2000 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE DAKOTA WITH TBC BIG O SXP TIRES, LINE SIZE P255/70/R15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES EXHIBITED ABNORMAL BUBBLING. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED HOWEVER THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES WOULD ONLY LAST FOR ONE YEAR AND A HALF BEFORE EXHIBITING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT INQUIRED WITH THE MANUFACTURER IN REGARDS TO AN UNKNOWN RECALL FOR THE TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF A RECALL AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

UNIVERSAL IN THE SHAFT WEARS OUT AND CAUSES EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL,AND COULD BREAK. HAD TO BUY A NEW SHAFT OFF EBAY,THAT DODGE HAS SINCE IMPROVED. *TR

BRAKE LINES TOTALLY RUSTED OUT ALL OVER TRUCK AT 70K;HAVE CONTACTED NHTSA BEFORE ABOUT TERRIBLE OEM QUALITY VS RUST OF BRAKE LINES. PLEASE MANDATE STAINLESS LINES AND BRASS OR STAINLESS FITTINGS .~ 5$ PER CAR, SAVE 1000'S OF LIVES. THE PRESENT "PROTECTION" COATINGS ON STEEL ARE TRULY USELESS. NHTSA REPLIED THEY ARE "TOO EXPENSIVE" LAST TIME. I CHECKED COSTS ACTUAL QUOTED COST DIFFERENCE ON 25 FEET OF TUBING WAS ABOUT 8$. FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN DO. *TR

HEATER CORE IN DODGE DAKOTAS. THE HEATER CORE IN DODGE DAKOTAS SEEMS TO BE A REALLY BIG ISSUE WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE PART. WITH A BAD HEATER CORE, ANTI-FREEZE IS EXPELLED THROUGH THE AC VENTS AS A STEAM WHICH IS INHALED BY THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS. INHALING ANTIFREEZE CAN HAVE MANY RESULTS: ANTIFREEZE FUMES CAN CAUSE EYE IRRITATION AND UPPER-RESPIRATORY IRRITATION. ADDITIONALLY, INHALED FUMES, PARTICULARLY IF FROM A MIST, CAN CAUSE BREATHING DIFFICULTIES, HEADACHES, DROWSINESS, BLURRED VISION, IRREGULAR EYE MOVEMENTS, NAUSEA AND VOMITING. MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS SHOW THAT REPEATED INHALATION OF ANTIFREEZE FUMES MAY AFFECT THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. COMA MAY OCCUR IF THE INHALED ANTIFREEZE FUMES WERE IN MIST FORM. DODGE REALLY NEEDS TO MAKE A RECALL ON THESE FAULTY HEATER CORES. I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS WHERE AT LEAST 5 HEATER CORES HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITHIN 50,000 MILES. THAT IS WAY TO FREQUENT FOR JUST COMMON WEAR AND TEAR. IT IS EXPENSIVE FOR THE CONSUMERS TO FIX AND HAS SOME BAD HEALTH RELATED ISSUES FROM INHALING THE ANTIFREEZE CAUSED BY THIS FAULTY PART. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE DAKOTA. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE. ALSO THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WOULD NOT ACTIVATE. HE HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO-DATE. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING RECALL 01V153000 (AIR BAGS) FOR THE AIR BAGS AND WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS REPLACED. THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 151,360. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

ROTORS TURNED AND THEN WARPED/WORE SET OF PADS DOWN TO BARE METAL IN LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. ROTORS WERE WARPED AT 32,000 (AT TIME OF PURCHASE), 50,000, 63,000, AND 80,000. REAR BRAKES REPLACED AT SAME INTERVAL AS FRONT BRAKES, BUT HARDLY ANY WEAR WAS PRESENT AT TIME OF MALFUNCTION OF FRONT BRAKES. ALL OTHER BRAKE COMPONENTS INSPECTED, NO OTHER FAILURES NOTED. FAILURE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE BRAKES GIVING OUT. RWAL DOES NOT FUNCTION. NO SYSTEM INDICATION TO MALFUNCTION. PULLED FUSE, AND SYSTEM FAULTS AS NORMAL. EXTREMELY POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE/ENDURANCE. *TR

DODGE/CHRYSLER 9.25 INCH REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE. RETAINING CLIPS FOR THE CLUTCH PACK OF THE TRUE-TRAK DIFFERENTIAL FALL OUT. THE METAL PARTS GET CHEWED UP BY THE RING AND PINION AND CAUSE THE REAR END TO FAIL. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AS I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND HUNDREDS PROBABLY MORE OF THE SAME PROBLEM. DODGETALK.COM FORUMS.THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHERE THE REAR END LOCKS UP AND CAUSES CRASHES. I WAS LUCKY IT DID NOT CAUSE ME TO CRASH. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY SAID CARS OUT OR WARRANTY SORRY. *TR

THE BALL JOINTS IN 2000 DAKOTAS WERE RECALLED ON ONLY THE 4X4 MODELS. I HAVE A 2000 WITH 2 WHEELS DRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER SENT OUT A LETTER SAYING IT WAS RECALLED, INSPECTED IT AND SAID THEY WERE FINE. THAT WAS AT 50,000 MILES. NOW AT 99,000 THE BALL JOINT DISCONNECTED FROM ITS UNIT, CAUSING ME TO ALMOST CRASH INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. MANUFACTURER WILL NOT PAY FOR TOWING TO GET SEEN, AND WILL ONLY REPLACE THE BALL JOINT. MOST OF THE SUSPENSION PARTS ON THE SIDE OF THE DEFECTIVE BALL JOINT WERE DAMAGED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE DAKOTA. IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE CONTACT PLACED OIL IN THE VEHICLE. HE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT BEGAN SHAKING EVEN WORSE. HE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND CALLED THE DEALER. THE DEALER RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE AND GAVE THE CONTACT HIS ORIGINAL VEHICLE BACK, BUT DID NOT RETURN HIS MONEY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 130,100.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT NOTICED A SMALL RED PUDDLE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE OBSERVED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL WAS LOW. HE ADDED TRANSMISSION FLUID TO THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V197000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE DEALER WOULD HAVE TO GET AUTHORIZATION PRIOR TO MAKING ANY REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD, THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 174,168.