1998 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

1998 DODGE DAKOTA UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE. REPORTED BY REPAIR SHOP WHEN ASKED TO PERFORM A FRONT ALLIGNMENT. I WAS TOLD THAT TEY HAVE NEVER SEEN A WORSE CASE OF WORN OUT BALL JOINTS. THEY TOLD ME THAT AN ALLIGNMENT CANNOT BE PERFORMED WITHOUT THE BALL JOINT REPALCEMENT. FRON END IS LOOSE AND MAKES A POPPING SOUND WHEN TURNING. TRUCK HAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES. NO REPAIR COMPLETED AS YET. I WAS INFORMED BY THE REPAIR SHOP THAT A RECALL TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT IS LIKELY TO BE INITIATED SOON AND THAT I SHOULD WAIT FOR THE RECALL AND AVOID DRIVING THE TRUCK UNTIL FIXED. *AK

I STARTED TO NOTICE A LOUD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL WELL ON MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA SLT CLUB CAB. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO AN INDEPENDANT GARAGE AND WAS TOLD THAT MY BALL JOINTS WERE IN DESPARATE NEED OF REPLACEMENT. I WAS TOLD BY THE ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC THAT THE BALL JOINTS ARE SEALED AND COULD NOT GET THE PROPER LUBRICATION CAUSING PREMATURE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT THE BALL JOINTS COULD HAVE FAILED AT ANY TIME CAUSING THE WHEEL TO FAIL WHICH WOULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I ASKED THE MECHANIC IF THE REPLACEMENT BALL JOINTS WERE GREASABLE. HE TOLD ME YES. I FEEL THAT THE ORIGINAL BALL JOINTS WERE NOT DESIGNED PROPERLY BY DAIMLER CHRYSLER, AND THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT WARRANTS A RECALL.

LEFT AND RIGHT BALL JOINTS ON MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP TRUCK FAILED WITH ONLY 46,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. I HAD TO REPLACE THEM IN ORDER FOR THE TRUCK TO PASS ITS STATE SAFETY INSPECTION.*AK

BALL JOINT PROBLEM WITH 1998 DODGE DAKOTA. I HAVE HAD SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM, HEAVY CLUNKING IN FRONT RIGHT, FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. I WENT TO THE DEALER BELIEVING IT WAS AN UPPER BALL JOINT PROBLEM. I EVEN ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THE UPPERS. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS LOWER BALL JOINTS AND I PAID FOR THEM. I BELEIVE THEY WERE JUST OUT OF STOCK ON THE UPPERS. 7 MONTHS LATER, THE CLUNKING HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT WITH THE WHEEEL CUT HARD TO THE RIGHT THE FRONT END "HOPPED" TO THE SIDE. I HAD THIS HAPPEN TWICE IN THE SAME DAY, AND TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY. THEY NOW ADMIT IT NEEDS UPPER BALL JOINTS AND ARE CHARGING ME $500+. IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE.*AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT AN ONGOING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM FOR 3 YEARS WHICH BECAME WORSE WITHIN THE LAST 2 WEEKS. THE RPMS REVVED VERY HIGH WHEN THE VEHICLE WENT INTO SECOND GEAR AFTER ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP POSITION. WHEN THIS OCCURRED CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. DEALERSHIP NOR THE MECHANIC COULD IDENTIFY WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS TO OCCUR.*AK

AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE INTO A REPAIR SHOP, THE BALL JOINTS WERE COMPLETELY WORN OUT AFTER ONLY 40K MILES. *JB *SC

MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA SPORT 4WD 5.2 AUTO HAS A LOUD SQUEAK IN THE SUSPENSION AREA. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO GET AN OIL CHANGE AND ASKED THAT THEY MAKE SURE THEY LUBRICATE ALL AREAS. THE TECH TOLD ME MY BALL JOINT WAS THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT NEEDS REPLACED. HE TOLD ME THAT DODGE HAD A RECALL ON THEM. IS THIS TRUE? I WILL BE CALLING THE DEALER THIS WEEK TO SEE IF THEY CAN REPAIR SINCE THIS MAY BE OR ALREADY IS A RECALL. *JB

THERE IS A SQUEAKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT ALL 4 BALL JOINTS NEEDS TO REPLACED DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR.*AK

THE VEHICLE HAD TO HAVE BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 29,045MI ON IT. *JB (RIGHT AND LEFT LOWER BALL JOINTS) THERE WAS EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS TO BE WORN WITHIN EXCESS OF THE SPECIFICATIONS AND COULD NOT BE ALIGNED. *SC

DISCOVERED UPON VEHICLE INSPECTION; ABNORMAL WEAR TO FRONT TIRES, FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS, UPPER AND LOWER FRONT BALL JOINTS. *JB