NHTSA Complaint #10405809 — 2003 DODGE RAM 2500

I OWN A 2003 DODGE RAM 2500. THE DASH BOARD HAS ONE LARGE CRACK/HOLE AND MULTIPLE LITTLE CRACKS THROUOUT FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE, AND FRONT TO BACK. THE PLASTIC IS BRITTLE AND I AM CONCERNED THAT DURING A CRASH THE PIECES WILL BECOME PROJECTILES AND SHARDS THAT COULD PUNTURE AIRBAGS AND PEOPLE CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY. I CHECKED INTO REPLACING THE PART ONLY TO FIND THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH MANY OF THE TRUCK LINES OF DODGE FROM 1998 THROUGH 2006 AND THE REPLACEMENTS ARE OF THE SAME MATERIAL AND WOULD BE PRONE TO CRACK IN SHORT TIME JUST AS THE ORIGINAL DASES HAD. AS A FORMER FIREFIGHTER HAVING RESPONDED TO MANY ACCIDENTS I SEE THIS AS A TIME BOMB TO A DEATH THAT IS NOT NECCESSARY IF IT HASN'T ALREADY HAPPENED. THE DASH, I THOUGHT, WAS SUPPOSED TO REMAIN FLEXIBLE FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS BUT INSTEAD WILL BE SHATTERED BY THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT AND BE BLOWN RIGHT INTO THE FACE OF THE VERY PERSON THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT CAUSING IN ALL LIKELYHOOD SEVERE INJURIES. *TR