2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

STUDS ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD BROKE CAUSING EXHAUST GASES TO ENTER THE CAB OF THE TRUCK. *TR

LIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF, INTERIOR LIGHT GO OUT, DOOR ALARM GOES OFF AT 70 MPH, WIPERS GO OFF BY THEMSELVES, HORN BEEPS, TRUCK WONT START. QUICK FIX , DISCOUNT THE BATTERY AT RESET THE SYSTEM, PERMANENT FIX TO REPLACE THE CENTRAL TIMING MODULE. *TR

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED WITH 39K MILES I HAD IT FOR A MONTH AND NOTICED VIBRATIONS WHEN BRAKING FROM 50 - 40 MPH. I FIGURED THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED. AFTER ABOUT A YEAR OF THIS I TOOK THE ROTORS OFF AND INTO A PARTS STORE TO HAVE THEM CHECKED, THEY WERE WARPED AND TOO THIN TO TURN (LATHE). I BOUGHT NEW ROTORS AND PADS, CLEANED AND GREASED THE CALIPER SLIDE PINS AND REASSEMBLED THE BRAKES. AFTER THIS THE BRAKING VIBRATION WENT AWAY. RECENTLY I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND ONCE I GOT TO MY EXIT I NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, ALSO THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT HARD. I PULLED OVER TO FIND THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE SMOKING. I JACKED UP THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE (WHEELS OFF THE GROUND) AND FOUND THAT NEITHER WHEEL/TIRE COULD BE TURNED BY HAND. AFTER THE VEHICLE SAT FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS TO COOL DOWN THE WHEELS COULD THEN BE TURNED. TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP THAT CONFIRMED THE BRAKE PAD WEAR INDICATED THAT FOR THE MOST PART THE PISTONS AND SLIDES SEEMED TO BE OPERATING PROPERLY. I AM AN A.S.E. CERTIFIED MASTER MECHANIC AND HAVE NEVER SEEN BRAKES OVERHEAT LIKE THIS AND CAUSE CALIPER LOCK UP. HAPPEN. I BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THESE VEHICLES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FROM THE SALES LOT, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER, THEY FILED BANKRUPTCY AND WERE CLOSED DOWN. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V555000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT) AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR ONE ISSUE UNDER THE RECALL, BUT ANOTHER ISSUE HAD TO BE REPAIRED FOR $700 AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE SHE WAS THE SECOND OWNER, SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 85,289. UPDATED 09/10/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED EVEN AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED, HE IS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE GEAR SHIFT. UPDATED 09/11/08*JB

2001 DODGE DAKOTA LEAKS WATER DURING RAINSTORMS ON THE PASSENGER FRONT FLOOR. *TR

KNOWING THE DAKOTA'S HAVE BRAKE ISSUES, I REPLACED THE FRONT ROTORS WITH AFTERMARKET SLOTTED ROTORS IN HOPES THAT THE ROTOR WOULD STAY COOL & NOT WARP. HOWEVER EVEN AFTER ADDING NEW ROTORS I HAVE HAD ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS ONE OR THE OTHER FRONT ROTORS HAVE LOCKED UP. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT I COMPLETELY DRAINED & REPLACED ALL THE BRAKE FLUID W/SYNTHETIC BRAKE FLUID. I HAD NO PROBLEMS FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS BEFORE THEY LOCKED UP AGAIN. THIS TIME I REPLACED BOTH CALIPERS, IT'S ONLY BEEN A MONTH EVERYTHING IS WORKING FOR NOW. DODGE SHOULD RECALL! EITHER THERE BRAKE BOOSTER OR CALIPERS ARE FLAWED BECAUSE THE BRAKE CALIPER TEND TO STICK CAUSING OVERHEATING, WRONG TO THE POINT WHERE THE PADS ARE SO HOT YOUR ENGULFING OTHER VEHICLES IN SMOKE!

ON FREEWAY AT 75 MPH. HEARD A LOUD POP SOUND AND THE VEHICLE TUGGED TO THE LEFT. MANAGED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AND PULL OFF TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. THE TIRE WAS DAMAGED BUT INTACT, IT WAS A VALVE STEM FAILURE. TOOK THE TIRE TO SHOP WHERE PURCHASED AND WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN SHUTTING OFF AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. THE DOOR HINGES BEGAN COMING APART ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, AND THE MIDDLE OF THE DOOR ALSO BEGAN TO RIP. THE DEALER WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS UNTIL AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE CONTACT WELDED THE DOOR IN PLACE; HOWEVER, IT HAS BEGUN TO COME APART AGAIN AND WILL NOT REMAIN LOCKED. THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HAS ALSO COME OFF TRACK. THE CONTACT HAD TO ADD GLUE TO SECURE THE WINDOW IN PLACE. IN APRIL OF 2008, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE RELATED TO THE EMISSION PARK SHIFT INTERLOCK. THE RECALL REPAIR HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED. THE CONTACT HAS PHOTOS. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,997. UPDATED 05/28/08 *BF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP WAS LOOSING PRESSURE AND THE RADIATOR OVERFLOW HOSE WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/27/08

CLOCK SPRING - NO HORN - NO DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG HAVE REPLACED 2 SETS OF FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND LINES ON THIS TRUCK DUE TO FRONT BRAKES LOCKING UP WHILE DRIVING. NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENTS. *TR

ALL LIGHTS START TURNING ON AND OFF IN A RANDOM PATTERN. MUST HOLD DRIVER DOOR OPEN WHILE DRIVING TO HAVE A CONSISTENT HEADLIGHT. EVERY LIGHT IS AFFECTED. DASH LIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS, HEAD LIGHTS, 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRANSFER CASE LIGHTS, HORN, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, INTERIOR LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, AND SEVERAL OTHER LIGHTING RELATED ISSUES. THIS ISSUE IS DANGEROUS AT NIGHT SINCE THERE ARE NO HEADLIGHTS UNLESS THE DRIVER DOOR IS HELD OPEN WHILE TRAVELING. I WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE PROHIBITIVE COST OF CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM BY A DODGE SERVICE GARAGE. UNABLE TO LOCATE SOURCE OF PROBLEM DUE TO THE RANDOMNESS OF THE VARIOUS LIGHT SYSTEMS TURNING ON AND OFF. ALSO, IT IS NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE GROUND LEAD ON THE BATTERY WHEN VEHICLE IS LEFT UNATTENDED. *TR