2003 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

LOST EXTERIOR LIGHTS (PARKING LIGHTS, LICENSE PLATE LIGHT, TAIL LIGHTS, AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS) WHILE DRIVING. HEADLIGHTS, TURN LIGHTS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS FUNCTIONING. CTM WAS DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE, HOWEVER SAFETY CONCERNS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE UNUSED IN LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS UNTIL PROBLEM DIAGNOSED. REPETITIVE POSTINGS ABOUT THIS MODELS CTM FAILURES ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND ADJOINING SAFETY CONSIDERATION WITH ONLY A LIMITED RECALL, WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE MY VEHICLE. NO AFTER MARKET PARTS WERE FOUND AND REPLACED WITH A ITEM FOR A LOCAL JUNK YARD WHICH MAY SIMPLY FAIL AGAIN.

THE FAN IN MY TRUCK RANDOMLY SHUTS OFF SO IN TURN, MY AC DOES NOT WORK NOR DOES THE HEAT WHEN THIS OCCURS. THIS HAPPENS EVERY THREE MONTHS. IT IS NOT WORKING AGAIN THIS WEEK AND THERE HAS BEEN A HEAT WAVE ALL WEEK OF COURSE. IT HAPPENS AT ALL DIFFERENT TIMES. IT STARTS OUT SHUTTING OFF THEN IT WILL WORK FOR A DAY AGAIN THEN IT WILL GO OUT PERMANENTLY. THIS IS PROBABLY THE FIFTH TIME IN TWO YEARS

OVER A PERIOD OF TIME I GRADUALLY NOTICED EXHAUST GAS COMING INTO THE CAB. I HAD NO IDEA WHY I WAS GETTING A HEADACHE AND BECOMING EXHAUSTED. I TOOK THE TRUCK INTO A DEALER AND HE FOUND EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BROKEN ALLOWING EXHAUST GAS TO ESCAPE THROUGH THE GASKETS.

HEAD LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY START BLINKING AND EVENTUALLY GO OUT ALL TOGETHER ALONG WITH DASH AND DOME LIGHTS. ONLINE FORUMS SAY IT'S THE CTM. THE NEXT DAY IT'S FINE THEN OUT OF THE BLUE IT STARTS ACTING UP AGAIN. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TRAVELING AT NIGHT. ANY RECALLS FOR THIS? SEEMS TO BE QUITE COMMON FOR THIS YEAR DAKOTA

FUEL TANK HANGER BRACKETS RUSTED INTO AND GAS TAKE FELL OUT CAUSING A HOLE TO BE RUBBED THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK. TWELVE GALLONS OF FUEL WAS LOST. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO FIRE OR EXPLOSION. I WAS ONLY GOING 35 MPH AND STOPPED AS SOON AS I HEARD DRAGGING. I WAS TRAVELING ON A CITY STREET AT THE TIME. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH DODGE, FILE NUMBER 31424705.

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY RECALLS THAT INCLUDE MY MODEL BUT, NEITHER THE PREVIOUS OWNER OR ME, RECEIVED ANY MAIL FROM ANY DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER.

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A USED 2003 DODGE DAKOTA. THE TRUCK WAS GREAT EXCEPT THAT AT NIGHT WHEN I WOULD TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS ALL OF THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD FLASH OFF THEN BACK ON APPROXIMATELY EVERY TWO SECONDS TO 30 SECONDS. AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR WITH THIS HAPPENING I BECAME VERY FRUSTRATED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I NARROWED DOWN MY PROBLEM TO THE DAKOTA CENTRAL TIMING MODULE. IT APPEARS AS IF MANY DODGE CUSTOMERS HAVE THIS EXACT ISSUE WITH THESE DODGE MODEL TRUCKS. IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO OPERATE A VEHICLE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. THIS ISSUE DID NOT DEPEND ON WHETHER I WAS DRIVING IN ROUGH TERRAIN AT NIGHT OR DURING THE DAY. NO MATTER WHERE I DRIVE THE TRUCK, IF THE LIGHTS ARE ON IT WILL BEGIN TO START BLINKING OFF AND THEN ON INTERMITTENTLY. PLEASE FIX THIS PROBLEM! I HAVE SINCE HAD TO PURCHASE A USED CENTRAL TIMING MODULE OFF OF THE INTERNET BECAUSE WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALER, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THE PART AND IF THEY WERE IT WOULD COST OVER $500 JUST FOR THE PART. *TR

OUR PICK UP TRUCK WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING A CENTRAL TIMER MODULE REPLACEMENT. WE LEARNED THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT FROM 10/2/02 THROUGH 11/8/02. OUR VEHICLE WAS BUILT ON 9/12/02. OUR VEHICLE WAS BUILT JUST 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE RECALL AND NEEDS THE SAME TYPE OF REPAIR! DODGE WILL NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR. PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN IT IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION. WE ARE REQUESTING THAT YOU INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND EXPAND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE OUR VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE PART TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 10/06/16*LJ *TR

2003 DODGE DAKOTA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEALERSHIP UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR ENGINE STALLING PROBLEMS. *SMD AFTER HAVING A COMPUTER UPDATE PERFORMED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL. *JB