8.6
pretty bad
accessories - interior problem
My 97 Dodge Ram 1500 has 95% of the dash missing!! Part of the instrument panel is also missing. I have had pieces the size of dinner plates break off and hit the floor! This is unsafe, something needs to be done before someone gets seriously injured.
- Mark H., Conway, AR, US
Love pretty much everything else about the truck but this dash is making driving difficult. The headlight switch is wanting to fall away, the stereo just bounces around in the stereo compartment, the overdrive switch and fog lamp buttons are just floating in their place. The cup holder doesn't work at all because I had to rig up a support to pull the dash into place. I actually found a donor pickup to pull the dash from and replaced it on my own. But even that dash was falling apart before I put it in. These dashes are garbage. At least make a replacement dash. Cant even find a replacement and the dealers won't even sell them. Pretty sad. If Dodge doesn't do something to fix these dashes they are going to lose a ton of customers in the future.
- Brian H., Meridianville, US
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Entire dash is falling apart, this is now a safety issue.
- Corey C., St Cloud, FL, US
In all our years we have never seen anything like this issue. The dash is actually disintegrating to dust. Called, no help, out of warranty. We have other cars that are older and no such problem has ever make our dash turn to dust .
Update from Aug 18, 2018: total disaster for with plastic flying around, if we had an accident the plastic shards could kill a passenger.
- Donald T., Carpinteria, US
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It's very sad when your car starts literally falling apart. The dashboard is coming off in large pieces. Yes, this is a potential danger, as these sharp pieces start falling when you hit a bump or stop quickly. There should be a fairly cheap way to get this resolved. I'm open to covering part of the cost, but should not have to cover a defective produce 100%.
Thanks,
- davidtroutman, Pelham, US
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
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My 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 sport was new and I am the only owner. I took very good care of my truck, kept it clean. But my dash slowly began to crack more and more until now...there is no dash just fragments. this only happens with years 1997 thru 2005. this is known to be a manufacturing problem. trucks are an investment. And if you take care of your investment you should expect it last .
- Benny C., Houston, TX, US
for about 2 years the upper dash has been cracking ...very brittle..now there are pieces falling through to the floor and large holes are in the dash last Dodge.
- Greg H., Lorton, VA, US
The exterior of the truck is very nice but the dash is an eyesore.
- Edward L., Richmond, US
The top fell apart and I replaced it but the stress it put on all the lower plastic parts caused them to crack and break now i'm worried the whole thing is going to drop into the floor board.
- Cory H., Winter Haven, FL, US
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Right now there is no dashboard, I buy a yard of dark fabric to wrap 2 pieces of foam in order to simulate the top of dashboard,whem driving and hit a bump pieces of the dashboard coming apart as a flying object. I cant even use my A/C also the steering wheel cover is fallingl apart. In other words all plastic material inside the cabin is breaking into pieces.... I love my RAM 1500 but if the company dont want to help RAM owners to fixes this problem a problem created by the company with the bad quality of material they pick in order to made the dash... by the way what happen to the QUALITY CONTROLTEAM blame on them..
- win121, S.J, Puerto Rico
IT IS A SHAME THAT MY DODGE RUN SO GOOD TO HAVE MY DASH FALLING A PART, EVEN WITH THE COVER EVERYDAY A LITTLE PART FALLS OFF. FOR FUTURE SALES THIS SHOULD BE FIXED. THEY SHOULD LOOK AT THEIIR NUMBERS ON SALES .......A TRUCK IS AN INVESTMENT.....YOUR PAST PRODUCT SALES FUTURE PRODUCTS.......HELLO FORD!!!!
- bennycool, Houston, TX, US
I had no idea that so many people had the same problem. The truck was parked in a garage till 2007.
