these dashboards are junk....
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 944
Likes: 4
From: Spokane, WA
There was a write up on this awhile back. They found the manufacturer of some units that were from Mexico, had the wrong formula in the plastics. They don't even need heast and sun to fall apart. I can't believe the feds didn't make them recall them. Well, I can believe our idiots did that!
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 87
Likes: 1
From: Washington State
I have not seen any cracked dashes here in Washington state. But then again we only get 50 days of sun a year. 
Don't ya love all the rust when you remove the dash? At least they could have painted the steel to prevent rust. I think everyone has this issue.
Don't ya love all the rust when you remove the dash? At least they could have painted the steel to prevent rust. I think everyone has this issue.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: Okanagan B.C.
Must be a southerner thing I havn't seen any cracked dashes north of the 49th parrallel as well.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
From: Round Lake, IL
Just saw my first dash crack (about an inch long) on my '99 today 
-- right by the defrost vents really close to the glass.
How fast do these cracks develop? I'm afraid the whole dash will fall apart on the drive home today due to movement of the cab while driving. Any ideas? Extremely concern.
-- right by the defrost vents really close to the glass. How fast do these cracks develop? I'm afraid the whole dash will fall apart on the drive home today due to movement of the cab while driving. Any ideas? Extremely concern.
Chapter President
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,327
Likes: 0
From: Near Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee
Shaft,
I noticed my first crack sometime at the beginning of this year. Seems like maybe March? First little crack around the driver side defrost vents. Within a month it was all along all of the defrost vents. Another month and it was all the way up to the bezel over the gauges and then a softball size piece dropped out. Yep, mine went pretty quick.
As far as a recall or safety issues. I kinda look at it like this. Now that the dash has lost all integrity and will most likely explode in a collision you will now have sharp, jagged pieces of plastic flying around in the cab of your vehicle. Ok, so not very well made plastic but still with all the stuff that goes on in a car wreck there is a potential for injury outside of your normal injuries. If a person cannot afford the nearly $2000 Dodge wants to replace your cracked dash then they must drive around with it like this. What is going to happen when your passenger side airbag goes off with this cracked dash? I don't know if it will have any affect at all but there is always that fella named Murphy.
Ok, so maybe you can buy the replacement dash, if you have the skill and the tools to do it then great, still have down time, time spent witout your truck etc. Me, I don't want to down the truck because it makes me money and everyday it sits because of some unknow modification I have to do to an aftermarket dash or that guy, Murphy rears his ugly head and I loose money. For one, I'm still not convinced Geno's or LMC is a direct, unbolt, bolt the new one in and go kind of part. I want no mods, no grinding, cutting, hacking of any sort. Unbolt the old, click, click the new and done.
I'm a firm believer, Dodge screwed up something and they should fix it. How many pages of people with cracked dashes did the other post end up having? The last time I looked it was 15 or more of actual real people with dash boards just falling apart. Hate to bring them up again but, 95 Explorer and 94 Saturn, one over 300k, other with 235k, both armor all'd or Meguiers their whole life, both in perfect condition, both sit out in direct sunlight all the time in deep southern heat.
I noticed my first crack sometime at the beginning of this year. Seems like maybe March? First little crack around the driver side defrost vents. Within a month it was all along all of the defrost vents. Another month and it was all the way up to the bezel over the gauges and then a softball size piece dropped out. Yep, mine went pretty quick.
As far as a recall or safety issues. I kinda look at it like this. Now that the dash has lost all integrity and will most likely explode in a collision you will now have sharp, jagged pieces of plastic flying around in the cab of your vehicle. Ok, so not very well made plastic but still with all the stuff that goes on in a car wreck there is a potential for injury outside of your normal injuries. If a person cannot afford the nearly $2000 Dodge wants to replace your cracked dash then they must drive around with it like this. What is going to happen when your passenger side airbag goes off with this cracked dash? I don't know if it will have any affect at all but there is always that fella named Murphy.
Ok, so maybe you can buy the replacement dash, if you have the skill and the tools to do it then great, still have down time, time spent witout your truck etc. Me, I don't want to down the truck because it makes me money and everyday it sits because of some unknow modification I have to do to an aftermarket dash or that guy, Murphy rears his ugly head and I loose money. For one, I'm still not convinced Geno's or LMC is a direct, unbolt, bolt the new one in and go kind of part. I want no mods, no grinding, cutting, hacking of any sort. Unbolt the old, click, click the new and done.
I'm a firm believer, Dodge screwed up something and they should fix it. How many pages of people with cracked dashes did the other post end up having? The last time I looked it was 15 or more of actual real people with dash boards just falling apart. Hate to bring them up again but, 95 Explorer and 94 Saturn, one over 300k, other with 235k, both armor all'd or Meguiers their whole life, both in perfect condition, both sit out in direct sunlight all the time in deep southern heat.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Bryan, TX
LMC's dash was a direct fit, no modification, no grinding, no trimming, no cutting, no BS replacement. Just screw (no bolts) it into the truck. Geno's is a cover, not a dash replacement.
