NHTSA Complaint #10407400 — 2003 DODGE RAM 1500

IN 2008 WHEN THE TRUCK WAS UNDER WARRANTY THE DASH STARTED CRACKING. I WAS ADVISED AND UP UNTIL OCTOBER, 2010 (WHEN THE WARRANTY EXPIRED) THAT THE CRACKED DASHBOARD IS CONSIDERED COSMETIC AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. STARTING IN DEC. 2010 THE DEFROSTER INSTEAD OF STICKING ONCE IN A WHILE AND REQUIRING A SWITCH FROM DEFROST TO VENT BACK TO DEFROST TO GET IT TO WORK, STARTED NOT WORKING. DODGE WILL NOT REPAIR THE DEFROST ISSUE WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE UNLESS I REPLACE THE DASH. I BELIEVE THAT THE CRACKED DASH WHICH BY ITSELF IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT IS MORE A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND POOR ENGINEERING EFFORT BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT MUST BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF ISSUES THAT OCCUR WITH THE DEFROST SYSTEM. MANY TIMES I HAVE DRIVEN THIS TRUCK IN BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS WHERE I NEED THE DEFROSTER JUST TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD AND THE FOGGING OCCURS WHILE I AM DRIVING (TYPICALLY ON A HIGHWAY/INTERSTATE). NOW I'M FORCED TO REPLACE SOMETHING "COSMETIC" OR "NOT A SAFETY ISSUE" DUE TO SOMETHING THAT IS? THE ISSUES WITH THE DEFROST BREAKING ARE COMMON. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE NHTSA TO REQUIRE DODGE TO REPLACE OR REPAIR BROKER DEFROSTERS AS THESE SYSTEMS EVEN IN VEHICLES DATING BACK INTO THE 1950'S RARELY IF EVER REQUIRE ANY REPAIR AND FOR GOOD REASON...SAFETY. IF DODGE THEN BELIEVES THE DASH NEEDS REPLACING THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED AS PART OF THE SAFETY REPLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS TO "REPLACE/REPAIR AND ALL PERIPHERAL COMPONENTS REQUIRED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE". I, AND AS I READ MANY OTHERS, WOULD TRULY APPRECIATE AN EVALUATION OF THIS MATTER AND ATTENTION BY THE NHTSA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR