Consumer - There are already several complaints filed with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The more complaints that are filed the more chances of a recall there will be.
Aftermarket Replacement Dash For 2003-2005 - This dash is advertised to never crack. This is the only full replacement dashboard that I have found for my 2003 Dodge 4x4 3/4 ton. They also have earlier models as well. You can also check out www.lmctruck.com and www.genosgarage.com and both of them have full replacement dashboards for the dodge pickup. Don't buy the one from Dodge, it will just crack again.
I bought my 2003 Dodge Quad Cab 4x4 5.7 L Hemi brand new 0 miles, well maybe 6 or 7 miles on it. The dash started cracking around 2010, 1 small crack in the middle of the dash. Then a few months later another one, and so on. My dash now looks like a dropped glass plate. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, with a Dodge Ram from 1999 to about 2006 is having this problem, yet no recall. Thousands of complaints, but this is not a Dodge defect, no not at all.
They sell a cover to go over the cracked dash, wouldn’t it still make extremely nauseating noise, maybe not. You can replace it from Dodge, installed $2,500. Oh by the way, Dodge recommends you replace your actuator and evaporator while you have the dash out, because they usually go out around 100,000 miles, that’s just wonderful, looking forward to that.
I guess I will end up buying the dash from Dodge, thanks Dodge, and maybe youtube how to do it myself, I have to wonder, will the new dash crack up like the old one, wouldn’t that just make your day. I know, Dodge has got me by the balls and I know it.
Ford should use this as the reason not to buy a Dodge. I was warned that this would happen. I have had the car from day 1. Always well taken care of. I thought about buying a replacement, but I am sure that it will just happen all over again.
Dodge has known this problem has existed for years. I feel taken advantage of.
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 HEMI. Well Kept. This truck is clean enough that the cracked dash has destroyed the resale value. When I invested in this truck I never imagined that the dash would come apart. Just began to crack (first noticed) May 2013. I am very aware of other local cases to the extreme that the entire dash is gone.
I believe that Dodge and or Ram should consider my loss of revenue, as a result of my investment in what is otherwise an excellent machine. Have enjoyed it very much. Replace the dash. It has not put my eye out yet, or caused any horrific accidents.
My whole dashboard is falling apart ..I'm depressed because i dont have the pink slip yet and here i have to pay for a new dashboard on a fairly new truck..this makes not wanna buy another dodge..cause my ford didnt have this problem..maybe i should just trade it in for a different truck.. So pissed off and depressing I've gotten in fights with my spouse cause of it ..now i have dust particles from the dash coming into my face.
- Crystal D.,
Buena Park, CA, US
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since the 2003's have the sand in the engine issue eating up heater cores this is all on Dodge!!! you gotta take the dash out to replace the core. dumbass design! the dash flexes during removal and install causing a stress crack in the dash. btw....im on my 4th heater core in 200,000 miles at $700 bucks a pop and a sh*tty dash. and the blend door doesn't function too!!!!!!
im heading towards a shovel head and charcoal for heat...more reliable.
Take great care of my truck, even put a sun blocker up during the summer, and have never used any automotive products know to dry out plastic, yet it still cracked, all the way across.
This is a serious issue. I own 3 ram pickups, my family owns a total of 7. All the dashes have cracks or holes except the 2009. I'm just waiting for it to happen any day.
THE DASH IS FALLING APART I CANT BELIEVE THIS THERE ARE BIG SHARP PIECES OF THE DASH THAT IS BREAKING AWAY SOME OF THE DASH IS FALLING IN . I CANT BELIEVE THE PRICE THAT YOU PAY FOR THESE TRUCKS AND SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS HAPPENING. THE PART OF THE DASH THAT CONTROLS THE AIR MOVING TO DIFFERENT PLACES. THESE PLASTIC FLAPS INSIDE THE HEAT AND AC UNIT ARE BROKEN OFF ALSO.TURN AC ON THE DRIVER IS COLD PASSENGER BURNS UP WITH HOT AIR I THINK DODGE SHOULD MADE TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF SAFETY ISSUES WITH DASH BREAKING APART. AND NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTROL HEAT AND AC IN WINTER TIME OR SUMMER
It is bad enough that they use plastic for the whole dash let alone the crap they used. This should never have cracked like this no matter how old the car is or how much Sun it got. They need to replace this free of charge.
