2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

2001 DODGE DAKOTA EXTENDED CAB 4X4. RATTLING IN FRONT END WHEN GOING OVER SMALL BUMPS SUCH AS MAN HOLES AND WASHBOARD. SOUNDS SIMILAR TO A LOOSE HUB CAP. WAS TOLD THE LOWER FRONT BALL JOINTS WERE BAD AND DAIMLER/CHRYSLER HAS A BULLETIN PUBLISHED INTERNALLY ON HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND MAY CAUSE THE WHEEL TO FALL OFF. SOUNDS LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT TO ME THAT THEY SHOULD REPLACE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY FRONT END DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, I TOOK MY TRUCK TO MY MECHANIC TO CHECK IT OUT. HE GOT IN IT TO TAKE IT FOR A RIDE. WHEN HE TURNED THE WHEEL, THERE WAS A CLUNK. WE GOT OUT AND LOOKED, THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE WAS TURNED TO THE RIGHT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE WAS STRAIGHT. HE SAID IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE TIE ROD. IT TURNS OUT, THE THREADS HOLDING THE TIE ROD TOGETHER, STRIPPED AND IT CAME APART. HE SAID I WAS LUCKY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY THAT THE WHEEL PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CAME OFF AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. I STILL HAVE THE TIE ROD. I CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND ASKED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WON'T REIMBURSE ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T BRING IT TO A CHRYSLER DEALER. I WAS AT MY MECHANICS, WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO? I THINK THEY JUST WANT TO COVER IT UP. MY MECHANIC REPLACED THE STRIPPED TIE ROD ON THE DRIVER SIDE, AND REPLACED THE RIGHT OUTER TIE ROD END BECAUSE IT HAD PLAY IN IT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, THE TIE RODS SEPARATED. THE STEERING WAS ERRATIC AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WENT OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE FRONT END WANDERED ALL OVER THE ROAD. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DETERMINED THE TIE ROD HAD SEPARATED AND THE THREADS WERE STRIPPED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE LEFT INNER TIE ROD, LEFT TIE ROD END OUTER AND RIGHT TIE ROD END OUTER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN INFORMED. UPDATED 06/27/06. *JB

FOR THE 2ND TIME THE FAN MOTOR FOR THE A/C,HEATER HAS STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER. THE DEALER HAD THE TRUCK FOR OVER A WEEK THE FIRST AND IT REALLY NEVER SEEM TO WORK RIGHT. THE FRONT HEAD LIGHTS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO. *JB

PROBLEM STARTED WITH HORN INTERMITTENTLY BEEPING WHILE DRIVING, THEN OVER A FEW WEEKS PROGRESSED TO HORN BEEPING ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY, DRIVING LIGHTS FLASHING, AND DOOR LOCKS ACTUATING. PROBLEM WAS THE BODY CONTROL MODULE OR SOMETIMES CALLED THE CENTRAL TIMER MODULE. IT WAS REPLACED AND ALL ISSUES HAVE CEASED. *NM

2001 DODGE DAKOTA PICK UP, LOSS OF STEERING, RESULTING IN A OFF THE ROAD CRASH AND ROLLOVER WITH INJURIES. (ONE MOMENT LATER COULD HAVE RESULTED IN DEATHS.) *JB

AT 32,000 MILES FRONT END VIBRATION WHEN BREAKING. PROBLEM-WARPED ROTORS. CORRECTED BY 'TURNING' ROTORS (RESURFACING). AT 58,000 MILES FRONT END VIBRATION WHEN BREAKING. PROBLEM-WARPED ROTORS. CORRECTED BY 'TURNING' ROTORS. AT 70,000 MILES FRONT END VIBRATION WHEN BREAKING. PROBLEM-WARPED ROTORS. CORRECTED BY REPLACING ROTORS. AT 90,000 MILES FRONT END VIBRATION WHEN BREAKING. PROBLEM-WARPED ROTORS. CORRECTED BY 'TURNING' ROTORS. AT 100,200 MILES FRONT END VIBRATION WHEN BREAKING. PROBLEM-WARPED ROTORS. DEALER SUGGESTS REPLACING ROTORS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM. THE SAME THING OCCURRED ON MY 1997 DAKOTA. THE DEALER TOLD ME THEN THAT THE ROTORS WARP WHEN THEY ARE HOT(FROM USE) AND THEN GET WET. (SO I GUESS I SHOULDN'T USE THE BRAKES IN WET/RAINY CONDITIONS) THE WARPED ROTORS ARE CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW, EITHER THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS NOT 'SIZED' PROPERLY (IE INSUFFICIENT STOPPING POWER CAUSING EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILD-UP) OR THE ROTORS ARE INFERIOR(METAL GRADE). I BELIEVE MOST OWNERS DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THE DODGE DEALERS CONVINCE THEM THAT THIS IS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE TRUCK IS GREAT OTHERWISE. *NM

RIGHT FRONT LOWER SHOCK BOLT SHEARED OFF WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING SHOCK TO BREAK LOOSE FROM LOWER CONTROL ARM. *NM

OWN 2001 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB. NOTICE THE SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH FRONT STEERING BALL JOINT HAVING PROBLEMS. OUR TRUCK IS SUFFERING SAME PROBLEM WITH LOAD POPPING NOISE WHEN WE MAKE A HARD LEFT HAND TURN. HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES FOR PAST 9 MONTHS...BUT NOW GETTING MORE FREQUENT. *NM

MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4 WAS PURCHASED IN SEPTEMBER 2004 WITH 54,000 MILES ON IT. RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2004 THE HEATER CORE WENT OUT. I WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY $900 FOR THIS REPAIR BUT I TALKED THE DEALERSHIP INTO GIVING ME "SHOP RATE" OF $500. LESS THAN 10,000 MILES LATER THE HEATER CORE AGAIN NEEDED REPLACED. THE PART WAS UNDER CHRYSLER WARRANTY, BUT THE LABOR WAS NOT. AGAIN THE DEALERSHIP WORKED WITH ME AND THEY TOOK CARE OF THE COST OF LABOR. NOW AT 80,000 MILES THE HEATER CORE AGAIN IS NEEDING REPLACED. *NM