2007 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND LEFT MY TRUCK RUNNING WITH THE LIGHTS ON. I UNLOADED SOME SUPPLIES AND WHILE STANDING ON THE GROUND REACHED IN AND TURNED THE KEY OFF. THE TRUCK STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS. I COULD HEAR A CLICKING NOISE. I COULDN'T GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR AND IT DRUG ME DOWN. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE RAN OVER MY LEFT ARM BETWEEN THE SHOULDER AND ELBOW. I ALSO HAD ABRASIONS ON BOTH KNEES, THE KNUCKLES ON MY RIGHT HAND AND A 12 INCH BRUISE ACROSS BOTH HIPS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH IN THE RAIN, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD TO STOP AND TURN THE SWITCH ON AND OFF FOR ONE MINUTE UNTIL THE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 142,542.

DRIVING BETWEEN 35 AND 45 MPH. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, THE KEY HAD NOT BEEN TOUCHED. THE GAS GAUGE DROPPED TO NOTHING, THE ONLY LIGHT I NOTICED ON THE DASH WAS THE CURRENT MILEAGE. I HAD NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES, I ROLLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PUT ON MY FLASHERS, PUT THE TRUCK INTO PARK, TURNED THE KEY OFF AND THEN STARTED THE ENGINE. IT ONLY FAILED ONCE BUT IF I WAS ON A HIGHWAY OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC MOST LIKELY MY WIFE AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. MILES ON TRUCK WAS APROX. 2,900 MILES DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4 DOOR, V6 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, MANUFACTURE DATE IS 5/2007 I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID WITHOUT AN ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I HAVE A 3:00 PM APPOINTMENT TODAY. I TOLD HIM HE HAS 3 TRIES TO FIX IT. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2007 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB, 4X4, AUTOMATIC. THE FRONT SHOCKS ARE INADEQUATE FOR THE VEHICLE. ON BUMPS AND DIPS THE FRONT END WILL CONTINUE TO BOUNCE SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THE INITIAL COMPRESSION OF THE SHOCKS. AT FREEWAY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE ALMOST BECOMES UNCONTROLLABLE ON A GOOD DIP OR BRIDGE JOINT. AN INVESTIGATION OF AN INTERNET FORUM DEDICATED TO DODGE DAKOTAS (DODGE WORLD) REVELAED THAT THIS POBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE A FRONT END CHANGE TO THE VEHICLE IN 2005. DODGE DOES NOT FEEL THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE SHOCKS. I WOULDN'T MINE BUYING AFTERMARKET SHOCKS AND FIXING THE PROBLEM MYSELF, BUT THERE ARE NONE AVAILABLE. *CN

ON AUGUST 25, 2007 I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2007 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB PICKUP FROM GEWEKE CHRYSLER/DODGE IN LODI, CALIFORNIA.. A COUPLE DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE I NOTICED WHAT CAN BEST BE DESCRIBED AS ENGINE "SURGE" WHEN CRUISING AT 35-45 MPH IN CITY TRAFFIC. IN ADDITION I ALSO FOUND THAT THE ONLY WAY TO GET RID OF THE "SURGE" IS TO ACCELERATE HARDER. THIS REQUIREMENT OF HARDER ACCELERATION IN HEAVY CITY TRAFFIC CAN UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES PRESENT A SAFETY HAZARD, AS OCCURRED WITH ME ON AUGUST 27, 2007. ON THIS DAY I WAS CRUISING ALONG AT ABOUT 40 MPH IN MY DAKOTA, DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, WHEN MY ENGINE BEGIN TO ?SURGE? I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL A LITTLE HARDER TO GET RID OF THE ?SURGE? WHEN AT THAT VERY MOMENT TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME CAME TO ABRUPT HALT. THIS ABRUPT HALT IN TRAFFIC ALMOST CAUSED ME TO REAR-END THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. HAD I BEEN ?TAILGATING? THE CAR AHEAD OF ME IN THE MOMENTS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING, BEFORE APPLYING HEAVIER THROTTLE, IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT I WOULD HAVE REAR-ENDED THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. *JB ON AUGUST 30, 2007 I TOOK MY NEW DAKOTA BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM CORRECT THE ?SURGING? PROBLEM. AT THE END OF THIS REPAIR APPOINTMENT THE GEWEKE?S SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT THEY CONSULTED WITH THE CHRYSLER ENGINEERING GROUP AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS ?NO? FIX FOR THE ?SURGING? PROBLEM, WHICH I HAD EXPERIENCED WITH MY NEW VEHICLE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WENT ON TO TELL ME THAT THE ENGINEERING GROUP AT CHRYSLER FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT I WORK-AROUND THE ?SURGING? BY ACCELERATING ?QUICKER? WHEN I AM IN THE 35-45 MPH SPEED RANGE. I FIND THEIR SUGGESTION NOT ONLY DANGEROUS, BUT IMPRACTICAL AS WELL, BECAUSE MOST OF MY DRIVING IS IN THIS SPEED RANGE, DURING HEAVY CITY TRAFFIC. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHRYSLER DO IS TO IMMEDIATELY COME UP WITH A ?FIX? FOR THE DAKOTA. OR IF THEY CAN NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, REPLACE MY DAKOTA WITH AN EXACT REPLICA WITH THE SAME OPTIONS, MINUS THE ?SURGE? ISSUE. *JB

