Problems with 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 STRUCTURE

The dashboard of my 2003 dodge ram 1500 laramie, cracked in half with one loud pop. i now see many such complaints on the internet. my insurance is paying for the replacement because it occurred while i was driving, but i now believe this is a factory defect that should be covered by the vehicle's warranty. my truck was purchased brand new and now only has 42000 miles. *tr

Dashboard on 2003 dodge ram is cracking really bad now. i've owned since it was new and have 68k miles on it. i have researched and this is a huge problem with all dodge rams. no matter who, how many times i call they say it's normal wear and tear which is complete non-sense. google this topica and there are thousands of threads and issues noted out there. i can't believe dodge dealers, their 800 numbers etc. just dismiss and don't do anything about it. it needs a recall! *tr

Dashboard and dash panels are spontaneously cracking. pieces of vinyl are falling apart possibly affecting the proper function of air bags. hot engine air is leaking inside the vehicle through the cracked board affecting the proper cooling a/c system; driver and passengers are breathing engine fumes that are entering the cabin through the openings/cracks. *tr

I have dodge ram 1500 03 truck and approx. in dec of 2008 i noticed a small crack in dash - thought it was my problem and due to living in south florida- the crack became 2 then 3 them more getting worse as time went on- i found that friends and other people where having similar problem. ii then found out about the news story done by local south florida news stations which showed the problem being a defect and leading to accidents caused by lighting failures and electrical problems resulting from the cracks and broken dashboards. the problem now is out of control with big cracks and hole throughout the dash- this is not a cosmetic issue - the plastic pieces are sharp and can injure somebody and eventually can damage the electric that runs underneath the dash. i reported it to dodge who then gave a case number and took pictures and immediately offered to cover half the cost to replace- i do not find this sufficient - the fact that in other parts of the state dealers have replaced this problem free of charge and their admittance and response to cover half of the cost is proof enough that dodge is well aware of this problem. it is ludicrous to charge for repair for something that is potentially a lethal threat due to accident - when there is no permanent repair - there is no replacement part that has been shown to date that really fixes the problem- it is still a crapshoot whether it happens again after replacement since the dash is a defect to begin with. *tr

My 2003 dodge ram 1500 5.7 hemi quad cab has a cracked upper and lower dash. it showed up shortly after i purchased the truck used in 2008. i did not think much of it because of being used. now it is cracking all over the place and i am worried that it will become a safety issue if pieces hinder the air bag deployment or cause electrical malfunctions in my dash. dodge has not been helpful other than to recommend very expensive replacement which may or may not crack again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the dashboard became fractured. the contact had noticed fractured dashboard pieces were falling into the vents. the contact sustained minor injuries to his hands from the shards of the dashboard, but did not require medical attention. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

The dash on my 2003 dodge ram 1500 is cracked in several places and the assist handle on the driver side a post fell off. i purchased a new handle but the insert that the screw goes into is damaged and loose so only the top screw is holding it in place. i am dis-abled and need the handle to get in or out of the vehicle safely. i'm concerned that the passenger side airbag will not deploy correctly because of the large crack over the glovebox, also a piece of the dash has fallen into the ventilation shaft and is lodged stopping air flow and rattling noisily. the dealer where i purchased the vehicle is currently out of business. this is terribly discerning and certainly not what you would expect from such an expensive product. these problems started in the fall of 2008. *kb

Dashboard started cracking about two years ago and is getting worse. i am afraid pieces will start falling inside the dash and cause safety problems such damage to wiring causing a fire or damage to airbag system. *tr

2003 dodge ram 1500 dashboard's cracking. started in 2008 around 88k miles and is progressively getting worse. no recall to my knowledge, even though my neighbor, a relative, myself and almost everyone that's owned a dodge truck from 200 to 2004 has had or has heard of the same issue! amazing what does it take to be recognized as a problem! two weeks ago i went again to buy a pwr steering pulley that had disintegrated on an 04' dakota and the parts mgr said that he thought they were using better materials on the replacement dashes. he thinks!!!! he should know since he obviously knew this was an issue, and said so!!!!! why should a materials defect come out of my pocket? where's our government????? *tr

I own a 2003 dodge ram 1500. the dashboard started cracking about a year ago. now, it has three cracks( wind shield to front of dash) . the truck has only 68,000 miles on it but it is out of warranty. i have read on a few message boards that this is a common problem on dodge trucks. obviously, it is due to defective plastics parts. i am worried that more cracks will surely appear and become a severe safety issue if there is an accident. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the dashboard was cracked and had large holes. the passenger side was so deteriorated that you could see the container for the air bags. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 43,000.

