2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

(1) FAILURE OF STEERING COMPONENTS; (2) REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTIVE PARTS; (3) PARTS REPLACEMENT IMMINENT.*AK

THE TIRE RETAIL STORE WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AFTER REPLACING THE FRONT TIRES BECAUSE 3 OF THE BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE, AND THE FOURTH WORE OUT. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE HAS NO LIFT AND NO OVERSIZED TIRES. THE DEFECTIVE TIRES HAVE 20 TO 25% OF THE TREAD STILL ON THEM SHOWING INDICATION OF FAULTY BALL JOINTS. *TC

I PURCHASED MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUADCAB 4X4 NEW FROM THE DEALER. AND AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES I NOTICE SUSPENSION NOISE FROM THE FRONT. IT WAS INTERMITTENT AT FIRST THEN AS I APPROACHED 50,000 MILES THE NOISE BECAME A METALLIC CHATTER AT ALL TIMES. I HAD THE PARTS REPLACED BY A LOCAL SHOP AFTER THE DEALER FAILED TO HONOR MY APPOINTMENT TIMES. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE OUT AND THAT THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED. HE ALSO COMMENTED THAT HE HAS NEVER SEEN A BALL JOINT WEAR OUT IN JUST 50,000 MILES. HE GAVE ME THE OLD PARTS SHOWED THE PLAY IN THE JOINT AND THE ABSENCE OF GREASE IN THE BOOT. HE CLAIMED THAT THE DESIGN MUST BE DEFECTIVE TO WEAR OUT THAT EARLY AND COMPLETELY. I USE THE CAR FOR WORK AND LOSE MONEY WHEN IT IS NOT OPERATIVE. MY MAIN CONCERN WAS SAFETY AND RELIABILITY SINCE I AM REQUIRED TO WORK IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH MY CONTRACT TO THE LOCAL UTILITY, PG&E. NOW I AM AT 65,000 MILES AND THEY ARE GIONG OUT AGAIN. IT IS UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE LOCAL SHOP BUT IS IT FAIR FOR THIS BUSINESS TO DEAL WITH A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM? THE DATE OF REPAIR WAS 8/23/04 BUT THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED 4/5/04 AND WORSENED TO I FELT I COULDN'T SAFELY DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANYMORE. NOW THE EARLY SIGNS ARE STARTING AGAIN 10,000 MILES AFTER REPAIR. *AK

DECEMBER 6, 2004 I OWN A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CABU AND NOTICED A SHAKING FEELING WHEN APPLYING MY BRAKES WHEN GOING DOWN HILL ON 11/25/04. THIS PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS THAT THERE IS A LOUD CREAKING NOISE. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN FOR ANY OIL CHANGE AND ASKED TO HAVE A ROAD TEST DONE TO SEE WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. I WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT MY FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE COMPLETLY RUSTED, ROTTED OUT, AND HAD GROOVES ALL OVER THEM. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT MY BALL JOINTS WERE "SHOT" AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE 22,000 MILES ON MY DAKOTA AND DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS EXCEPTABLE TO HAVE MY FRONT BRAKES COMPLETELY REPLACED! I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE DAKOTA FROM AND WAS TOLD THAT DODGE'S WARRANTY ONLY COVERS BRAKES FOR 12 MONTHS OR 12,000 MILES! AFTER READING THE NHTSA'S COMPLAINTS FOR A SIMILIAR PROBLEM, I SEE THAT THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN THE VEHICLE'S MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 20,000-25,000 MILES. NOT VERY HAPPY WITH DODGE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM! DEALERSHIP DID NOT SEEM TO BE VERY UNDERSTANDING. *AK

