1998 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

WHEN DRIVING AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE NEEDED WIPERS STOPPED WORKING, CAUSING POOR DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER; MECHANIC NOTED A TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO PROBLEM BY TAPPING ON WIPER MOTOR.*AK

IN 1999 STEERING WAS TIGHT/ HARD TO TURN, AND DIFFICULT TO STEER. CONSUMER TOOKVEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED RACK AND PINION. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE NEEDS ANOTHER RACK AND PINION. *AK CONSUMER STATES HE THOUGHT HE SAW WHERE THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING STEERING ON HIS VEHICLE. BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACED, HOWEVER SHOP COULD NOT GET THE PIN OUT TO MAKE REPAIRS. FRONT END NEEDED ALIGNMENT, IT WAS OUT OF SPECS. *SLC

VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN RECALL 01V153000982 BUT, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL DUE TO VIN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

I HAVE RECENTLY NOTICED MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER MAKING TICKING NOISE AGAIN, MY EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS JUST RECENTLY EXPIRED TOO. THIS PART HAD BEEN REPLACED AT 22000 MILES. NOW JUST LESS THAN 2 YEARS LATER I AM RUNNING INTO THE SAME DELEMA. I HAVE SPOKE TO SEVERAL AUTO MECHANICS AND THEY ALL SAY THAT THIS MUST BE A DEFECTED PART. WHEN I NOTIFIED MY DODGE DEALER, HE STATED BECAUSE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, I WILL HAVE THE BURDEN OF PAYING ALL THE COST. YET AGAIN THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN A TRUCK THAT WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW LESS THAN 4 YEARS AGO. I FEEL THAT AFTER READING OTHER COMPLAINTS AND TALKING TO SEVERAL OTHER DODGE OWNERSHAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, THAT THE PART IS A DEFECT. ABOVE ALL, DODGE DOESN'T SEEM TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THEY WERE RUDE AND WOULD NOT BUDGE TO SATISFY THEIR CUSTOMERS. IN FACT MY SERVICE ADVISOR EVEN WENT ON TO TELL ME THAT I PROBABLY HIT A BUMP THAT MADE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER GO OUT. COME ON NOW THIS IS A 4X4, YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT IF I HIT A SPEEDBUMP MY ENGINE WILL DROP? "DODGE TOUGH" ? YEAH RIGHT! THEY CERTAINLY LOST MY BUSINESS IN THE FUTURE. PLEASE CHECK ON THIS DEFECTED PART, THERE HAS GOT TO BE JUSTICE FOR THE CONSUMER. BAD WORD OF MOUTH IS THE WORST ADVERTISEMENT DODGE AND I GOT A BIG MOUTH GUYS!*AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH TRACK BAR BROKE OFF THE FRAME. CONSUMER COULD NOT CONTROL VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER GOT 3 ESTIMATES. *AK CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY A WELDER THAT MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROPERLY WELD BRACKET TO FRAME THE TRACK SUPPORT BAR SUPPORTS THE ENTIRE STEERING ASSEMBLY.*JB

AT 9500 MILES THE SPEED CONTROL SENSOR MALFUCNTIONED, CAUSING SPEEDOMETER TO OPERATE ERRATICALLY. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THIS PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY. THEN, WITH APPROXIMATELY 61,000 MILES ON VEHICLE, SPEED CONTROL SENSOR HAS MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN THE SENSOR MALFUNCTIONS, THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT SILLUMINATE, THE ABS DOES NOT WORK, THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS ERRATICALLY ALONG WITH ALL OTHER INSTRUMENT GAUGES, VEHICLE ALSO STALLS OUT AS SOON AS THE CONSUMER LETS UP ON THE GAS OR HAVE IT IN NEUTRAL. *SLC

WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 75 MPH FRONT HOOD WILL COME UP. ALSO HAS HAPPENED AT LOWER SPEEDS. HAD NOT CONTACTED DEALER.*AK *JB

THE FIRST BALL JOINT ON THE RIGHT SIDE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT JUST OVER 36000 MILES. IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTEE. THE 2ND. BALL JOINT FAILED AT APR 62000 MILES. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER BUT THEY SAID IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WITH JUST 62000 MI. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE 2 BALL JOINTS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE 1998 DODGE DAKOTA HAS A PROBLEM AND THAT THEY ARE THE ONE'S THAT SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE NOT ME.. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THESE BALL JOINTS WOULD HAVE FAILED DOING 70 ON I-75. I GUESS CHRYSLER WANTS TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE GETS KILLED BEFORE THEY WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. THANKS FOR LISTENING.