Dash cracked/broken due to inferior/cheap/corner & cost cutting engineering & manufacturing practices.

The grip handles and dashboard have degraded from heat and uv radiation and cracked into many sharp pieces. i cut my hand while wiping the inside of my windshield. i take blood thinners and this caused me to bleed for quite some time. i did not realize how razor sharp the edges of the broken pieces are. these would likely slice the air bag & driver/passengers faces & arms in a crash. the plastic selected by dodge is not suitable for the purpose intended and presents a hazard. an additional hazard is the exposure of wire harnesses exposed to the direct sunlight and extreme heat. cracked insulation will lead to electrical fires & failed operator controls. the failure is most prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical climates. the plastic used by dodge needs to be reformulated, and sale of the faulty formulation halted immediately. *kb

Dash board is falling apart. *tr

2003 dodge ram. the dash board is cracked in three places. i've talked with my dealer they say they split the cost with me, but it's not covered by dodge at all. the dash board is cracked in three places. i've talked with my several people with this same problem and it looks like the 2001's have had the same problem. i think dodge should be looking in to this. *tr

I have no idea to what caused the failure, i have 2 chrysler products and both have the same issues, nothing has been done yet i am trying out what do i need to do. the dashboard is cracking. *tr

Dashboard cracked above airbag on passenger side. *tr

Like many other dodge ram owners, mine (2003) has a cracked dashboard on the passenger side that extends over most of the dash. less than 40k miles and already showing defects? to me that is not acceptable. *tr

Cracked dash. nothing has been replaced yet. i was told this is a very common failure in this model vehicle. *tr

The dash is cracking and falling apart. *tr

My 2003 dodge ram 1500 dash is cracking really bad. it has been doing this since the beginning of this year. i feel that if the plastic breaks into pieces they could cause bodily harm. if you are traveling at a high rate of velocity and come to a rapid stop or impact an object it may cause a piece of plastic to break off of the dash and fly into a person potentially harming them and or causing death. there are many complaints about this issue and it needs to be looked into as to why this is happening. thank you marco. *tr

The dash in my 2003 dodge ram with 40,000 miles on it has large cracks in several places and getting worse. earlier this year a piece of the dash fell in a ac vent and wedged the ac close in the dash, i had to pay over $150.00 to repair the ac, only to find out it was also due to the cracked dash. i have called dodge and was told that the truck is no longer in warranty and it was now my problem because as of now there are no recalls for this problem. *tr

Dodge dashboard cracking and falling apart. *tr

Dashboards on dodge ram's are cracking, i'm experiencing this with my truck. i've also found a website called carcomplaint.com and also found that there were 43 other people that had the same complaint. we all feel that chrysler needs to do right by us. they will repair at out expense starting at $700.00. this is rediculous and it seems the manufacturer will only listen to you. please, is there anyway you can help us. thank you. gaspare bruno *tr

2003 dodge ram 1500 dashboard has fallen into pieces. dealer stated it was a common problem, but not a recall item. cost for parts over $800.00 dollars. this does not include labor. *tr

Dash board has cracked from windshield up to beginning of dash. *tr

I'm a dodge ram owner and i'm concerned about my cracking dashboards i have a 2003 dodge ram truck the dash cracked when it was 4 years old and the dash is getting more cracks in it i'm afraid the air bags will come out when we are driving i called big old dodge where we got it new in 2003 and they said they could not do anything about it *kb

I have a 2003 dodge ram 1500 slt with 48,000 miles on it. today a crack suddenly appeared on the dashboard above the passenger side airbag while the vehicle was parked. the crack runs from the top to the bottom of the dashboard. i have not called about service or repair of it yet. *tr

Purchase dodge ram 1500 quad cab used in september 2006. did not have problem with dashboard until august 2007. dashboard is cracked in 3 separate places the worst being all the way from the defrost vent to the front of the dash above the passenger airbag. i have done nothing to fix it as of yet. i have noticed that there has to at least be thousands of people having this problem and i am waiting for dodge to step up and fix the problem before i pay out of pocket myself. *tr

Cracked dash. its terrible. could be a fire hazard. *tr

I have a 2003 dodge ram 1500 that i bought new in june 2003. the dashboard is cracking in several spot already. other dodge trucks dashboards are completely collasping. my dashboard is in ealry stages of this process and could affect the air bags and electrical as well. this truck has been taken very good care of and was even treated with the interior package from the dealer at the time of purchase. dodge has not accepted any responsibility for the product as of yet. i am concerned that the dashboard will continue to self destruct. this appears to be a larger problem that the manufacturer is not will to deal with. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the grab handle on the passenger side broke and hit the passenger in the face. the passenger sustained serious injuries to the face; however, the occupant was not transported to the hospital. the dealer confirmed that there were no recalls or warranty related to the grab handle. the contact refused to purchase the replacement grab handle due to the cost. the vehicle has not been repaired. the dodge manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 60,000.

