2002 Dodge RAM 1500

STARTING AT THE BEING OF 2007, MY DASH HAS BEEN FALLING APART. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD IT WASN'T COVERED AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $1400 BUCKS TO REPLACE AND INSTALL THE NEW PARTS. I'VE TRIED TO TALK TO DODGE BUT THEY REFUSE TO HELP. NOW NOT ONLY IS THE DASH FALLING APART BUT SWITCH PANELS AND THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE PANEL. IT'S LIKE I'M DRIVING A LARGE POTATO CHIP; EVERY WEEK, I FIND SOMETHING NEW THAT'S FALLING APART. (PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE IF I NEED TO POST THEM HERE). *TR

ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO TWO CRACKS IN THE DASH STARTED, ONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DASH BY THE WINDSHIELD, THE OTHER ONE WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE BY THE AIR BAG ALL THE WAY DOWN. THIS SHOULD NOT BE . DODGE NEEDS TO COME UP WITH A REPLACEMENT FOR THESE TWO DASH PIECES, THE VALUE OF THE TRUCK IS NOW JUNK IF NOT REPLACED. WILL THE AIR BAG STILL WORK RIGHT DON'T KNOW. *TR

JOINING THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH CRACKED DASH PROBLEMS ON OUR 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. OVER. 2 YEARS AGO, WE NOTICED A CRACK ON THE FRONT PORTION OF THE DASH AT THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS IS SEPARATE TO THE MAIN DASH COVER. NOW, WE HAVE A NEW CRACK NEAR THE RIGHT SIDE AIR BAG ON THE MAIN PORTION. AT BEST, IT IS UNSIGHTLY FOR A VEHICLE AS EXPENSIVE AS THIS. AS A SAFETY CONCERN, WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE IS GARAGED MOST OF THE TIME BECAUSE IT IS A SECOND VEHICLE. IT APPEARS A WASTE OF TIME TO TALK TO A DEALERSHIP UNLESS YOU HAVE AN EXTRA $800 KICKING AROUND THE WALLET. IF DODGE/CHRYSLER DOES NOT WANT TO FACE UP TO THE PROBLEM AND THE NHSTA IS NOT TAKING ACTION,MAYBE SOME PICKETING OF THE DEALERSHIPS AND MEDIA INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING SHOULD BE DONE. IS THERE ANY CLASS ACTIONS PENDING? IF NOT, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE ENOUGH PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM TO START ONE. *TR

2002 DODGE RAM 1500. LONG PERPENDICULAR CRACKS IN DASH. BOUGHT PERMA PLATE WARRANTY AT TIME PURCHASE. REPLACEMENT OF THE DASH COSTS UPWARDS OF $1500 BY TWO DEALERSHIPS. PERMA PLATE MERELY REFUNDED ME MY $299 WARRANTY. I TAKE METICULOUS CARE OF MY VEHICLE. THIS IS A DEFECT AS MY CAR IS TYPICALLY PARKED IN THE SHADE. I AM AN AIRLINE PILOT AND MY VEHICLE SITS IN COVERED PARKING. PERMA PLATE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS COMMON IN THE DODGE RAM 1500 MODEL AND DIRECTED ME TO DO A WEB SEARCH. I WAS AMAZED AT THE HIGH NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS REFLECTING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. DODGE SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE. WHAT AN EMBARRASSMENT TO HAVE SUCH A NICE TRUCK CRACKING LIKE THIS. LASTLY, FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, THE CRACK RUNS NEAR THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT LOCATION. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS CRACK WOULD CAUSE PROBLEMS IN AN ACCIDENT. I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT UPON REVIEW OF THE HIGH NUMBER OF INCIDENTS HERE THAT DODGE SHOULD ADDRESS THE ISSUE WITH MORE THAN STATISTICS...THEY SHOULD SIMPLY BACK THEIR PRODUCT. *TR