My '99 ram's dash cracked while still under warranty, dealership said too bad.-Dodge can become a footnote in history for my money.

 

I can't get over all the people who come here and gripe about their dash for 1 post and never realize what a wealth of knowledge this forum is. Or that there are low cost solutions to fixing it.

The dashes on the Dodge's are crap. Known fact, now move on folks!

Anyway we can get this thread locked so it doesn't keep bouncing up here?

 

Unfortunately the "Great Dodge Dash Debacle" is not a rare one, nor is it one that Dodge is likely to resolve. When mine first started cracking the local dealership said they would be more than happy to replace it for a $1000. Finding this unacceptable, I started calling salvage yards and explained to them what I was looking for. One of those guys actually LAUGHED at me and simply told me "Good Luck". To add insult to injury, the instrument bezel is now broken as well. Dodge will sell you one of those for $270 dollars as soon as they come off thier "extended back order" list. A buddy of mine at Ford says that is the auto industy's way of telling you that the part has been discontinued without saying that it has been discontinued.

The only bright side that I have seen is that some of the other guys on the posts I have been to seem to have had some luck with the overlays and various other options.

At 90,000 miles my 360ci Ram is still showroom quality and runs like a champ but if this is how Dodge treats thier loyal following this will likely be the last one I buy. As irritating as a defective part is, I find the company's lack of customer service even more troubling.

Maybe the head honchos that make these poor decisions need to take a walk through the company museum, stand next to a '68 Charger or a '71 Dart and remember where they came from.

Shame on you Mopar.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with your post. Unfortunately, it's not just "Shame on you, Mopar"; it's more like, "Thanks, Daimler Benz, for turning our American cars into cheap pieces of junk for the sake of the Mercedes brand."

Really, it's the fault of the CEO of Daimler Benz for the cheapness of the Dodges that are falling apart. Once Daimler Benz took hold of Chrysler, it was all downhill from there.

I won't judge Mopar for their past sins (Ford had the Pinto, Chevy had the Vega, Toyota had the Previa, et cetera and ad nauseum). I think we really need to give Cerebrus and Mr. La Sorda a chance to work out the bugs at Chrysler Corp. and get everything steered straight. Mark my words, with the new generation of the Dodge Ram, I smell something different brewing - and hopefully, it doesn't turn out to be a fragrant pile of cow manure.

 

I've found a website that sells dash caps www.dashcoversplus.comand was wondering how well they worked and if this is a good remedy to my 01 4X4 Quad cab crevacies that have formed on my dash

 

i have to say this.. im in north carolina.. so far as i know.. thats where this truck originated.. i have a 2001 dodge ram 1500 4x4 quad cab.. and my dash is perfectly in tact.. never had any issues.. rest assured im going to inspect it rather in depth in the morning.. but i have noticed nothing unusual (other than the dust) on it.. and i am perfectly happy with it.. btw.. it now has around 120k on it.. also .. the previous ram.. 99 ram 1500 2x4 quad cab was perfect as well.. only thing on that.. is i cracked the front bezel that goes around the dash.. bent it too much taking it off so i could add some glow guages to the instrument cluster.. that was my fault.. picked one up from the junk yard for like 30 bucks.. never another problem.. and it had 160k on it when i got rid of it

 

I have yet to see a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 dash that wasn't cracked. I have heard a variety of causes some from the dealership denying anything wrong with design. One is the bolts that hold the dash are too tight. The other is the dash cleaner treatments dry out the oil in the dash and causes it to become brittle. One thing for sure is if you owe one your dash looks like the moon's surface by now. Bought a plastic dash cover which worked great. Good fit and color is just about as close to a match as possible. But one thing I would do ( that I didn't) is spray glue some felt to the back of the cover is areas you not glueing down to the dash. The reason for this is so that the parts loose in the dash do not vibrate or shake against the dash cover. Which I didn't think of til I drove over a bumpy road and heard the parts rattle.

 

I'm adding myself to the thread as another victim of dashboard cracking. 2001 with gray interior, has gotten progressively worse especially over the last two years or so!

 

I would reccomend a coverlay, it looks really good. I live in a harsh Southern Climate too, we have over 60% humidity and it was 75* yesterday. Mine still looks good, alot better than it looked when I bought it.

 

i have a 98 and my dash still isnt discolored from the sun yet but the other day i noticed a crack that runs from my steering wheel to my windshield, and another around the bolts that hold it in place.. dodge needs to step up on there interiors.. they are always made out of the cheapest plastic.