2002 Dodge RAM 1500

SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING HIGHWAY 281, MY ENGINE FELL ON IT'S FACE. I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL BUT GOT NOTHING BUT RPM'S FROM THE ENGINE. I BEGAN TO MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT WITH NO POWER, LITTLE STEERING, A DASH FULL OF ERROR LIGHTS, AND DOING MY BEST NOT TO GET HIT BY PASSING VEHICLES. ONCE I GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE ENGINE WASN'T RUNNING. I STARTED THE ENGINE AND CHECKED MY GAUGES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, THE WATER TEMP WAS NEAR THE RED ZONE, AND THE ENGINE SOUND LIKE BOWLING BALL IN A DRYER. THERE WAS FLUID ON THE GROUND OR SMOKE FROM THE TAILPIPES SO I FELT IT WAS SAFER TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY WITH THE TRUCK. NEAR THE EXIT, I PULLED IN A STATION WHERE I CHECKED THE TRUCK AND TOP-OFF THE WATER. THE SOUND WAS LIKE A DROPPED ROCKER ARM. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY FROM THE "FACTORY" COATING INSIDE THE OIL PAN HAD DELAMINATED AND WAS SUCKED INTO THE PICKUP TUBE. THE COATING THEN PLUGGED THE SCREEN AND PICKUP TUBE. I CALLED DODGE CARES AND THEY TRIED TO BLAME ME THEN THE OIL. I TOLD THEM I'VE NEVER USED ADDITIVES, ALWAYS USE MOBIL ONE, AND I HAD RECEIPTS DATING BACK TO THE DAY I DROVE THE TRUCK OFF THE LOT NEW. THEY CLAIMED THIS WAS A NON-ISSUE AND IT HAD NOT BE REPORTED BEFORE NOW. I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF MY VEHICLES AND TO BE TOLD A MANUFACTURING ERROR IS MY FAULT DOES NOT SET WELL WITH ME. NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ENGINE BECAUSE SOME ENGINEER WAS DUMB ENOUGH TO COAT THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE OIL PAN. I NORMALLY TRAVEL DURING THE NIGHT INTO EARLY HOURS OF THE DAY. WHAT IF THIS HAD HAPPEN WHILE I WAS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NO-WHERE. I'M HANDICAPPED; I COULDN'T HAVE WALKED A QUART OF A MILE FOR HELP. WHAT IF MY 70-YEAR MOTHER HAD BEEN DRIVING MY TRUCK AT THE TIME! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN REAL BAD!!! AND THEN TO BE TOLD IT'S NON-PROBLEM. I HAVE PICTURES IF YOU WANT TO SEE THEM. *TR

AIR CONDITIONING WORKS FINE, AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. WHEN STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR INTERSECTIONS, THE A/C GETS WARM, AS IF THE CONDENSER IS NOT WORKING. WHEN STARTING UP AGAIN, IT GETS COLD AFTER A BIT OF TIME. SEARCHED THE INTERNET, AND FOUND THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT OCCURS OFTEN, AND MANY SAID CHECK THE FUSE #39. ON AUG. 1, I CHECKED THE FUSE, AND FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC AND METAL PARTS OF THE FUSE HAD MELTED ONTO THE SPOT IT WAS PLUGGED INTO. ALL OF THE OTHER FUSES SEEM TO BE FINE, BUT THERE IS A TINY CHUNK OF METAL I CANNOT REMOVE FROM THE FUSEBOX TO PLUG IN ANOTHER FUSE, NOR DO I WANT TO PLUG IN ANOTHER FUSE, AS I DON'T KNOW WHY THE PREVIOUS ONE MELTED. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS COVERED IN ANY RECALLS. ALSO, WHEN I TRIED TO HAVE THE TRUCK INSPECTED, IT FAILED FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL RECALLS LISTED IN THE POSSIBLE CAUSE LIST FOR THE CODE THAT REGISTERED IN THE INSPECTION MACHINE. *TR

I WAS REAR ENDED AT A RED LIGHT AND MY DASH BOARD SUSTAINED MULTIPLE FRACTURES. PART OF THE DASH BOARD FRACTURED AND BECAME AIRBORNE IN THE VEHICLE. IT WAS THE SIZE OF AN IPHONE. THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER PART OF THE DASHBOARD WHERE A HOLE IS PRESENT AND THE DASH BOARD IS SUNKEN IN. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE QUALITY AND SAFETY ISSUES. PHOTOS WERE FORWARDED TO MY ATTORNEY. *TR

