2001 Dodge Ram Quad Cab Body & structure Problems

BOUGHT A 2001 DODGE QUAD CAB SPORT 4X4 IN 2003. THE DASH HAD A SMALL CRACK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AT TIME OF PURCHASE. THE CRACK SPREAD RAPIDLY TO ALL AREAS OF THE DASHBOARD. I USED PROTECTANTS, ADHESIVES AND DASHBOARD SHADES AND A DASH PAD TO PREVENT FURTHER SPREAD TO NO AVAIL. DURING ONE EVENING TRIP,I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE ENTIRE DASH CAVED IN CAUSING THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER TO LOSE LIGHTING. I HAD TO COLLECT ALL THE EXTREMELY SHARP SHARDS OF PLASTIC OUT OF THE DASHBOARD RECESS TO LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM. IT WAS DURING THIS INCIDENT THAT A EXTREMELY SHARP PIECE OF PLASTIC CUT DEEP INTO MY RIGHT HAND. I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN STITCHES, BUT USED GAUZE AND WRAP UNTIL HEALED. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE AIRBAG WAS DEPLOYED WITH LOOSE PLASTIC PARTS FLYING ALL OVER THE PLACE? SURVIVE THE CRASH AND THEN DIE FROM MASSIVE LACERATIONS FROM BROKEN DASH PIECES? I CONTACTED MULTIPLE LOCAL DODGE DEALERS AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY KNEW AND CORPORATE KNEW OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE IT BECAUSE DODGE CORPORATE WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE OR PAY FOR THE OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I PROBABLY WILL NEVER BUY A DODGE AGAIN. DODGE KNEW THIS WAS A BIG PROBLEM, BUT DID AND STILL DOES NOT CARE. ALMOST EVERY DODGE I'VE SEEN WITHIN THE 2000-2003 YEARS HAS THIS BLARING PROBLEM. SOME HAVE REPLACED THE DASH WITH AFTERMARKET PARTS OR JUST TRY TO COVER IT UP WITH DASH PADS OR MATS. DOES THE NHTSA CARE? HAS THIS MASSIVE ISSUE EVEN LOOKED INTO? *TR

NHTSA ID

10607989

Incident

Jun 6, 2005

Mileage

75,000 mi

IN TRAFFIC GOING DOWN THE ROAD AT 65 MPH, THE DASHBOARD CAVED IN. LOOSE PIECES EVERYWHERE. I DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS HAD AFFECTED THE ELECTRONICS OR NOT AT THE TIME. I JUST HAD TO PULL OVER AND CUT THROUGH THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC. LUCKILY SO FAR, JUST SOME MINOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HERE AND THERE. I AM SCARED THIS WILL AFFECT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM LATER ON. DODGE SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS. VERY UNFORTUNATE, LAST DODGE I WILL EVER OWN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10593011

Incident

May 3, 2010

Mileage

86,000 mi

DRIVING ON PUBLIC STREETS HIS A SMALL POT HOLE, THE DASHBOARD BROKE AND THE BEZEL FELL OFF CAUSING A DRIVING HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10547523

Incident

Apr 3, 2002

Mileage

8,000 mi

DASH BOARD HAS MULTIPLE CRACKS AND HAS SUNKEN IN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10465374

Incident

Jan 3, 2012

Mileage

95,213 mi

AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF DASH CRACKING, THE DASH CAP FINALLY GAVE UP AFTER HITTING SMALL BUMP ON THE ROAD. SEVERAL PIECES HIT PASSENGERS FACE. NOTHING SERIOUS HAPPENED BUT ENOUGH TO CONCLUDE THAT IT POSSES A SAFETY THREAD AND DASH BOARD SHOULD BE REPLACED BY DODGE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10462173

Incident

May 30, 2012

WENT OUT TO USE MY TRUCK THIS AFTERNOON, AND NOTICED MY DASHBOARD HAD TWO LARGE CRACKS COMPLETELY THROUGH THE PLASTIC, THE CRACKS GO FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND WRAP ALL THE AROUND TO THE GLOVE BOX. EACH CRACK IS ON EITHER END OF THE GLOVE BOX... *TR

NHTSA ID

10461275

Incident

Jun 11, 2012

Mileage

36,000 mi

DASHBOARD CRACKIN I KNOW OTHER 01 RAMS DOING THE SAME THING THIS IS SAFETY CONCERN AS COULD PREMATURELY DEPLOY AIRBAGS...DODGE NEEDS TO RECALLS THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10448456

Incident

Sep 2, 2011

THE DASHBOARD IN OUR 2001 DODGE RAM TRUCK HAS A HUGE CRACK IN IT. IT HAS BEEN THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING DONE THUS FAR TO REPAIR THIS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10421433

