NHTSA Complaint #10201179 — 2000 DODGE RAM 2500

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2000 MODEL DODGE RAM 2500. THE TRUCK IS AN EXTRA VEHICLE THAT IS SELDOM USED WITH ONLY 43,000 MILES AND IS VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF. TWO YEARS AGO THE DASH BEGAN CRACKING JUST IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER. I WAS CONCERNED, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS JUST SUN DAMAGE TO MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE. WITHIN ONLY MONTHS THE PROBLEM HAD GROWN AND THERE WERE MANY OTHER CRACKS FROM END TO END ON THE DASH. A LOCAL BODY SHOP LOOKED AT THE PROBLEM AND GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF NEARLY $1000 TO REPLACE THE DASH. STILL ASSUMING THIS WAS AN ISOLATED PROBLEM WITH ONLY MY VEHICLE, I DECIDED TO PURCHASE A DASH COVER TO HIDE THE UNSIGHTLY CRACKS AND POSSIBLY PROTECT IT FROM FURTHER DAMAGE IN LIEU OF THE EXPENSIVE DASH REPLACEMENT. THE DASH COVER DID HIDE THE CRACKS, BUT DID NOTHING SLOW DOWN THE CONTINUAL CRACKING. AFTER SPEAKING TO OTHERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND READING NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS ON THE INTERNET, I AM NOW CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY ISSUES RELATED TO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS, AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AS WELL AS FLYING PROJECTILES IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH DAIMLER-CHRYSLER, WHICH STATED KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM ONLY TO BE TOLD THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE DISTRICT MANAGER HAD DECLINED ANY ASSISTANCE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THANKS FOR ANY HELP TO RECTIFY THIS ISSUE. *JB