1999 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

IN 2003, WHEN MY VEHICLE, A DODGE DAKOTA PICK-UP WAS DUE A SMOG CHECK. MILEAGE WAS ONLY APPROXIMATELY 39,900 MILES. IT FAILED. IT FAILED 3 TIMES. AFTER PAYING ABOUT $800.00 IT PASS THE SMOG TEST. THIS YEAR, MY PICK-UP WAS DUE A SMOG TEST. THE MILEAGE WAS 49,900 MILES, AGAIN IT FAILED THE SMOG TEST (TWICE NOW). TO THIS DATE, IT HAS NOT PASSED THE SMOG TEST AND COST HAS ALREADY GONE TO APPROXIMATED $300.00. *NM

99 DODGE DAKOTA STEERING FELT LOOSE AND WANDERED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I TOOK IT IN FOR A ALIGNMENT, TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND 1 TIE ROD WERE WORN PAST SPEC, HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 34000 MILES ON IT!, IS IN MINT SHAPE, AND NEVER DRIVEN OFFROAD. I UNDERSTAND CHRYSLER RECALLED 2000+ UP DAKOTA/DURANGO FOR BALL JOINT PROBLEMS, WHAT ABOUT 97-99 MODELS? SAME VEHICLE/ SAME PROBLEM. CAN YOU SAY RIP-OFF. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ALONG WITH THE TIE ROD ASSEMBLY WORE OUT SO BADLY THAT IT ALMOST CAUSED AN AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL FOR THE BALL JOINTS BECAUSE HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE NHTSA RECALL 04V596000 WAS ISSUED HE HAD THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED, AND WAS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS VIN NOT BEING INCLUDED THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE. *AK UPDATED 12/27/2005 - *NM

1999 DODGE DAKOTA BALL JOINT AND TIE RODS. BALL JOINTS ARE SEPARATING AND TIE RODS ARE BAD JUST LIKE THE RECALL FOR THE 2000-2004 MODELS WHY WASN'T THIS EXTENDED TO THE 1999 MODEL. I HAVE 78000 MILES ON THIS TRUCK THAT I BOUGHT IN AUG 05. *JB

ON MY 3 BALL JOINT REPLACEMENT IN 4 YEARS. UPPERS AND LOWERS. RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED. THERE IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM HERE AND I'M OBVIOUSLY NOT ALONE. *NM

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE (MULTIPLE TIMES) ALONG WITH CONTROL ARM AND TIE ROD. *JB

DT: CONSUMER STATED THAT BALL JOINTS PREMATURELY WORE OUT. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS MAKE/ MODEL AND YEAR, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. CONSUMER NOTICED THE TIRES WERE WEARING OUT UNEVENLY, AND HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR AN ALIGNMENT. WAS TOLD BY DEALER TIRES COULD NOT BE ALIGNED BECAUSE THE WHOLE FRONT END NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER CALLED DODGE, AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULDN'T COVER THE REPAIR CHARGES.*AK *JB

I OWN A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA 4WD SPORT AND I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS TWICE. I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS LATE 2001 EARLY 2002, I TOOK IT TO ANSTED MOTORS IN ANSTED WV AND WAS INFORMED THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE BAD. I CONTACTED THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION AND WAS INFORMED THAT MY TRUCK WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, SO THE BEST THEY COULD DO WAS HELP PAY FOR LABOR AND THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO A CERTAIN DEALERSHIP, LOCATED IN SOUTH CHARLESTON WV. BECAUSE THE TRUCK WAS NOT SAFE, I HAD THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED IN 2002 AT WHAT IS NOW JOE HOLLAND CHRYSLER. THIS LASTED FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS AND I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AGAIN IN MID 2002, I TOOK THE TRUCK TO SEARS AT THE CROSSROADS MALL IN BECKLEY WV AND WAS TOLD THE BALL JOINTS WERE BAD, I HAD THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED FOR A SECOND TIME. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED A RECALL ON DODGE DURANGO AND DAKOTA, BUT FOR THE YEARS 2000 THROUGH 2003, WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE.

DT: BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE. . WHEN THE CALLER GOT NEW TIRES HE WAS TOLD THE BALL JOINTS WERE BAD. THE CALLER SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ON OTHER YEARS MODELS BUT NOT ON HIS YEAR MODEL. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. MANUFACTURER SAID THE CALL WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS HIMSELF. *AK

1. TIRES WEARING ON THE INSIDE. 2. RUINED TIRES. 3. REPLACED BALL JOINTS. *NM