2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

I SET MY PARKING BRAKE. FORGOT IT WAS SET AND MOVED MY TRUCK THE BRAKE HELD TO THE POINT IT BROKE ALL 8 BOLTS HOLDING THE BACKING PLATES CAUSING THE ENTIRE BRAKE BACKING PLATE WHEEL CYLINDER, SHOES AND DRUM TO SPIN BREAKING THE BRAKE LINES AND BRAKE CABLE. RESULTING IN ON REAR BRAKES. THE COST TO REPAIR $1219.83. THANK GOD IT DID NOT BRAKE WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY IN RAINY WEATHER, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHERS FAILED TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V216000, REGARDING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHERS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN I WOULD FORGET TO TURN OFF MY HEADLIGHTS AFTER TAKING KEYS OUT. MY INSIDE LIGHT WOULD START TO BLINK ALSO MY WARNING FOR SEAT BELTS WASN'T WORKING. THE LAST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS WHAT ALARMED ME. I WAS TRAVELING TO WORK IN THE EARLY MORNING WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON. WHEN I HEARD MY LOW GAS WARNING GO OFF . ALL OF A SUDDEN MY HEADLIGHTS STARTED TO BLINK ON AND OFF IN SEQUENCE WITH THE LOW GAS WARNING. AFTER WORK I CHECK AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED THEN I FILLED UP WITH GAS AND THE LIGHTS WORKED FINE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THAT THE CENTRAL TIMER MODULE WAS BAD. OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE IT WAS JUST ALARMING FOR ME AND THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF ME WHEN MY LIGHTS STARTED TO BLINK I PULLED AND HAD TO WAIT ABOUT 15 MINUTES FOR IT TO BE LIGHT ENOUGH TO GET MOVING AGAIN. *JB

UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS IN THE NORTHEAST I HAVE EXPERIENCED TWO SEPARATE INSTANCES WHERE THE FRONT BRAKES WOULD NOT DISENGAGE OR REMAINED PARTIALLY ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING. FIRST FAILURE AT APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES, MECHANIC FOUND CALIPERS TO OPERATE NORMALLY BUT REPLACED ALL PADS AND ROTORS DUE TO HEAT DAMAGE EVIDENT ON "PASSENGER SIDE" FRONT. SECOND FAILURE AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 AGAIN FOUND CALIPERS OPERATING NORMALLY BUT REPLACED FRONT BRAKE LINE, BRAKE FLUID, PADS AND MACHINED ROTORS. MECHANIC UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE BRAKES FREEZE WHEN EVERYTHING APPEARS TO OPERATE AS DESIGNED. *JB

NO SINGLE INCIDENT. MANY ABS BRAKING PROBLEMS EVERY DAY. REPLACED ROTORS, CALIPERS, DRUMS, BRAKE SHOES AND REAR SENSOR. PROBLEM PERSISTS. *NM

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ALARMING FAILURES WITH MY DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB. IT IS A 2002 V6 AUTO TRANSMISSION PW PL. I HAVE HAD THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE RECALL, MY TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED (TWICE), MY FRONT HUBS & SPINDLES COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED AND COULD HAVE KILLED MY FAMILY, MY WATER PUMP HAS FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE DRIVER SIDE TAILLIGHT SEEMS TO FAIL OFTEN, THE VACUUM HOSES HAVE ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE CHEAP RUBBER USED BY THE MANUFACTURER FAIL BY CRACKING AND CAUSING ALL SORTS OF LEAKS CAUSING ENGINE LIGHTS, LOUD NOISES UNDER THE HOOD, AND HORRIBLE GAS MILEAGE. I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO BE PROACTIVE IN MY MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD THE MAJOR REPAIRS DONE PROFESSIONALLY. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW A 2002 VEHICLE CAN HAVE SO MANY POTENTIALLY FATAL PROBLEMS AND BE IGNORED. I HAVE SEARCHED HIGH AND LOW FOR QUALITY BULLETINS BUT CANNOT FIND ANYTHING. MY GAS MILEAGE IS NOW DOWN TO 14 MPG AND THE TRUCK IS FALLING APART. *JB

NO KNOWN EVENT OR INDICATION OF FAILURE OCCURRED PRIOR TO INCIDENT. HEADLIGHTS, DASH LIGHTS, INTERIOR LIGHTS, FOG LIGHTS, DOOR LOCKS, KEYLESS ENTRY, INTERMITTENT WIPERS ALL CEASED TO FUNCTION. THIS OCCURRED AT DAWN ON A RAINY DAY. HAD THIS OCCURRED DURING THE EVENING HOURS AN ACCIDENT MAY LIKELY HAVE OCCURRED. REPAIR PENDING. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 1 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN A GARAGE, A NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE SHOE LINING WAS DESTROYED. ALSO, ON THE REAR LEFT SIDE THE BONDED LINING WAS SEPARATED. THE CONTACT STATED THE PARKING BRAKE HAD NEVER BEEN USED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

I HAVE A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB. PROBLEM: THE KEY, ONCE INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION IT WILL NOT ROTATE AND THUS NOT START THE TRUCK. IT IS AS IF THE IGNITION IS LOCKED UP. AFTER REMOVING, REINSERTING, AND TRYING TO START THE TRUCK NUMEROUS TIMES, IT FINALLY WILL START. IT DOES NOT DO THIS EVERYTIME, BUT IN THE PAST MONTH IT HAS HAPPENED CLOSE TO A DOZEN TIMES. HAS THIS BEEN REPORTED BEFORE, AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FIX THIS FRUSTRATING PROBLEM? *NM

TIMING CONTROL MODULE, TCM IS PULSING INTERIOR/EXTERIOR LIGHTS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, ETC. TO AN OFF STATE AT ONCE PER SECOND CONTINUOUSLY. WHEN TRUCK IS PARKED, HEADLAMP RELAY CAN BE HEARD PULSING. THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN AT NIGHT DUE TO VISUAL CONFUSION AND SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH OTHER TRAFFIC. NO APPARENT CAUSE OF FAILURE. TRUCK HAS 18K MILES AND IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. OTHER COMPLAINTS INDICATE THAT TCM WAS REPLACED TO FIX PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE MAY NOT BE INTERNAL TO TCM AND REPLACING IT WILL BE AN ONGOING EVENT. HAS DODGE DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THIS MODULE FAILURE? IS THIS NOT A DESIGN FLAW SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM? *NM