Dash board material has hardened and is coming a part. 1.concerns over the hardness of the material causing excessive head injury. 2. concerns over air bag deployment accidental (due to dash board fatigue, and or flying dash board debris upon deployment of air bag or bags. *tr

Dash is cracking in numerous place and falling in. this is causing wiring harness to be exposed to sunlight and to break down. the vehicle has since developed electrical issues due to the insulation on the wires breaking down. *tr

Cracked dashboard with several sharp edges that may become projectiles in a crash. *kb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 1500. the contact observed when the vehicle was parked that the entire dashboard sustained warps, cracks and other significant damages. an authorized dealer stated that the failures were contributed to defective materials in the dashboard. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 46,000 and the current mileage was 53,000. updated 10/22/09 *bf

Dashboard has been cracking in approximately 5 places for over a year, and was getting worse. i am worried that it will eventually form a hole and sink, destroying other electrical components and wires, etc., and if this should happen, causing safety problems.**ak

The dashboard on the 2003 dodge ram 1500 with only 20,000 miles on it cracked and has large chunks falling out of it. *ak

Cracking dashboard. *tr

The dashboard on my dodge truck is cracked completely in two. it is a crack that has progressed over a year or so from a small crack to now being completely in two. i also have minor wiring issues that may be attributed to it as well. *tr

The dash board in my 2003 dodge ram is cracking. i didn't think much if it, until i saw on the news that others were doing the same and continuing to collapse until there are electrical problems, such as head lights turning off. *tr

2003 dodge ram 1500...large dashboard cracks. concerned for safety due to electrical failure possibility. *ak

My dash cracked and large pieces of plastic has fallen into the void. im afraid these jagged pieces may cut someone or cause damage to wiring below. *tr

While driving on the freeway, i heard aloud click sound. thought it was a rock hitting the glass. however, when i looked in the direction of the sound, i could see a crack spreading across the dashboard. this was not trauma related!! it just cracked all the way across and stopped when it came to the part of the dash that starts going downward. it is now slowly traveling down now, but will end soon when it gets to the next seam. it is cracked on the passenger side in one continuous crack traveling from the dash seam near the windshield straight out over the top of the glove compartment/air bag. i would expect this from an older truck but not a truck that is just over 3 yrs old. this is not the type of crack from the sun, it is an obvious defect!! wouldn't a crack like this effect the passenger airbag operation? i have talked to my dealer and chrysler and they say it is not covered. even with mymaximum care extended warranty. a new dash was quoted to me at $1800.

2003 dodge ram dash has several cracks. *ak

I have a 2003 dodge ram 1500. very well kept but the dashboard is completely cracked. i think is time that someone do something about it since i have been searching and everyone is having the same problem. now my heater system is not working. *tr

The dash board on my 2003 dodge ram is cracking and collapsing. it is getting worse by the day it seems and i am afraid that the pieces will fall inside the dash and cause a fire or affect my steering or electronics. please help. i am finding that there are many more out there like mine and we are all worried for our safety. *tr

The dash has a crack in it from the front to the back. the truck is like new. it only has 30,000 miles on now after eight years. updated 10/20/11 *bf ....updated 10/26/11 *bf updated 11/08/11. *jb

The complaint is regarding the dashboard on a 2003 dodge ram. it is completely cracked and is falling apart. everytime i hit a bump on the road the pieces fly off and land all over the vehicle. this is a major safety issue and is happening to thousands of dodge vehicles, especially the dodge trucks. i've been trying to contact dodge to attempt a resolution to this problem, but i keep getting the run-around and the dodge dealers want nothing to do with the problem. i wonder what its going to take to have this problem addressed by either dodge or the government?????????. how many injuries have gone unreported that have occurred as a result of shoddy construction and materials?. this a serious problem that needs to be looked into soon! *tr

Noticed a crack in my dashboard in january 2007. it was getting worse. i have found many website forums regarding this same problem with the 2003 dodge ram 1500, and they started the same way and got bad enough that the dashboards fell in, creating a safety hazard. i feel there should be a recall from dodge chrysler on this but i could not find one anywhere. i fell that dodge should replace the dashboard with a suitable one free of charge.*ak