2005 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

ENGINE LIGHT AND TRANSMISSION TEMP LIGHT CAME ON AFTER DRIVING UP AND DOWN A LARGE INCLINE. STOPPED VEHICLE TO ALLOW TEMP TO COOL. BOTH LIGHTS REAPPEAR AFTER 30-40 MINUTES DRIVING AND GOES OFF AFTER STOPPING AND COOLING FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. TOOK VEHICLE TO DODGE SERVICE AND THEY RECOMMENDED TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER CHANGE. NEXT DAY BOTH LIGHTS REAPPEARED AFTER 30+MIN OF DRIVING. NEXT DODGE SERVICE RECOMMENDED CHANGING SOLENOID WHICH WAS UNDER WARRANTY, EXCEPT FOR $100.00 DEDUCTIBLE. NEXT DAY BOTH LIGHTS APPEARED AFTER 30+ MIN OF DRIVING. NEXT DODGE SERVICE RECOMMENDED FULL TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT WHICH CORRECTED PROBLEM. MILEAGE WAS 69834 AND SO TRANSMISSION SERVICE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND PAYMENT FOR REPLACING TRANSMISSION LINES; THEY SAID OLD ONES WERE LEAKING ALTHOUGH NO SIGNS WERE OBSERVED PREVIOUSLY. PARTS REPLACED: SOLENOID, TRANSMISSION LINES, CONVERTER, PUMP KITS, SEAL PKG, O-RINGS, DISCS, PLATES, RETNR PKG. *TR

2005 DODGE DAKOTA FRONT END WAS MAKING A RATTLING NOISE. TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THE LOWER BALL JOINT IS BAD. WHAT GIVES WITH ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT END OF THESE DAKOTAS WITHOUT ANY RECALLS. JEEP HAD A RECALL ON THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

FRONT END NOISE-BOTH FRONT SWAYBAR LINKS BROKEN-BOTH OUTER TIE ROD ENDS BAD. TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED. BOTH LINKS REPLACED WITH HEAVIER-DUTY LINKS AT CUSTOMER EXPENSE AND TOLD BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR-AND-TEAR AND THEY'VE BEEN GETTING SEVERAL OF THESE LATELY. WE LIVE ONE MILE OUT A GRAVEL ROAD AND THIS TRUCK IS BABIED BY A 53 YEAR OLD FEMALE DRIVER!!! NORMAL?? *TR

FOR THE LAST 3 OR 4 YEARS, I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT MY 2005 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4 JERKING WHICH SEEMED TO GET WORSE WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES. I JUST TOOK IT IN FOR INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD THAT MY LOWER & UPPER BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACED IN ORDER TO PASS INSPECTION. THIS JUST DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT WHEN THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 22,400 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN ONLY DRIVEN ON CITY STREETS. I DID GET ON THE INTERNET AND SEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS LIKE ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. SHOULDN'T THERE BE A RECALL WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM? *TR

DODGE DAKOTA SLT 2005 MISFIRE IN CYLINDER 5 WAS THE CODE GIVEN. REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND COIL. DID NOT HELP, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP...THEY RAN DIAGNOSTIC SAID IT WAS NOT THE COMPUTER THERE IS A MISFIRE. DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED COMBUSTION CLEANING (ABOUT $200) AND IF THAT DIDN'T WORK THEN THEY WOULD REPLACE HALF OF THE INTAKE VALVE LOCKS AND IF THAT DIDN'T WORK THEY WOULD REPLACE THE OTHER HALF OF THE INTAKE VALVE LOCKS (ABOUT $1650). THEY WOULD WARRANTY THE WORK FOR 12 MONTHS OR 12,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM IS THE TRUCK HAS ONLY 25,000 MILES ON IT NOW! THE TRUCK IS ALMOST NEW IN TERMS OF MILEAGE BUT YET HAS THIS ISSUE. I HAVE ALSO COME TO REALIZE THAT THE "IDLE LOW UNTIL IT ALMOST DIES" IS ANOTHER COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG THESE TRUCKS. OBVIOUSLY, DODGE MADE A HUNK OF JUNK AND I BOUGHT ONE. AFTER LOOKING AT SOME OF THE BLOGS, I SEE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON STUCK WITH AN EXPENSIVE LAWN DECORATION. *TR

