2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

UPON THE RETURN OF MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB FROM DEALER SERVICE, I NOTICED WHAT LOOKED LIKE A SPOT OF GRAY SPRAY PAINT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER FENDER. THINKING THAT SOMEONE HAD ACCIDENTALLY OVERSPRAYED SOMETHING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS NEARBY, I 'LET IT GO'. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER, I NOTICED THAT THE SPOT HAD GROWN FROM THE ORIGINAL SIZE (ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER) TO ABOUT THREE INCHES ACROSS. THINKING THAT PERHAPS I WAS 'SEEING THINGS', AGAIN, I LET IT GO. HOWEVER, TWO MORE WEEKS PASSED WHEN I STARTED NOTICING THE SAME GRAY COLOR APPEARING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT FENDER AND BEGINNING TO SHOW ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT FENDER AS WELL. I TELEPHONED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT PAINT / FINISHES WERE NOT WARRANTY ITEMS, AND EVEN IF IT HAD BEEN A WARRANTY ITEM, MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED (NOTE: MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,000 MILES AT THE TIME). I CONTACTED DAIMLER-CHRYSLER ONLINE CUSTOMER SUPPORT REGARDING THE ISSUE, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP ME BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T PHYSICALLY INSPECT THE VEHICLE. SOME TIME LATER, I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A DIFFERENT REPAIR, BUT DID MENTION THE FADING PAINT. I WAS TOLD THEN THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP THAT HAD BODY/PAINT FACILITIES AND HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. (NOTE: I WAS NOT TOLD THAT WHEN I CALLED ABOUT THE PAINT THE FIRST TIME.) I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP WITH A BODY/PAINT FACILITY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE 'BRUTAL TEXAS SUN' WAS THE CULPRIT - CAUSING MY PAINT TO FADE. (NOTE: MY 1996 GEO PRIZM AND 2000 KIA OPTIMA ARE SUBJECTED TO THE SAME BRUTAL TEXAS SUN, BUT SHOW NO SIGNS OF FADING PAINT.) I WAS TOLD THAT MY CASE COULD BE SUBMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION, BUT NOT TO EXPECT A POSITIVE RESULT. AS EXPECTED, THOSE WITH AUTHORITY TO APPROVE A REPAIR DENIED IT. AGAIN, I CONTACTED DAIMLER-CHRYSLER ONLINE CUSTOMER SUPPORT EXPRESSING MY DISSATISFACTION WITH THE QUALITY OF THE PAINT, AND THE LACK OF SUPPORT DURING THE ORDEAL.

BRAKE FAILURE. BRAKES WOULD NOT APPLY AND CONSEQUENTLY RAN THROUGH A BUSY INTERSECTION AT 50 MPH BARELY AVOIDING CROSSING TRAFFIC AND STOPPED TRAFFIC. FOUND MISSING CALIPER PAD. REPLACED ALL PADS ON FRONT AND TURNED THE ROTORS. ALSO REPLACED THE REAR CYLINDER SEALS. 1 WEEK LATER RIGHT FRONT BRAKE SEVERELY OVERHEATED AND WAS RED HOT AFTER A SEVEN MILE COMMUTE HOME WITH ONLY SEVEN STOPS AT LOW SPEED (NORMAL BRAKING). MECHANIC FOUND EVIDENCE OF BURNED OUTER EDGE OF ROTOR. PADS ACTUATED NORMALLY. RE-TURNED RIGHT ROTOR TO VERIFY NO WARPING HAD OCCURRED. NO PARTS REQUIRED. BRAKES HAVE LOST SOME STOPPING POWER SINCE BEFORE THE FIRST INCIDENT AND MY CONFIDENCE HAS BEEN EFFECTED. COST OF REPAIRS $400+. *JB

I EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AS MANY OTHER 2002 DODGE DAKOTA OWNERS IN WHICH THE LIGHTS STOP WORKING OR BEGIN TO FLASH WITHOUT WARNING. IN THIS INSTANCE, THE PARKING LAMPS, INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND COURTESY LAMPS FLICKER ON AND OFF. THE HEADLIGHTS ONLY SEEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FLASHING PART OF THE TIME. IT APPEARS LIKELY THE PROBLEM WILL BE THE CENTRAL TIMER MODULE, HOWEVER DUE TO COST I HAVE NOT YET REPLACED IT. I HAVE DETERMINED THE PROBLEM IS NEITHER THE SWITCH, RELAY, OR LIGHTS. THE SYMPTOMS ARE IDENTICAL TO THOSE POSTING THE CENTRAL TIMER MODULE DEFECT. *NM

THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE CALIPERS LOCKED UP ON THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE BRAKES TO BE APPLIED WITHOUT PRESSING ON THE BRAKES. AFTER REPLACING THE RIGHT CALIPERS, ROTOR (WARPED FROM HEAT), AND BRAKE HOSE, 12 MILES AWAY, THE LEFT CALIPER LOCKED UP. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUES BECAUSE THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED WITHOUT THE INTENTION OF THE DRIVER.*JB

A PART INSIDE THE HEATING SYSTEM FAILED; THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN THREE YEARS THAT THIS PART HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE HEATING SYSTEM TO DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD WILL NOT WORK. PART WAS REPLACED AGAIN; SERVICE COMPANY SAYS THAT THIS PART FAILS OFTEN. THE PART NUMBER IS 5174618-AA DESCRIBED AS A RESISTOR.*JB

THE BALL JOINTS ON THE DAKOTA SERIES P/U ARE A CHRONIC PROBLEM. I BOUGHT AN '02 DAKOTA 4X4 WITH 70K AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED NOISE AND A LOOSE FEELING FROM THE FRONT END. I VERIFIED THE BALL JOINT RECALL HAD BEEN COMPLETED. WHEN I WENT TO HAVE IT ALIGNED, I LEARNED THAT ALL FOUR OF MY BALL JOINTS ARE BAD, INCLUDING THE TOP TWO THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED ALREADY. WHILE RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I CAME ACROSS THIS SITE, HTTP://WWW.DODGEDAKOTAS.COM/BOARDS/DEA/140-1.HTML, WHICH IS A DAKOTA FORUM, WITH NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS EXACTLY THE SAME AS MINE. DODGE NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS FAILURE TO USE QUALITY COMPONENTS. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT BE SPENDING $600 EVERY YEAR TO KEEP THEIR VEHICLES ALIGNED ON THE ROAD. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. WHEN THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE BRAKES AND THE ABS TOOK OVER. THE BRAKES SQUEAKED AND DID NOT IMMEDIATELY STOP THE VEHICLE UNLESS THE CONTACT TOOK FOOT OFF THE PEDAL AND APPLIED THE BRAKE AGAIN. THE CONTACT REMOVED THE ABS FUSE AND THE BRAKES WORKED NORMALLY. HOWEVER, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS ALSO CONNECTED TO THAT FUSE SO THE SPEED WAS NOT REGISTERING CORRECTLY WITHOUT THE FUSE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45MP AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. *AK

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HIS 2002 DODGE DAKOTA ON APPROXIMATELY DECEMBER 15, 2006; WHILE TRAVELING AT 40 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED AND TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE HE STRUCK A CURB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES DO NOT STOP THE VEHICLE DURING SUDDEN STOPS. THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND STATED IT IS OPERATING AS EXPECTED. THE CONTACT STATED THERE HAVE BEEN NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 91,000 MILES. *NM

WHEN I DROVE OFF WITH MY PARKING BREAK SET IT SHEARED OFF THE GRADE 8 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE BRAKES TO THE AXLE. RESULTING IN THE REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY SPINNING AND TEARING OFF THE BRAKE LINES AND BREAKING THE BRAKE CABLE. I HAD NO REAR BRAKES OR EMERGENCY BRAKE. COST $1200.00 TO REPAIR. *NM

UPPER BALL JOINTS WORN OUT AT 52,00 MILES. WENT FOR TIRE CHANGE AND FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND FOUND PROBLEM. HAD EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT DID NOT COVER. AM WAITING FOR PART AT THE COST OF ABOUT $600.00 TO REPLACE. *NM