NHTSA Complaint #10394362 — 1998 DODGE RAM 1500

I OWN A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCK THAT HAS A STRANGE ISSUE. FOR YEARS I HAVE SUFFERED WITH A CRACKED DASHBOARD THAT CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE. THERE ARE MANY EXPOSED ELEMENTS THAT I FEEL WOULD COMPROMISE MY SAFETY IF I WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN THIS VEHICLE. THE SHARP EDGES MADE BY THE CRACKS ARE ALSO A HAZARD AS WELL. JUST TODAY, I HAVE LEARNED THAT COUNTLESS DODGE OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM AS WELL AND THE COMPANY HAS SEEMED TO TURN A DEAF EAR. I ACTUALLY STUMBLED ACROSS THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AS I WAS SEARCHING ONLINE TO FIND A REPLACEMENT FOR MY VEHICLE DASHBOARD. I HAVE BEEN USING MATS AND TOWELS OR WHATEVER I COULD CONJURE TO COVER UP THE PROBLEM FOR A YEAR OR SO, BUT NOW THE DAMAGE IS WAY MORE THAN THAT TYPE OF "BANDAID" CAN FIX. FOR THE MOST PART, WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IS THAT TO PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT OF THE SAME TYPE OF DASH IS A WASTE OF MONEY, BECAUSE THE QUALITY OF THE MATERIAL IS STILL THE SAME, AND IT WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL AS WELL. I CERTAINLY FEEL THAT DODGE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE SAID PART DUE TO THEIR NEGLIGENCE IN ENSURING THE SAFETY AND STABILITY OF THIS COMPONENT. IT IS BY NO MEANS COINCIDENTAL THAT ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINT. I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES AND NEVER HAVE I HAD SUCH AN EXPERIENCE! *TR