NHTSA Complaint #10251743 — 2001 DODGE RAM 1500

I HAVE A 2001 DODGER RAM 1500 THAT I BOUGHT USED AROUND NOV. 2005. WHEN I BOUGHT IT I DIDN'T REALLY NOTICE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE DASH, BUT THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER AROUND 50,000 MILES, I NOTICED A COUPLE OF CRACKS NEAR THE WINDSHIELD GOING ACROSS THE DEFROST VENTS. SINCE THEN MY DASH HAS ABOUT 12-15 CRACKS IN IT ALL GOING FROM THE WINDSHIELD ALL THE WAY TO THE INSTRUMENT BEZEL AND THE AREA NEAR THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER ABOUT THE SITUATION ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN IT STARTED TO GET REAL BAD AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC RAN ON IT (IT IS A PLASTIC DASH, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO RUN). AFTER HAVING A CERTIFIED CHRYSLER MECHANIC INSPECT THE DASH AND TELL ME "YEP, ITS CRACKED" AND TOLD ME THAT "IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO BAD PLASTIC", I THEN CALLED CHRYSLER BACK AND THEY SAID "THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL ON THAT ITEM, THE VEHICLE IS TOO OLD AND TOO MANY MILES FOR THEM TO REPLACE IT AND THAT NOW I KNOW THAT I HAVE TO REPLACE THE DASH." THE DEALER THEN TOLD ME THAT THE DASH WAS ON BACK ORDER FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS. THE VERY SHARP PIECES OF THE DASH NOW STICK UP AND OUT TOWARD THE PASSENGERS IN CERTAIN AREAS AND WEATHER CONDITIONS. IT ALSO STARTED CRACKING THE INSTRUMENT BEZEL TOO. I AM JUST WAITING FOR THE WHOLE DASH TO FALL APART ON DAY. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH 2001 DODGE RAMS AND I THINK THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR POOR CRAFTSMANSHIP. *TR