1999 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH AND NOTICED THAT FRONT WHEELS WERE LOOSE AND WERE NOT RESPONDING WELL. ALSO, THERE WAS NOISE WHEN WHEELS HIT BUMPS OR CRACKS IN THE ROAD. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, AND HAD THE FRONT UPPER BALL JOINTS REPLACED. ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT LOWER BALL JOINTS ALSO NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK *LA

PREMATURE WEAR TO UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ON 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. DEALERSHIP QUOTED $1000.00 TO FIX! I PUT NEW TIRES ON THE TRUCK AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DO AN ALLIGNMENT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT'S SEEMS VERY UNSAFE. *AK

FAULTY BALL JOINTS AND BUSHINGS IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION FAILED BEFORE 50,000 MILES. THIS COULD CREATE A CONDITION WHERE THE FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY BREAKS OFF FROM THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT.*AK

DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THAT THE FRONT BALL JOINTS ON MY DODGE DAKOTA ARE BAD. WHEN I ASKED IF THIS WAS NORMAL WITH ONLY 56,000 MILES ON A VEHICLE THEY BECAME VERY EVASIVE AND WOULD NOT GIVE AN ANSWER. I ASKED IF CHRYSLER WAS HELPING THEIR CUSTOMERS ON THIS ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE TAKING CARE OF SOME OF THEM BUT THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME. THE FIRST 2 YEARS I HAD THIS VEHICLE IT WAS IN THE SHOP 23 TIMES FOR REPAIRS. I HAD TO GO THROUGH ARBITRATION TWICE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE CHRYSLERS REGIONAL MANAGER TOLD THE DEALERSHIP NOT TO WORK ON IT ANYMORE. THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE FACTORY WARRANTY. NOW THEY WANT $1,100 TO REPAIR A DEFECT THAT REQUIRES $150 WORTH OF PARTS.

MY 99 DAKOTA BEGAN HOWLING AND WHINNING IN THE REAR END. I HAD THE REAR END AND GEAR LUBE INSPECTED. GEAR LUBE WAS FULL, AND GEARS AND BEARINGS SHOWED NO SIGN OF WEAR. ABOUT 1 WEEK LATER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY ABS AND E-BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. BRAKE FLUID WAS NEARLY EMPTY. MECHANIC FOUND FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINERS WORN, AND REPAIRED AS NECASSARY. THIS DID NOT FIX ANY LIGHT OR NOISE PROBLEMS. AS SOON AS THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, MY SPEEDOMETER WOULD NOT FUNCTION UNDER 40 MPH, AND ENGINE WOULD STALL AT STOPS. MECHANIC REMOVED DIFFERENTIAL, AND PINION GEAR. PINION BEARING WAS SHREDDED BADLY, CAUSING THE HOWLING. ALL BEARINGS IN REAR END WERE REPLACED, AND REAR END NOISE WAS CURED. THE BEARING SHAVINGS MAY HAVE DAMAGED THE REAR ABS SPEED SENSOR. I HAVE HEARD OF THE SAME SYMPTOMS FOR THE REAR END NOISE FROM OTHER DAKOTA OWNERS BOTH ON LINE AND IN PERSON. THIS WAS A COSTLY AND STRESSFUL DIAGNOSIS PROCEEDURE, AND MAY WARRANT SOME SORT OF POSSIBLE RECALL INVESTIGATION. IS THE MANUFACTURER USING AN INFERIOR LUBRICANT? THIS TRUCK'S FRONT BUMPER WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED BY 40,000MI. NOT THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF THAT ISSUE EITHER.

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE STALLED 2 SECONDS LATER. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF OIL PUMP FAILURE. THE OIL PRESSURE WASN'T BEING EVENLY DISTRIBUTED, AND IT DESTROYED THE ENGINE. *AK

CAR BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. NEXT DAY TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP. THEY DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS BALL JOINTS.BOTH ARE COMPLETELY WORN OUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED A LONG TIME AGO. REPAIR ESTIMATE $1,000. THIS IS A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP TRUCK. *AK

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE SEVERELY WORN OUT. WHILE PULLING ONTO SHOP PARKING LOT TO BE REPAIRED THE UPPER BALL JOINT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SEPARATED. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED OIL LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED.*AK

OIL PRESSURE LIGHT GOES TO 0 AND BACK TO 40 THEN STAYS AT 0. NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAVING SAME PROBLEMS WITH OIL PUMP AND OIL SENDING UNIT, SCREENS AND ETC. OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED FOR FREE. *JB