Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||
| 02/16/2005 | 70000 | ||
| Dash crumbling and falling apart, big chunks just break away when you hit a bump or just touch the dash exposing wires, air ducts and heater core, i've had pieces fly out of air ducts while ac is on, hitting me in the face, i would hate to imagine what would happen if i'm involved in a wreck and an air bag deploy with shards of sharp plastic flying at my face or body, it would be like knives flying at you and stabbing or cutting you severely. this prob started not long after purchasing the truck used, after about 70,000-75,000 miles this problem started, i believe dodge should at least pay for a new dash made with better plastic, i've heard of and know other people with dodges that have the same problem, i've been told but don't know how true it is but supposedly dodge was using defective plastic in the dashes from i think 97 through 05 | |||
| 01/02/2002 | 48000 | ||
| Dash is cracked and it poses a threat of injury either in a minor accident. due to its extent of damage it continues it could affect the proper deployment of the airbag. it could so cause the airbag to become a weapon. in some cases the plastic parts that fall loose from the dash as the dash continues to deteriorate end up in the vent systems and can blow out when the fan is turned on. i wish you would investigate as dodge won't admit it is a defect. when they do install a replacement dash it is also defective and the cycle repeats. dodge needs to help the thousands who are affected by this problem. | |||
| 06/08/2009 | |||
| I noticed a slight line in the dash sometime in 2009, next to the windshield and about 5 or 6 inches from the passenger door. i thought that it was a surface scratch. later on, it got longer and longer, becoming noticeable as a crack, until now it is all the way across the dash and to the glove compartment, coming at an angle towards the middle of the truck. about a year after i noticed that the crack had gotten longer, perhaps 1/2 way across the dashboard, i was hit in the back end by another vehicle. about 7 months after that, the crack elongated to it's full length across the dash from the windshield to the glove compartment. i am worried that the dash will fall in. | |||
| 09/17/2008 | 150000 | ||
| Dashboard falling apart. looks like a jigsaw puzzle. have done a search online to find out this is a problem that continues from year 1998 through 2010. dodge refuses to acknowledge there is a problem. however, i feel the dash having jagged edges pointing at you would be a safety hazard. | |||
| 02/12/2010 | 176419 | ||
| The dashboard on my truck has broken into many pieces. these pieces have fallen into the passenger side airbag. if these pieces were to be expelled in the event of an airbag deployment, severe injury could result from flying shrapnel. this problem is very prevelant in dodge ram trucks. something must be done. owners should not be required to pay an average of $750 to repair an obvious defect in materials. i personally know 4 people in my town with the exact problem. there are hundreds of complaints that owners have posted online. this dangerous condition must be remediated. | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 93000 | ||
| My dashboard started developing cracks about a months ago, and they just kept getting worse. currently there is a huge hole in my dashboard exposing wires (radio no longer works properly) and the passenger side airbag. | |||
| 03/03/2003 | 40000 | ||
| In march of 2003 i noticed that the dashboard of my dodge ram truck was beginning to crack. within a few more months, the cracks had spread over the entire surface so the pieces could easily be removed. | |||
| 04/10/2002 | |||
| Cracked dash | |||
| 01/11/2011 | 86416 | ||
| One day got into vechicle and noticed the dash cracking in several places. notice more cracking everytime i get into vechicle. have not replaced. | |||
| 04/10/2002 | |||
| Cracked dash | |||
| 01/11/2011 | 86416 | ||
| One day got into vechicle and noticed the dash cracking in several places. notice more cracking everytime i get into vechicle. have not replaced. | |||
| 04/10/2002 | |||
| Cracked dash | |||
| 01/11/2011 | 86416 | ||
| One day got into vechicle and noticed the dash cracking in several places. notice more cracking everytime i get into vechicle. have not replaced. | |||
| 04/10/2002 | |||
| Cracked dash | |||
| 01/11/2011 | 86416 | ||
| One day got into vechicle and noticed the dash cracking in several places. notice more cracking everytime i get into vechicle. have not replaced. | |||
| 04/10/2002 | |||
| Cracked dash | |||
| 01/11/2011 | 86416 | ||
| One day got into vechicle and noticed the dash cracking in several places. notice more cracking everytime i get into vechicle. have not replaced. | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 150000 | ||
| I have a 99 dodge ram 1500. the dash is broken in so many different pieces. i looked down in one of the holes that are now in my dash and saw a piece resting on some wires. if left there i could see how after time it could wear through the insulation on multiple wires and cause them to arc or get hot and possibly cause a fire. is this right that dodge has done nothing about it and will not do anything for the consumer when contacted ? there should be a recall on the dash , but thats my 2 cents i guess. | |||
