2006 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

1)PULLED OUT OF A FOOD LION PARKING LOT AND HIT A POT HOLE AND BROKE THE MAIN SPLINE IN THE TRANSMISSION. 2) THE TRUCK NOW SHUTS OFF AS YOU'RE GOING 70 MPH AND WHEN YOU CRANK IT BACK UP. THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON BUT THE REV LIMITER IS KICKING IN AT 2000 RPMS UNTIL YOU STOP AGAIN AND SHUT THE MOTOR OFF, WAIT 10 SECONDS AND CRANK IT BACK UP. SOME TIMES ITS FINE, MOST OF THE TIME IT'S NOT. NOW THE PAINT IS FLAKING OFF THE TOP OF THE TRUCK FOR NO REASONS. I'VE NEVER ABUSED THIS TRUCK AND THE ONLY "OFF ROADING" IT'S DONE WAS DRIVING IN MY YARD. PLEASE HELP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED AND SHIFTING GEARS, THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,998. UPDATED 10/21/13*CN

TRUCK IS SQUEAKING BADLY WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP OR DRIVING UNLEEVEL GROUND. *TR

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN TURNING, REQUIRING SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED MANHANDLING OF STEERING WHEEL TO STRAIGHTEN WHEELS. INSPECTION OF POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL, POST-INCIDENT, SHOWED SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID BUT NO FLUID LEAKAGE UNDER THE VEHICLE WHEN PARKED, INDICATING LEAKAGE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. OUTER TIE-RODS CHANGED AT 57,676 MILES. VEHICLE INSPECTION, AT 59,814 MILES, SHOWED NO LEAKAGE UNDERNEATH, POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL WAS AT FULL. INSPECTION OF VEHICLE, AT 60,289 MILES SHOWED FLUID LEAKAGE FROM BOTH RACK AND PINION BOOTS, WORSE ON THE RIGHT THAN ON THE LEFT. RACK AND PINION HAS TO BE REPLACED. THIS PROBELM WAS OBVIOUSLY SUDDEN ONSET WITH NO WARNING. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING CONSTITUTES A DANGEROUS AND UNEXPECTED DRIVING HAZARD THAT VERY WELL COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. THIS VEHICLE IS SEVEN YEARS OLD, HAS JUST OVER 60,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED REGULARLY AND INSPECTED EVERY 2 TO 3,000 MILES. THERE IS NO REASON, BEYOND POOR ENGINEERING, THAT THE TIE-RODS AND RACK AND PINION SHOULD HAVE MALFUNCTIONED AT THIS MILEAGE.. *TR

THIS LATEST TIME (HAPPENED 1 MONTH AFTER BUYING) I WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED THE STEERING GET STIFF GOING EITHER WAY. IT WAS JUST A LITTLE BUT OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS AS I DROVE I NOTICED IT GETTING WORSE. IT IS NOT A CONSTANT. IT IS AS IF SOMETHING IS HUNG UP OR CATCHING AT THE STEERING COLUMN ROTATES. I AM NOT A MECH BUT I CHECKED THE FLUID BOTH TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED. NO LEAKS, NO PUDDLES UNDER THE TRUCK. I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENED NOW. THE ONLY THING I HAVE DONE DIFFERENT WAS USE THE 4X4 A WEEK AGO WHEN WE HAD SOME FREAKY WEATHER (SNOW IN LATE MAY). I HAVEN'T NOTICED ANY REALLY LOUD NOISES, OR SHIMMIES, NOT EVEN ROUGH RIDING. THE MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 98-99K AND I THINK IT HAD ONE PREVIOUS OWNER. I BOUGHT IT FROM A DEALERSHIP AND THERE WERE NO KNOWN ACCIDENTS OR PROBLEMS. I HAVE SINCE LOOKED INTO RECALLS BUT HAVEN'T NOTICED ANY FOR THE STEERING; PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE STEERING THOUGH. I WISH I HAD KNOWN THIS WHEN I WAS BUYING. CAN YOU POINT ME IN THE DIRECTION TO GO; IS THERE A RECALL I HAVE MISSED? *TR

