NHTSA Complaint #10735502 — 2003 DODGE RAM 2500

IN THE PAST FEW YEARS AIR BAGS HAVE BEEN THE FOCUS OF THE LARGEST SAFETY RECALL IN THE NATION, IF NOT THE WORLD. THE PROBLEM IS THAT SMALL SHARP PIECES OF METAL OR PLASTIC CAN ACT LIKE SHRAPNEL IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY, SHOWERING THE OCCUPANTS WITH POSSIBLE DEADLY DEBRIS. A SIMILAR SITUATION EXISTS WITH THE DASH OF THE 2003 DODGE RAM. MADE OF AN INFERIOR PLASTIC, THE 2003 DASH BEGINS TO CRACK, SPLINTER AND DISINTEGRATE LEAVING UNSIGHTLY HOLES. THE HOLES ARE NOT MERELY COSMETIC, THEY ARE CREATED BY THE PLASTIC DASH CRACKING AND CREATING SHARP PLASTIC SHARDS WHICH COULD ACT VERY MUCH LIKE THE SHRAPNEL FROM THE AIR BAGS. THE PROBLEM IS POTENTIALLY MUCH GREATER AS THE CRACKED AND HOLE RIDDEN DASH NO LONGER PREVENTS OBJECTS FROM FALLING INTO THE DASH AND GETTING LODGED BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE OR EVEN INADVERTENTLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COINCIDENTLY IS ALSO ANOTHER MAJOR RECALL ISSUE (GM IGNITION).