2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN WHEN A SUDDEN GRINDING NOISE OCCURRED. UPON STRAIGHTENING THE WHEELS, IT STOPPED. WAS APPROX 3 MILES FROM MY MECHANIC SO I WENT THERE AND HAD HIM LOOK AT IT. HE FOUND THE LEFT SIDE HUB BEARING ASSEMBLY HAD COMPLETELY FAILED (BEARING EXPOSED AND BADLY DAMAGED). HE WAS UNABLE TO SEPARATE THE BRAKE ROTOR DISK FROM THE HUB AS IT WAS SO BADLY CORRODED THAT IT HAD BECOME ONE. UPON CHECKING THE RIGHT SIDE HUB ASSY, IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED AS WELL WITH THE BRAKE ROTOR DISK IN THE SAME CONDITION. BOTH SIDES WERE REPLACED AND A COMPLETE BRAKE JOB DONE TO MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 92000 MILES AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS LUCKY THAT I DID NOT LOOSE THE LEFT WHEEL BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE AS I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM WORK (50 MILES ONE WAY) WHICH IS ALL HIGHWAY DRIVING. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEATER FAN MECHANISM STOPPED WORKING, RESULTING IN NO HEAT OR DEFROST. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HAVE REPAIRS MADE, BUT THERE WERE NO PARTS AVAILABLE. REPAIRS WILL BE MADE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE.*AK

I HAVE HAD A WARPED ROTOR ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE 3 TIMES NOW. IT WAS TURNED TWICE, REPLACED ONCE, AND NOW IT'S WARPED AGAIN. I'M FACING REPLACING THE CALIPERS AND ROTORS UPFRONT. I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL OTHER DODGE DAKOTA OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS, SO OBVIOUSLY, THEY HAVE A SUPPLIER THAT IS NOT UP TO PAR. THIS SHAKING IS DANGEROUS - WITH ABS, A WET ROAD, AND SOME CLOWN PULLING IN FRONT OF YOU, THE WARPAGE DOES VERY STRANGE THINGS WITH THE ABS - AND YOU REALLY HAVE TO STOMP ON THE BRAKES TO OVERRIDE THE ABS FEATURE. I'VE OWNED MOPAR PRODUCTS EXCLUSIVELY SINCE 1981; I DOUBT SERIOUSLY THAT I'LL EVER BUY ANOTHER ONE. *NM

I RECENTLY HAD MY EXTERIOR LIGHTING GO OUT ON MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA AND THE DODGE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PROBLEM STATING THAT IT WAS THE CTM ( CENTRAL TIMING MODULE). I AM AWARE THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE 03 DAKOTA FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION FOR THE 02 DAKOTA. *JB

