2001 Dodge RAM 1500

HEADLIGHTS WERE ON HIGH BEAM AND DIMMED LIGHTS AND LOST ALL OF THE HEADLIGHTS . IT WAS EARLY MORNING BUT THERE WAS ENOUGH LIGHT FOR ME TO SLOW AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I KEPT MOVING THE DIMMER SWITCH BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAM UNTIL THE LIGHTS FINALLY CAME BACK ON. I LEFT THEM IN LOW BEAM AND DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY TO WORK ON LOW BEAM. WHEN I GOT HOME LATER AFTER WORK I WAITED TILL NIGHT TIME AND PULLED MY TRUCK INTO MY CAR PORT AND REPEATED WHAT HAD HAPPENED ON THAT MORNING. ON ABOUT THE FIFTH TRY THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN , I THEN REPEATED FLIPPING THE DIMMER SWITCH BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAM AND AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS WAS ABLE TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS BACK ON. THE NEXT DAY TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS , THEY REPLACED THE DIMMER SWITCH AND THE MECHANIC WHO WORKED ON MY TRUCK TOLD ME THAT WAS NO THE FIRST ONE HE HAD REPLACED AND TOLD ME I WAS VERY LUCKY. IF IT HAD FAILED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY AND UNDER DARKER NIGHT CONDITIONS AND AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE WRECKED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. *TR *JS

I OWN A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. THIS VEHICLE HOWEVER, HAS A DEFECT, THE DASHBOARD CRACKS AND IS STARTING TO BASICALLY DISINTEGRATE. I HOWEVER, AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE ISSUES. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE FORUMS AND WEBSITES BELOW. HTTP://WWW.DASHCOVER.COM/DODGERAMDASH.HTML HTTP://FORUMS.MOTORTREND.COM/70/6297146/PICKUPS-SUVS/IS-YOUR-2001-DODGE-RAM-DASH-FALLING-APART/INDEX.HTML HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/DODGE/RAM_1500/2001/ACCESSORIES-INTERIOR/CRACKED_DASHBOARD.SHTML HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/DODGE/RAM_1500/2001/ACCESSORIES-INTERIOR/CRACKED_DASHBOARD-2.SHTML HTTP://WWW.AUTOMOTIVEFORUMS.COM/T429358-CRACKED_DASH_IN_2001_2500_TRUCK.HTML THE FAILURE IS SO COMMON THERE ARE YOUTUBE VIDEOS ON HOW TO FIX IT TEMPORARILY: HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=H7WFCXSY8XI I HAVE SEEN QUOTES TO GET THIS FIXED ANYWHERE FROM 800 TO 1500 DOLLARS. ABSOLUTELY ABSURD. SOME PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THAT THEIR DASHBOARD IS CRACKING AND PIECES ARE FALLING BEHIND THE DASH AND CREATING RATTLING NOISES AND SOME EVEN AS SEVERE AS TAKING OUT ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT CAUSING HEADLIGHT FAILURE, AC FAILURE, ETC. DESPITE ALL OF THESE ISSUES DODGE WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL. ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IS IF I WERE TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT THE DASHBOARD COULD SHATTER SENDING SHARP EDGED PIECES OF PLASTIC TOWARDS ME UNDER HIGH IMPACT, WHICH COULD LEAD TO SEVERE INJURY AND/OR DEATH. I AM HIGHLY CONCERNED WITH THIS ISSUE AND I HOPE THAT BY YOU SHOWING INTEREST ON MINE AND OTHERS BEHALF WE CAN RESOLVE THIS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCK'S DASHBOARD STARTED BREAKING UP INTO PIECES AND HAS BECOME WORSE SINCE 2007. PIECES FROM DASH ARE FALLING DOWN INTO THE AREA THAT HOUSES THE SPEEDOMETER & OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS THAT ARE VITAL TO THE FUNCTIONING OF THE VEHICLE PLUS WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIR BAGS BEING EXPOSED. EVERY TIME WE GO OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD.....PIECES FLY OFF THE DASHBOARD & SURROUNDING AREAS OF THE DASHBOARD.......MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS HIT BY ONE OF THESE PIECES. AFTER CHECKING ON COMPUTER, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR YEARS ON THE 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP, COMPLAINTS RANGE FROM CALIFORNIA TO FLORIDA...I AM VERY CONCERNED OUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. PLEASE GO ONLINE AND CHECK COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHATTERED INTO SMALL PIECES AND FELL INTO THE DASHBOARD. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

SEVERAL ELECTRICAL ISSUES DUE TO PIECES FROM BROKEN DASHBOARD FALLING INTO DASH AREA WEARING AND CUTTING AWAY WIRING INSULATION. HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHTS TURNING OFF AND GAUGES NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. ALSO ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS HAVE SEEN SMOKE RISING OUT OF LARGE HOLES IN DASH AREA. GLARE FROM MOUNTING BRACKETS REFLECTING OFF INSIDE OF WINDSHIELD HAS CREATED VISIBILITY ISSUES ON BRIGHT DAYS. *TR

THE DASH PANELS ON MY 01 DODGE 1500 RAM QUAD CAB TRUCK HAVE CRACKED AND ARE FALLING APART. THE HOLES IN THE DASH HAVE EXPOSED WIRING AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. IT APPEARS THE MOLDED PLASTICS USED IN THE DASH PANELS ARE DETERIORATING OVER TIME DUE TO THE SUN'S HEAT AND RAYS. I SUSPECT, LIKE POLYPROPOLENE TUBING, ALL DASHES MADE OF THIS DEFECTIVE PLASTIC WILL DESINIGRATE. ANYWAY, AFTER SOME RESEARCH IT SEEMS THAT A AFTERMARKET DASH COVER IS THE BEST REMEDY, HOWEVER I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHARP EDGES OF THE OLD DASH PANEL COULD CUT SOME WIRING OVER TIME AND CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE. *TR