2000 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

UPPER BALL JOINTS ON MY VEHICLE HAVE FAILED AND DAIMLER CHRYSLER REFUSES TO REPAIR AND ALSO REFUSES TO AGREE TO A RE-EMBURSMENT WHEN A RECALL DOES COME OUT AFFECTING MY VEHICLE. I OWN A 2000 DODGE DAKOTA R/T TWO WHEEL DRIVE REGULAR CAB PICKUP TRUCK. *AK

THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE CAME OFF WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 30 MPH. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. THERE WAS A SECOND OCCURRENCE WHEN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE CAME OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. *AK

EMAIL CONSUMER LETTER ADD TO ODI NUMBER 10051116 REGARDING UPPER BALL JOINTS ON 2000 DODGE DAKOTA.*MR THE CONSUMER STATED HIS VEHICLE EXHIBITED A POPPING NOISE. *JB *SC

MY WIFE DRIVES A 2000 DODGE DAKOTA CLUB CAB 2 WHEEL DRIVE I DRIVE A 1999 DAKOTA 2 WHEEL DRIVE. FOR MONTHS MY WIFE'S TRUCK HAD A POPPING NOISE FROM THE LEFT FRONT END IT WAS EXAMINED AND NOTHING WAS FOUND WRONG WE KEPT DRIVING IT,THE POPPING GOT MUCH WORSE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD JERK TO THE LEFT. ON ONE OCCASION WE HEARD A MUCH LOUDER POP WE PULLED BACK IN THE DRIVEWAY I JACKED UP THE FRONT LEFT OF THE TRUCK TO LOOK UNDER, ONCE THE WEIGHT CAME OFF THE FRONT END SIDE, THE WHOLE WHEEL FELL TO THE GROUND. AFTER EXAMINATION I FOUND THAT THE UPPER ARM BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY HAD SEPARATED. THE SOCKET WAS RUSTED VERY WORN,AND DID NOT CONFORM TO THE BALL. THE BALL WAS VERY WORN RUSTED AND MISS SHAPED THE RUBBER BOOT WAS WORN AND PIECES MISSING. THE BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED (WE KEPT THE OLD PART)MY 1999 DAKOTA EXHIBITS THE SAME PROBLEM AS MY WIFE'S AND CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. WE ARE STILL HEARING A POPPING NOISE FROM MY WIFE'S TRUCK THE SAME AS BEFORE. WE HAD HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM A YEAR AGO ON CBS NEWS AND CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER MANY TIMES AND HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. ON 12-9-04 THE FEDERAL GOV.ORDERED A RECALL,ON 2000-2003 DURANGOS 4X4 AND DAKOTAS WITH 4 WHEEL DRIVE.OUR TRUCKS ARE 2 WHEEL DRIVE AND PROVE THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS ON OTHER NON 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCKS. *JB

MY 2000 DODGE DAKOTA WOULD NOT PASS FOR INSPECTION DUE TO UPPER BALL JOINTS SO I HAD THEM REPAIRED. WHEN I GOT MY DODGE DAKOTA BACK ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE LOWER BALL JOINT ON THE DRIVER SIDE BROKE AND CAUSED A CRASH. WHEN THE BALL JOINT BROKE IT CAUSED THE FRONT OF MY TRUCK TO DROP DOWN ONTO THE FRAME AND BREAKING MY AXLE, BURSTING MY TIRE AND BENDING A SPINDLE AND BREAKING MY SHOCK. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS IN THE PARKING LOT OF WHERE I WORKED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. *JB

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE DAKOTA 2WD CLUB CAB PICKUP. THE BALL JOINT ON THE UPPER RIGHT SIDE WENT BAD AT 60000 MILES. I KNOW THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION INVOLVING THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE VERSION OF THIS TRUCK AND I WAS WANTING TO SHOW THAT THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE 2WD VERSION ALSO. ON FIRST INSPECTION BY THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THE BALL JOINT WAS NOT BAD. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE THE MECHANIC WORKING ON THE TRUCK DID NOT KNOW YOU COULDN'T CHECK BALL JOINT WEAR WHILE THE TRUCK WAS ON A TWIN POST LIFT WITH THE WHEEL HANGING FREE. AFTER I SHOWED THEM HOW TO DO IT THEY AGREED IT WAS BAD. AFTER CALLING DODGE THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I BOUGHT THE PART FROM THEM AND DID THE REPAIR MYSELF. I CALLED DODGE MYSELF AND THEY HAVE OFFERED TO REIMBURSE THE PART COST IF I SEND IN THE INVOICE. *JB

RECALL 2000-2004 4X4 DAKOTAS/DURANGOS HEY, WHAT'S UP WITH ONLY 4X4S???? TWO WHEEL DRIVE DAKOTAS AND DURANGOS HAVE THE SAME BALL JOINTS AS THE 4X4S. WHY DO I HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE IF MY WHEELS FALL OFF BEFORE THE 100,000 MILE GUARANTEE BEING OFFERED ON MINE IS UP? WHAT'S THIS NONSENSE IT "ONLY HAPPENS AT LOWER SPEEDS, NOT HIGH SPEEDS". THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND IS DC WAY OF SAVING MONEY. PERHAPS THE GOVERNMENT ONLY INVESTIGATED THE 4X4S SINCE THEY ARE THE MOST POPULAR VEHICLES (I.E., 600,000 4X4 VERSUS 200,000 TWO WHEEL DRIVE) NEVER GIVING A THOUGHT TO THOSE OF US WHO DO NOT OWN THE 4X4 VERSIONS. *JB

TWO MONTHS AGO CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. THE FRONT END JERKED, ESPECIALLY WHILE MAKING TURNS. HE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER TO GET IT SERVICED, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE ROTORS. THEY NEEDED TO BE SHAVED. *AK

THE FRONT BALL JOINTS ARE MAKING A POPPING NOISE, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO SHKAE AND RUST TO FALL OFF. DEALER WAS INFORMED BY CONSUMER FOR REPAIRS.*AK

NO EVENT YET, HOWEVER AS THE 2000 4 X 2WD DODGE DAKOTA HAS THE SAME BALL JOINTS AS THE 4 X 4 VERSION IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. SINCE IT IS NOT, I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT. IF ANY FAILURE, ACCIDENT OR INJURY DOES OCCUR FROM DODGE'S REFUSAL TO REPAIR MY 2000 DODGE DAKOTA UNDER THIS RECALL I WANT NOTE MADE OF MY COMPLAINT. *AK