2004 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

GROANING OCCURS WHENEVER THE VEHICLE MOVES IN REVERSE AND THE WHEEL IS TURNED ONE ROTATION LEFT. ALSO RECENTLY, A LOUD SQUEAL HAS OCCURRED ON FORWARD VEHICLE MOVEMENT. I AM CONCERNED WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OF BALL JOINT FAILURE AND VEHICLE SAFETY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, STEERING WHEEL FELT A LITTLE LOOSE. LUCKILY ONLY WHILE BACKING INTO A PARKING SPOT - THE STEERING WHEEL FELL OFF INTO LAP. THE METAL BRACKET WAS CRACKED. CAR WAS BROUGHT TO A DEALERSHIP AND A NEW PART WAS ORDERED, CURRENTLY WAITING TO BE FIXED. DEALERSHIP DOES NOT SEEMED CONCERNED, NOR CAN THEY DETERMINE IF IT'S A MANUFACTURING DEFAULT. A CLAIM WAS STARTED WITH THE CHRYSLER CORPORATE OFFICE. WILL HAVE TO SEE IF RETRIBUTION WILL BE MADE. TRUCK HAS 125K MILES, HOWEVER REGULAR MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN PERFORMED. NO OTHER ISSUES OCCURRED PREVIOUSLY. A 9-MONTH PREGNANT WIFE AND HUSBAND COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY. DODGE SHOULD INVESTIGATE BEFORE A TRAGIC ACCIDENT OR DEATH OCCURS. *TR

I JUST READ ABOUT THE STEERING PROBLEMS BEING EXPERIENCED ON THE 2004 DODGE DAKOTA CLUB CAB MODELS. I HAVE TWICE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM . ONCE UNDER WARRANTY AND ONCE AT MY OWN EXPENSE. THE STEERING JUST FREEZES UP AND THE WHEEL CANNOT BE TURNED WITH OUT A LOT OF EFFORT. WHEN YOU ROUND A CORNER, IT DOES NOT RECOVER AND YOU MUST TURN THE WHEEL BACK YOURSELF TO HAVE THE VEHICLE CONTINUE ON A STRAIGHT COURSE AFTER THE TURN. BOTH TIMES I WAS REQUIRED TO HAVE THE "MIDDLE STEERING SHAFT" REPLACED. APPARENTLY THERE IS A TOP,MIDDLE AND LOWER STEERING SHAFT AND BOTH TIMES AT DIFFERENT REPAIR FACILITIES IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE MIDDLE SHAFT THAT HAD FAILED. IT COMPLETELY FREEZES UP ON YOU. *TR

2004 DODGE DAKOTA POWER STEERING GOES STIFF, LOOSE, STIFF, LOOSE, ETC. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WRONG AND JUDGING BY THE COMPLAINTS I'VE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. IT IS PUTTING PEOPLE'S LIVE IN DANGER AND A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUES ASAP. *TR

1) NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, JUST REGULAR DRIVING 2) ITS VERY HARD TO STEER SOMETIMES, ITS LIKE STIFF-LOOSE-STIFF-LOOSE WHEN I TURN EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND GUYS ON DODGEFORUM.COM HAVE PINPOINTED THE PROBLEM BUT DEALERS WONT CHANGE THE PART, THEY WANT TO CHANGE THE POWER STEERING PUMP WHEN THE PROBLEM IS IN THE INTERMEDIATE ARM, ITS EXPENSIVE TO FIX AND WHY SHOULD WE PAY FOR A MANUFACTURER DEFECT? THE CONSEQUENCES UNFORTUNATELY CAN BE DEADLY. SOMETIMES ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER OR MAKE A QUICK TURN, IF SOMEONE CUTS YOU OFF AND YOU CANT TURN, WELL BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN. 3)I CANNOT GET THE PART (INTERMEDIATE ARM) BECAUSE THEY ARE ON BACKORDER, COINCIDENCE?? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WAS TOWED TO THE DRIVER'S RESIDENCE. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED DUE TO OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 50,000.

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I KEPT HEARING NOISES FROM THE BRAKES AND FRONT END. THIS WAS GOING INTO THE 2ND YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. MY DODGE DAKOTA HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST 15 TIMES FOR THE SAME THING. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE STEERING PARTS, SWAY BAR, BRAKES ROTORS, CALIBER AND STILL MAKE A A MOANING GROANING NOISE WHEN EVER I TURN OR GO OVER BUMPS. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2004 DODGE DAKOTA SLT IS A PIECE OF CRAP. FIRST I HAD TO REPLACE THE VALVE BODY AT 53,000 MILES, NOW THE TORQUE CONVERTER TRIES TO LOCK TOO SOON (AT 30 MPH), WHICH RESULTS IN THE TRUCK SHUDDERING BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH. IT ONLY OCCURS UNDER LIGHT ACCELERATION. HEAVY ACCELERATION KEEPS THE CONVERTER FROM LOCKING. *TR

WHILE HAVING MY TIRES ROTATED AT SEARS, THE TECH INFORMED ME THAT THE BALL JOINTS ON MY 2004 DODGE DAKOTA WERE VERY BADLY WORN, BOTH UPPER AND LOWER. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 54,000 MILES AND IS DRIVEN ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON PAVEMENT. I CONTACTED THE DEALER, LITHIA DODGE OF ROSEBURG OREGON, I SPOKE WITH SERVICE MANAGER PHIL TYLER AND LOT MANAGER WAYNE KNOWLES, AND DODGE CORPORATE, BUT BOTH REFUSED TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE FURTHER. *TR

INTERMITTENT HARD STEERING. SEEMS LIKE THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING. HAD THE POWER STEERING UNIT REPLACED BUT THAT DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE HAVING SAME PROBLEM. SEEMS TO BE THE U-JOINTS ON THE STEERING SHAFT. HAVE TO REPLACE SHAFT. *TR