I WAS DRIVING TO PA FROM FL IN MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB WITH A V-8 4.7L ENGINE (MSRP $27,000)WHEN I HEARD A TICKING NOISE WHILE IN SC. ALL FLUID LEVELS WERE FINE, SO I CONTINUED ON MY JOURNEY ON TUES. OCT. 11, 2005 I FOUND OUT THE DIAGNOSIS WHICH WAS THAT 3 RODS INSIDE THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED AND A NEW ENGINE WAS REQUIRED TO FIX IT. I WAS SHOCKED AND ASSUMED THAT CHRYSLER WOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY SINCE I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH CHRYSLER. THE CHRYSLER ADJUSTOR FINALLY ARRIVED TO CHECK OUT MY TRUCK ON FRI. OCT. 14 AND THAT IS WHEN I HEARD THE HORRENDOUS NEWS THAT CHRYSLER WAS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR END OF THE CONTRACT AND STATED THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON MY TRUCK. AFTER I FOUND THAT OUT I IMMEDIATELY HAD ALL OF MY MAINTENANCE RECORDS FAXED TO ME FROM FL WHICH PROVED THAT I FAITHFULLY CHANGED MY OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES OR LESS. I ASSUMED THAT THIS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR THEM TO FIX MY ENGINE. I DECIDED TO LEAVE SC DUE TO COSTLY HOTEL EXPENSES AND HAD MY SISTER COME FROM VA TO PICK MY DAUGHTER AND I UP WHERE WE AT LEAST HAD A FREE PLACE TO STAY TEMPORARILY TILL MY TRUCK WAS FIXED. I FOUND OUT THE TERRIBLE NEWS ON MON. OCT. 24TH THAT MY MAINTENANCE RECORDS MEANT NOTHING TO THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION. I RECEIVED THE RESPONSE "LACK OF MAINTENANCE" AS BEING THE REASON WHY THEY WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. I WAS SHOCKED THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PAID ALMOST 1800.00 FOR TO COVER THIS TYPE OF SITUATION WOULD NOT COVER THIS REPAIR. MY TRUCK HAD 41,369 MILES ON IT WHEN THE ENGINE SEIZED. THE ESTIMATE I RECEIVED FOR REPAIRING THE ENGINE WAS $7,301.00. I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ASKED WHY MY MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE NOT HONORED AND WAS TOLD "THIS IS THE FINAL DECISION MAM". I ASKED FOR FAXES TO BE SENT TO ME REGARDING THE ADJUSTORS REPORT & A LETTER FROM CHRYSLER SAYING THAT RESPONSIBILITY WAS NOT BEING TAKEN BY THEM FOR THE REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT SEND THAT TO ME. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT NOTICED THE BLINKERS AND TAIL LIGHTS WHERE OPERATING POORLY. HE RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT OTHER VEHICLES HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM WAS THE MODULE OR THE FLASHER MODULE. IF THE SHORT IN THE TAIL LIGHT WAS NOT FIXED IT WILL BLOW OUT THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH .HE HAS AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THIS FIXED AT A DEALERSHIP.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT HAS A PICKUP TRUCK THAT HAS ORIGINAL FACTORY GOODYEAR WRANGLER ST TIRES, P215/75R15. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR MAINTENANCE THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED SLITS UP TO THREE INCHES LONG ON THE SIDEWALL ABOVE THE BEAD RUNNING WITH THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE DOWN TO THE INNER FABRIC ON ALL FOUR TIRES. THERE HAVE BEEN NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES. BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE NO LONGER COVERED BY WARRANTY HE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRANDS. HE EXPERIENCED NO FURTHER PROBLEMS AFTER THE TIRE REPLACEMENT. *AK THERE WERE CRACKS ON 3 OF THE 4 TIRES. UPDATED 11/29/05. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT HEARD A ROD KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE. THE KNOCKING J STARTED WHERE IT COULD BE HEARD. THERE WAS A DIAGNOSTIC TEST PERFORMED BY THE DEALER ,AND IT CONFIRMED IT WAS A ROD. THE TRUCK IS IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS AT THIS TIME.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE OIL PRESSURE STAYING ON HIGH MOST OF THE TIME SINCE AUGUST 12, 2002. IN SEPTEMBER 2002 THE OBD LIGHT CAME ON. SHE KEPT TAKING VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. EVERY TIME SHE TOOK IT IN TO A DEALERSHIP THEY WOULD SAY THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING IN AUGUST 2005 THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DIE. THE CONTACT HEARD A SOUND, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ,AND THEN THREE SECONDS LATER IT DIED. AFTERWARDS, SHE TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE. THE CONTACT HAS COPIES OF MOST OF THE OIL CHANGES. THE CONTACT HAS THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES. SHE FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ONLINE. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. AND THAT THE WHOLE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. . THE CONTACT CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE OF DODGE ,AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE AREA REPRESENTATIVE TOLD DODGE THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE AND THAT THERE WAS LACK OF MAINTENANCE, AND THAT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK

THE BRAKE ROTOR ON MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA CONTINUOUSLY WARP. I HAD THEM TURNED AT 30,000 BY THE DEALER AND NOW I GOING TO REPLACE THEM AT 42,000. I DO NOT TOW ANYTHING WITH MY TRUCK OR USE HARD BRAKING. I'VE READ MULTIPLE MESSAGE BOARD WITH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. DODGE SAYS IT'S NOT AN EQUIPMENT PROBLEM, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT IS. I WOULD HOPE THE NHTSA WOULD INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE DODGE CORRECT IT. DODGE HAS PUT THE WRONG MATERIAL ON THESE TRUCK AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED, BUT DODGE DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY.*JB