| 12/01/2007 | 50000 | ||
| My truck dash on my 1999 dodge ram is cracked in about 20 different pieces. this started about 4 years ago and i brought it to the attention of my local dodge dealer and they said it was a common problem, but was not recalled. it has gotten worse over the years. chrysler/dodge says this is an isolated problem in a press release, but it is not. i am a police officer and have stopped an estimated 50-75 dodge ram trucks from around this year and have yet to see a single one that does not have a cracked dash. i have seen a recent news story about this on my local news and have seen thousands of complaints on the internet. | |||
| 01/01/2008 | |||
| Dashboard on truck has completely fallen through. | |||
| 02/01/2002 | 50000 | ||
| Dashboard cracking issue. i have a 1999 dodge ram 1500 sport. two years after purchasing the vehicle i noticed a crack in my dashboard. i took it to dodge and they said that i broke it and there was nothing they could do. over time since the dash has cracked it has gotten worse. there are several large cracks in the dash as well as a huge chunk missing right above the instrument cluster. this causes a glare in the windshield that is dangerous and may cause a wreck. there is exposed wiring in the dash that may short out, due to parts of the dash falling on it or the heat of the sun. this may cause either the air bag to deploy, wipers not to function properly during use in rainy conditions, or the headlights not working during the night that could result in a crash injuring an occupant. i have already noticed sun fading on the wiring. i keep it covered with a towel to reduce the risk of sun exposure. the vehicle has been keep in my garage most of its life. there are 5 dodge ram's in my family and they all have this issue. this is not a isolated incident with these trucks and is not my fault. i paid over 22,000 dollars for this truck in 2000 and it only has 135,000 miles on it. i keep my vehicle very well maintained and clean . every dodge ram on the road that i see has this issue. so there are thousands of trucks out there with this issue. they are all hazardous to operate in the present condition . i hope that it does not take someone getting hurt by this issue for it to get resolved. the resolution: it is my opinion that the ntsb make dodge issue a recall for the dashboard problem. the consumer should be able to make an appointment with their local dealer. the part should be replaced with not cost to the owner of the vehicle. this is a very dangerous situation for the driver/passenger of the vehicle as well as other motorist around the subject vehicle. | |||
| 02/06/2011 | |||
| Craked dashboard. its dangerous because the edges are very sharp. i have already change it once but the same problem happend again. suggesting a recall on dodge ram cracked dashboards | |||
| 03/15/2011 | 99276 | ||
| Entire dash is completely cracked and gone. front instrument cluster has nothing to attach to and falls off when i drive. | |||
| 01/01/2001 | |||
| Approximately 2 years after the purchase of my then brand new dodge ram 1500, the dashboard began to crack. the cracks continued to grow in size and increase in number until chunks of the dashboard began to cave in and pop out. currently the dashboard is either missing completely in very large sections, or chipped, cracked and caved in in others. there is no way that this will not cause, or is a safety issue in an accident, or even just under normal operating conditions. | |||
| 07/14/2004 | 90000 | ||
| Crackeddashboard | |||
| 06/01/2009 | 85000 | ||
| Dashboard cracked in 2 different areas. one crack is inline with the steering wheel. the other is inline with the passenger air bag. both run from the windshield back towards the seat. | |||
| 07/15/2009 | 86000 | ||
| My 1999 dodge ram truck dash assembly is falling apart. the upper pad started by cracking and finally falling into the main dash area about 70% of the dash pad is broken off. now the main dash assembly is cracking and unable to hold the accessories attached to it on its own. i am asking dodge to replace the dash assembly at their cost with no luck. | |||
| 09/02/2010 | |||
| 1998 dodge ram 1500, left rear tire came off the vehicle. unit 2 lugs that held the tire were broken off. bf | |||
| 06/13/2010 | |||
| My 1999 dodge ram 1500 dash is weathered anc dracked badly. this seems to be a very common thing among dodge rams of this age. i fear that in a crash situation the dash could be very harmful when dislodged. the edges of the cracks are very sharp and would become airborn very easily in an impact. | |||
| 09/02/2010 | |||
| 1998 dodge ram 1500, left rear tire came off the vehicle. unit 2 lugs that held the tire were broken off. bf | |||
| 06/13/2010 | |||
