2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

HAVE A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4WD. LOST THE FRONT WHEEL WHILE DRIVING EARLIER THIS YEAR. BALL JOINT FAILURE WAS THE CAUSE. DODGE DIDN'T SEEM TO THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM, THOUGH AT 60 MPH THE WHOLE WHEEL FLYING OFF SEEMED LIKE ONE TO ME. *AK NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATE...THOUGH I CAN FIND OUT IF NEEDED FROM POLICE

BALL JOINTS ARE CHEAP AND DANGEROUS. MY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 35,000 MILES AND THE BALL JOINTS ARE IN BAD SHAPE ON BOTH SIDES AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, LIKE MANY OTHERS AROUND THE COUNTRY!! IM SURE IM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM.*AK

I PURCHASED MY 2001 DAKOTA ON 11/13/2000. BY APRIL 2001 I HEARD POPPING AND CREAKING NOISE FROM THE FRONT END. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THE HUB WAS LOOSE AND RE-TORQUED THE BOLT. THEN ABOUT 6 TO 9 MONTHS LATER I HEARD THE SAME NOISE AGAIN. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS THE STEER STOP. THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG, JUST NOT TO TURN THE WHEELS ALL THE WAY TO ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER. AT 25,000 I REPLACED THE TIRES BECAUSE THEY WENT BALD ON THE OUTER EDGE, BUT HAD PLENTY OF TREAD ON THE INNER EDGE. ON THE NEWS, I HEARD ABLE THE ISSUES WITH THE BALL JOINTS ON DODGE DAKOTAS AND DURANGOS. UPON RESEARCHING THE BALL JOINT ISSUE, I FOUND THAT FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINTS CAN LEAD TO POPPING AND CREAKING NOISES IN THE SUSPENSION, AND PREMATURE TIRE WEAR. I ALSO LEARNED THAT THERE WERE A COUPLE INSTANCES WHERE THE WHEEL ACTUALLY SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. ON 11/13/2003, THE FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRED...LEAVING ME ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE NOISE HAS SINCE GOTTEN LOUDER, SO ON 1/19/2004 I TOOK MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE NOISE CHECKED AND TO ENSURE THAT THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE UPPER RIGHT BALL JOINT IS FAILING AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY WILL COVER THE REPAIR, HOWEVER WILL NOT COVER THE ALIGNMENT THAT IS REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETY DRIVEABLE AND SAFE AGAIN. I FEEL THAT THE DEALER WAITED ON THE BALL JOINT ISSUE UNTIL THE FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRED. I ALSO FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE BALL JOINTS FOR THESE VEHICLES. TODAY, MY DAKOTA HAS 25,500 MILES ON IT. BALL JOINTS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE, AND SHOULD LAST OVE 50,000 MILE OR MORE. *AK

THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED WHICH CAUSED THE POWER STEERING SHAFT TO BREAK. THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

BLOWER MOTOR FIRST INOPERABLE AT 7566 MILES. CURRENTLY IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE 12TH TIME FOR THIS PROBLEM. I LIVE IN MINNESOTA - WHEN MOTOR GOES OUT I CANNOT DEFOG OR DEFROST WINDOWS. ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS POSSIBLY RELATED INCLUDE: HEADLIGHT ACCESSORY PANEL GOING OUT, HVAC CONTROL LIGHTS GOING OUT, DOOR ALARM MALFUNCTIONING, AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER INOPERABLE. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 44,XXX MILES. BLOWER MOTOR PROBLEM IS AT TIMES INTERMITTENT WITH LONGEST TIME BETWEEN COMPLETE FAILURES BEING TEN MONTHS. DEALER HAS TRIED REPLACING BLOWER MOTOR, RELAY, FUSES, WIRING HARNESS, DUCT WORK, ETC.

RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF EXCESS WEAR ON TIRES AND LOOSE DRIVING. I NOW HAVE JUST OVER 50K MILES AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT BALL JOINT NEED TO BE REPLACED. TRUCK HAS A TERRIBLE RIDE AND A DODGE DEALER STATED THAT MY PROBLEM WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER ANY BULLITIN OR WARRANTY. COST IS ESTIMATED TO BE OVER $1200.00

I PUCHASED THIS TRUCK USED WITH 12,500 MILES.IT HAS A REAR WINDOW LEAK,I HAVE YET TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.IT ALSO HAS SOME PAINT FLAWS.I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS CAP WHICH CAUSED A ENGINE CODE LIGHT.WHEN I WENT TO LOCAL DEALER TO SOLVE CODE PROBLEM,I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD NO WARRANTEE.DODGE ADVERTISES OTHERWISE.

WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD A RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD. CONSUMER FOUND THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE WORN OUT AND LOOSE. *AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A BALL JOINT PROBLEM. BOTH UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS PREMATURELY WORE OUT. *AK

SQUEAKING NOISES HEARD EMINATING FROM FRONT SUSPENSION AT 35000 MILES, UNABLE TO LUBRICATE SUSPENSION BECAUSE COMPONENTS LACK SERVICE/GREASE FITTINGS. DURING FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION AND TIRE ROTATION, IDENTIFIED PREMATURE WEAR TO RIGHT SIDE UPPER BALL JOINT CAUSING MISALIGNMENT, UNUSUAL WEAR TO FRONT TIRES AND WEAR TO LEFT WHEEL BEARING. DEALER REPLACED LEFT WHEEL BEARING AND RIGHT SIDE UPPER BALL JOINT AT 37336 MILES. DEALER ALSO RECOMMENDED THE REPLACEMENT OF MOST OF THE OTHER SUSPENSION COMPONENTS BEFORE THEY FAILED. DODGE WAS HELPFUL IN PICKING UP THE COST OF FAILED PARTS, NOT RECOMMENDED REPAIRS. MY COST $100.00, FOR GOING OVER THE WARRANTEE MILAGE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN A MAINTENANCE FREE SYSTEM. PLUS, I GET TO PAY FOR A RE-ALIGNMENT AFTER THE CURRENT REPAIRS AND MOST LIKELY THE COST OF ANY OTHER PREMATURE FAILURE OF THESE MAINTENANCE FREE PARTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.