NHTSA Complaint #10195072 — 2001 DODGE RAM 2500

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500, AND MY DASH IS FALLING IN. MY DASH STARTED CRACKING SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND HAS RECENTLY STARTED FALLING TO PIECES WHICH ARE BEING LOST INSIDE THE DASH. WHEN I GOOGLED A REPLACEMENT DASH I FOUND COUNTLESS OTHERS WHO ARE HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. LOCAL 6 NEWS OUT OF FLORIDA DID A STORY ON THIS PROBLEM AND EVEN HAS A REPORT OF THE FALLING DEBRIS CUTTING INTO THE WIRING CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS TO TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED DODGE DIRECTLY. I DID GO TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ALL THEY OFFERED WAS TO SELL ME A NEW DASH AT APPX. $500. WHEN I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM, SEVERAL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAD COMPLAINED TO DODGE WERE GIVEN THE SAME FORM LETTER TELLING THEM IN SHORT THAT THIS WAS NOT A COMMON PROBLEM RESULTING IN A RECALL AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. I AM ONLY ONE OF SEVERAL PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE LOOKING FOR DODGE TO CORRECT A PROBLEM THEY HAVE GIVEN US THAT IS NOT ONLY COSMETIC. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS BEING OVERLOOKED AND VIEWED AS COSMETIC. THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE OF BROKEN PIECES OF DASH BOARD FALLING IN AND CUTTING WIRES, EXPOSED JAGGED EDGES OF PLASTIC, BRITTLE PLASTIC PARTS FLYING AROUND IN THE CAB OF THE TRUCK DURING THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, AND ALSO PIECES BEING PROPELLED AT THE DRIVER AND ALL PASSENGERS IN THE EVENT OF AN AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. WE ARE LOOKING FOR DODGE TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM AND ADMIT THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THEM PURCHASING SUB-PAR MATERIALS. *TR