2001 DODGE RAM 3500 Air Bags Problems

MY DASHBOARD IS FALLING APART. THERE ARE PIECES OF PLASTIC EVERYWHERE INCLUDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE AIRBAG, WHICH WOULD QUITE LITERALLY TURN INTO FLYING DEATH PARTICLES IF THE AIRBAG EVER WENT OFF, COMPLETELY DEFEATING THE PURPOSE OF THE AIRBAG. THIS REALLY SHOULD BE A RECALL ISUE AS IT HAS QUITE A BIG IMPACT ON SAFETY OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WITH BRITTLE PLASTIC SHARDS FLYING EVERYWHERE. THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN ALL AT ONCE, IT'S HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS, AND I EVEN KEEP A DASH COVER ON IT SINCE THE DAY I GOT IT. THE PLASTIC IS JUST SIMPLY POOR QUALITY, IT'S NOT FROM SUN FADING, OR ANYTHING ELSE.

Mileage: 300,000

I TRY TO REPLACE THE HEATER CORE ON MY 2001 DODGE RAM 3500 .AND WHEN THE MECHANIC START TO REMOVE THE DASH BOARD THIS START TO FALLING IN PARTS .SO HE TRY TO PUT THOSE PARTS BACK UNTIL HE EXPLAIN ME WHAT HAPPEN .I TRY TO FIND AN AFTERMARKET DASH AND PEOPLE ON THE STORE LET ME KNOW .THEY BELIEVE IT'S A OPEN RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE DASH ON ALL MODELS ON RAM .SO I CALL TO NORTHWEST DODGE ON HOUSTON TEXAS AND THEY SAID THE RECALL WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO ..FOR THAT REASON THEY CAN'T FIXED .AFTER A RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FIND THIS PLACE TO FILE A COMPLAINT.BECAUSE FOR ME IT'S DANGEROUS HAVE A DASHBOARD CRACKED WITH A SHARP PIECES .MY DASH COVER FALLS IN AROUND 20 PCS .AND THE BASE OF THE WHOLE DASH IN SEVERAL CRACKED PIECES ..AND CAN'T REPLACE MY HEATER CORE ..UNTIL I HAVE THE DASHBOARD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD DETERIORATED TO THE POINT THAT THE PLASTIC WAS WARPED AND CAVED INTO THE ELECTRICAL WIRING AND COMPONENTS INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO FAIL SPORADICALLY. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ALSO LOW AND THE CONTACT HAD ATTEMPT TO USE THE DIMMER TO NO AVAIL. ALSO, THE SERVICE ENGINE AND AIR BAG SENSOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT THE DASHBOARD COULD BE REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000

Mileage: 87,000

PIECES OF DASH FELL DOWN UNDER DASH AND CAUSED THE AIR BAG TO TRIGGER. PUT IN A NEW PASSENGER AIR BAG AND DASH AND 4 YEARS LATTER ALL CRACKED UP AND A PIECE HAS CAUSED A COOLANT LEAK IN HEATER CORE UNDER THE DASH. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. I HAVE A FRIEND THAT THE DASH PIECES CUT WIRES AND SET IT ON FIRE. *TR

Mileage: 136,000

FRIDAY FEB. 4, 2011 MY SON WAS IN A ACCIDENT IN HIS 2001 DODGE TRUCK HIS AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. *TR

Mileage: 217,000

2001 DODGE RAM 3500, DASH BOARD HAS COMPLETELY CRACKED APART WITH LARGE SECTION CRACKED OUT. IT BEGAN WITH A CRACK EXTENDING FROM THE DEFROSTER VENT AND ENCOMPASSED THE WHOLE DASH IN A MATTER OF WEEKS. DODGE HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH IT IS WIDE SPREAD. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE PARTICULARLY IF AN AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT HAPPENED THE SHARDS FROM THIS DASH ARE LIKE A RAZOR. *TR

Mileage: 130,000

MARCH 27, 2006, HUSBAND WAS RAN OFF ROAD BY UNKNOWN VEHICLE. HE WAS GOING ABOUT 40 MPH AND MADE IMPACT WITH A TREE AT ABOUT THIS SPEED. HE HIT THE CURB WENT AIRBORNE, ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESS, MY HUSBAND DOES NOT REMEMBER, AND HIT THE TREE, CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO HIS WORK VEHICLE. THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED. MY HUSBAND FRACTURED THE C-5 VERTEBRAE IN HIS NECK, HIS RIGHT HAND IS WEAK AND NUMB, AND ALSO HE HAD BRUISING TO HIS BRAIN WHICH CAUSES MEMORY LAPSES AND OTHER PROBLEMS. *JB

MY DAUGHTER LOST HER LEFT ARM WHEN IT WENT THROUGH THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DURING A VEHICLE CRASH. SHE WAS DRIVING A 2001 DODGE RAM 3500 DUALLY. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE FRONT AXLE CAME OFF. I SUSPECT A VEHICLE DEFECT IN THE AXLE AND AIRBAGS. I WANT TO KNOW WHY VEHICLES DON'T HAVE SAFETY GLASS IN THE SIDE WINDOWS; HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE LOST LIMBS IN THIS MANNER; AND, HOW MANY 3500 DODGE RAM VEHICLES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ROLLOVERS SIMILAR TO THIS. *JB

NHTSA CAMPAIGN 01V153000; DAIMLER CHRSYLER ISSUED A CLOCK SPRING MATERIAL RECALL. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN ALTHOUGH THE AIR BAG CHECK LIGHT REMAINED ON. OWNER'S MANUAL STATED THAT THE THAT AIR BAG WOULD NOT OPERATE IF THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY. *AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINED THE DRIVER SO HE ONLY SUSTAINED MINOR BRUISES. *AK

Mileage: 15,000

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON A ROAD ONTO A SERVICE RAMP AND WAS TURNING LEFT. WHEN TURNING VEHICLE BACK TO RIGHT STEERING DIDN'T MOVE AT ALL. ALSO, AIRBAG LIGHT STAYED ON THE PANEL, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WASN'T OPERABLE.*AK