Did a search and didn't find my specific issue.
Three years ago I bought a 2001 Dakota small V-8 from a one owner friend with 117,000 miles on it. In fantastic shape. Interior looks new.

Almost immediately after getting the truck I noticed that the high beam indicator light would work only half the time. Initially it would come on most of the time when I turned on the high beam, but then gradually it would come on less and less often until it did not come on at all. Funny thing is it had been not working at all for a year and suddenly it would start working again for a while and now it has stopped all together again.

Several weeks ago I was on my way home with the blue high beam indicator light still NOT working when suddenly my dash lights, (all but the odometer and gear selector lights) started flickering and then completely went out. They would then flicker off and on and stay off for a few minutes and then come back on, and did this all the way home. I thought it was a fluke because for the next couple of weeks after that I had no problems with the dash lights at all, (except for the high beam light still not working).

Now last night on the way home the dash lights went out and stayed out all the way home.

This makes me think it's not a bulb issue since they all go out at the same time and they all keep coming back on. Could it be a lose or corroded fuse or electrical short somewhere? Where would I find the fuse for the dash lights?

Do I have to tear out the entire dash to get to the back of the instrument panel?

Thanks for your help!

 

On your 01, the scroll wheel on the lamp control panel controls the dash and cargo lamps. If you remove the 2 screws above the gauge cluster and tug firmly on the edge of the dash under the passenger airbag switch, the dash bezel should pop out. Work your way right to left popping the bezel out. Once it is out (you may need to drop the steering wheel down and pull the shifter out of park and into 1st with the parking brake on), you can get to the connections on the back of the lamp control panel.

 

Also, once you have the bezel out, the whole cluster will come out by removing 4 or 6 bolts. (I can't remember how many there were, getting old sucks.)

If you pull straight out on the cluster, it will pop out of its electrical plug. I would advise shooting both sides of that plug with some electrical contact cleaner spray. You may have some corrosion on the contacts behind the cluster.