). I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF SAFETY CONCERNS I HAVE WITH MY 2006 DODGE DAKOTA LARAMIE (4X4 QUAD CAB). MY ISSUES ARE WITH THE TRANSFER CASE / TRANSMISSION OF MY TRUCK. 1.MY TRUCK HAS SHIFTED INTO FOUR LOW ON ITS OWN AT LOW SPEEDS IN BOTH REVERSE AND AT LOW SPEEDS MOVING FORWARD. 2.WHEN I AM NOT IN THE VEHICLE MY DODGE DAKOTA WILL TRY AND SHIFT INTO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ON ITS OWN (LIKE I SAID, NO ONE IS IN THE VEHICLE). 3.WHEN I HIT MY UNLOCK BUTTON, MY TRUCK WILL TRY AND GO INTO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE. 4.WHILE I AM DRIVING BOTH AT HIGH AND LOW SPEEDS THE 4 LOW WILL FLASH AND PERIODICALLY THE SVC FOUR WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN GO OUT. 5.WHEN THE VEHICLE SWITCHES INTO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (INTERMITTENTLY) THE TIRES FEEL TO BE SKIDDING OR LOCKING UP. *TR

I NOTICED IN NOVEMBER 2012 THAT THE STEERING ON MY 2006 DODAGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB SEEMED STIFF AND HARD TO TURN, ALMOST AS IF IT WASN'T GETTING ENOUGH POWER STEERING FLUID - CHECKED IT AND IT WAS OK. SEEMED AT FIRST TO BE STIFFER WHEN IT WAS COLD SO ATTRIBUTED IT TO WINTER COLD. THEN AT THE END OF MARCH 2013, I WAS TURNING AND HEARD A CLUNK AS IF I HAD HIT A POTHOLE. I HEARD IT AGAIN ON THE SAME DAY AND THEN HEARD A SQUEAK AS IF THE SPRINGS NEEDED OILING. I STOPPED AT MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC OILED SOMETHING - DROVE IT AND DIDN'T HEAR A CLUNK. THREE DAYS LATER I TOOK IT TO HIM AND SAID IT IS CLUNKING REGULARLY AND THE STEERING STILL SEEMS STIFF. HE REPLACED UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS THAT HAD GONE BAD, CONTROL ARMS, AND TIE RODS THAT HAD PLAY IN THEM. THIS AT 82,000 MILES. THESE REPAIRS ARE RIDICULOUS FOR 82,000 MILES. AFTER SPENDING $1400 I AM STILL HAVING TIGHT STEERING. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT DODGE EXECUTIVES, BUT I CAN'T AFFORD REPAIRS LIKE THIS. THE MOST COMPLAINTS LISTED FOR THIS MODEL AND YEAR ARE FOR STEERING AND I'VE HEARD FROM THE DEALER THAT THE BALL JOINTS GO OUT EARLY - AS MINE DID. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR STEERING AND BALL JOINTS! MY 1993 DAKOTA IS STILL GOING WITHOUT THESE PROBLEMS AND IT HAS 204,000 MILES. IF THEY CAN'T MAKE THEM THE WAY THEY USED TO I'M NOT BUYING DODGE AGAIN. P.S. MY SISTER'S 2009 DAKOTA HAD A BROKEN TIE ROD, BALL JOINT, AND STEERING ISSUES. THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING. SHE IS DUMPING IT - WON'T DRIVE IT AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY STEERING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO APPLY AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FORCE IN ORDER TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL .THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT BOTH THE TIE ROD AND THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

LOUD CLUNKING NOISES FROM FRONT END OF TRUCK. TOOK TRUCK TO REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE SWAY BARS AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FRONT TIE RODS WERE REPLACED IN JULY 2012. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN INDICATORS FAILED. WHEN HE WOULD ENGAGE THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL, THE RIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 81,000.