1999 Dodge RAM 1500

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1999 DODGE RAM. MY DASHBOARD BEGAN CRACKING LAST YEAR (2005.) THE TRUCK ISN'T THAT OLD AND I SEE NO REASON WHY IT SHOULD BE CRACKED AS IT IS... RIGHT NOW I HAVE A HUGE GAPING HOLE FOR A DASH. I'M ALSO AWARE MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE PLASTIC ON THE DASH IS VERY BRITTLE AND THE SLIGHTEST BUMP IS JUST CRACKING THINGS MORE AND MORE. DODGE NEEDS TO STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT IN SOME OF THEIR TRUCKS. *JB

MY 1999 DODGE RAM TRUCK DASHBOARD HAD SHATTERED/CRACKED IN MANY LOCATIONS. I HAD TO REPLACE IT AT MY COST. I WAS OF CONCERN OF ITS INTERFERENCE WITH MY AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. SO I HAD IT REPLACED. THE PLASTIC MATERIAL USED ON THE DODGE TRUCKS DRIES OUT AND BECOMES BRITTLE . THOSE SAVING PEOPLE WITHIN NHTSA WOULD JUST MAKE SOME SIMPLE OBSERVATION WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT OR STOPPING SIGN DRIVING TO WORK THEY WOULD NOTICE THE MANY DAMAGED DODGE TRUCK DASHBOARDS.*AK

THE DASHBOARD OF 1999 DODGE RAM 1500 CRACKED, AND PARTS OF IT TOTALLY BROKE OFF. OTHER PARTS OF THE DASHBOARD HAVE NOT QUITE BROKEN OFF BUT IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH MORE FOR THEM TO DO SO. PIECES OF THE DASHBOARD THAT HAVE ALREADY BROKEN OFF AND HAVE FALLEN DOWN IN THE DASHBOARD WERE LOOSELY FLYING AROUND. IT LOOKED AS THOUGH IT WILL CAUSE ISSUES WITH AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, AND/OR CAUSE INJURY TO A PASSENGER IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE CRACK PROVIDED A SHARP EDGE(S) WHERE SOME BODY PART MAY GET CAUGHT, CUT, OR SLICED IF THEY COME IN CONTACT WITH IT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

1).WE WERE DRIVING ALONG WHEN THE TRUCK, WE JUST GOT SUDDENLY DIED. THE GAS GAUGE SHOWED 1/4 OF A TANK. IT IS A SINGLE TANK TRUCK, BUT IT WAS OUT OF GAS. WHEN MORE WAS ADDED IT STARTED UP AND RAN. 2). A HEAVY RAIN FELL , MY SONS CARSEAT (LATCHED IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE QUAD CAB) WAS SO WET THE NEXT DAY I HAD TO WASH AND DRY THE PADDING BEFORE IT COULD BE USED. THE WINDOWS WERE SHUT, LOCKED TIGHT AND PARKED ALL NIGHT. 3). MY HUSBAND WAS COMING FROM WORK A DRUNK DRIVER SUDDENLY PULLED IN FRONT OF HIM. TRYING EVERYTHING TO STOP MY HUSBANDS TRUCK HIT HIS. THE AIR BAGS (NONE OF THEM) WENT OFF! THEY WERE "ON" AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. MY HUSBAND WAS GOING AROUND 45 MILES PER HOUR.4). AS MY HUSBAND STARTED TO WORK THE TRUCK SUDDENLY OVER REVVED AND DIED. IT WAS SAID THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. IT WAS LATER FOUND IT WAS A SENSOR WENT OUT. NEW SENSOR FIXED IT FOR ABOUT A DAY AND A HALF. 5). TRUCK SHIFTED FUNNY, LOST ALL OIL PRESSURE, AND DIED THE MOTOR FAILED. WHEN IT WAS OPENED UP THE CYLINDER WALLS WERE NOT ASSEMBLED RIGHT AT THE FACTORY IT IS A SURPRISE IT EVEN MADE IT TO 87 THOUSAND MILES IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE XXX WALL PATTERN WAS HIGHLY VISIBLE AND NEVER WORN SMOOTH AS IT SHOULD HAVE IF IT WERE RUNNING PROPERLY FROM THE START. SOME OF THE PIECES ARE "MISSING" ALSO IN THIS MOTOR OTHERS ARE IMPROPERLY ALIGNED. WHEN HE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP IT WAS OUT OF BUSINESS AND THE DODGE COMPANY SAYS YOU BOUGHT IT YOU GOT IT . NOT EVEN 90 THOUSAND MILES ON IT . NOW WE ARE STUCK WITH THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF PAYING FOR MY CAR PAYMENT( AS TO SHUFFLE THE KIDS AROUND), HIS REPLACEMENT CAR (AS TO GET TO WORK 30+ MILES AWAY), AND THIS PILE OF MISTAKES IN A SHELL THAT IS SUPPOSE TO BE HIS TRUCK . THIS DOES NOT EVEN MENTION THE BURDEN OF THE COST WE ARE SUFFERING FROM TO RE BUILD THIS THING TO WORKING ORDER AGAIN . TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE; THIS IS JUST THE STUFF HE HAS TOLD ME ABOUT SO FAR, MORE IS BEING FOUND WRONG EVERY TIME HE CHECKS IN ON IT. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING OUT OF DRIVE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING GEARS AGAIN. IT WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS BEFORE. SHE HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALER AT THIS TIME. *AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - *NM

CHRYSLER CORP FACTORY INSTALLED AN ODD, DEFECTIVE A/C COMPRESSOR UNIT WITH A HOUSING THAT DISINTEGRATED, CREATING A LARGE HOLE AND SPREAD METAL PARTICLES THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM. BECAUSE THIS PART WAS ONE OF ONLY A FEW ODD ONES INSTALLED, A NEW ONE HAD TO BE PURCHASED AT THE DODGE DEALERSHIP AT A COST OF $700, WHICH IS MORE THAN 3 TIMES COST OF PART INSTALLED IN MAJORITY OF VEHICLES THAT YEAR. AN ADDITIONAL $632 HAD TO BE PAID TO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP TO CLEAR THE SYSTEM OF METAL DEBRIS AND REPLACE PARTS DAMAGED. I CONSIDER THEIR DECEIVING THE CONSUMER BY PUTTING IN ODD, POOR QUALITY (AND EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE) PARTS WITHOUT DISCLOSING IT, FRAUDULENT AND DISHONEST. WHEN A VEHICLE IS MADE, THE PARTS INSTALLED SHOULD BE THE SAME FROM THE FIRST ONE OFF THE ASSEMBLY TO THE VERY LAST ONE, SO THAT THE COST TO REPLACE IS FAIR AND AFFORDABLE TO THE BUYER. I HAVE SENT DOCUMENTATION, PICTURES, AND RECEIPTS AND REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT (WHICH THEY HAVE REFUSED TO DO) OF THE COSTS I HAVE INCURRED BECAUSE OF THEIR FRAUDULENT PRACTICES WHEN CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING MORE PROFIT. APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH THIS MATTER. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR