2001 Dodge RAM 2500

I have a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500. In 2003, I noticed parts of the dash, starting to break apart. In 2004, I had a major head on collision, and the airbag, did NOT deploy. The damage was extensive, with bent frame. The damage was $17,000 in 2004. I was told by the Chrysler Dealership, that did the repairs, that they could not check the condition of the airbag wiring, because the dashboard was broken. I wonder how many others out there, that have the same issue, with the dashboard, and don't have a working airbag. The other issue I have, is the seatbelt tensioner, has caused the seatbelt, to get chewed up. The belt, is now, no more than an inch wide.

WHILE DRIVING MY TRUCK AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE THE TRUCK SHUT DOWN. NO POWER TO THE ENGINE, LIGHTS ETC. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND FOUND MENTION OF A WIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT AFTER A FEW YEARS OF TILTING THE STEERING WHEEL UP AND DOWN THE WIRE WILL BREAK. I REMOVED THE ACCESS COVER TO THE STEERING COLUMN AND FOUND THE RED MAIN POWER WIRE HAD BROKEN OFF. I WAS LUCKY THIS HAPPENED AS I STOPPED MY VEHICLE. MY CONCERN IS IF I OR SOMEONE ELSE IS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AND THIS WIRE BREAKS ALL POWER TO THE STEERING, BRAKES, ETC. IS LOST. I HAVE TEMPORARILY REPAIRED THE WIRE IN MY TRUCK BUT I WILL NO LONGER TILT THE STEERING WHEEL FOR FEAR OF THIS WIRE BREAKING AGAIN. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE AND I AM AMAZED THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500. THE VEHICLE FAILED AN INSPECTION DUE TO THE COMPREHENSIVE COMPONENT MONITOR, MISFIRE MONITOR, FUEL SYSTEM, AND THE MONITOR NOT BEING RECOGNIZED. THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY AND THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOFTWARE NEEDED TO REFLASHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 192,000.

THE DASHBOARD STARTED TO DISINTEGRATE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE. AT 70,000 MILES IT HAD OPENED UP A GIANT SINKHOLE AND STARTED CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHORTAGES, LIKE HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING. NOW EVERY TIME THE FAN IS RUN, SMALL PIECES FLY AROUND THE CAB. A PIECE GOT INTO MY EYE WHILE DRIVING, IT WAS A BAD SITUATION. I HAD TO BE TREATED WITH ANTIBIOTICS IN EYE FOR A CUT. NOW I AM SERIOUSLY CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY IN THE EVENT THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY. SHARP SHARDS OF SHRAPNEL COULD BE FORCED INTO MY BODY BY THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING. IT IS A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION FOR DRIVER AND PASSENGER. I AM HAVING THE WHOLE DASH REPLACED AT MY OWN COST BECAUSE OF THIS. DODGE REFUSES TO HELP. UNFORTUNATELY MY MECHANIC SAYS HE REPLACES THESE ALL THE TIME BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT IN TWO YEARS NEW DASH IS DISINTEGRATING AGAIN. THIS IS CLEARLY AN UNSAFE SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH, BEFORE FATALITIES OCCUR. *TR

THE DASHBOARD IN THIS VEHICLE STARTED TO DISINTEGRATE AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD A DASH COVER AND WINDOW SUN PROTECTION IN AT ALL TIMES, SINCE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS LIKE A SINKHOLE OPENING UP IN DASH. IT IS NOW CAUSING WIRING PROBLEMS TO THE POINT I HAVE IT IN THE SHOP. CALLED DODGE TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL AS THE MECHANIC SAID HE HAS THE SAME TRUCK, WITH SAME ISSUE, AND EVERY DODGE 2001 TRUCK HE WORKS ON HAS THE SAME ISSUE. DODGE WOULD NOT COMMENT. I HAVE A DODGE RAM 2500 1992, AND THE DASH LOOKS LIKE NEW. IT IS A DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. IT CAN CAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS TO SHORT OUT WHILE DRIVING. *TR

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500. HE STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS CRACKING. HE NOTICED APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AGO THAT THERE WERE SMALLER CRACKS WHICH HAVE INCREASED OVER TIME. THE DEALER QUOTED AN ESTIMATE REPAIR COST OF $570.00 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THEY ALSO TOOK PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE. CHRYSLER'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THEY ARE RESEARCHING THE FAILURE AND THAT THEY WILL CONTACT HIM REGARDING IT. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY HAZARD SINCE AN INJURY COULD OCCUR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 196,000.