I own a 2002 dodge ram 1500 and I have been noticing that the dash has been cracking and then it began to crack more to the point of having no dash at all. I don't think this is just a cosmetic defect it is a safety issue. It doesn't take a hoard of inspectors to see how this can cause damage to occupants in the truck. Lets just forget about the safety issue for a second, after buying a dodge intrepid and have the motor fail at 60,000 and I said " I will never buy another dodge", but I gave dodge a second chance because I liked the look of the truck inside and out. With that said I don't mind replacing the control arms where the ball joints are welded in, at a cost of 600.00 dollars. Wish I would have looked at that too, but having to replace the dash is not justified as an expense that I should have to pay for. If I sold this truck to someone I know the first thing they would say, "that doesn't look safe and makes you wonder what else is unsafe with the truck." It does make you wonder about the rest of the truck, did they cut corners on other parts of the vehicle? Let me ask nhtsa when they get into theirs vehicles to go home after work and your dash started cracking, to the point of your speakers falling out when you hit the brakes would you feel safe. THAT'S MY STORY AND I AM STICKING TO IT

I called the dodge company and they told me to get an estimate because the cracked dashboard was a factory defect and they would fix it. when i called back with the estimate they told me they would pay for half. i told them its a factory defect and you will only pay half of two thousand dollars. so everyone who has dashboard problems you can call this number 800-992-1997 and talk to someone about getting your problem fixed. i guess they would rather be out a little money by paying half then by paying the full amount to have the dashboards in all the vehicles replaced. i am seeking advice before i take them up on there offer

I love my Dodge Ram 1500. Runs great! but I don't like it that every time I want to fix something, I am told it is unavailable or discontinued. Why is that? Why doesn't Dodge or Chrysler have spare parts for all makes and models. I can go on line and order a part for a 1972 Charger but can't for a 2002 Ram. I inquired, a year ago, about replacing the overhead sunglass compartment. The tab in which one depresses to open the compartment broke off, thus causing me aggravation since I am very particular about my truck. I was told then, I would have to replace the entire compartment. I opted to research someone on line and found one; however, it was the wrong size. I returned it to him and asked for the correct size and never heard from him so what did I do, glued the tab back together and I do not use the compartment. Frustrated I guess.

wow! I guess I'm not alone, my truck was only 4 years old ,always put a dash cover when parked, then I notice a 2 inch crack on right side of dash, in a matter of months this crack spread to like 4 large cracks, with a large chunk almost ready to fall in, the dealership won,t admit its a defect. I always thought since i bought the truck new from cerritos dodge in cerritos ca. that the dash was designed super cheap,and as for this dealership,5star,my ass,they totally suck! If dodge won't create a recall soon, I won't ever buy a dodge or chrysler vehicle again, that new toyota tundra looks better every day.

I love my Dodge. Take total pride in it over Ford, Chevy, Nissan, and everyone else. The only model truck that has ever looked good to me was an 02' Dodge Ram 1500. My reason for this is that all the models before and even the newer ones just don't have that same body style. The grills are either too boxy or slanted forward, the logo is in the center of the tail gate, and I could just go on for minutes on end about why I like my truck... Every Thursday, I detail my truck, and go night cruising on Friday and Saturday nights... Well, when I first bought the truck, I bought it from a mechanic that worked at the Dodge dealership, and he had taken complete care of it, and it only had 95,000 miles on it, which wasn't bad considering it was my first vehicle... I noticed a few cracks in the dash, but they were only hairline fractures, so I sucked it up and dealt with it for the time being... I went and bought not one, but two UV window guards, and double stacked them (knowing I wouldn't get a much better result) and left them in the window blocking all sunlight from hitting the dash... I would sit for minutes trying to make sure I had it covered perfect... Using them so much is why my visor is failing now from putting it down and up so much, now it just wants to stay down... I would even park facing West at night cause in the morning, the sun would rise in the East, and I wouldn't be up in time to turn it around... As of today, August 11, 2009, the dash has cracked all the way from the front left driver's side, right the the point above the gauges where the dash ends above the steering wheel... I don't want to sit here and have to fork out $1200 just to replace it with another dash that is going to end up with the same fate... I personally think that Dodge should have done a recall a LONG time ago and replaced them with ZERO service charge, cause customers don't sit here and pay their thousands upon thousands of hard earned cash for a vehicle with a dash that isn't going to last more than a few years... Yes, I could picture cracked dashes on vehicles that are in junk yards that aren't taken care of period and just rot in the sun and rain... But on vehicles owned by proud owners of a Dodge, that love their vehicle with a passion and take complete care of it, no... The government should force some kind of recall to be made...

Man i noticed a slight crack in my dash about a year ago and never really thought too terribly much of it then earlier this year my one crack turned into 5 different cracks across my dash!! 2 cracks are starting to form together so i have an awful feeling a huge chunk of my dash is gonna fall out. This is such bs cuz since dodge was such a reputible company i never expected to see such poor quality like that. I would say dodge should definatly replace them since its their fault for making it so cheaply...but we all know where dodge is headed right now so i'm not gonna hold my breath. Its just a really big disappoitment that they manufactured their vehicle like that. I'll never own another dodge after this...

I checked with a dealer in southern Oklahoma while getting a seperate problem fixed and was quoted around $1200 just for the parts. I saw the cracks growing over the past couple of years and they seemed at one point to stop growing but the wife reached across the top of the dash to retrieve an item she had placed there and that is when it really went down hill. When she grabbed the item her fingers brushed against the a defrost vent which simply disintegrated. When the pieces fell into the duct below not only did the airflow to the defrost get stopped but we also get minimal airflow through the rest of the ventilation system although the AC/Heater and fan fan still seems to work ing fine. I have not noticed that the amount of airflow to the defroster would not be adequate to keep ice build up from forming under cold wet conditions,

Would this qualify as a safety hazard?