Dashboard cracked in two places, above glove box and above speedometer. Called Chrysler, would not fix it even though I only have 54000 mi's and the original owner of the vehicle. Have filed a complaint/report with NHTSA.
This issue has been awful. pretty bad to spend so much money on a vehicle and have something like this happen. the worst part is when im driving i have to constantly look at my cracked dashboard and watch as pieces fall apart. I have no ac in the summer and no heat in the winter and living in the midwest and being winter now, lets just say its a very long and cold ride to work in the morning! Why hasn't there been a recall on this issue it sounds like there has been enough complaints! There's a couple of people i work with that have dodge rams and there dashboards are cracked in the same spot!
Truck overall has been quite a good unit. The center of the Dashboard has a crack perpendicular to the windshield and it's probably a matter of time before it becomes a major problem. Daimler Chrysler must have used cheap inferior plastic for these dash boards.
The dashboard has become so brittle that it cracked in several places. It is now in four large pieces with lots of spider webbing. I can see in accident where the sharp flying edges may cause injuries to occupants.
All the problems I've had with this truck is unbelievable. I have vent plastic pieces rattling thru the vents when they're on and it just keeps breaking apart. Dodge should be liable to fix this it has to be made of cheap plastic and that's a SHAME as much as these trucks are to pay for and maintain through Dodge and their BPMI subsidiary warranty company THEY should cover this!!!
dodge engineers should have had enough sense to know that you can't use a thin piece of plastic like they chose to stay in one piece especially being a one piece panel, this is another one of dodges many problems that should be recalled and repaired.
2003 DODGE RAM 1500 SLT: The dashboard has severe cracks in it starting back in 2010. I bought a carpet dash cover to protect the dash from further damage, but the cracks continued to get worse. In 2011 I could hear pieces falling into the dash and now my heating vents on the driver side will not open properly to allow heat to come through. During the winter time the passenger side vents blow hot air as normal, but the driver side is blowing whatever the outside temp is. I called Dodge to complain in 2011 and they said I would have to pay for a new dash. I paid my mechanic (independent) to fix the heating problem last year 2012. He fixed it and the vents all worked as normal for about 2 months. I told my mechanic it was doing the same thing again, and he told me the dashes continue to fall apart from the inside due to the cheap piece of plastic its made of, and this will continue to be an ongoing cycle. I don't expect the guy to keep fixing it everytime for free so for now, I'm just going to freeze my butt off during the winter. Thanks a lot Dodge, you will never get another cent out of me!
a dashboard should never crack. Ive had numerous trucks and never happen. Defective dash.
inside poutside door is inside the dash on the heater box........it cracked and fell off....rarely used....never touched by human.....defective plastic againt....easy to fix when dashboard is being fixed
You would think that when dodge built their trucks, they would have pride that they wouldn't cut corners on the parts that would be the first things you would see of bad quality in plain sight.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I bought my 2003 Dodge Quad Cab 4x4 5.7 L Hemi brand new 0 miles, well maybe 6 or 7 miles on it. The dash started cracking around 2010, 1 small crack in the middle of the dash. Then a few months later another one, and so on. My dash now looks like a dropped glass plate. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, with a Dodge Ram from 1999 to about 2006 is having this problem, yet no recall. Thousands of complaints, but this is not a Dodge defect, no not at all.
They sell a cover to go over the cracked dash, wouldn’t it still make extremely nauseating noise, maybe not. You can replace it from Dodge, installed $2,500. Oh by the way, Dodge recommends you replace your actuator and evaporator while you have the dash out, because they usually go out around 100,000 miles, that’s just wonderful, looking forward to that.
I guess I will end up buying the dash from Dodge, thanks Dodge, and maybe youtube how to do it myself, I have to wonder, will the new dash crack up like the old one, wouldn’t that just make your day. I know, Dodge has got me by the balls and I know it.
- instagator, Orange City, FL, US