AIR CONDITIONING HOSE LEADING TO ALUMINUM ASSEMBLY FAILED DUE TO CUT IN HOSE. MIDDLE PORTION OF HOSE RESTS DIRECTLY OVER ONE CORNER OF PLASTIC AIR FILTER COVER ASSEMBLY. AT THE CORNER OF AIR FILTER COVER THERE IS A SMALL VERTICAL SPLINE THAT IS PART OF THE MOLDED PASTIC LID COVER. THE THICKNESS OF THE SPLINE IS SIMILAR TO A COMMON PLASTIC PICNIC KNIFE BUT WITHOUT SERRATIONS. APPARENTLY OVER TIME DUE TO VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING, THE HOSE RUBBED AGAINST THIS PLASTIC SPLINE WEARING A 1/4 INCH SLIT/HOLE. WHEN THE HOSE FINALLY RUBBED THROUGH, THE REFRIGERANT DECOMPRESSED RAPIDLY. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY HAZARD AS ALL AUTOMOBLE AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERANT CONTAINS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF OIL. WHEN THE REFRIGERANT DECOMPRESES EXPLOSIVELY OR EXTREMELY RAPIDLY, IT CREATES A MIST THAT IS HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. TIRES. THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER TIRES (GOODYEAR P235/70 R16) HAVE PREMATURE WEAR AND THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKING. EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR HAS TAKEN PLACE TO VARYING DEGRESS ON ALL FOUR TIRES. TIRE WEAR WAS FIRST NOTICED AROUND 25,000 MILES, BUT DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF WEAR, I ESTIMATE IT STARTED AT 20,000 MILES. THESE TIRES ARE RATED FOR 40-45,000 MILES. I DO NOT THINK THE TIRES ARE AT FAULT. SINCE THE TRUCK VEERS TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKING, I SUSPECT THAT AN OUT-OF-ALIGNMENT CONDITION EXISTS. PREMATURE TIRE WEAR PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD IF THE TIRE FAILS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ALSO, AN OUT-OF-ALIGNMENT CONDITION SHOULD NOT EXIST BEFORE 20-25,000 MILES ON A NEW VECHICLE.*AK

THE MAINFOLD BOLTS BROKE FLUSH WITH THE MANIFOLDS. 1998 4 CYLINDER DAKOTAS ARE KNOWN FOR THIS DEFECT. CHRYSLER WILL NOT PAY FOR ANY PART OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY CLAIM IGNORANCE AND BASICALLY TOLD ME I WAS STUPID FOR NOT BUYING AN EXTENDED WARANTY. I TALKED TO AND SHOWED THE TRUCK TO OTHER MCHANICS AND THEY SAID, "THIS SHOUDL NOT HAVE HAPPEND TO THIS TRUCK." CHRYSLER ALSO TOLD ME WHEN I CALLED TO TAKE IT TO A CHRYSLER/DODGE DEALER TO GET THE WORK DONE FOR ANY CONSIDERATION OF HELPINGH TO COVER EXPENSES. I DID THAT AND GOT AN OUTRAGEOUS BILL FRO 1806.99. I CALLED THE DAMLER CORP. BACK AND JOSH TOLD NE TOO BAD. I ALSO HAVE BEEN DOING RESEARCH AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN RECORDE IN 4 CYLINDER DAKOTAS YOU CNA SSUME THE AME PROBLEM EXISTS IN THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AND YEAR TRUCKS. I AM OUTRAGED. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA TRUCK. TO DATE THE CATALLETIC CONVERTER, DRIVE COLUMN, GEAR BOX, DOME LIGHT SWITCH AND BALL JPINT HAVE BEEN REPLACED. ALL WERE COVERED EXCEPT THE BALL JOINT. THEY TOLD ME IT JUST PASSED AT THE LOWER END OF THEIR STANDARD USING SOME SORT OF TOOL. THAT'S A CROCK. ALSO, I HAD TO TAKE IT TO 3 DEALER STO GET A WATER LEAK FIXED. I HAD OVER 3 INCHES OF WATER IN MY TRUCK AT ONE TIME. THEY FINALLY FOUND IT AND HAD TO RIP OUT THE ENTIRE INTERIOR AND CLEAN IT BECASUE4 IT STANK. HOW DO I KNOW THAT ISN'T GOING TO RUST IN THE FUTURE BECASUSE OF THE LEAKS. NOW, THE MANIFOLD STUDS HAVE BROKEN. I ALSO HAD TO GET A CAR RENTAL AT THE COST OF 600 PLUS DOLLARS. WHAT CAN I DO AND HOW DO I GET DAIMLER TO OWN UP TO THEIR POOR QUALITY/DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS? *AK