2000 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

AT VERY LOW MILEAGE, AN INDEPENDENT SHOP REPLACED THE LOWER AND UPPER BALL JOINTS AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. *AK *JB

I OWN A 2000 DODGE DAKOTA, AND HAVE NOTICED A POPPING NOISE ON THE DIRVERS SIDE FRONT END. I HAVE SINCE DETERMINED THAT IT IS IN FACT THE UPPER BALL JOINT THAT IS BADLY WORN, AND HAS AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF PLAY IN IT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS BECOMMING A GROWING PROBLEM AND WANTED TO ADD TO IT IN HOPES OF GETTING IT REPLACED BEFORE MY FRONT WHEEL FALLS OFF. *AK

AT APPROX. 8K MILES, PULSING AND SHIMMY STARTED IN FRONT END. HAD TO RESURFACE ROTORS. HAD TO DO AGAIN LATER AT ABOUT 35K. NOT NORMAL. AT 15K REPORTED FRONT END CREAKS/GROANS DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. AT 35K MORE OF THE SAME, DEALER REPLACED FRONT STABILIZER/SWAY BUSHING. AT 38K MILES, REPLACED LOWER STEERING COLUMN. HELPED SOME BUT STILL CREAKING WHEN STEERING AT LOW SPEED. AT 53K ASKED AGAIN ABOUT STEERING GROAN. DEALER SAYS HE COULD FIX FOR ABOUT $1000 (OF COURSE OUT OF WARRANTY NOW! AND I'VE BEEN ASKING ABOUT THIS SINCE 15K MILES). ALSO AT 53K, REPLACED LOWER BALL JOINTS LEFT SIDE AND FUEL PUMP. AT 59K BACK IN THE SHOP TODAY TO REPLACE RIGHT BALL JOINTS WHICH CAUSE VEHICLE STEERING TO "WANDER" AND HAVE BADLY WORN INSIDE RIGHT TIRE. QUALITY OF VEHICLE IS LOUSY AND THEY WON'T ADMIT IT OR STAND BEHIND IT. THE ROTOR AND FRONT END PROBLEMS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY IMPAIR THE DRIVERS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. CONSUMER HAD THE PROBLEM REPAIRED. *AK *MR

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A POPPING METAL NOISE IN THE FRONT END. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE UPPER THEN THE LOWER BALL JOINTS BECAUSE THEY WERE WORN OUT. *AK THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED AT 27K MILES AND AGAIN AT 65K MILES. *SC

DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONSUMER THAT UPPER FRONT BALL JOINT WERE WORN OUT. CONSUMER WAS NOT HAVING ANY PROBLEMS AT THIS TIME. DEALERSHIP HAD NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER RECEIVED A COPY OF A CONSUMER REPORT REGARDING THE PROBLEM WITH BALL JOINTS ON VEHICLE, BUT MANUFACTURER SAID THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE EXISTING PROBLEM. *LA

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT STEERING COLUMN/HEADLIGHTS. WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN WAS IN THE TILT UPRIGHT POSITION, THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS OPERATED. WHEN THE TILT STEERING WHEEL WAS IN THE STRAIGHT POSITION THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS WENT OUT AUTOMATICALLY.*AK THE CONSUMER FOUND OUT THE LOW BEAM WIRE AT THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH HAD BROKEN AT THE CONNECTION AND SHORTED OUT.*JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE, THE SUSPENSION COLLAPSED COMPLETELY, SEVERING THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE WHICH COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND. THE TOWING MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT. *AK *SC *JB

ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS FAIL REPEATEDLY AND OFTEN. THEY PRESENT A REAL DANGER IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION OR FIRE, WHEN THE DOOR MAY NOT BE EASILY OPENED. ON A MORE MUNDANE LEVEL I WOULD THINK THEY COULD BUILD AN ELECTRIC LOCK SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 12-24 MONTHS. I AM TOTALLY DISGUSTED.*AK

DURING ROUTINE BRAKE MAINTENANCE, DEALERSHIP WARNED THAT UPPER BALL JOINTS ARE LOOSE AND UPPER CONTROL BUSHINGS ARE CRACKED AND BOTH ARE IN URGENT NEED OF REPLACING. VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS AT 55,746. BALL JOINTS ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST TO 100,000 MILES. VEHICLE IS SECONDARY FAMILY VEHICLE AND ONLY DRIVEN FREEWAY WITH NO TOWING, HEAVY LOADS, OR HAULING. IF VEHICLE WAS NOT MAINTAINED REGULARLY THIS DEFECT WOULD HAVE BEEN MISSED AND SERIOUS HARM OR DEATH TO PREGNANT WIFE, 7 YEAR OLD, AND MYSELF WOULD HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO THE NATURE AND SEVERITY OF DEFECT. *JB