2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT AXLE, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

AT ANY SPEED WHEN VEHICLE HITS A BUMP A RATTLING SOUND IS HEARD IN THE FRONT END. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE SUSPENSION. *AK

AT 53000 THE UPPER BALL JOINTS ON MY 2001 DALOTA QUAD CAB NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FACT I CAUGHT THIS DEFECT EARLY I'M CERTAIN PREVENTED AN ACCIDENT. PERHAPS EVEN A FATALITY. DODGE ENGINEERING SEEMS TO BE SOMEWHAT FAULTY IN THIS CASE COMPUNDED BY THE FACT THAT I'M NOT ALONE WITH THIS PROBLEM.*AK

FRONT END PROBLEMS ARE NUMEROUS ON THIS VEHICLE. ALL BALL JOINTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, SWAY LINKS REPLACED, SWAY BAR BUSHINGS REPLACED, POWER STEERING RACK REPLACED, TIE RODS REPLACED... AND THIS IS ALL BETWEEN 24-60K MILES!! NOW IT IS MAKING ANOTHER FRONT END NOISE THAT THE DEALER CAN'T FIGURE OUT.*AK

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA AND A 2003 DODGE DURANGO. EVER SINCE I BOUGHT MY DAKOTA NEW THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH POPPING NOISES FROM THE FRONT END. AFTER SEEING THE RECENT NEWS STORY ABOUT BAD UPPER BALL JOINTS I AM CONVINCED THIS IS THE PROBLEM. NOW I AM WORRIED WE WILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OUR DURANGO, AND MY DAKOTA IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FROM THE SOUNDS OF THIS PROBLEM, AND AFTER DOING SOME MORE RESEARCH ON MY OWN.*AK

I OWN A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA AND NOTICED A LOUD CLUNKING SOUND FROM MY WHEEL WHEN I TURN THE WHEEL AT A HARD ANGLE AND IT IS WORSE WHEN IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE. THE VECHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY SO IT HAS NOT BEEN IN TO GET REPAIRED. I HAVE SAW SEVERAL REPORTS WHERE SIMILAR NOISE RESULTED IN A LOST WHEEL ON THE VECHICLE. DODGE SHOULD RECALL THIS BALL JOINT PROBLEM AND MAKE MY VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE. I DRIVE MY VEHICLE FOR WORK SALES PURPOSES AND PUT ON VERY MANY MILES PER YEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS NOISE HAPPENS MOST OF THE TIME AND WHEN COLD OR IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE WORSE WHEN THE WHEEL IS TURNED HARD.

I HAD TO HAVE THE DRIVER SIDE UPPER BALL JOINT REPLACED ON MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. NOW I BELIEVE THE PASSENGER SIDE MUST BE REPLACED.*AK

2001 DODGE DAKOTA BALL JOINT FAILURE. TOOK TO DEALER TWICE BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED COMPLAINING OF NOISE FROM FRONT END. THEY TOLD ME ALL WAS FINE AND NOT TO WORRK AS IT WAS "NORMAL". TWO MONTHS LATER AND 47,000 ON ODOMETER (WARRANTY EXPIRED) ENTIRE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL FELL OFF WHILE TURNING IN PARKING LOT. DEALER WANTED ME TO PAY FOR REPAIR. I CALLED DAIMLER CHRYSLER SEVERAL TIMES AND COMPLAINED TO NO AVAIL. IN THE END, THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DAKOTA WAS WORN AS WELL AND THAT THEY WANTED TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS THERE AS WELL. AFTER A MONTH OF FIGHTING AND COMPLAINING, I FINALLY GOT MY TRUCK BACK (WITH A COMPLETE NEW FRONT END). REPAIRS COST OF $3100 OF WHICH I HAD TO PAY ABOUT $700.00 AS A "GOOD WILL". NOW THAT I HAVE HAD MY TRUCK AND 3000 MILES LATER, THE FRONT END IS STARTING TO MAKE NOISE AGAIN. THIS IS A DEFECT AND DODGE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE! IRONICALLY, FROM WHAT I SAW ON THE NEWS, THE DURANGO HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS. MY WIFE DRIVES A '99 DURANGO AND IS NOW NERVOUS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.*AK

SPONTANEOUS BREAKING OF FRONT AXLE AND BALL JOINT, RESULTING IN RIGHT FRONT WHEEL FALLING OFF VEHICLE. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED, SO WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN. *AK CONTROL OF VEHICLE

BALL JOINTS ON MY 2001 DODGE DAKATA QUAD CAB 4X4 NEEDS REPLACING AFTER 50000 MILES.*AK