2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE POWER WINDOWS ARE INOPERABLE. THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE ALERTED BUT NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. UPDATED 3/28/2006 - *NM

JUST BOUGHT A DAKOTA TRUCK 2 WKS AGO, SECOND DAY ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND CAR KEPT STALLING WHEN DRIVING, IT COMPLETELY TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING. IT ALSO DOES NOT CHANGE GEAR; IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET GOING. THIS HAPPENED 1/18/06. ON 2/10/06 I NOTICED AN IDLING SOUND RIGHT AFTER BREAKING AND IT DIDN'T WANT TO STOP. VERY UNSAFE DRIVING WITH CHILDREN. UNCERTAIN OF ITS BRAKES AND THE COMPLETE SHUT OFF OF TRUCK & OR STALLING WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO CHRYSLER AND WANTED TO CHARGE $170. FOR DIAGNOSTIC WORK 2 WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT IT. WHY HAVEN'T THEY RECALLED THESE TYPE OF UNSAFE VEHICLES? *NM

THE HORN AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WERE THE FIRST ITEMS TO QUIT WORKING AND THEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT A RECALL FOR THE VERY SAME PROBLEMS WERE ISSUED FOR 2000 DODGE DAKOTAS AND 2001 DODGE RAMS. I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN DECEMBER OF 2000 SO MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2000 EVEN THOUGH IT IS A 2001 MODEL. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT DODGE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM THAT EXISTED THAT CAUSED SAFETY RECALL #982 TO BE ISSUED. DUE TO THIS FAILURE, MY TRUCK NOW HAS SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE AIR BAG AND THE HORN NOT FUNCTIONING. THE CRUISE CONTROL IS MORE OF AN INCONVENIENCE ISSUE THAN SAFETY. MY TRUCK FAILED INSPECTION BECAUSE THE HORN WILL NOT BLOW. I HAVE SCHEDULED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED ON 1/13/06, BUT I FEEL THAT DODGE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AT LEAST PART OF THE REPAIR SINCE THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF CLOCKSPRING FAILURE IN THIS VEHICLE. *JB

ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2005, I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM FINDLAY, OH, I WAS ABOUT 37 MILES FROM HOME WHEN THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AND THE OIL PRESSURE GAGE DROPPED TO 0. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY INTO A PARKING LOT AT WHICH TIME THE TRUCK WOULDN'T START. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD UP CAUSED BY IMPROPER MAINTENANCE. I CHANGE MY OIL ON A REGULAR BASIS. I HAVE A DODGE NEON WITH OVER 120,000 MILES AND MY PREVIOUS CAR WAS A 1987 CHEVY NOVA WITH OVER 199,000 MILES. *NM

I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE SEVERAL REPAIR PLACES (BRAKE SPECIALISTS) INCLUDING 2 DEALERSHIPS (MULTIPLE TIMES). THEY TELL ME MY ROTORS ARE WARPED, OR THAT THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG!!! STARTING AT AROUND 20,000 MILES I STARTED GETTING HARD VIBRATIONS IN THE FRONT END, REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS, FIXED PROBLEM. THEN, 5,000 MILES LATER IT STARTED AGAIN, HAD ROTORS TURNED AND REPLACED PADS, FIXED PROBLEM. 5,000 MILES LATER IT HAPPENS AGAIN, I DECIDE TO DEAL WITH IT FOR A LITTLE WHILE. 2,000 MILES OF DRIVING WITH WARPED ROTORS, AND RIGHT FRONT CALIPER LOCKS UP, NEARLY CAUSING A FIRE!!. REPLACED BOTH CALIPERS, ROTORS AND PADS, PROBLEM FIXED AGAIN. PROBLEM RECURS ROUGHLY EVERY 5,000 MILES. I DRIVE VERY CAREFULLY TO ENSURE THAT I AM NOT CAUSING ANY UNDUE STRESS ON THE BRAKE COMPONENTS. THE EXPENSE OF REPAIRING THE BRAKES EVERY 5,000 MILES IS ROUGHLY $200 TO $400 DOLLARS DEPENDING ON WHAT I FIND UPON INSPECTION. I AM AN INDUSTRIAL MECHANIC SO I DO THIS WORK MYSELF. I PURCHASED COPIES OF DAIMLER CHRYSLER MASTER TECH VIDEOS TO MAKES SURE THAT I AM NOT MISSING SOMETHING. I HAVE PURCHASED SEVERAL MANUALS FOR MY VEHICLE , SOME FROM DODGE AND SOME AFTERMARKET IN MY SEARCH FOR A MORE PERMANENT SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS, TO ME AND TO OTHERS AROUND ME WHEN DRIVING. I AM CURRENTLY AT 90,000 MILES AND HAVE DECIDED THAT THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY SOMEONE... I HOPE YOU CAN HELP. *JB

THE CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE HEATER CORE IN HIS 2001 DODGE DAKOTA FIVE TIMES. *NM WHEN THE CONSUMER RECEIVED HIS VEHICLE BACK, HE FOUND THE REPAIR TO BE INSUFFICIENT. THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT THE DEALER CREATED OTHER PROBLEMS ON THE VEHICLE. *JB

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES ON MY VEHICLE WITH MOPAR PARTS. I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR 2 YEARS AND HAVE PUT 40,000 MILES ON IT. THE ROTORS ARE ONLY LASTING IN THE AREA OF 10 - 15000 MILES. I SPOKE WITH MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE HAS TOLD ME THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE DODGE DAKOTA AND I BETTER GET USE TO REPLACING THEM OR GET USE TO DRIVING WITH WARPED ROTORS. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 04V596000 CONCERNING THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPAIRED, AS WELL AS THE LOWER BALL JOINTS. WHEN CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER TO BE REIMBURSED, THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE HIM FOR THE LOWER BALL JOINTS. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT AS WELL. *AK

FAILURE OF CLOCKSPRING ON 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK AND AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS PART - RECALL NUMBER 982. PART WAS REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. PICTURES OF REPLACED PART INDICATE DEFECT IN PART BUT DODGE WILL NOT PAY FOR REPLACEMENT OF PART. *JB *NM

TRAFFIC WAS MOVING IN FRONT OF GRACE COVENANT CHURCH, THERE WAS AN OFFICER DIRECTING TRAFFIC. MY HUSBAND PUT ON THE BRAKES AT THE MOMENT HE REALIZED TRAFFIC WAS NOT MOVING ANY LONGER. THE BRAKES LOCKED UP. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TIRE MARKS ON THE ROAD, IT IS APPARENT THE RIGHT SIDE TIRE LOCKED FIRST (THE TIRE MARK IS MUCH LONGER) THEN THE LEFT SIDE TIRE LOCKED (TIRE MARK ON ROAD MUCH SHORTER). HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT STRUCK THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY IN THIS ACCIDENT. THE CONCERN IS THAT THIS TRUCK IS BELIEVED TO HAVE ABS WHICH MEANS IT WAS MALFUNCTIONING SINCE THE TIRES LOCKED UP. THE CONCERN IS THIS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT IN THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED IN TIME. IT WAS A HARD IMPACT WHICH IT APPEARS WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BE TOTALED. *JB