Several owners of 2001 Dodge Rams are reporting that the dashboards on their vehicles are mysteriously collapsing or cracking, possibly putting their lives in danger, according to a Local 6 News investigation.

Dodge Dashboard Report

• Problems In PT Cruisers
• Daimler Chrysler Requests Photos
• Company Responds To Local 6
• Dodge Owners Seek Help
• E-Mails Flood Local 6
• Dashboards Collapsing, Cracking

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A flood of viewers have come forward with complaints that the dashboards on their P.T. Cruisers are cracking and collapsing similar to photos shown in a recent Local 6 investigation into apparent problems with Dodge Rams.Since Local 6 aired the original report on dashboards, the station has received hundreds of e-mails from people who said they are having problems with their Dodge Rams."Consumers are wondering why they're driving the automotive equivalent of a sinkhole," Local 6's Steven Cooper said.

he report featured Lucy Perez, who is one of many P.T. Cruiser owners claiming they have defective dashboards."My concern is that we are driving and something happens and this whole thing goes and collapses and we have an accident," Perez said.

The P.T. Cruiser is made by Daimler Chrysler -- the same manufacturer of the Dodge Ram.

In an earlier report, Cooper spoke with a driver who said she lost all power to her headlights when her Dodge Ram dash collapsed while driving at night.

Another man said his dashboard fell apart and pieces fell inside and jammed the gas pedal while he was driving.

Cooper said the dashboard reports have circulated across the country.

The latest dashboard complaints have come from Texas, Missouri, South Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Utah."As for Daimler Chrysler, the company has not been consistent in its dialogue with us," Cooper said. "Some days they respond to our inquiries and some days they do not. And it seems the consumers are having the same experience."Cooper said he is looking into how Daimler Chrysler is handling the complaints.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will not comment on the record, except to say it is monitoring the situation.Anyone with a P.T. Crusier, Dodge Ram or another Daimler Chrysler with dashboard problems should call 800-992-1997 and file a complaint with government regulators at safercar.gov.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

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