2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

HEATER CORE HAS GONE OUT FOR THE SECOND TIME CAUSING HOT COOLANT TO BE LEAKED ON MY FEET IN THE CAB AND FOGGING THE WINDOWS SEVERELY WHILE DRIVING. RESEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY MODEL YEAR DAKOTA. RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS THAT ONCE YOU HAVE THE PROBLEM THEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN FREQUENTLY WITH NO FINAL FIX. I FEEL THIS IS DANGEROUS AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE A PERMANENT FIX. MY FIRST FAILURE WAS AT 58K MILES AND NOW MY SECOND IS AT 69K. *JB

AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUALLY GOES ON AND OFF. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCHING ONLINE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE CLOCKSPRING IS DEFECTIVE. APPARENTLY THE AIR BAG WON'T DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT DODGE REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. HOWEVER, THERE ARE RECALLS ON OTHER YEAR DODGE TRUCKS - BUT NOT THE 2001 DAKOTA, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE BUILT AT THE SAME FACTORIES IN THE SAME YEAR AS THE OTHER MODELS THAT DID GET ISSUED A RECALL. *JB

I BOUGHT A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA 4WD A MONTH AGO. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE LOWER BALL JOINTS, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, TIMING CHAIN, WATER PUMP AND NOW THE TRANSFER CASE HAS GONE BAD. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 55000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE ONLY MADE ONE PAYMENT ON THE TRUCK AND HAVE PAID THE REPAIR SHOP OVER $1500 IN REPAIR COSTS. THEY ONLY TIME THAT I HAVE GOT TO DRIVE THE TRUCK IS TO THE REPAIR SHOP EXCEPT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. THIS IS RIDICULOUS, A TRUCK WITH LOW MILES LIKE THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS MANY PROBLEMS. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT THIS TIME PUT THEY COULDN'T MAKE ANY PROMISES. WE PAID FOR EVERYTHING ELSE TO GET FIXED AND I REFUSE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING ELSE. I PAID $10,000 FOR A TRUCK THAT I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE, I'M ACTUALLY SCARED TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. APPARENTLY DODGES ARE PIECES OF CRAP TO PUT IT POLITELY. *JB

BOUGHT THE TRUCK USED AND THE TEMPERATURE AND OIL PRESSURE GAUGE STARTED TO FLUCTUATE AND ENGINE KILLED OVER. NOW, REPAIR SHOPS ARE STATING THAT THEY ARE NOW SEEING THIS PROBLEM QUITE FREQUENTLY FOR THE 4.7L DODGE DAKOTA ENGINES BECAUSE OF THE OIL PAN PROXIMITY TO THE ENGINE. REPAIR SHOPS STATED A NEW/REBUILT ENGINE IS NEEDED: ~$3,500-$5,000 JUST FOR THE ENGINE AND ~$1,000 FOR LABOR! *JB

2001 DODGE DAKOTA SLT A PLASTIC PART ON THE DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE AND HAD TO REPLACE THE REGULATOR AND MOTOR AS ONE PART. 3 MONTHS LATER THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WINDOW HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. IN REASEARCHING THIS, MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THIS REGULATOR. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA TRUCK. THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE, AND THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 48,900. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE COIL SPRING CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE HEAD GASKET . THE MECHANIC STATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. *AK

THE FRONT LEFT POWER WINDOW STOPPED WORKING. FOUND OUT IT WAS THE WINDOW REGULATOR, WHICH CAN NOT BE REPLACE FOR APPROX 1 MONTH DUE TO THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER. EVERY PLACE I HAVE CALLED, HAS HAD AT LEAST 3 COMPLAINTS OF THIS FAILURE, WHICH I BELIEVE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IF ALL AT ONCE THEY ARE ALL BREAKING IN THIS TRUCK. I READ THROUGH YOUR COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE, AND NOTICED THERE WERE SOME WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE MANUFACTURE PLANS ON A RECALL OF THIS PART. *NM

THE REARS IN DODGE TRUCKS FAIL WITH MILEAGE BETWEEN 65000 TO 10000 AND THEY TELL EVERYONE THAT IT IS FROM NORMAL WEAR. MINE FAILED AT 83000 RESULTING IN THE REAR HAVING TO BE REBUILT AT A COST OF 2200 DOLLARS

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY ONLY THE UPPER BALL JOINTS ON THE 2000-2004 DAKOTAS IS COVERED IN THE RECALL AS THE LOWER BALL JOINT ARE THE SAME DESIGN WHERE THERE IS NO WAY TO GREASE UP THE LOWER BALL JOINTS AND IT WOULD LEAD TO THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE UPPER BALL JOINTS? *NM

MOVEMENT OF TILT STEERING WHEEL IN LOWER HALF OF RANGE WILL CAUSE SHORT-CIRCUIT OF TURN SIGNAL OPERATION. LEFT AND RIGHT TURN SIGNAL WILL BE INOPERATIVE. RADIO CIRCUIT ALSO AFFECTED. MOVEMENT BACK INTO UPPER HALF OF RANGE WILL CORRECT PROBLEM. AS OF DATE NO REPAIR HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED. *NM