DODGE TOLD ME THIS WASN'T A SAFETY ISSUE. IT ISN'T A DRIVING ISSUE BUT I DO FEEL IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE MAINLY FOR FEMALES. MY HUSBAND OWN A 2003 DODGE CAR WITH TWO KEY HOLES. HIS REMOTES TO HIS CAR WORKS WITH NO PROBLEM. I OWN A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA WITH ONE KEY HOLE AND BOTH REMOTE KEYS DO NOT WORK. FIRST I THINK IT IS ODD HOW A 2005 REMOTE DOESN'T WORK AND A OLDER MAKE REMOTE WORKS WITH TWO KEY HOLES. I JUST WONDER IF THEY DID THAT TO MAKE MORE MONEY. MY CONCERN IS THIS THEY DON'T HAVE A KEY HOLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT IS SAD TO SAY IT ISN'T A SAFE WORLD TODAY. I DID ASK DODGE WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I PARK MY TRUCK IN A PARKING LOT AND WHEN I GOT OUT OF A STORE THERE WAS A VAN PARK BESIDE MY TRUCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WITH A GUY IN THE VAN. HOW WOULD I GET INTO MY TRUCK? MY REMOTE DOESN'T WORK I DON'T HAVE A KEY HOLE ON THE OTHER SIDE. HE JUST TOLD ME IT WASN'T A SAFETY ISSUE. SO I JUST ASKED HIM DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO GET HURT FIRST? I DID HAD THE REMOTE SENSOR CHECK AND WAS TOLD THAT WAS FINE. I HAD ASK THEM THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY ESPECIALLY CAUSE THE TRUCK HAS ONE KEY HOLE. I WANTED THEM TO COVER IT UNDER THE WARRANTY OR GIVE ME ANOTHER KEY HOLE. I FEEL ALL VEHICLES SHOULD HAVE THE TWO KEY HOLES. ALSO ONE TIME I HAD A CAR PARK SO CLOSE TO MY DRIVER DOOR THAT I HAD TO MANY SHOPPING BAGS THAT I COULDN'T GET IN MY TRUCK. WENT TO THE PASSENGER SIDE TO GET IN AND I FORGOT I COULDN'T I HAD TO PUT ALL MY BAGS DOWN TO GO AROUND TO UNLOCK MY DOOR. THEN WENT AROUND TO GET IN. ALSO WHAT HAPPENS IF THE KEY HOLE FREEZES? YOU CAN'T TRY THE OTHER SIDE. I DON 'T KNOW IF IT IS A LAW OR NOT BUT I NOTICE IN LARGE VEHICLES WHEN A SUV OR VANS BACK UP THEY HAVE THAT BEEPING NOISE. WHICH I THINK THAT IS A GREAT IDEA. (IT SHOULD BE A LAW IF IT ISN'T). WHAT I'M GETTING AT WITH THIS THEY ADD A FEATURE SO I JUST FEEL THE VEHICLES THEY MAKE NOW AND IN THE PAST SHOULD HAVE TWO KEY HOLES AND IT SHOULD BE MADE A LAW. *TR THANK YOU

ABOUT A WEEK AGO I NOTICED WATER DRIPPING WHILE IT WAS RAINING FROM MY GRAB HANDLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AREA. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER THE WEATHER CHANGED TO FREEZING AND MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED. INSURANCE REPLACED THE CRACKED WIND SHIELD AND THE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE CAUSE WAS DOOR SEAL/ROOF SEAM SEAL. THIS WAS A RECALL ON DODGE RAM 2002 THROUGH 2004 REFERENCE #23-003-04. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND BASICALLY WAS TOLD NOTHING IS COVER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO BEING TOLD THAT UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT ISSUES A RECALL OR REPLACEMENT DODGE WILL NOT FIX THIS. *TR

IN JANUARY, 2009, NOTICED A GROWLING IN THE FRONT END OF THE 2005 DODGE DAKOTA (~43,000) WITH DIFFICULTY TURNING CORNERS. TOOK IT TO SEVERAL REPAIR SHOPS WHO INDICATED THAT THE FRONT END NEEDED WORK, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, BALL JOINTS, TIE-RODS, TIRES AT A COST OVER $1000.00. TOOK IT TO A DODGE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT ONLY NEEDED GREASE AND GREASED. IN THE PAST WEEK, MARCH, 2009, SHIMMING AND NOISE IN FRONT END WHEN TURNING. TOOK TO DODGE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE TIE-RODS, SWAY BARS AND TIRES (SPLIT) NEEDED REPAIR COST >$1000. TOOK IT TO ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP AND RECEIVED SAME NEWS PLUS BALL JOINTS WERE WORN. HAVING WORK DONE AND WANTED TO REPORT SINCE I NOTICED THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS RELATED TO SAME ISSUE ON YOUR WEBSITE. NO INJURIES BUT THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY IF THE FRONT END HAD FAILURE ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVING ON ICY/SNOWY/WET ROADS. *TR

REAR BRAKE JUDDERING (SHAKING) CAUSES THE TRUCK TO "BOUNCE" IN THE REAR WHICH, IF HAPPENING SUDDENLY, CAN CAUSE THE OPERATOR TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE REAR DRUMS ON THE '05 DODGE DAKOTA ARE TOO SMALL AND HEAT UP AND "WARP", WHICH CAUSES THE REAR BRAKES TO BE MUCH LESS EFFECTIVE AT HELPING TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. CHRYSLER MOTORS RELEASED A TSB RELATED TO THE REAR BRAKING SYSTEM, BUT ONLY OWNERS WITHIN THE FIRST 12,000 MILES OF THEIR VEHICLE'S LIFE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FREE REPAIR. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2005 DODGE DAKOTA NEW. AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES GOING TO WORK AT NIGHT AND IN A SNOWSTORM MY HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED A COUPLE OF TIMES THEN STARTED TO INTERMITTANTLY GO OFF THEN BACK ON. ONLY MY FOG LIGHTS BELOW MY BUMPER WERE ON. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENTS. LATER I LOOKED AT ALL THE WIRING AND CONNECTORS AND FOUND NOTHING. THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS THEN CAME BACK. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND AT CERTAIN INSTANCES COULD BE DANGEROUS: FOG, WINDING ROADS, ETC. I SPOKE TO A DODGE MECHANIC AND HE INFORMS ME THAT THERE'S A KNOW PROBLEM WITH THE INTERIOR INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHT INTENSITY SWITCH (ITS PART OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSY). THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR THANKS BOB PAULDING