2004 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

STEERING ERRATIC AND CHOPPY. STEERING WHEEL FAILS TO CENTER SMOOTHLY WHEN RELEASED. STEERING IS HARD AT TIMES. WHEEL STAYS IN TURNED DIRECTION UNLESS MANUALLY TURNED TO CORRECT. *TR

STEERING WHEEL WOULD STIFFEN AS IF THERE WERE NO POWER STEERING ABILITY. WHEN HE TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL, IT DOES NOT TURN BACK UNLESS HE DOES IT MANUALLY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT COULD LEAD TO THE STEERING WHEEL DISCONNECTING FROM THE RACK UNIT. I BELIEVE THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS THE LOWER STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. IF I SPRAY THE U JOINTS OF THE STEERING SHAFT WITH WD 40 OR PB BLASTER IT STEERS GREAT, BUT WEARS OFF WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT!! NOW TRUCK HAS 57,000 MILES. HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE HAD IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD STIFFEN AS IF THERE WERE NO POWER STEERING ABILITY. WHEN HE TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL, IT DOES NOT TURN BACK UNLESS HE DOES IT MANUALLY. THE FAILURE BEGAN APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK AGO. THE CONTACT FEELS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT COULD LEAD TO THE STEERING WHEEL DISCONNECTING FROM THE RACK UNIT. HE BELIEVES THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS THE LOWER STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 43,000.

CAN HEAR A POPPING NOISE FROM RIGHT FRONT END WHEN GOING INTO DRIVEWAYS OR MAKING RIGHT TURNS. ON 6/4/08 TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALER AND THEY STATED THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS WERE WORN OUT AS WELL AS THE SHOCKS. 1500$ LATER THEY REPLACED THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS, SHOCKS, AND A FULL ALIGNMENT. ALL OF THIS AT ONLY 37K MILES! AS SOON AS I GOT THE VEHICLE HOME THE NOISE IS STILL THERE ALBEIT LESS NOTICEABLE. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO SAME DEALER ON 6/6/08 AND NOISE COULD NOT BE HEARD AND DEALERS MECHANIC STATED IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AND TO BRING IT BACK IF THE NOISE IS REPRODUCIBLE. BE READING OTHER COMPLAINTS AND SUSPECT THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS ARE BAD OR GOING BUT DEALER SAID THEY WERE OK. SOMETHING IS WRONG WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THEIR FRONT ENDS GO OUT AT SUCH LOW MILES. PLEASE CONTACT ME SO WE CAN GET THIS FIXED THROUGH A RECALL. DEALER SAID HE KEPT THE BROKEN PARTS. *TR

IN REFERENCE TO ODI COMPLAINT 10224785... I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE ON MY VEHICLE TWICE. IT IS THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, THAT BEING 04' DAKOTA. I BELIEVE THE ISSUE IS KNOWN TO DODGE AS THEY HAVE A VERY SMALL NOTATION IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL IN REFERENCE TO THE STEERING SHAFT. AT PRESENT THIS FAILURE SEEMS TO OCCUR EVERY 2ND SPRING (AFTER SPRING THAW AND WET ROADS), AND IN MY OPINION IT'S DUE TO A LACK OF GREASE FITTINGS ON THE STEERING LINKAGE. AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE THESE "GREASE TIPS", HOWEVER THE STANDARD DODGE SUPPLIED PARTS DO NOT. IT IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE AS IT OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING AND SIMULATES THE FEELING OF COMPLETE POWER STEERING LOSS. PERSONALLY IT ALMOST RESULTED IN 2 ACCIDENTS, HOWEVER I WAS ABLE TO CORRECT MY VEHICLE BEFORE ANY ONCOMING TRAFFIC BECAME INVOLVED. AS I AM CANADIAN I HAVE FILED A REPORT WITH TRANSPORT CANADA, HOWEVER FELT IT IMPORTANT TO REPORT TO ODI AS WELL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND DOES NOT ALLOW THE CONTACT TO TURN THE VEHICLE IN ANY DIRECTION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURS EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

I AM REPORTING THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING. MY METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED 2004 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB EXHIBITED INTERMITTENT BINDING OF THE STEERING MAKING THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED MY SUSPENSION THAT IT WAS THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT THAT WAS BINDING DUE TO ?RUST? AND REPLACED THE COMPONENT AT A COST TO ME OF $310.00 PARTS AND LABOR. THIS COMPONENT HAD SURFACE RUST ONLY ON A SEALED NON-GREASY FITTING AND SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED WITH A VEHICLE LESS THAN 4 YEARS OLD WITH ONLY 58,000 MILES OF USE. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER DIRECTLY TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THEY INDICATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR HAS BEEN RECALIBRATED ONE TIME. WHEN A PASSENGER OR OBJECT IS SEATED IN THE SEAT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT DIMS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE RECALIBRATED EACH TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED, ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL LAW. THE DEALER CHARGED $100 FOR EACH RECALIBRATION. THE POWERTRAIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,129. UPDATED 06/09/2008. *LJ

OUR TRUCK IS A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA WITH 40,000 MILES ON IT. MY HUSBAND WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, GETTING READY TO GET ONTO I-95 AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL FELL OFF. THESE SAME VEHICLES WERE RECALLED FOR 2000-2003 BUT NOT 2004. IF THE WHEEL HAD FALLEN OFF ONCE ON I-95 AT 75 MPH MY HUSBAND OR SOMEONE ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE. THIS WAS A BALL JOINT PROBLEM. $1300 LATER BOTH SIDES ARE REPLACED. CHRYSLER SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL AND IF THERE IS A FUTURE RECALL THEN WE MAY BE REIMBURSED. WE WILL NEVER BUY A CHRYSLER PRODUCT AGAIN. *TR

CLUTCH FAILED, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START UNLESS PUSH STARTED, WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AND SHIFT NORMALLY. VEHICLE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY UPUNTILL THE FAILURE. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALER. THE PEDAL ROD WAS BENT, AFTER TAKING MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT THE CLUTCH MASTER AND SLAVE "FELL APART IN THEIR HANDS" THIS IS A PART THAT DOES NOT FAIL, SHOULD NOT FAIL. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY 3.5 YRS OLD. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE THERE ARE NO AVAILABLE PARTS TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE. TO QUOTE THE SERVICE MANAGER "THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A RUN ON THE PARTS" I BELIEVE THIS WARRENTS LOOKING INTO TO SEE IF THIS IS A FAULTY PART. *CN