2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

RACK AND PINION, AND TIE ROD FAILURE AFTER 2 YEARS ON DODGE DAKOTA....TIRE ROTATION STORE INFORMED ME THAT WHEEL WAS IN DANGER OF COMING OFF. RACK AND PINION GEAR AND TIE ROD REPLACED AT COST OF 1,000.00. WAS "WORN" THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE PIECES. A SEARCH OF THE WEB INDICATES THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF WHEELS COMING OFF, BALL JOINTS, AND TIE RODS FAILING ON THE DURANGO/DAKOTA FRONT CLIP. WILL IT TAKE A DEATH FOR CHRYSLER TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES? I HAVE DRIVEN FOR 35 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A FAILURE IN SUSPENSIN LIKE THIS. THIS HAS BEEN "UNDER INVESTIGATION" FOR 3 YEARS. WHY IS THAT? *AK

THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED. *NM DRIVERS SIDE HEATED UP SO MUCH THAT IT BLEW THE TIRE AND THE RIM OFF THE HUB WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. DUE TO THE DAMAGE THE WHEEL BEARING HUB, ROTOR, BRAKE AND TIRE HAD TO BE REPLACED. ONE WEEK LATER THE PASSENGERS SIDE FAILED. *TC *JB

PREMATURE BALL JOINT FAILURE IN 2002 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4. BALL JOINTS WHERE MAKING CLUNKING SOUND AND WERE BAD AT 35000 BUT DEALER REFUSED TO FIX. NOW WHEN I RETURNED AT 79000 AND THEY ARE REALLY REALLY BAD AND UNSAFE THEY ADMIT THAT THEY ARE BAD AND THAT THEY KNOW DODGE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BALL JOINTS BUT STILL REFUSED TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

FRONT END VIBRATION AND CREEKING. DEALER STATES BOTH UPPER FRONT BALL JOINTS WORN AND NEED REPLACING. OLD PARTS AVAILABLE.*AK

DODGE DAKOTA HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS AT LOW MILES, NOTICE SCRUNCH SOUND IN FRONT SUSPENSION WHENEVER CONSUMER PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY. *BF *TC

BOUGHT 2002 DODGE DAKOTA CLUB CAB SLT+ IN JUNE OF 2002. WITHIN 6,000 MILES, BEGAN TO HEAR AN OCCASIONAL 'SCRUNCH' SOUND WHEN TURNING SHARP (LIKE INTO PARKING SPACES) - MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN HITTING A BUMP WHILE TURNING SHARP (ON MY STREET, THERE'S A SLIGHT - LESS THAN 2 INCH - DROPOFF FROM THE ROAD TO MY DRIVEWAY). GRADUALLY GOT MORE AND MORE NOTICEABLE, AND TOOK LESS AND LESS TO CAUSE THE SOUND, UNTIL I TOOK IT IN AT ABOUT 24,000 MILES. BOTH SIDES, BOTH BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED. TRUCK DROVE GREAT FOR A WHILE, THEN AT ABOUT 30,000 OR SO, STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN. SAME THING. TRUCK NOW HAS 48,000 MILES, AND IS IN THE SHOP AGAIN FOR THE SAME SERVICE.*AK

MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA'S UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS FAILED AT AROUND 48,000 MILES OF REGULAR HIGHWAY DRIVING, AND NOW AT 58,000 IT FEELS AS IF THEY ARE GOING AGAIN. THEY WERE REPLACED WITH DODGE PARTS, AND CHRYSLER TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE NOT RECALLING IT. AFTER ALL THE NEWS I'VE SEEN ON DAKOTA/DURANGO BALL JOINT PROBLEMS, I FIGURED I'D FILE A COMPLAINT WITH YOU GUYS, I'M JUST FED UP I GUESS.THANK YOU . *AK

THIS IS IN REGARDS TO MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4X4. I BEGAN NOTICING POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE WHEEL AT APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER WHO CLAIMED NOTHING WAS WRONG. 6,000 MILES LATER IT WAS GETTING WORSE SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER. SURE ENOUGH I HAD A BAD UPPER BALL JOINT, WHICH THEY REPLACED UNDER WARRENTY. I NOW HAVE 40,000 MILES ON THIS TRUCK AND THE RIGHT SIDE IS MAKING THE POPPING NOISE. I WISH DODGE WOULD MAKE A RECALL A FIX THE PROBLEM FOR GOOD. I FEEL THAT IF I WAS NOT DILLEGENT IN MY PURSUIT TO HAVE MY TRUCK REPAIRED, THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THERE FRONT WHEEL FALL OFF WHILE DRIVING THEIR DAKOTA OR DURANGO.*AK

THE MODULE CONTROLLING MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA'S HEADLIGHT'S, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, INTERIOT LIGHTS FAILED. SYMPTOMS ARE SHOCKINGLY CLOSE TO THOSE OF THE RECALL (I DO HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION). HEADLIGHTS FAILED, BRIGHTS FAILED, WIPERS FAILED. ONLY TURN SIGNALS HORN AND CAUTION LIGHTS REMAIN. DEALER REFUSES TO ADMIT IT IS RELATED TO RECALL. SYMPTOMS ARE THE SAME! WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THIS!?*AK

DUE TO THE WORN FRONT UPPER BALL JOINTS, THE CONSUMER WOULD HEAR A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN DRIVING. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *NM