| My 1999 dodge ram 1500 dash is weathered anc dracked badly. this seems to be a very common thing among dodge rams of this age. i fear that in a crash situation the dash could be very harmful when dislodged. the edges of the cracks are very sharp and would become airborn very easily in an impact. | |||
| 09/02/2010 | |||
| 1998 dodge ram 1500, left rear tire came off the vehicle. unit 2 lugs that held the tire were broken off. bf | |||
| 06/13/2010 | |||
| My 1999 dodge ram 1500 dash is weathered anc dracked badly. this seems to be a very common thing among dodge rams of this age. i fear that in a crash situation the dash could be very harmful when dislodged. the edges of the cracks are very sharp and would become airborn very easily in an impact. | |||
| 09/02/2010 | |||
| 1998 dodge ram 1500, left rear tire came off the vehicle. unit 2 lugs that held the tire were broken off. bf | |||
| 06/13/2010 | |||
| My 1999 dodge ram 1500 dash is weathered anc dracked badly. this seems to be a very common thing among dodge rams of this age. i fear that in a crash situation the dash could be very harmful when dislodged. the edges of the cracks are very sharp and would become airborn very easily in an impact. | |||
| 09/02/2010 | |||
| 1998 dodge ram 1500, left rear tire came off the vehicle. unit 2 lugs that held the tire were broken off. bf | |||
| 06/13/2010 | |||
| My 1999 dodge ram 1500 dash is weathered anc dracked badly. this seems to be a very common thing among dodge rams of this age. i fear that in a crash situation the dash could be very harmful when dislodged. the edges of the cracks are very sharp and would become airborn very easily in an impact. | |||
| 08/18/2008 | |||
| The upper dash panel/pad in the 1999 series of dodge ram pickup's has been experiencing cracks in it. these cracks start and then do not stop. on my particular truck i am missing a huge chunk of the dash due to this problem. i have searched and searched the internet for a replacement part, but to my surprise there are none at a decent replacement rate. the body man i spoke to at a local dealership says that all the dodge dash pads are like this, and i have found him to be correct. i have read countless numbers of incidents of similar proportions in forums all over the internet about this same problem. i would really like to see makers of dodge issue a recall on this item and replace it at no cost to owners like me experiencing this problem with a product that will not crack like this one has. it is dangerous to people not only by the sharp corners of broken pieces of dashboard, but for some it has shorted out wires that have melted from exposure to the sun and caused severe risk to their safety. please, please, please do something about this. i myself have cut my arm open on a piece of broken dash when one out of no where just decides to break off. | |||
| 09/20/2008 | 135000 | ||
| Cracking and broken dash. the dash around the air vents and pillars are broken away in large chunks with cracks extending from around 3 around the perimeter of the dash. dash is loose as a result of the cracking and broken peices that have fallen out. this is a common problem to dodgre rams. dodge should take responsibility and replace the dashboards with decent ones instead of expecting customers to pay $800 for the same inferior and faulty part. these dashboards should be replaced due to an obvious manufacturing flaw/problem. | |||
| 12/09/2002 | 22000 | ||
| Should have never cracked kept board cleaned and well hydrated using proper cleaning procedures. cracked dashboard cracked dashboard causes cut hazard due to sharp edges | |||
| 09/20/2008 | 135000 | ||
| Cracking and broken dash. the dash around the air vents and pillars are broken away in large chunks with cracks extending from around 3 around the perimeter of the dash. dash is loose as a result of the cracking and broken peices that have fallen out. this is a common problem to dodgre rams. dodge should take responsibility and replace the dashboards with decent ones instead of expecting customers to pay $800 for the same inferior and faulty part. these dashboards should be replaced due to an obvious manufacturing flaw/problem. | |||
| 12/09/2002 | 22000 | ||
| Should have never cracked kept board cleaned and well hydrated using proper cleaning procedures. cracked dashboard cracked dashboard causes cut hazard due to sharp edges | |||
| 05/20/2005 | 100000 | ||
| I have a 1999 dodge ram 1500 and the dash is completely broken out. i had electrical problems after the piece fell inside dash. right now i just have a peice of cloth over the hole to keep the sun off the wiring. the sharp edges are danderous if i was ever involved in a crash. | |||
| 01/10/2009 | 90000 | ||
| Among the thousands of dodge owners, my dash has imploded. it started in jan. while using the defrosters. cracks just appeared from the defrosters out the entire dash. i have been trying to find a replacement without luck. now the heater core and condenser were replaced and there isn't enough of the dash left to put a cover over. my wife read the complaints about the dashes and airbag failures, and refuses to ride in the truck with me for fear of the airbag and/or projectiles coming from the dash. | |||
| 06/08/2010 | |||
