1999 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH PASSENGER'S WHEEL BROKE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BOTH FRONTAL UPPER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH OR MORE VEHICLE WANDERED WHILE IN MOTION. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE UPPER/LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES.*AK

BALL JOINTS WERE REPAIRED THREE TIMES. CONSUMER STATED THE BALL JOINT WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE, AND CAUSED THEM TO RUPTURE. PROBLEM CONTINUED TO HAPPEN.*AK

DURING A ROUTEIN TIRE ROTATION AT MY CHRYSLER DEARER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT AFTER ONLY 44,529 MILES THE BALL JOINTS WERE READY TO FAIL ON MY 1999 DAKOTA SPORT CC PICKUP. BEFORE I LEFT THE DEALER HE REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS BOTH SIDES AND THE LEFT AND RIGHT INNER TIE ROD ENDS. I WAS LUCKY I WENT IN FOR A TIRE ROTATION. *AK

HAD BALL JOINTS REPLACED ONCE ALREADY AND THY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGIAN. FIRST TIME ON MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, THIS TIME WILL BE AT MY EXPENSE. IF THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF NEW VEHICLE MANUFACTURING TO HAVE TO REPLACE SAFETY COMPONENTS EVERY 2 YEARS. I WOULD RATHER GO BACK TO THE OLDER VEHICLES. THERE ARE NO GREASE FITTINGS ON THE NEW STILE BALL JOINTS.

I TOOK MY 1999 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP TRUCK IN TO HAVE IT ALIGNED. THE MECHANICS AT BIG O TIRE TOLD ME IT COULD NOT BE ALIGNED DUE TO BAD UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND TIE ROD ENDS. BIG O TIRES INFORMED ME THAT NOT ONLY WERE THE PARTS WORN PREMATURELY, BUT THAT IT PRESENTED A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND THAT MY WHEELS COULD FALL OFF THE TRUCK. I DID NOT BELIEVE BIG O, SO I TOOK THE TRUCK TO LOVELAND BEAR ALIGNMENT FOR A SECOND OPINION. LOVELAND BEAR ALIGNMENT VERIFIED WHAT BIG O TOLD ME, AND IN ADDITION TOLD ME THAT TO USE CHRYSLER PARTS WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE THE CHRYSLER REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE AS DEFECTIVE AS THE PARTS BEING REPLACED AND THAT IT WOULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF PREMATURE WEAR AND DANGER OF THE WHEELS FALLING OFF. THE VEHICLE HAD 67,571 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME I WAS TOLD THIS. DUE TO BOTH THE SAFETY CONCERN OVER MY WHEELS POSSIBLY FALLING OFF AND THE NEED TO ALIGN THE VEHICLE TO AVOID WEARING OUT MY NEW TIRES, I ORDERED THE BALL JOINT AND TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED WITH LIFETIME WARRANTY AFTERMARKET PARTS FOLLOWED BY ALIGNMENT. THE REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE COST APPROXIMATELY $1,037.00. SO FAR, THE ONLY CONSEQUENCES WERE PREMATURE WEAR ON THE LAST SET OF TIRES AND THE FACT THAT I WAS COMPELLED TO REPLACE THE PARTS FOR SAFETY CONCERN AND THE ABILITY TO PERFORM A FRONT END ALIGNMENT ON THE VEHICLE. THE OLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A RECALL IN EFFECT FOR THIS VEHICLE BUT ONLY FOR 2000 AND NEWER VEHICLES. I WANT YOU TO BE INFORMED THAT THE DEFECT ALSO AFFECTS AT LEAST SOME VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN 1999 AND TO REQUEST THAT YOU EXTEND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE.

BOTH UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WAS NG WHEN I WENT FOR INSPECTION. I COULDN'T BELIEVE I WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE LIKE THIS. I NOW THINK THEY ARE GETTING BAD AGAIN....*JB

REPLACED BALL JOINTS TWICE IN MY 99 DAKOTA 1 TIME WITH DODGE PART SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM AGAIN COME ON HAVE THEM CALL THE EARLY ONE BACK TO OR SHOULD I NOT REPLACE THEM AND SELL THE TRUCK TO SOME PERSON WITH OUT THE KNOWLEDGE I KNOW IT'S A HARD BUT PLEASE STICK UP FOR THE LITTLE GUY OR GIRL THE DODGE BOYS NEW ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS BUT I THINK THEY BUT HOPE IT JUST WASH AWAY PLEASE HELP US. *JB

WHY IS THE 1999 DODGE DAKOTA NOT INCLUDED IN THE BALL JOINT RECALL. MY 1999 DODGE DAKOTA HAD A BAD UPPER BALL JOINT AT LESS THAN 60,000. *JB

UPPER BALL JOINTS ARE VERY LOOSE AND COULD SEPARATE FROM CONTROL ARM. I BELIEVE THE BALL JOINT RECALL SHOULD INCLUDE MY 1999 2 WHEEL DRIVE DODGE DAKOTA BECAUSE IT ALSO IS IN GREAT DANGER OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION COLLAPSING WHLE DRIVING. *JB