NHTSA Complaint #10188797 — 2001 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB

I DRIVE A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 4X2 QUAD CAB. I AM A VICTIM OF THE FAMOUS "CRACKED DASH" AS WELL. AT AROUND 38,000 MILES I STARTED TO NOTICE A SMALL CRACK THAT WENT ABOUT 2 INCHES OR SO FROM THE RIGHT SCREW (PASS SIDE) AT THE DEFROST VENT FOR THE WINDSHIELD. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THINKING THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT, NOT REALIZING THAT ONLY THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY TAKES CARE OF TRIM WORK, THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER THE WORK , ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, METRO DODGE IN SNELLVILLE, GA. SHORTLY AFTER I BEGAN NOTICING SMALL CRACKS DEVELOPING ALL AROUND MY DASH, HOWEVER THE FIRST ONE WAS MAKING ITS WAY TO THE AIR BAG. IT HAS SINCE PROGRESSED INTO THE ENTIRE DASH ON PASS SIDE BEING ALMOST COMPLETELY BROKEN OUT AT THE TOP, AND JUST FALLING TO PIECES. I CONSIDER REPLACING THE DASH BUT SINCE THEN THE DOOR JAM COVER (BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND DOOR, AT ABOUT EYE LEVEL, ON THE DRIVER SIDE HAS STARTED FALLING APART AS WELL. SO I FIGURE THAT THEIR IS NO REASON TO DO THE DASH UNLESS I CAN DO IT ALL, AND I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR THAT, HOWEVER I AM CONCERNED WITH POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND HAVE SINCE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE LEARNED ABOUT CERTAIN SAFETY ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CRACKED DASH. THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN OF MINE AND I WOULD LIKE IT FIXED. IF I WERE TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND MY AIR BAGS DEPLOY, THE CRACKED DASH COULD CAUSE THE AIRBAGS TO BE PUNCTURED AND POSSIBLY LIMIT MY SAFETY, ALONG WITH MY TEENAGER. *TR