Incident

Jan 1, 2004

Mileage

80,000 mi

MY 2001 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB 1500 4X4 HAS ENTIRE DASHBOARD CRACKING UP AND FALLING INTO THE INSTRUMENT AREA UNDER THE DASH. THIS IS EXPOSING THE LIGHT SENSORS, AIR BAG CONTROLS AND OTHER SAFETY FEATURES TO HARMFUL SUN EXPOSURE. I SEE THAT SEVERAL THOUSAND COSTUMERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM AND NEITHER THE COMPANY OR THE GOVERNMENT ARE DOING ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10419438

Incident

Jan 5, 2009

Mileage

44,000 mi

THE DASH IN MY 2001 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL HAS CRACKED IN MANY PLACES. I ALWAYS HAVE USED A WINDSHIELD VISOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10417098

Incident

Jan 1, 2005

Mileage

70,000 mi

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 EXT CAB THAT I BOUGHT NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP. AT 42,000MI THE DASH HAD A CRACK IN THE CENTER. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND TO USE SOMETHING WITH UV PROTECTION. AT 101,000MI THE FRONT SPEAKERS WENT OUT. NOW MY DASH IS MISSING BIG PIECES. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD LAST MONTH AND HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD. A PIECE OF DASH FLEW UP AND HIT MY WIFE IN THE FOREHEAD. SHE WILL NO LONGER LET THE GRANDCHILDREN RIDE IN MY TRUCK. SHE IS AFRAID THE AIR BAG WILL GO OFF OR A PIECE OF DASH WILL HIT THEM IN THE EYE. NOW THE FRONT LIGHTS HAVE BLINKED ON AND OFF 2 OR 3 TIMES ON SEPARATE OCCASION. I'VE CALLED DODGE AND THEY SENT ME TO A SERVICE CENTER. THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE DASH, INSTRUMENT COVER AND GLOVE BOX ALL WHICH HAVE CRACKED. BUT NOW I HAVE TO PAY 580.00$. MY TAX DOLLARS BAILED THEM OUT AND NOW I HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR DEFECTED PARTS? THIS IS A DANGER TO DRIVERS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10396550

Incident

May 16, 2002

Mileage

42,000 mi

THE DASH ON MY 2001 DODGE IS FALLING APART LEAVING SHARP JAGGED EDGES THAT MY CHILDREN COULD BE CUT BY. SO FAR DODGE IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10392420

Incident

Mar 3, 2010

ENTIRE DASH IS FALLING TO PIECES. CRACKS EVERYWHERE. ONLY 50K MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10364084

Incident

Oct 10, 2010

Mileage

52,000 mi

DASHBOARD ON 2001 DODGE RAM CRACKED AND FALLING APART. *TR

NHTSA ID

10363577

Incident

Jun 1, 2010

Mileage

27,000 mi

2001 DODGE RAM WAS INVOLVED IN A 20 MPH ACCIDENT. THE DASH WHICH ALREADY HAD SEVERAL CRACKS BROKE INTO DOZENS OF SHARP FRAGMENTS WHICH WERE FLOWN AROUND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER. DODGE DEALER ADMITTED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT THE FACTORY HAS REFUSED TO ACCEPT FAULT OR ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10353129

Incident

May 21, 2010

Mileage

157,000 mi

2001 DODGE RAM 1500 NOTICED SEVERAL CRACKS IN THE DASHBOARD IN 2008 BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER, ULTIMATELY THEY COULD REPLACE BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. CHRYSLER CORP. AGREED WITH DEALER.NOW THERE ARE MORE I PUT CAULK ON THEM TO KEEP THE DASH FROM EVENTUALLY FROM FALLING IN CREATING ALL KIND OF HAVOC I HAVE READ SOME OF THE HORROR STORIES IN RESULT OF THIS DEFECT OF THE DASHBOARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10351753

Incident

Mar 6, 2008

Mileage

27,000 mi

THE DASHBOARD ON MY 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 STARTED DEVELOPING CRACKS ABOUT 12 MONTHS AGO. THE CRACKS BEGAN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AROUND THE AIR BAG AND CONTINUE TO EXTEND IN SEVERAL AREAS TOWARDS THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE DASHBOARD APPEARS TO BE EXTREMELY BRITTLE AND AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO SAG INWARD. COMPONENTS ENCASED WITHIN THE DASH WERE NOT DESIGNED FOR CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT THAT WILL RESULT FROM CONTINUED FAILURE OF THE DASHBOARD. THIS CREATES A CONCERN AS TO THE POTENTIAL EXPOSURE OF ELECTRICAL AND AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT COMPONENTS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT BEING COMPROMISED AS A RESULT OF THE DASH DETERIORATION OR THE POSSIBILITY OF ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS RESULTING FROM WIRING INSULATION BECOMING BRITTLE DUE TO SUN EXPOSURE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10341941

Incident

Apr 1, 2009

PURCHASED A NEW 2001 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB. DASH AND BEZEL STARTED CRACKING AFTER PURCHASE AND HAS NOW COMPLETELY BUSTED UP. HAVING TO HAVE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $1500 FOR NEW DASH, BEZEL, AND LABOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10324463

