Entire dash is cracking and falling apart. Chunks are getting into electrical wiring harness and may cause safety malfunction. Front window defroster not able to work correctly causing visual impairment. I am a ph.D. polymer chemist and this is obvious safety - manufacturing defect

- Redwood City, CA, USA

The contact owned a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, there was a loud noise coming from the engine, then there was smoke emitted in and around the vehicle causing a fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to the contacts residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Beaumont, TX, USA

99 Ram 1500 caught fire while running heater! cause of the fire is the defective dash material falling apart and the insulation fell onto the resistor located on top of the blower motor causing a interior fire. This was confirmed by myself a mechanic for over 30 years and a certified paint and body shop. Truck was in mint condition and now a total loss. The truck was in a stationary position in a college parking lot! contacted manufactuer only reply was sorry for your loss. I know of several other vehicles in a 5 mile radius same make and model that the same thing happened too.

- Haughton, LA, USA

Ignition and key are defective. Ignition key can be removed from vehicle ignition during vehicle operation. Ignition key fell out of ignition while driving. Ignition key can be removed from ignition while vehicle is running and in motion. Vehicle sometimes does not need the key in the ignition to start the engine. If the vehicle is running the key can be very easily pulled out of the ignition assembly, the key just slips right out of the ignition. Chrysler has been notified and their response is the vehicle is out of warranty. I asked Chrysler customer service to forward the complaint to a higher up person in Chrysler and was told that after my phone call, that was the end of the issue and Chrysler takes no responsibility for the problem concerning a defective ignition switch. I spoke to Chrysler customer service at (800) 334-9200. The approximate incident date is approximate and the problem started six years ago and the problem is ongoing through today. An internet search yields countless other complaints for the same subject matter. The condition is unsafe and please look into the problem. Thank you.

- Santa Barbara, CA, USA

The contact owns 1999 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, smoke emitted from the dashboard without warning as flames ignited from underneath the glove compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

- Kerhonkson, NY, USA

Vehicle stalls intermittently, 2 to 5 times a week, loses power steering, power brakes, RPM, other dashboard indicators, the odometer readout displays "nobus". this is dangerous because if there is no shoulder, you are stopped on the road. To restart the vehicle, the driver side wiring harness on the computer (which is on the passenger side engine wall) is pulled and replaced without turning off the key, a noise occurs like an electrical connection.is being made, then the vehicle can usually be restarted. Sometimes then there is a check engine light on, or not! the dealers and my local mechanic do not know what the problem is but the potential must be known since it sends the "nobus" message.

- Oran, MO, USA

Over the past year my dashboard has slowly self destruct. It started with a single crack, then another and another and another, to the point where it has literally collapsed. My A/C vents are effected as well as my radio is now starting to act up. I am in fear that with the intense Arizona sun, my wiring may start to short out and cause a fire. I understand that this is a widespread problem. Can Dodge be held accountable? I'm worried.

- Scottsdale, AZ, USA

1999 Dodge Ram 1500 truck with small V8 and 135,000 miles. Engine stops running with no warning. Odometer displays "no DC buss" sometimes code 920 and 921 appear. Dealer in maysville, ky 41056 replaced PCM unit. Dealer cannot id the fault codes. Engine still stops without warning. After towing the truck to the shop several times over a year and a half, the dealer recommends wiggling wires on the PCM plug. Wiggling the wires will permit engine restart but, it is not acceptable to have the engine die in traffic or to open the hood and play with it in the middle of the road. The engine dies often-multiple times on a short drive across town. The truck is not fit for use on roads without an emergency shoulder since it will die every time it is driven. Often the engine will not start when cold (several days since last use) until the wires are wiggled. Therefore, the problem is not due to heat. This problem is all over the internet on the Ram 1500 and durango.

- Maysville, KY, USA

1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup has electrical problems with headlights. When switching from high beams to low beams. The high beams go off but the low beams do not come back on. I have had two Dodge dealers plus another garage look into fixing this problem. Both Dodge dealers say they could not verify my complaint. The last Dodge dealer performed another electrical wiring trace diag and claims all circuit operating as designed. Yet they continue guessing at what might cause the problem and charge me for replacing parts they cannot verify where ever bad or even causing the failure of the low beams to come back on. The normal event is that when an oncoming vehicle is coming at me and I need to turn off the high beams. The high beams are turned off without any low beams coming on. This creates an immediate threat to life and property of both autos operating on the same section of roadway. This problem currently has been going on for about two months. After this second Dodge dealer charged me for replacing another switch (another guess by their mech). It took me less than 30 seconds to show a witness driving with me what the problem is as the low beams failed to come on after only three attempts of switching high beams to low beams. Yet Dodge dealers still says everything is working as designed. There is clearly a defect here in design. To date it has not resulted in a crash but there is no telling when the low beams will fail to come on when driving and they are needed. The first time I had this problems was at mileage 77,439 back on 11/08/05. The problem seems to clear up after the first Dodge dealer had replaced the multi-function switch. But now the problem is back again. So the second Dodge dealer did not feel this switch would of gone bad again after just 37,000 miles of use on this switch.

