NHTSA Complaint #10910624 — 2003 DODGE RAM 1500

DASHBOARD CRACKS - I AM THE 2ND OWNER OF THIS 2003 DODGE RAM 1500. IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL VEHICLE FOR ME OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS WITH VERY MINIMAL PROBLEMS. IN JANUARY 2014, I DROVE OVER A SPEED BUMP AND WHILE DOING SO, I HEARD A "POP" SOUND FROM THE DASH AREA. I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT AT THE TIME. THE NEXT DAY, I NOTICED A CRACK IN THE MAIN DASH AREA THAT EXTENDED FROM THE FRONT TO THE SEAM (3/4 BACK TO THE WINDSHIELD). OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS, AS YOU SEE IN THE PHOTOS, THE CRACKING HAS CONTINUED AND BECOME WORSE TO THE POINT LARGE SECTIONS BROKE OFF AND FALLEN DOWN INTO THE DASH. ONE PIECE HAD JAMMED AN A/C BLENDING DOOR ACTUATOR, WHICH I WAS ABLE TO PRY OUT AND FIX THE DOOR. MY CONCERN IS, IF I AM UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, WHERE ARE THOSE RAZOR SHARP SHARDS OF PLASTIC GOING TO HIT WHEN THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYS? I NO LONGER ALLOW MY GRANDCHILD TO RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE DUE TO THE DASH CRACKS. IF AN AREA OF THE DASH IS PRESSED ON, A LARGE SECTION JUST BREAKS OFF AS IF THE PLASTIC IS THE CONSISTENCY OF A CRACKER. DODGE CREATED THIS DASH AND HAS PUT MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF ALL OTHER OWNER AT RISK. THIS SHOULD BE ON A PRIORITY LIST FOR A RECALL. I'VE OWNED VEHICLES FROM OTHER MAKERS OLDER THAN THIS ONE AND HAVE NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH PLASTIC DASH BOARDS CRACKING.