NHTSA Complaint #10651417 — 2003 DODGE RAM 2500

CRACKED DASH. LIKE SO MANY OTHER 2003 DODGE RAM 2500 OWNERS, MY VEHICLE HAS DEVELOPED CRACKS ALONG THE DASH FOR NO APPARENT REASON EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS WELL CARED FOR AND MAINTAINED IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE FIRST HAIRLINE CRACK APPEARED IN 2010 AT THE CENTER OF THE DASH BEGINNING ON THE WINDSHIELD SIDE. OVER TIME THE CRACK HAS PROGRESSED TOWARDS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO THE POINT THAT THE DASH HAS COMPLETELY SPLIT IN HALF. TO DATE, TWO ADDITIONAL CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED, ONE SIX INCHES TO THE LEFT OF THE CENTER CRACK AND ANOTHER OVER THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SECTION. WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS OF CRACKED DASHES, PARTICULARLY WITH THE 2003 MODEL YEAR, IT'S APPARENT THAT A MANUFACTURING FLAW EXISTS AND CHRYSLER SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS FACT AND EFFECT REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE DASHES. IS A CRACKED DASH A SAFETY ISSUE? ABSOLUTELY, CONSIDERING THE ADDITIONAL INJURIES THAT CAN BE INFLICTED ON VEHICLE OCCUPANTS IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS. SINCE CHRYSLER HAS SET A PRECEDENT BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT A PROBLEM EXISTED WITH CRACKED DASHES ON DODGE RAM MODEL YEARS PRIOR TO 2003 (1998-2002), AND HAS AGREED TO REPLACE THE CRACKED DASHES ON THE PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS, THEN WHY NOT DO THE SAME FOR THE 2003 MODEL YEAR THAT SEEMS TO HAVE THE MOST COMPLAINTS/ISSUES? SO WHAT IF THE CRACKS APPEARED AFTER THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED ON THESE VEHICLES; IT'S A MATTER OF INTEGRITY. GIVEN THAT CHRYSLER IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT, THEY SHOULD ADMIT ACCOUNTABILITY AND DO THE RIGHT THING BY RECALLING THESE VEHICLES AND PROVIDING THE NECESSARY REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE DASHES. *TR