NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A BIG ISSUE. *TR

DASH CRACKED AND IS CLOSE TO BECOMING A HOLE. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN A RECALL ISSUE I KNOW OF AT LEAST 200 OTHER DODGE RAM OWNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT IS JUST IN TAMPA FL. STOP DRAGGING YOUR FEET AND SAVE US SOME MONEY FROM THEM CUTTING COST AND DOING IT WRONG THE FIRST TIME. *KB

THE DASHBOARD ON MY 1998 DODGE RAM HAS CRACKED AND FALLEN INTO THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN SEVERAL PLACES. IT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE PLASTIC ITSELF AS NO EXTERNAL SOURCES CAUSED THE DAMAGE. IT STARTED HAPPENING IN FEBRUARY OF 2009 AND HAS GOTTEN STEADILY WORSE.THE PLASTIC HAS BECOME SO SHARP AND BRITTLE THAT DRIVING ON A BUMPY ROAD WILL ACTUALLY CAUSE PIECES TO FALL INTO THE DASH.THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN CRASH, THE DASHBOARD COULD BECOME AIRBORNE IN SHARDS. THESE SHARDS OF PLASTIC ARE SHARP ENOUGH TO CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY IF THEY WERE TO STRIKE YOUR FACE OR EYES. THE PIECES FALL INTO THE DASHBOARD AND ONTO ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, ONCE THEY FALL INTO THIS POSITION IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE THEM FROM THE INSIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. I CAN SEE FUTURE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS A VEHICLE FIRE RESULTING FROM THE SHARP SHARDS OF PLASTIC BEING IN CONTACT WITH WIRING THAT IS NOW EXPOSED AS A RESULT OF THE PLASTIC FALLING AWAY. I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE BUT WAS ADVISED THAT NO RECALL EXISTS AND THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE DASHBOARD. IT SEEMS THAT A SIMPLE FIX ON THEIR BEHALF COULD AVOID MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH SOMEBODY GETTING SERIOUSLY INJURED. AN INTERNET SEARCH HAS REVEALED THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME NATURE, I HAVE OWNED A DODGE VEHICLE FOR ALMOST MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE AND I AM NOW LOOKING TO PURCHASE A NEW FORD THIS YEAR BECAUSE I AM SO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THE DASHBOARD STARTED CRACKING. IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL YEARS NOW, BUT IT HAS GOTTEN ALOT WORSE. I MEAN ALOT WORSE. I'VE NEVER SEEN CRACKING OF THE DASHBOARD QUITE THIS BAD EVER IN MY LIFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FRACTURE IN THE DASHBOARD.THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,450.

DASH HAS NUMEROUS CRACKS. CONCERNED ABOUT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING DEPLOYED AND CAUSING INJURY WHEN PARTS OF DASH COME OFF. *TR