- Schnecksville, PA, USA

1999 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab - engine will quit at any moment, driving down the road at 55 mph, gives "nobus" code in odometer. Have had vehicle in shop numerous times, dash cluster replaced, sensors replaced, etc, it still does it, very dangerous have quit driving truck.

- Tillamook, OR, USA

1999 Dodge laramie 1500 quad 4X4. Dash has cracked and broke into pieces and fallen into dash wiring harnesses. Currently has only affected the front speakers. Concerns about the airbag and headlamp wires located in the same area.

- South Shore, KY, USA

The heater in my Dodge 1999 Ram 1500 4X4 caught fire and burned the cab and engine compartment completely.

- Springville, UT, USA

The contact owns a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500. While the contact was examining his vehicle, he noticed that the dashboard was completely falling apart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the entire dashboard needed to be replaced. In addition, the instrument panel lights would not operate correctly. The VIN was unknown. The current mileage was 99,000 and failure mileage was 97,000.

- North Liberty, IN, USA

I have a 1999 Dodge 1500 quad cab truck and bought it brand new in 1999. This past year my dash board started cracking and then just caved in. I am a single mom with four kids. This is my only transportation. I am now starting to have other issues with the electrical. This is a hazard to me and my kids. I promise someone will be sued if something happens to myself or my kids. Dodge dealership does not call this a recall. Something needs to be done.

- Crawfordville, FL, USA

Dash board collapsed causing electrical problems on 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup.

- Osteen, FL, USA

1999 Dodge Ram 1500 ton 4 wheel drive pick up, 25000 miles on the truck. While driving truck stalled and all lights on the dashboard came on. Pulled off to the side, sat a couple minutes, and the truck started back up. This problem recurred. This time it took about 5 minutes to restart. Next day took vehicle to dealer, they kept it for 2 days, could not find anything wrong with the truck. Said could have resulted from bad gas or vapor lock. Took vehicle home, and this happen again. Took back to dealer, still could not find anything wrong. Third time this happened consumer was driving on the freeway and the truck just quiet running. Would not start back up. Did get the truck off the road and coasted off an exit. Took over half hour before it started back up. Took back too dealer, they kept the truck for several days. The dealer found it was the computer. The mechanic did a wiggle test and found problem and fixed it.

- Barstow, CA, USA

I recently took my 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pick up to my alignment shop and had to put a new tracker bar on it. Which I replaced about 8 months ago at about 40 thousand miles.. and now I have to replace my steering box and my truck has just over 54,100 miles on it and I think that is a little ridiculous. Ever since I bought my truck new in 1999 I have had to have the front end aligned in the first year, the second year, in the year 2002 and now on March 3 rd 2003 I had to have it again for the reasons I stated in the beginning. I had some electrical problems under the dash and in the steering column. My alignment shop says they have replaced a lot of steering boxes and the tracker bar even at 18,000 miles. I have called Chrysler themselves and they won't do anything about it and I think they should because I believe that it is a result from a bad part from the factory. I have documented everything I have done to my truck. I have looked into the price of a new steering box and I have found that Dodge wants over $600 and a parts house in my town can get the same Dodge steering box for $205. I believe that I should not have to pay for the box what ever the price, because I believe it is new enough that they should be willing to have it fixed, to at least make a customer some what happy. I have never heard of a steering box going out at less then 100,000 miles. My father had a 1999 Ram 1500 pick up and with less than 25,000 miles the motor lost 4 quarts of oil on our way to a old car show in Montana but it never happened again so he did not worry about it and sold it and got a new 2002 Ram pick up and he likes it so far, but a friend of mine has a 2002 Ram and he is having a problem with his front end alignment. So I am wondering if there are other people having similar problems with their front ends on Dodge vehicles.

- Kearney, NE, USA

On several occasions, vehicle stalled out when attempting to start. Vehicle was towed to dealer where charging system check was performed and found that the battery was dead. Consumer states service bulletin relating to the electrical circuits was never performed. Manufacturer notified. Vehicle is under warranty, but consumer is not sure what is covered.

- Goose Creek, SC, USA