- Albert L., Apalachicola, FL, US
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well first of all I really did fall in love with my truck when I first bought it but it's had a lot of problems which I fixed but the complaint at hand now is the dash board well whats left of it .I bought it brand new in 97 3 miles on it and that was a test drive I loved the way it felt and the roomy feeling. I barely had it for 2 years and the dash just started to crack and crack and then it began to collapse into the dash frame.when I get in and turn on the heat or just the vent to circulate the air in the cab it blows out little shards of plastic dash every where I'm afraid a bit to drive it any where cause I feel that some day it's going to blow some thing in my eyes and I could have an accident and hurt some one or just me. I keep up with the mechanics of it so it runs and feels great to drive with the exception of the dash problem I am now and have been for some time now at the point that after seeing my friends and some family members with the same kind of trucks having the same kind of problems I feel strongly about never buying dodge products ever again and every one that I know feel very strong about the same complaints so none of us will be buying Dodge or Chrysler products any more
- george , Cincinnati, OH, US
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My dash is in so bad shape I believe it should be recalled. My Dodge is in immaculate condition except for the dash. Now you can see I have had a dash cover on it since we bought it but the dash is cracked so bad it's not from weather it's from sh*tty plastic. Dodge needs to recall these dash boards ASAP before someone gets hurt.
- David K., Belen, NM, US
The dash is cracked in several places. I believe its the reason my radio doesn't work now. My plate with the vin on it is falling in the cracked dash in between the windshield.
- xxx664xxx, hawkins, TX, US
dash cover cracking and rattling. this is growing more of a problem every day.
- luminahmb@yahoo.co, Nashville, NC, US
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Why should I buy another Dodge? This problem is annoying because every time I park somewhere I have to cover the dashboard. I though it was just me until today. I was searching the internet about another problem that I have with the truck and found other complainants about the dashboard. I have to fix the heater core and I don't want to buy a dashboard because the dashboard would come apart in pieces and have to be replaced.
I am mad about my Dodge because there are other issues that are just bad and you think you are the only one. My paint job is bad and I had to replace the Catalytic Converter 7 times. Why?
- adnoah, Simi Valley, CA, US
I am a proud Dodge vehicle owner. I own a 97 and 98 Ram 1500. Both of which have busted Dashboards. This has become quite problematic as the hard pieces will fall into the dash & creates a rattle. Also they come off in very jagged pieces & create a hazard to myself & others. I also own a 2002 Intreped as well as a 2004 Ram 1500. As a loyal customer for many years, I would think that Dodge would stand good for this Dash issue even though it's not officially a recall of any kind.
- vxeegrl, Savannah, GA, US
I see that not only I have had an issue with the dashboard failing in a major way. My dashboard was in great shape and the truck is a 4x4 w/ a 6" lift w/ 33's on it. The truck has seen its share of mud trails, OHV trails etc., w/o 1 problem inside or out. Until a month or so ago driving over to see a friend of mine I hit a dip in the street and CRACK! The dashboard shattered into 15 pieces or so and left me stunned. Was questioning WTF is this all about and started checking into what had happened. I see that Dodge trucks built from 1994 up to 1999 or so have failures with their dashboards and it being the number one complaint from Dodge truck owners, and even with all the listed complaints which are nurmous, Dodge has turned a deaf ear to a recall for the failures. So I will tell the readers on this site how I plan to handle the deaf ear that I was given when I called Dodge and asked what caused this problem. I was told due to my truck being a 4x4 that in time the dash woud weaken and break apart, "its normal for that to happen to a truck that goes off road." WHAT A LINE OF S*** THAT IS! I have friends that own Chevys and Fords and their truck dashboards havent shaddered into 15 pieces while driving down a street. My plan to handle their deaf ear to my problem is simple: I run a towing company that owns several Dodge trucks w/ flatbeds for towing and had planned to buy 10 more this year. Now the owners and myself are looking at Chevy and Ford chassis and will starting tomorrow list the Dodge trucks for sale. I refuse to invest the amount of money that would be spent buying and maintaining those new trucks when Dodge treats people like myself as trash and cant recall a known failure in my personel truck. How do I know Dodge wont warranty one of the new trucks I was to buy? Towing cars is our business and if I have one truck down that Dodge wont warranty for what ever reason they choose, our company loses money. So I plan to replace the broken dashboard and sell my Dodge for one reason: If a simple failure like a dash replacement recall is something Dodge wont due what else may they decide to not cover? Think about that.
- G. H., Apple Valley, CA, US
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
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I take pride in my Dodge Ram! I love this truck... I wash it regularly... I baby my baby! I can't believe the dash just broke apart in a million pieces. Dodge should stand by the truck.
- Robert F., Cranston, RI, US