1997 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS HAVE FAILED AT 50,000 MILES WHICH COULD CAUSE OTHER DAMAGES. TSB WAS SENT OUT BY MANUFACTURER, BUT ONLY COVERED 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES. *AK

PAINT ON FRONT BUMPER CHIPPED. DEALER REPAINTED INSTEAD OF REPLACED. CHIPPING AGAIN AND RUSTING. DEALER AND CHRYSLER REFUSED TO REPLACE. *AK

CONSUMER IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THE DEALERSHIP WILL TAKE FOR THE RECALL (00V-193) REPAIR. *MJS

CONSUMER WAS REFUSED RECALL REPAIR 00V-198 AT THE DEALER BECAUSE TECHNICIAN FOUND AN OPEN INVOICE ON THE COSUMERS VEHICLE. NLM

I HAD NEW FRONT ROTORS PUT ON MY TRUCK AT 72,116 MILES PER DODGE'S REQUEST. NOTICED RUBBING WHEN APPLIED BRAKE WHEN GOING UP AND DOWN HILLS. DODGE SAID THEY NEED TO BREAK IN THAT CONDITION WOULD IMPROVE. AUGUST 5, 2000 BURNING SMELL COMING IN THROUGH VENTS AS I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND THEN VEHICLE VEERED TO ONE SIDE. LEFT FRONT WAS SMOKING AND VERY HOT. I WAS OUT OF STATE AT THE TIME AND THE SERVICE PERSON SAID THAT THE BRAKES WEREN'T INSTALLED CORRECTLY THAT THE FRONT LEFT WAS WARPED AND NEEDED REPLACING. NORWOOD DODGE INSPECTED IT AND SAID ALL WAS OK. RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL 891OR892 REGARDING FUEL AND BRAKE LINES RUBBING ON CHASIS. BROUGHT VEHICLE IN TO GET FIXED. BRAKES DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY SINCE THEN. WHILE DOING 65MPH AND ON THE GAS ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKES LOCKED UP OUT OF THE BLUE AND I SKIDDED ABOUT 40'. HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND SOMETHING BREAK UNDER THE TRUCK. I THINK THE SUDDEN STOP DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION OR DIFFERENTIAL (WHICH WAS WORKED ON THE DAY BEFORE) HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED. THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS ON 12 DIFFERENT OCCURANCES AND COUNTING. AT PRESENT VEHICLE IS OUT OF COMMISSION AND I WILL NOT DRIVE EVEN IF THEY SAY THEY FIXED IT. I ALMOST KILLED MYSELF AND OTHERS NOT ONCE BUT TWICE DUE TO BRAKES NOT WORKING AND BRAKES LOCKING UP WHILE ON THE GAS. DEALER HAS NO CLUE WHAT IS WRONG.*AK

I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FROM DAIMLER-CHRYSLER FOR THE FUEL LINE (RECALL NUMBER 892). THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS CONTACTING THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE, AND COULD EVENTUALLY WEAR THROUGH. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THEY INSTALLED AN "ISOLATOR" ON THE FUEL LINE. ABOUT A WEEK LATER, I HAPPEND TO BE LOOKING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, AND NOTED THAT THE "ISOLATOR" AMOUNTED TO NOTHING MORE THAN A SMALL CYLLINDER OF RUBBER THAT WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE FUEL LINE TO SEPARATE IT FROM THE BODY OF THE TRUCK. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ISOLATOR HAS SLIPPED DOWN AND THE FUEL LINE IS AGAIN CONTACTING THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. I NOTED THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT ABRASION ON THE FUEL LINE, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT LEAKING. I SHOVED THE RUBBER PIECE BACK INTO PLACE. HOWEVER, IT IS UNLIKELY TO STAY THERE. THIS IS A 4X4 PICKUP, AND IT IS USED OFF ROAD ON A REGULAR BASIS. HOWEVER, THE ISOLATOR HAD SLIPPED WHEN THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD BEEN DRIVEN ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. THIS IS AN INADEQUATE FIX. DAIMLER-CHRYSLER SHOULD BE REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUEL LINE WITH A NEW ONE THAT IS PRE-FORMED TO CLEAR THE BODY OF THE TRUCK AT ALL POINTS.*AK

AFTER RECALL REPAIR 00V-199 OF THE FUEL LINE FITTING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN BUCKING LIKE THE FUEL WAS NOT RESPONDING TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM OXYGEN SENSORS FAILED, VEHICLE RAN PERFECTLY BEFORE RECALL WORK. NLM

AIR CONDITIONER--TESTED BY DEALER BUT COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. DYE PLACED IN SYSTEM AND FREON REFILLED. IN ONE WEEK'S TIME, AC WAS WARM AGAIN. DEALER INSPECTED AGAIN AND REPLACED CONDENSOR, REFILLED FREON. SAME PROBLEM AGAIN IN ABOUT 10 DAYS TIME. PRESENTLY HAVING CHECKED AGAIN.

RECALL # OOV199000 DAIMLER CHRYSLER/FUEL LINE/CAB UNDERBODY: DEALERSHIP (OWNER) REFUSED TO HONOR RECALL CAMPAIGN BECAUSE TRUCK WAS NOT PURCHASED FROM DEALERSHIP. OWNER VERY NASTY AND ABRUPT TO CUSTOMERS.*AK

AUTHORIZED DODGE DEALER INSPECTED WITH EMPLOYEE OF CHRYSLER/ STATED THERE WAS NO DEFECT WITH MANUFACTURER ALTHOUGH I DON'T FEEL THAT IT CANNOT BE BECAUSE THIS PEELING/FLAKING HAS NOT OCCURRED ELSEWHERE ON THE BODY OF THE TRUCK. *AK