NHTSA Complaint #10251578 — 2003 DODGE RAM 2500

I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 DODGE RAM IN EARLY 2003. WITHIN A YEAR, THE DASH TOP CRACKED AND STARTED TO CAVE IN. I FOUND OUT FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE DASH WAS MADE FROM AN INFERIOR PLASTIC MATERIAL AND EVEN IF I ALLOWED THEM TO DO A WARRANTY REPLACEMENT, THE DASH WOULD LIKELY CRACK AGAIN AND THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR ME TO WAIT UNTIL CHRYSLER CAME OUT WITH A BETTER OEM DASH REPLACEMENT. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH SINCE THIS TIME AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A VERY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT CHRYSLER HAS REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT UNTIL RECENTLY. I SEE WHERE SOME PEOPLE (ON THE WWW) ARE NOW REPORTING THAT THEY ARE GETTING SOME OFFERS FROM CHRYSLER TO REPLACE THEIR DASHES WITH A NEWLY IMPROVED DASH AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER. I HAVE RECENTLY CONTACTED MY LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP (BIG O DODGE OF GREENVILLE , SC, 864 288 5000) AS WELL AS CHRYSLER (800 992 1997) AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ONLY DASH ISSUE THAT CHRYSLER WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE WAS ON THE 98-02 MODEL YEAR TRUCKS. AFTER I MADE REFERENCES TO ALL OF THE INTERNET RESEARCH AS WELL AS TO MY INITIAL DISCUSSION WITH THE DEALERSHIP REGARDING THEIR RECOMMENDATION FOR ME TO WAIT FOR A BETTER DASH TO BE MANUFACTURED (WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN THE WARRANTY PERIOD) I WAS PLACED ON HOLD AND THE CHRYSLER REP CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND ARRANGED FOR ME TO HAVE MY DASH REPLACED AT A DISCOUNT, BUT NOT AT CHRYSLER EXPENSE AS IT SHOULD BE SINCE THIS PROBLEM WITH THE CRACKED DASH STEMS FROM AN ACKNOWLEDGED MANUFACTURING FLAW FROM DAY 1 AS I REPORTED TO THE DEALER WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL "NEW". MY RESEARCH HAS ALSO LED ME TO BELIEVE THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO ELECTRICAL COMPONENT DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FALLING DASH PIECES CUTTING INTO ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS CAUSING PEOPLE TO LOOSE THEIR LIGHTING AT NIGHT, CAUSING SHORTS AND EVEN SMOKE FROM MELTING WIRES WHICH CAUSE SMOKE TO TEMPORARILY BLIND DRIVERS AS THEY TRY TO PULL OVER FOR SAFETY. I WANT THE DEALERSHIP / CHRYSLER TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS A RECALL OR TSB AND AGREE. *TR