2005 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

TURNED ON DRIVERS HEATED SEAT TO (LOW),IN JUST A FEW MINUTES I GOT A BURNING FEELING IN MY RIGHT BUTT CHEEK ,AT THE TOP OF MY RIGHT LEG. IT GOT SO HOT THAT I HAD TO TURN THE SEAT OFF RIGHT AWAY !!!!! I DROVE TO WORK AND BY THE TIME I GOT THERE I FORGOT ABOUT THE SEAT ,ALTHOUGH I STILL HAD A BURNING SENSATION IN MY BUTTOCKS. WHEN I CAME OUT OF WORK TODAY ,I NOTICED A BURN HOLE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT AND THE TRUCK HAD THE SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING! I GUESS I SHOULD BE HAPPY THE TRUCK DIDN'T BURN TO THE GROUND BUT I'M AT A LOSS ON WHAT TO DO, EVEN MORE SO ,NOW THAT I'VE SEEN SO MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET !!!!!! MY BUTT WILL BE FINE ,I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT MY NEXT MOVE SHOULD BE ????? *TR

I WAS TRAVELING 55-60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY IN A STRAIGHT LINE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED WHEN I HIT A DIP IN THE ROAD AND THE TRUCK LITERALLY JUMPED OFF THE HIGHWAY. IT COMPLETELY LEFT MY LANE AND DROVE ITSELF OUT OF CONTROL ACROSS TRAFFIC AND TO THE RIGHT INTO A DITCH. IT CAUSED FRONT END BODY DAMAGE (MODERATE) AND SCARED ME TO DEATH. I HAVE SINCE DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL FROM MY TRUCK. NOW OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS THE TRUCKS FRONT END SHAKES AND RATTLES AND IS DIFFICULT TO CORNER, ACTS IF IT WILL JUMP OFF THE ROAD. THIS FRONT END OF THE DAKOTA SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE IT KILLS MANY PEOPLE. *TR

IN OCTOBER OF 2010, I WAS DRIVING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY ONTO A MAIN STREET MAKING A RIGHT TURN WHEN I HEARD A METAL SNAPPING SOUND. AS I CONTINUED TO DRIVE, I FELT SOME SLACK IN THE STEERING WHEN I MADE A TURN AFTERWARDS. I INSPECTED THE SUSPENION SYSTEM SEVERAL TIMES IN THE NEXT WEEK BUT DIDN'T SEE THE CAUSE. LATER I FOUND THE FRONT SWAY BAR LINK BROKE APART WHERE IT ATTACHED TO THE SWAY BAR. I DIDN'T SEE THIS ON EARLIER INSPECTIONS BECAUSE THE 2 PARTS CAME TOGETHER WHEN STATIC TO CONCEAL THE BREAK. I PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT KIT AND REPLACED BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE SWAY BAR LINKS MYSELF. (DAMAGED PARTS STILL AVAILABLE) IN THE EARLY PART OF 2011, I BEGAN TO HEAR CREAKING NOISE FROM THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM AS I DROVE AND ON TURNS. I INSPECTED THE SYSTEM SEVERAL TIMES AND CONCLUDED THAT 1 OR MORE OF THE BALL JOINTS WERE DRY AND NEEDED GREASE. THE BALL JOINTS HAD NO FITTINGS TO APPLY GREASE SO A NEEDLE VALVE WAS USED TO INJECT GREASE INTO THE BOOTS. THIS HELPED FOR A SHORT PERIOD BUT THE CREAKING CAME BACK A FEW MONTHS LATER. I SENT THIS VEHICLE INTO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID THE LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE DRY AND HAD EXCESS SIDE PLAY. THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT FOR SAFETY AND ALIGNMENT CONCERNS AT LESS THAN 40000 MILES. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THESE SUSPENSION PARTS ARE FAILING FAR TOO SOON. THE CONSUMER HAS NO WAY TO ADD GREASE TO THESE PARTS AND MUST RELY ON THE ORIGINAL PARTS BEING PROPERLY LUBRICATED TO HAVE REASONABLE DURABLITY. FAILURES AT THIS EARLY STAGE INDICATES DEFECTIVE PARTS AND PROCESSES THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED ASAP. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WILL BE FORCED TO HAVE THESE PARTS REPAIRED FOR SAFETY CONCERNS AND A HIGH COST TO THE VEHICLE OWNER. THESE PARTS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO LAST LONGER THAN THE SHORT PERIOD I HAVE EXPERIENCED ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A CLOSED INVESTIGATION PERTAINING TO THE DEFECT UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA06004 (STEERING:COLUMN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

