NHTSA Complaint #10595412 — 2001 DODGE RAM 1500

MY FATHER BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW IN 2001, AND I BOUGHT IT FROM HIM IN 2008. ABOUT 20000 MILES ON THE UNIT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. IN 2008, THE DASH STARTED CRACKING AND BECAME VERY BRITTLE, PIECES BEGAN TO BREAK OUT AND HAS CONTINUED TO CRACK AND BREAK. IT IS NOW 2014, ABOUT 32000 MILES ON THIS UNIT, AND I AM GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE DASHBOARD WITH AN AFTERMARKET PRODUCT. BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER OWNERS, I WOULD BELIEVE THAT THE MATERIALS USED IN THE ORIGINAL DASH WERE BELOW ACCEPTABLE QUALITY. NO FRONT END ZERK FITTINGS FOR STEERING COMPONENTS- CHEAP DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. I HAD TO HAVE NEW FRONT END ASSEMBLIES WITH ZERK FITTINGS, AT A COST OF ABOUT $1400.00. (BECAUSE CHRYSLER/DODGE WENT CHEAP IN CONSTRUCTION.) MY LAST DODGE VEHICLE, I THINK I CAN DO BETTER. *TR