This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that the dashboard was splitting apart from the vehicle. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 80,000.
The dashboard on my 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 has multiple cracks in it. The most concerning crack is located above the passenger airbag. Also the assist handle on the driver side has been replaced and has broken again. The part is expensive and I should not have to pay to replace this faulty piece again. Consequently, I have had to discontinue the use of the assist handle. I am only 5'2" and it is difficult for me to maneuver in and out of the vehicle safely without the grab handle. The cracks began in 2008 and have been multiplying since then. I will be driving down the street and hear a crack and there is another crack in the dash. The vent areas have all fallen through into the heating/cooling compartments causing rattling.
- San Diego, CA, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
Yes I own a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 and about 2 years ago I started noticing that there were small cracks forming in my dash board and wasn't sure why. Done some calling around and research and found out that there was nothing that could be done about it short of dropping 500 dollars on a new dash board. Now two years later my dash looks like a jig-saw puzzle. I am worried about my dash falling apart one day going down the road. I work in the emergency field and it scares me for me and my family to ride down the road in my truck for fear of pieces of plastic falling off the dash. Please help me......
The dash on my 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 is cracked in several places and the assist handle on the driver side a post fell off. I purchased a new handle but the insert that the screw goes into is damaged and loose so only the top screw is holding it in place. I am dis-abled and need the handle to get in or out of the vehicle safely. I'm concerned that the passenger side airbag will not deploy correctly because of the large crack over the glovebox, also a piece of the dash has fallen into the ventilation shaft and is lodged stopping air flow and rattling noisily. The dealer where I purchased the vehicle is currently out of business. This is terribly discerning and certainly not what you would expect from such an expensive product. These problems started in the fall of 2008.
I'm a Dodge Ram owner and I'm concerned about my cracking dashboards I have a 2003 Dodge Ram truck the dash cracked when it was 4 years old and the dash is getting more cracks in it I'm afraid the air bags will come out when we are driving I called big old Dodge where we got it new in 2003 and they said they could not do anything about
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that the dashboard was cracking and breaking off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that he would have to cover the expenses to have the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 79,000. Updated 10/05/2011
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated the dashboard on the vehicle was cracked open. The contact stated the gauges are currently working, but the dashboard and instrument panel was broken. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, but the dashboard was not covered under warranty. The contact stated there was also a problem with rear differential which was wearing out the gear, but the dealer was unable to pinpoint the cause. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 61,000.
The dash on my 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 is cracked in several places on the passenger side. I originally thought of this as a cosmetic defect however, I now believe this is a more serious hazard as the airbag is stored under the dash. Should the airbag deploy, pieces of plastic then become shrapnel. Additionally, the electrical wiring can become damaged causing the airbag not to deploy when needed. Either way, you're taking a chance on the unexpected when something bad happens. I don't think it's worth the risk. Prevention is key. Therefore, this is a very serious concern and I hope the NHTSA convinces Chrysler to take it seriously.
In 2008 when the truck was under warranty the dash started cracking. I was advised and up until October, 2010 (when the warranty expired) that the cracked dashboard is considered cosmetic and not covered by warranty. Starting in Dec. 2010 the defroster instead of sticking once in a while and requiring a switch from defrost to vent back to defrost to get it to work, started not working. Dodge will not repair the defrost issue which is a safety issue unless I replace the dash. I believe that the cracked dash which by itself is probably something that is more a customer satisfaction and poor engineering effort becomes a safety issue when it must be replaced because of issues that occur with the defrost system. Many times I have driven this truck in bad weather conditions where I need the defroster just to see out of the windshield and the fogging occurs while I am driving (typically on a highway/interstate). Now I'm forced to replace something "cosmetic" or "not a safety issue" due to something that is? the issues with the defrost breaking are common. I strongly encourage the NHTSA to require Dodge to replace or repair broker defrosters as these systems even in vehicles dating back into the 1950's rarely if ever require any repair and for good reason...safety. If Dodge then believes the dash needs replacing they should be required as part of the safety replacement requirements to "replace/repair and all peripheral components required to correct the issue". I, and as I read many others, would truly appreciate an evaluation of this matter and attention by the NHTSA. Thank you for your time.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The was cleaning the dashboard area when his finger was cut as a result of the dashboard being cracked. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired for the failure. The contact called the manufacturer to make them aware of the failure but was offered no further assistance. The current and failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving under normal road conditions, the dashboard exhibited an abnormal popping and then completely cracked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised that the failure was a constant issue with the year, make and model but the manufacturer had not issued a recall. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that although the failure was a known issue they were not willing to assist with any repairs. The contact had to tape the dashboard to the vehicle in order to stabilize and prevent the windshield glass from fracturing. The contact believed the failure to be a huge safety hazard and the vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 117,000 and the current mileage was 118,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Clemson, SC, USA