APPLIED LEFT TURN SIGNAL AND NOTICED THE RIGHT SIGNAL WAS BLINKING. I CANCELED SIGNAL AND THEN REAPPLIED AND LEFT SIGNAL FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. SINCE INITIAL OCCURRENCE THE TURN SIGNALS HAVE GOTTEN PROGRESSIVE WORSE. APPLICATION OF THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL TURNS ON LEFT ONE, APPLICATION OF THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL TURNS ON RIGHT ONE. SOMETIME NEITHER SIGNAL OPERATES. MY TRUCK HAS A TILT STEERING WHEEL AND I HAVE NOTICED THAT MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL UP OR DOWN - WHILE DRIVING - INITIALLY CLEARED THE PROBLEM AND ALLOWED THE CORRECT SIGNAL TO OPERATE. BUT NOW THE SIGNALS EITHER DO NOT WORK OR MALFUNCTION MOST OF THE TIME NO MATTER WHICH POSITION THE STEERING WHEEL IS IN. ADJUSTING THE STEERING WHEEL HAS LITTLE TO NO AFFECT ON IF THE SIGNALS WILL OPERATE PROPERLY. AS YOU MAY REALIZE THINKING YOUR LEFT / RIGHT TURN SIGNAL IS ON AND FINDING OUT THE OPPOSITE ONE IS ACTUALLY BLINKING HAS CAUSED SOME "INTERESTING" TRAFFIC SITUATIONS AS WELL AS A FEW NEAR CRASHES UNTIL I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. *TR

I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND INSTANTLY NOTICED A STRONG RAW GAS SMELL IN THE CAB. THINKING IT JUST OVERLOADED BY NOT STARTING IT FOR A MONTH, I WAITED FOR THE SMELL TO GO AWAY, BUT IT DIDN'T. LOOKING THROUGH THE REAR WHEEL WELL, I DISCOVERED THE FUEL HOSE FROM THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK HAD SPLIT AND WAS SPEWING GASOLINE ALL AROUND AND UNDER THE BED OF THE TRUCK. JUST TURNING ON THE KEY, WHICH STARTS THE FUEL PUMP AND PRESSURIZES THE FUEL LINE, CAUSES GAS TO BE DISCHARGED AT A HIGH RATE. THE TRUCK IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, WELL MAINTAINED, AND HAS JUST 54,000 MILES ON IT. I AM GLAD I DIDN'T DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY WITH IT; THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE AND/OR EXPLOSION WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING STILL AT AN INTERSECTION COULD CASE HARM TO NOT ONLY MYSELF, BUT OTHER DRIVERS AROUND ME. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EMITTED A SQUEAKING NOISE UPON ENTERING AND EXITING. THE NOISE WAS ALSO PRESENT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE HEAD WAS REBUILT AND THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND WAS WORKING WITH THE CONTACT TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHEN HE MADE A LEFT TURN. THE VEHICLE THEN BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,100.

DASH BOARD AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I REPOSTIONED FRONT PASSANGER SEAT. .I CAME HOME AND CHECKED DODGE FORUM TO SEE WHAT AND WHERE THE PROBLEM MAY BE.... WHILE READING SEVERAL POSTS ABOUT CHECKING FOR A LOOSE CONNECTOR I DECIDED TO GO TO THE TRUCK AND REMOVED THE BOLTS HOLDING THE SEAT TO THE FLOOR I LAYED THE SEAT ON ITS BACK, RELEASED THE RED RETAINING CLIP AND DEPRESSED IT... WHILING HOLDING DOWN THE RELEASE I PULLED ON THE PLUG AND TO MY SURPRISE THE CONTROL UNIT CAME APART IN MY HANDS.... *TR

I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING STARTED GETTING SLOPPY AND STARTED POPPING. NOW IF YOU HIT A BAD PATCH OF ROAD IT WANTS TO JUMP OUT OF ROAD GETTING SCARY. I AM DISABLED AND DEPEND ON MY TRUCK TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO 4 DIFFERENT DOCTORS. I LIVE ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND CANT AFFORD REPAIR BILLS ON PARTS THAT SHOULD NOT BE WORE OUT. PLEASE HELP! *TR