2001 DODGE RAM 2500 Complaints

DASH BOARD TOTALLY DESTROYED LIGHTS AND A/C SWITCH WON;T WORK PROPERLY RADIO IS ATTACHED ONLY BY 2 SCREWS I AM AFRAID THAT THE LIGHTS WILL NOT OPERATE AT NITE ANYMORE AND BECAME UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CONTACTED LOCAL DODGE DEALERS, INDICATING THEY DON"T HAVE ANY RECALLS ON THIS ITEM AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH DEFECTIVE MATERIAL, BUT CHRYSLER REFUSED TO KNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. *TR

TURNED KEY TO START POSITION AND ENGINE WOULD NOT CRANK OVER. TURNED KEY OFF AND BACK ON AND FOUND NONE OF THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON (WATER IN FUEL, TEMP, BRAKE, SEAT BELT, ETC.). THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE DASH OR IGNITION SWITCH. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THE MAIN POWER FEED WIRE TO THE IGNITION SWITCH (8 GAUGE STRANDED) BROKEN AT THE CONNECTOR BELOW THE STEERING WHEEL HUB. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALS THAT THIS WIRE FLEXES EACH TIME THE STEERING WHEEL IS TILTED. I ATTACHED A NEW CONNECTOR TO THE WIRE AND PLUGGED IT BACK IN, AND EVERYTHING WORKED AS NORMAL. AFTER ABOUT A MONTH I TILTED THE WHEEL UP WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY QUIT AND I HAD THE SAME NO-START, NO-LIGHT CONDITION AS THE FIRST TIME. FOUND THE REPLACEMENT CONNECTOR HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE PLUG AND RECONNECTED IT WHICH AGAIN CURED THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE MORE UNTIL I FINALLY SPLICED IN ABOUT 5 INCHES OF NEW WIRE TO MAKE A LOOP AND RELIEVE THE STRESS ON THE ORIGINAL WIRE. IF THIS CONDITION, THE FIRST TIME THE WIRE BROKE, HAD HAPPENED WHILE I WAS UNDERWAY AND WANTED TO ADJUST THE STEERING WHEEL TILT, I WOULD HAVE LOST ENGINE POWER, STEERING ASSIST, BRAKE ASSIST, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE. THIS WOULD HAVE ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS AND UGLY ACCIDENT. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE, SO MAYBE MINE WAS JUST A FLUKE. BUT I DOUBT IT. I THINK THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A DEADLY PROBLEM. MEANWHILE, MY DASHBOARD IS ALSO IN PIECES. I JUST COVER IT UP AND TRY NOT TO LOOK AT IT. AFTER ALL, IT'S A DODGE... *TR

TOP OF DASH IS CRACKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH FROM FRONT TO BACK IN SEVERAL PLACES. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN PARKED EITHER IN THE SHADE OF UNDER A CARPORT. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS CRACKS ACROSS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE DASHBOARD. IN ADDITION, A MASSIVE HOLE WAS LOCATED WITHIN THE CENTER OF THE DASHBOARD NEAR THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS STARTING TO FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 178,000. *TR

THE DASHBOARD HAS BROKEN INTO SEVERAL PIECES WHICH MAY CREATE A HAZARD IN AN ACCIDENT. IT IS STILL STAYING TOGETHER BUT I'M CONCERNED OVER TIME THAT IT WILL NOT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATER MOTOR WAS EMITTING HOT AIR AND HE COULD SMELL BURNING WIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE RESISTER, WIRING HARNESS AND THE BLOWER MOTOR FAILED, WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BY REPLACING THE RESISTER, THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE BLOWER MOTOR HIMSELF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 98,000.

THE SPARE TIRE BELOW THE PICKUP BED BROKE LOOSE FROM IT'S CABLE AND FELL OUT ON TO THE HIGHWAY. THIS ALSO HAPPENED WITH MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA. *TR

DASH BOARD AND GAUGE COVER FOR DASH STARTED TO SEVERELY CRACK, CALLED DODGE, I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NOT COMPLAINTS OF DASHES CRACKING. I WAS TOLD BY DODGE THAT NOTHING WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND DO NOT PARK MY TRUCK IN THE SUN. A FEW YEARS LATER THE ENTIRE UNIT FELL INTO THE DEFROST /HVAC AREA AND NOW HAVE AN EXCESSIVE HOLE IN THE DASH. I KNOW AT LEAST 35 DODGE TRUCK OWNERS IN CALIF THAT ALL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, HE NOTICED A CRACK FROM THE DASHBOARD TO THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,300.