Incident

Apr 7, 2010

THE HOOD UNEXPECTEDLY FLEW OPEN AND SMASHED THE WINDSHIELD OF MY 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCK! THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK IS NOW DESTROYED AND I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS TRUCK HAS ALREADY BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE FROM 1994-1999. OBVIOUSLY IT WAS NOT FIXED AFTER 1999 BECAUSE I HAVE LOCATED 9 OTHER PEOPLE BESIDES MYSELF WHO OWN 2001 MODELS AND WHO HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10317815

Incident

Mar 7, 2010

Mileage

134,300 mi

2001 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP HAS CRACKED DASHBOARD. STARTED ABOUT 2 YEARS AFTER I BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW. STILL HAS NEW CRACKS DEVELOPING. SOME CRACKS EXTEND INTO PASSENGER AIRBAG COMPARTMENT AND INTO DRIVER'S INSTRUMENT PANEL. INSTALLED CARPETED DASHBOARD COVER TO HELP PREVENT THE CRACKS FROM PROGRESSING BUT THEY STILL REMAIN TO INCREASE IN SIZE. APPEARS THAT WHENEVER THE A/C OR HEATER IS USED THE CRACKS EXTEND AND CAN BE HEARD AUDIBLE. THE RAPID CHANGE IN INTERIOR TEMPERATURE WHEN USING THE A/C OR HEATER CAN CAUSE THE CRACKS TO QUICKLY EXTEND. HAVE TO SLOWLY INCREASE TEMPERATURE TO REDUCE THE FAILURE RATE. HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO PREVENT THE CRACKS BUT NOTHING HELPS. CONCERNED NOW ABOUT THE AIRBAG COMPARTMENT BEING COMPRISED AND LEADING TO PREMATURE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THE DASHBOARD APPEARS TO VERY BRITTLE AND EVERY PRECAUTION IS USED NOT TO PLACE ANY WEIGHT ON DASHBOARD. OVER THE YEARS, SEVERAL CRACKS HAVE APPEARED AND DASHBOARD IS DEVELOPING NEW ONES. SOME CRACKS NOW EXTEND INTO THE DASHBOARD TRIM THAT ATTACH TO THE MAIN DASHBOARD. DODGE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. COST IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. AT THIS TIME, PASSENGER AIRBAG IS TURNED OFF AS A DODGE MECHANIC ADVISED ME TO DO SINCE THE AIRBAG MIGHT ACCIDENTALLY DEPLOY DUE TO A MAJOR CRACK INTO AIRBAG COMPARTMENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10292719

Incident

Aug 5, 2003

Mileage

17,500 mi

2001 DODGE RAM PICKUP 1. NORMAL USAGE AT 35,000 MILES. 2. CRACKED DASHBOARD MAY CAUSE INJURY/ EXPOSURE TO ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD APPEARS TO BE CAVING IN. 3. DODGE HAS YET TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AFTER REPEATED COMPLAINTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10290280

Incident

Jul 6, 2007

Mileage

35,000 mi

2001 DODGE RAM SPORT CRACKING DASH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10275315

Incident

May 15, 2009

Mileage

141,000 mi

2001 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB APPROXIMATELY 4 YEARS AGO, JUNE 2005, 2 SMALL CRACKS OPENED ON THE DASHBOARD, ONE ABOVE THE GLOVE BOX AND THE OTHER ABOVE THE SPEEDOMETER. OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS THESE CRACKS HAVE GOTTEN BIGGER AND SPREAD LENGTH AND WIDTH ACROSS THE DASH BOARD. THE DASH BOARD IS LITERALLY IN PIECES. THE AIR CONDITIONING QUIT WORKING A SHORT TIME AFTER THE 2 INITIAL CRACKS OCCURRED. WE HAVE NOT TAKEN ANY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE HAVING CHRYSLER REPAIR THE DEFECTIVE PARTS, WE HAVE LIVED WITH IT LONG ENOUGH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10273752

Incident

Jun 1, 2005

Mileage

90,000 mi

2001 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB SHORT BED PICKUP HAS MYSTERIOUS FAILURE OF THE DASHBOARD. CRACKS EXTEND THROUGHOUT. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH A COLLISION AND AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. PIECES OF THE DASHBOARD COULD BECOME DANGEROUS PROJECTILES CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. CRACKS BEGAN IN JULY OF 2005 AND HAVE BECOME SO SEVERE BY 2009 THERE IS NOT MUCH OF THE DASHBOARD LEFT INTACT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10272424

Incident

Jul 10, 2005

Mileage

32,000 mi

NO INDICATIONS OF FAILURE BEFORE OCCURRENCE, TOP DASH PIECE CRACKED AND BROKE (ESSENTIALLY SHATTERED) ACROSS THE WHOLE DASH ALSO CAUSED THE BEZEL TO CRACK AND BRAKE I HAVE HEARD OF SEVERAL OTHERS WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL THAT HAVE THE SAME TROUBLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10262637

Incident

Jul 15, 2008

Mileage

105,000 mi