DODGE DAKOTA ST 4X4 EXTRA CAB. REAR PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. THIS WAS WITH ONLY 14 MILES ON IT. THIS WAS JULY 29 2007. I TOOK POSSESSION OF THE TRUCK JULY 28 2007. MY WIFE WENT TO OPEN THE DOOR AND IT WOULD NOT OPEN, IF A PERSON WAS IN THE BACK AND AN ACCIDENT HAPPENED, THE FRONT SEATS DO NOT TILT FORWARD AND SOMEONE MIGHT GET TRAPPED. I TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR AND THEY SAID THEY [LITHIA JEEP DODGE FORD OF ROSEBURG] ADJUSTED IT AND ORDERED REPLACEMENT PARTS BUT DON'T SEEM TO BE IN A HURRY TO FIX IT. I TOOK IT IN THE 17TH OF AUG. AFTER CALLING EARLIER IN THE WEEK BEING ASSURED THEY WOULD GET RIGHT TO IT, WHEN I TOOK IT IN THEY SAID THEY WERE 'SWAMPED" AND WERE NOT SURE IF THEY COULD FIX IT IN A TIMELY MANNER. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE CONTACTS HUSBAND DECELERATED. AS HE APPLIED THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE INCREASED TO 20-25 MILES PER HOUR. THE CONTACT HAS NOTIFIED A LOCAL AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNLESS THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES. AS OF AUGUST 10, 2007, THE VEHICLE IS BEING SERVICED AND THE CONTACT IS WAITING TO FIND OUT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 5,000. UPDATED 02-01-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRUCK DID NOT SLOW DOWN ONCE THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT AFTER 2 TO 3 MINUTES THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR

I HAVE A 2007 DODGE DAKOTA IT HAD 1880 MILES ON IT WHEN THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT NEAR MILE MARKER 38.9 ON ROUTE 80 EAST BOUND IN NJ. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE GOING 65 MILES AN HOUR WHEN THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE DEVELOPED AN APPROXIMATELY TWO INCH VERTICAL SPLIT. THE TIRE WENT DOWN IMMEDIATELY, HOWEVER I WAS ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AAA SENT A TRUCK OUT AND INSTALLED THE SPARE. THE TIRE WAS A GOODYEAR WRANGLER SR-A P245/70R-16. THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM REFERRED ME TO GOODYEAR. I WENT TO THREE GOODYEAR TIRE STORES AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A SIDEWALL INTRUSION, AND GOODYEAR WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TIRE. I E-MAILED GOODYEAR A COMPLAINT HOWEVER I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM. I HAD THE TIRE REPLACED AT THE THIRD GOODYEAR TIRE STORE AT A COST OF $161.11. I KEPT THE DEFECTIVE TIRE. I HAD CHECKED THE AIR PRESSURE THAT MORNING BEFORE LEAVING HOME. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE TIRE AT THAT TIME, AND NON OCCURRED THAT DAY PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. I WAS IN THE CENTER LANE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN IT BLEW. THE TIRE HAD LESS THAN 1900 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE BLOW OUT AND THE TIRE WAS NOT DAMAGED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. IT IS BEYOND BELIEF THAT GOODYEAR WOULD NOT WARRANTY THIS TIRE, AND IT IS EVEN HARDER TO BELIEVE THAT THEY DO NOT EVEN HAVE ANY INTEREST IN LOOKING AT IT. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SOMETHING IS RUBBING ON THE RIM AND CHEWING AWAY THE METAL WHEN HE MAKES A HARD RIGHT OR LEFT TURN. THE FAILURE BEGAN IN JANUARY OF 2007 WHEN HE HAD A LOWERING KIT INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. ON ONE OCCASION, THE WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE CONTACT HAD TO JACK UP THE VEHICLE TO UNLOCK THE WHEEL. HE BELIEVES THE FAILURE IS AN AFTER MARKET PROBLEM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 2,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.