| 1999 dodge ram with major cracks on dashboard and anything that mounts to it. glove box snaps off because it is also mounted and made of the defective plastic.very unsafe if an accident were to occur with jagged sharp plastic pieces. electrical system defects due to the sun beating down on exposed wiring because there is no dashboard to cover it. dodge will not admit to it being a problem that they will recall. it will have to take someone getting severely injured for dodge to maybe reconsider there decision of recalling the dashboard. | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 100000 | ||
| 1999 dodge ram 1500 4x4 quad cab. dash has 2 holes where the dash has cracked and fallen thru. i researched this problem and found hundreds of claims on message boards with some people saying that the plastic falling on wires caused shorting out electronics. | |||
| 06/05/2010 | 62000 | ||
| I have a 1999 dodge ram 1500 with a severely cracked dash and recently my daughter cut her hand on it. how the ntsb can say that this widespread problem is not a vehicle occupant haszard is beyond me. someone needs to force chrysler corp to fix / replace these dash skins before someone gets seriously hurt.. | |||
| 07/10/2004 | 55000 | ||
| Dashboard cracked and continues to get worse; afraid it may fall in and ruin some of the wiring or trip the airbag to come out. the cracking started shortly after the warranty ran out and the dealer said they would not nor would dodge cover the repair or replacement. pretty said and i found a website with over 99 people complaining about the same issues. this should be fixed by dodge. | |||
| 04/25/2001 | 40000 | ||
| Dash is cracking very bad.this is not the way a dash should look. this also takes away the value of my truck very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |||
| 05/19/2008 | |||
| Dash cracked ,getting worse,pointy pieces of hard plastic that could be dangerous in an accident,and also exposing wiring and air bag to sun damage | |||
| 04/01/2004 | 50000 | ||
| Purchased a 1999 dodge 1500 with approximately 49k miles on it in 2004. hvae had continual problem with dash breaking. it is now to the point that i feel the passenger side airbag will be impaired or even become lethal if it deployed. this appears to be a defect with numerous other owners having the same complaint. dodge has refused to help correct problem. this makes it potentially hazardous for a front seat passenger. i am afraid with the condition of the dash at this point serious bodily injury may occur due to its condition. it almost appears that the default has caused the position of the dash to change subsequently changing the position of the airbag. | |||
| 03/19/2010 | |||
| My husband and i both have dodge ram 1500 trucks and both dashboards are cracking my husbands is worse and has a hole that is large enough to put your head into. i was driving home from work a few nights ago when mine exploded or what sounded like someone fired a gun in the cab of my truck this is very dangerous and there are alot of complaints when is someone going to get off thier rearends and do something about this or is it going to take someone wrecking and possibly dying to get chrsylers attention and let me just say they are dang lucky that i was stopped when it happened cause if i had wrecked my truck i would have thrown a massive lawsuist on these people and i dont care who it would of hurt this is insane. my best friends son cut his hand open on his dash because of it there is no need this needs to be fixed it is a hazard. hell0 fix it | |||
| 09/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| 1. no specific even lead up to the failure. the item in question has broken on it's own. 2. the dashboard has broken in two different places. one of the large cracks is directly over the passenger airbag which is concerning as airbag deployment could cause the entire dashboard to shatter resulting in a higher injury rate to the front passenger. 3. after doing research and determining that numerous owners of the dodge ram pick-up are having the same exact issue i contacted chrysler to look into replacing the dashboard. currently waiting for their response. *tr | |||
| 09/09/2008 | 180000 | 1 | |
| At about 180,000 miles the dash cracked and within 3,000 miles the center of the dash completely fell in and keeps breaking more. *tr | |||
| 10/06/2007 | 97000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge ram 1500. while the contact was examining his vehicle, he noticed that the dashboard was completely falling apart. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the entire dashboard needed to be replaced. in addition, the instrument panel lights would not operate correctly. the vin was unknown. the current mileage was 99,000 and failure mileage was 97,000. | |||
| 02/01/2008 | 75000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the entire dashboard was cracking into multiple pieces. he did not notice any differences in the dashboard prior to the failure. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current mileage was 82,000 and failure mileage was 75,000. | |||