2003 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

NHTSA CAMPAIGN 04V596000; DAIMLER CHRYSLER ISSUED AN UPPER BALL JOINT RECALL. THIS VEHICLE IS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BUT THERE ARE NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE UNTIL MARCH, WHICH COULD BE DANGEROUS IF VEHICLE IS DRIVEN BECAUSE THE FRONT WHEELS COULD FALL OFF.*AK

2003 DAKOTAQUAD CAB IS HAVING BALL JOINT POPPING SIMILAR TO DURANGO. THE PROBLEM IS THIS IS A HIGHWAY DRIVEN TRUCK, NOT AN OFFROAD TRUCK. PROBLEM STARTED AT 20,000. COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF NOT REPAIRED.*AK

2003 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB SPORT PLUS IS HAVING MULTIPLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WARNINGS. THIS HAS HAPPENED UPWARDS OF 4 TIMES. IN ADDITION, ONE OF THESE WAS SUPPOSEDLY CAUSED BY CRACKED HOSES. CRACKED HOSES ON A CAR WITH 16K MILES ON IT! ALSO, THE DEALER REPLACED MY BREAKS BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND THE REASON WHY THE TRUCK MAKES A CERTAIN NOISE WHILE BACKING IN REVERSE...THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK

I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 DODGE DAKOTA 4.7L V-8 QUAD CUB. AT APPROXIMATELY 6,000 MILES, I NOTICED A SHUDDER IN THE TRUCK WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. IT BECAME WORSE WITH MILEAGE, AND AT 15,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE FELT UNSAFE WHEN STOPPING DUE TO HORRIBLE SHAKING AND SHUDDERING. IT ALSO FELT I HAD LESS STOPPING POWER AND DISTANCE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY ADVISED I HAD WARPED BRAKE ROTORS. THEY REPLACED THE ROTORS AT MY EXPENSE. APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES LATER, THE VEHICLE SHOWED THE SAME SYMPTOMS AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK, SAME DIAGNOSIS. I ASKED THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHY THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN. SHE TOLD ME "DODGE IS USING JUNK PARTS". I ASKED WHY THEY DIDN'T PUT BETTER PARTS ON IF THEY KNEW THIS AND SHE SAID THAT WAS UP TO CHRYSLER, NOT THE SERVICE DEALER. APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES LATER I HAD TO TAKE MY TRUCK BACK AGAIN, FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. AGAIN, WHEN I ASKED WHY THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN, I WAS ADVISED "JUNK PARTS". I CONTACTED DODGE VIA THEIR WEBSITE EXPLAINING MY PROBLEM AND THEY ADVISED ME TO USE A DIFFERENT SERVICE DEALERSHIP. EVEN WITH THE NEW ROTORS, MY TRUCK FEELS IT HAS INADEQUATE STOPPING POWER. AFTER REVIEWING DODGE DAKOTA OWNERS WEBSITE, I SAW THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP DODGE OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. DODGE IS CLEARLY USING INADEQUATE BRAKES FOR THEIR TRUCKS, SACRIFICING ON STOPPING ABILITY AND QUALITY. DODGE DOES NOT SEEM TO CARE ABOUT THE OWNERS SAFETY. PLEASE HELP DODGE TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR INADEQUATE EQUIPMENT. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE ANY OTHER INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTATION TO ASSIST WITH RESOLVING THIS ISSUE.*AK

I'VE HAD PROBLEMS FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS WITH MY BRAKES. I DON'T THINK THAT THEY WORK AS WELL AS THEY SHOULD. AND THEN ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO I ASSUMED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY ROTORS BECAUSE WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THERE WAS A SHIMMING IN THE FRONT END. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DODGE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS OKAY BECAUSE IT WAS A NEW TRUCK. I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ROTORS AND THIS TIME THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT HE KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT BEFORE THEY EVEN CHECKED THE ROTORS. THIS TIME THEY TURNED THE ROTORS AND THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM BUT NOW IT IS DOING THE SAME SHIMMING AGAIN. THE TRUCK NOW HAS A LITTLE OVER 15,000 MILES ON IT AND I FEEL THAT THERE SOULD NOT BE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM THIS SOON. *JB

THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE BALL JOINTS INSPECTED BECAUSE OF THE TV BROADCAST. UPON INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WORN AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. ONLY THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN AND WITHOUT WARNING PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND LOST STEERING CONTROL. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO N INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE ENTIRE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

UNEVEN TIRE WEAR LED ME TO HAVE TRUCK SERVICED AT MIDAS TIRE CO. THEY REPORTED EXCESSIVE LOOSE PLAY IN BOTH TOP AND BOTTOM FRONTEND BALL JOINTS. VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY W/DAIMLERCHRYSLER SO TOOK TO SALES/SERVICE DEALER "SOUTARS" IN BARSTOW, CA TWO DIFFERENT TIMES W/SAME CONCERN. THEY REPORTED NOTHING WRONG W/BALL JOINTS BOTH TIMES. SAN BERNARDINO SUN TELEGRAM 12/11/04 NEWS REPORTS SERIOUS PROBLEMS W/BALL JOINTS IN DODGE DAKOTA 2003 MODELS CAUSING WHEELS TO FALL OFF.*AK

CONSUMER HEARS A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. THIS IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE LIGHTLY ESPECIALLY WHEN TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS AND MAKING TURNS. CONSUMER WILL WAIT TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS.*AK

I PURCHASED MY 2003 DAKOTA QUAD CAB 2WD IN EARLY JANUARY OF 2004. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 21K. SIGNS OF THE STEERING MAKING A CREAKING SOUND WHEN BEING TURNED WERE FIRST NOTICED AT APPROXIMATELY 8000. IT IS MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN ENTERING AN ELEVATED STREET OR A DRIVEWAY, WHILE MAKING THE TURN. I BELIEVE THE SAME DEFECTIVE STEERING COMPONENTS UTILIZED IN THE 4X4 DAKOTA ALSO APPLY TO THE 2WD VERSIONS. I WOULD LIKE THE INITIATIVE BE TAKEN TO INCLUDE THE 2WD DODGE DAKOTAS IN THE RECALL AS WELL. MY TRUCK HAS NOT YET BEEN SERVICED, BUT IF STUDY INFORMATION IS REQUIRED, SUCH AS AN ANALYSIS OF THE JOINT, I AM WILLING TO VOLUNTEER MY VEHICLE FOR SUCH A STUDY IF IT WOULD HELP IN MOVING FORWARD WITH THE RECALL.*AK