CRACKS BEGIN TO APPEAR IN THE DASHBOARD IN APRIL 2009 JUST BELOW THE WINDSHIELD AND HAVE NOW BEGAN TO SHOW UP IN THE MAIN DASHBOARD CAP. A LARGE GAPING SLIT NEAR THE INSTRUMENT DISPLAY APPEAR ON JULY 5, 2012. ON JULY 11, 2012 POWER WAS LOST TO THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHICH ALSO INCLUDED THE HAZARDS, TURNING SIGNALS, BRAKE LIGHTS AND ONE HEAD LIGHT. REQUESTED ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH THE CHRYSLER/DODGE, OFFICIAL WEBSITE POSSIBLE RECALLS AND I WAS CONTACTED VIA PHONE 24 HOURS LATER WITH A CONFIRMATION THAT NO PENDING OR MISSED RECALLS WERE IN PLACE FOR THE TRUCK. WHEN ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY SOLUTIONS TO THE COMPLAINTS OF CRACKED DASHBOARDS IN THE DODGE RAM 1500 MADE IN 2002, THE REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THAT THERE WERE NO KNOWN COMPLAINTS LISTED FOR THE DASHBOARD AND PROVIDED NO RESOURCE IN BETTER REPLACEMENT PART. SCHEDULED TO HAVE VEHICLE CHECK THE WEEK OF JULY 16,2012. *TR

THE DASHBOARD IN THE 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 HAS MULTIPLE HAIRLINE CRACKS AND PIECES ARE BEGINNING TO FALL BEHIND THE DASH. I'M AFRAID THAT THESE PIECES COULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE FUNCTION OF THE AIRBAGS, HEATING / COOLING SYSTEM, OR OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE. IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT THERE COULD BE FRAGMENTS THAT BREAK APART AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE EYE DAMAGE OR SEVERE LACERATIONS. I HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FROM NUMEROUS OWNERS CONCERNING THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE DASH CAP IN MY DODGE RAM 1500 HAS CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES. THIS HAS CAUSED MANY VERY SHARP SHARDS OF PLASTIC THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN A COLLISION RESULTING IN UNNECESSARY INJURY TO ANY PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS SHOULD TRIGGER A FULL RECALL OF ALL TRUCKS AFFECTED. CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND WILL NOT VOLUNTARILY START A RECALL. I MYSELF HAVE CUT MY FINGERS AND HANDS JUST WIPING OFF THE DASH BOARD WHILE CLEANING. I BEG OF YOU TO START AN INVESTIGATION BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED VERY BADLY IN AN ACCIDENT BY THESE SHARDS BECOMING PROJECTILES. THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THESE TRUCKS. PLEASE TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY! *TR

NOTICED WHILE DRIVING THAT THE RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE UPPER DASHBOARD PIECE NEXT TO THE WINDOW WAS RATTLING. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT TWO OF THE ATTACHMENT POST FOR THE PANEL WERE COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE UPPER DASH PANEL ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE PANEL WHICH MATE TO A FRICTION CLAMP UNDER THE PANEL.ALSO NOTICED THAT THE SPEAKER GRILL WAS CRACKED AND COMING APART IN THE SAME AREA. NOTE: THE DASH AREA HAS NEVER BEEN DISTURBED SINCE NEW OR HAS BEEN IN A WRECK OR HAS THE DASH HAD ANY KIND OF IMPACT. PERHAPS IF DODGE HAD PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON QUALITY THAN PROFIT ,THEY WOULD BE IN BETTER SHAPE. *TT

THE DASHBOARD OF MY DODGE RAM IS DISINTEGRATING INTO SHARP POINTED SHARDS OF PLASTIC. THE PLASTIC MATERIAL WHICH MAKES UP THE DASH HAS CHANGED IN IT CHARACTERISTICS SO AS TO BECOME QUITE BRITTLE. THE POTENTIAL FOR THESE SHARDS TO BECOME PROJECTILES AND/OR ANYTHING COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE DASH CAUSING THE DASH TO FREELY BREAK APART INTO HUNDREDS OF KNIFE-LIKE BLADES AND CAUSING INJURY, IS IMMINENT. WE HAVE MADE GIANT STRIDES IN VEHICLE OCCUPANT SAFETY BY REQUIRING SHATTER PROOF GLASS, REQUIRING OCCUPANTS TO USE SEATBELTS, ETC. . NOW WE ARE FACING OTHER DILEMMAS WHERE MANUFACTURERS HAVE INTRODUCED MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VEHICLES WHICH MAY NEGATE THOSE SAFETY PROGRESSIVE INNOVATION GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO IMPLEMENT. ALTHOUGH MY CURRENT CONCERN MAY BE PREVENTIVE IN NATURE I BELIEVE ANY REASONABLE AND PRUDENT PERSON CAN EASILY DEDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR GRAVE HARM WHICH MAY BEFALL THE CONSUMER UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES. THE DODGE DASHBOARD REPRESENTS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THESE VEHICLES. *JS