2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

LOCAL DODGE DEALER SERVICE DEPT INFORMED ME TODAY THAT MOST LIKELY BALL JOINTS ON MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA PROBALLY NEED TO BE REPLACED. WITH LESS THAN 30000 MILES THIS IS UNBELIEVEABLE. JWK

40,000 MILES TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. WOULD NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY FROM FIRST TO SECOND. 45,000 MILES IGINITION PROBLEMS. SHORT IN THE IGNITION, CAR WOULD DO NOTHING. NOT START, NO LIGHTS, NOTHING. 50,000 MILES AND THE BALL JOINTS WENT OUT. I WAS TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS AT THE DODGE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH DAKOTA'S AND DURANGOS AND THAT THE BALL JOINTS USED ON THOSE TWO CARS WERE VERY WEAK AND NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE VEHICLE.*AK

THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED WITH THE UPPER BALL JOINTS INCIDENTS AND HOW TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM. *PH *SC

I BOUGHT A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA SPORT WITH A 6 CYLINDER SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN 3 CV SHAFTS PUT IN IT AND I AM WONDERING WHY I HAVE TO KEEP REPLACING THE CV SHAFTS IN THIS TRUCK, IT IS GETTING VERY AGGRAVATING I BOUGHT THE TRUCK WITH 9100 MILES ON IT MAY OF 2001 TWO MONTH AFTER I GOT IT I HAD TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE CV SHAFT. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE CV SHAFT 2 OTHER TIMES SINCE THEN RIGHT NOW IT HAS ABOUT 43500 ON IT NOW WHY DOES THIS PROBLEM KEEP OCCURRING. *NM

I TOOK MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB TO A DEALER TO CHECK A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WEARING DOWN AND THAT I COULD LOOSE THE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. MY COMPLAINT IS BASED ON THE FACT THAT ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED ON A VEHICLE UNTIL AT LEAST 100,000 MILES. FROM MY RESEARCH THIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS CORRECTION IN THESE MODELS. *JB

THE VEHICLE IS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB EQUIPPED WITH A FACTORY TOWING PACKAGE. ON MARCH 12, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON I-215 PULLING A TRAILER. I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, THEN THE CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE TURN SIGNALS, BRAKE LIGHT, AND EMERGENCY FLASHER CEASED OPERATING. A COMBINATION FLASHER UNIT HAD FAILED AND BURNED, WITH THE PLASTIC CASE PARTIALLY MELTED. THE HEAT HAD DAMAGED THE COMBINATION SWITCH, WHICH ALSO FAILED, AND THE PLUG INTO THE WIRING HARNESS WAS ALSO PARTIALLY MELTED. THE DODGE DEALER CHANGED THE FAILED COMPONENTS, AND THEY FAILED AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH NO TRAILER ATTACHED. THE DEALER FINALLY ATTRIBUTED THE FAILURES TO A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE WIRING INSTALLED BY THE FACTORY WHICH CONNECTED THE FACTORY INSTALLED TRAILER SOCKET TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I HAVE ADVISED DODGE OF THE PROBLEM, AND THEY MAINTAIN THAT THEIR WIRING WAS NOT DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT THE SHORT ORIGINATED IN THE TRAILER WIRING. THEY MADE THIS DETERMINATION WITHOUT EXAMINING THE TRAILER. EVEN IF THE SHORT DID IN FACT START IN THE TRAILER, THE FACTORY DESIGNED AND INSTALLED WIRING HARNESS SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE SHORT FROM DESTROYING THESE VITAL SAFETY COMPONENTS. THE FREEWAY I WAS ON WHEN THE FIRE OCCURRED WAS PACKED WITH RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, AND IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT MAKING MY WAY TO SAFETY PULLING A TRAILER WITHOUT THE USE OF THE SIGNAL LIGHTS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH AN ALARM SOUNDED WARNING THE CONSUMER TO CHECK THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. OIL PRESSURE GAUGE REGISTERED VERY LOW OIL PRESSURE. CONSUMER CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL WITH THE DIP STICK AND FOUND IT TO BE UP TO PAR. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND A SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE. A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. *AK

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4X4 AND HAD THE PASSENGER SIDE UPPER BALL JOINT FAIL (LUCKLY I WAS HAVING MY MECHANIC CHANGE THE OIL) WHEN HE SAID THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINT SIMPLY FELL OUT. I THINK THAT DODGE SHOULD HAVE MADE OWNERS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM RATHER THAN CAUSE INJURIES TO CONSUMERS. ALSO WHY IS IT THAT YOU CANNOT PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT BALL JOINT FROM DODGE (YOU MUST PURCHASE THE WHOLE UPPER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY?)*AK

A CONTINUOUS "CLUNK" IN THE FRONT LEFT SUSPENSION WHICH THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD WAS THE BALL JOINTS. *PH THE LEFT SIDE WAS AT "380 DEGREE" AND THE OE SPECIFIC WAS "0," AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A NON DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THE ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS POOR. *SC

WHILE DRIVING, THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SHAKE ALONG WITH A NOISE. THE CONSUMER INSPECTED THE FRONT AND NOTICED THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRE HAD COME OFF. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL THE ENTIRE TIRE OFF WITH HIS HANDS BECAUSE THE BALL JOINT HAD FAILED. *JB.