DRIVING MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA (SLT 4X4) IN A 55 MPH SPEED LIMIT. WAS TRAVELING AT 49 MPH. APPLIED BRAKES WITH ABNORMALLY SLOW RESPONSE, JERKING AND VIBRATION, RESULTING IN REAR-ENDING THE CAR AHEAD. RESULTED IN $5050 DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK AND $4781 IN DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE. HAVE HAD BRAKES CHECKED TWICE BY THE DEALERSHIP SINCE ACCIDENT WITH EXPLAINATION THAT THE FRONT BRAKES ARE DISC AND THE BACK ARE DRUM AND THAT FRONT DISC BRAKES WILL APPLY BEFORE THE REAR, AND THIS IS THE NORMAL OPERATION OF THESE BRAKES. THIS TRUCK CONTINUES TO HAVE A LONG STOPPING DISTANCE COMPARED TO OTHER TRUCKS I HAVE OWNED. I AM NOW SEEING MULTIPLE OTHER BRAKING COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THIS TRUCK. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT VEHICLE BECAUSE THIS ONE DOES NOT FEEL SAFE WHILE STOPPING.*AK

I OWN A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA AND HAD TO HAVE THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED AT 24,000 MILES AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS IS COMMON. MY HOPE IS THAT YOU WOULD INVESTIGATE THIS AND FORCE CHRYSLER TO DO A RE-CALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED. *AK

2002 - DODGE DAKOTA: TRUCK MECHANICALLY SOUND WHEN IT COMES TO THE ENGINE. RECENTLY HAD A TUNE-UP & 27 POINT INSPECTION @ 50,000 MILES AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACEMENT AND WOULD COST ABOUT $1200.00 TO FIX. THE DEALERS MECHANIC ASKED IF I HAVE BEEN HEAR A "CLUNKING" SOUND WHEN MAKING SHARP TURNS. I ADVISED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS SOUND STARTED HAPPENING AROUND 30,000 MILES BUT DID NOT PAY TO MUCH ATTENTION. I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP IF IT WAS COMMON FOR THIS TO HAPPEN SO PREMATURELY. NO ANSWER. ANY RECALLS IN THE WORKS. THERE SEEMS TO BE MAY ISSUES FROM OTHERS SURROUNDING THE BALLJOINTS!!! IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL COST OF $1200.00 MAYBE I WOULD NOT HAVE CONSIDERED PURCHASING THE TRUCK IN THE FIRST PLACE.*AK FP

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET THE FRONT END ALIGNED ON MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA IT WAS DISCOVERED THE UPPER BALL JOINTS HAVE FAILED AND SEPARATED. THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 30,000 MILES. THE MECHANICE STATES IT IS A DEFECT OF THE PARTS. *AK

THE FRONT BRAKES ON MY TRUCK WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DEFECTIVE ROTORS. I DO MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING SO I EXPECTED 40,000 TO 50,000 MILES ON THE FRONT BRAKES. I HAD 15,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK FOR ITS 1ST BRAKE INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT I STILL HAD APPROXIMATELY 80% OF PADS LEFT. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK IN AT 31,000 AND REQUESTED TO HAVE THE BRAKES INSPECTED AGAIN. I WAS TAKEN BY SURPRISE WHEN THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ROTORS WERE SHOT AND ASKED TO SEE THEM BEFORE I WOULD AUTHORIZE A REPAIR. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS OVER 50% OF THE BRAKE PADS LEFT BUT SOMEHOW THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE SCORED SO BADLY THAT THEY COULD NOT BE CUT DOWN TO REPAIR THEM, THEY MUST BE REPLACED, AND I COULD ALSO SEE THAT THE ROTORS WERE THAT BAD. CONSIDERING THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF BRAKE PAD LEFT I OPTED NOT TO SPEND THE $565.00 AT THIS TIME AND GET MORE LIFE OUT OF THE BRAKES. THEY STILL STOP THE VEHICLE WITH NO PROBLEMS. I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO.. DEFECTIVE METAL IN THE ROTORS, ( NOT HARD ENOUGH ) , DEFECTIVE PADS, ( HARD STEEL EMBEDDED IN THEM ) ETC. *AK

THE AIR BAG SENSOR STAYED ON. CLOCK SPRING MALFUNCTIONED. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. *AK