2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

THE DEALER'S TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINT HAD EXCESSIVE PLAY. *NM *NM

UPON INSPECTION OF ROAD WANDER COMPLAINT, VEHICLE WAS FOUND TO HAVE A BAD UPPER BALL JOINT, AND EXCESSIVE WEAR ON ALL OTHER BALL JOINTS FOR MILEAGE NOTED.*AK

02 DAKOTA SXT/3.9L/AUTO PURCHASED 10-2003 FROM DEALER AT 23K MILES. VIBRATION FROM DRIVE TRAIN STARTED AT 24040 MILES BETWEEN 45-50 STEADY MPH. 1ST DEALER BALANCED THE TIRES STATING THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. 2ND DEALER REPLACED DRIVESHAFT STATING OUT OF BALANCE FROM FACTORY - NO CHANGE IN SYMPTOMS. BACK TO 2ND DEALER FOR TRANS FLASH PROGRAM - NO CHANGE. WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. BACK TO 1ST DEALER - COULD NOT DUP. TOOK TO TRANS SHOP. VIBRATION GOES AWAY WHEN OUT OF OVERDRIVE - THRUST BEARING OR TORQUE CONVERTER BAD IN TRANS. NO HELP FROM DEALERS OR 800 CUSTOMER SERVICE. *JB

HAVE HAD MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB FOR LESS THAN THREE YEARS AND ALREADY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY ROTORS TWICE! AND IT ONLY HAS $44,000 MILES ON IT. I AM SURE THAT AFTER ANOTHER 10-15 THOUSAND MILES THAT THE VEHICLE WILL AGAIN BEGIN TO SHAKE AND VIBRATE WHEN I PUT ON THE BRAKE AND SURE ENOUGH I WILL HAVE TO GO AND HAVE THEM REPLACED YET AGAIN. FROM EVERYTHING THAT I READ HERE THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ANYONE OUT THERE WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SO I WILL DO MY PART AND POST MY PROBLEMS HERE HOPING SOMEONE GETS OFF THEIR BUTT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND FROM NOW ON, NO MORE CHRYSLER VEHICLES FOR ME. *JB

2002 DODGE DAKOTA HAS FRONT END NOISE PROBLEMS.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE NOISE WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER EVENTUALLY REPLACED THE FRONT END BUT THE NOISE WAS STILL PRESENT. *NM

INTERMITTENT ACTIVATON OF THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL. DIAGNOSIS BY DEALERSHIP IS FAILED CLOCKSPRING ASSY IN STEERING COLUMN. RESULT OF NOT FIXING IS INOPERABLE AIRBAG. DEALERSHIP REPLACED PART AT COST.*AK

WHEN DRIVING AND MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN THERE IS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

DODGE DAKOTA 4X4 2002 /HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING FRONT END PROBLEMS WITH TRUCK SINCE PURCHASE. BROUGHT IN NUMEROUS TIMES TO DEALER FOR BRAKE ISSUES[FRONT ROTORS,PADS,REAR DRUMS AND DISCS].TOLD MULTIPLE TIMES THERE IS NO PROBLEM, ITS THE WAY YOU DRIVE. TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN ABUSED,VERY WELL CARED FOR. AFTER THE 5TH TIME TO DEALER FINNALLY TOLD THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACMENT.THIS WAS AFTER ONE FULL YEAR OF DENIAL.NOTIFIED DEALER OF NOISE AT THE STEERING WHEEL,TOLD THEY COULD NOT VRIFY THE COMPLAINT WOULD PROBABLY GO AWAY AFTER REPLACING UPPER BALL JOINTS.ONE WEEK LATER AFTER REPLACMENT OF UPPER BALL JOINTS ,SAME NOISE REOCCURED [LOUD CLUNKING SOUND AT FRONT END]TOOK BACK TO DEALER ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE BOTTOM BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACMENT,NO MENTION ONE WEEK PRIOR ABOUT WEAR ON LOWER AREA.DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE NOISE NOTED COMING FROM STERING WHEEL FROM PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS WAS NOW THOUGHT TO BE AN INTERMIEDIATE SHAFT IN THE STEERING COLUMN,THIS SAME NOISE THAT ONE WEEK EARLIER COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED.AT 30,000 MILES MY ENTIRE DIFFERENTIAL GEAR ASSEMBBLY NEEDED REPLACMENT.I HAVE BEEN CHARGED MULTIPLE WARRANTY DEDUCTIBLES ON WHAT SEEMS TO ME TO BE, THE SAME PROBLEM AND POSSIBLY A CANIDATE FOR LEMON STATUS.AT WHAT POINT WILL THE CONSUMERS RIGHT'S BE PROTECTED.I AM JOINING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN REGARDS TO CHRYSLER/DAIMLER AND SUGGEST TO EVERYONE WHO READS THIS TO DO THE SAME.CHECK OUT WWW.DODGETALK.COM FOR INFO AND LINKS.ALSO I RECCOMEND TO ANYONE WHO HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR DAELER IN TERMS OF DENIALS/NON REPAIRS/FAULTY WORKMANSHIP/OR ANY RELATED COSTS OUT OF POCKET TO FILE FORMAL COMPLAINTS AND CONTACT A LOCAL LEMON LAW ATTORNEY IN RELATION TO THEIR ACTIONS AND LACK OF PROPER BUSINESS ETHICS.ONLY UNTIL WE MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN CAN WE ACCTUALLY ACHIEVE IT.GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE WHO READS THIS.*AK

WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE WHEN APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AT 20 - 25 MPH IT FAILED TO DO SO. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER APPLIED MORE FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THEN, TABS LOCKED UP AND THE VEHICLE SKIDDED. VEHICLE STOPPED WHEN IT SMASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON A WET ROAD. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, BRAKE PEDAL VIBRATED WHEN DEPRESSED. *AK

AT JUST 24000 MILES MY BRAKES WERE REPLACED BECAUSE THE FRONT END WOULD SHIMMY WHEN STOPPING. UPON INSPECTION, THE ROTORS WERE GOUGED BUT THERE WAS PLENTY OF WEAR LEFT ON THE PADS. BECAUSE OF THESE FAULTY/POORLY DESIGNED BRAKES I WAS INVOLVED IN A MVA WHEN MY BRAKES FAILED TO STOP ME WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SLOW DOWN WHEN APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. I APPLIED THE BRAKES WHILE ONLY GOING 20MPH (IN THE RAIN) BUT MY ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCKED UP. WHEN I FIRST PRESSED ON THEM THERE WAS NO EFFECT, WHEN I PUSHED A LITTLE HARDER THEY LOCKED. I RELEASED THEM AND TRIED TO STOP AGAIN BUT THEY LOCKED AGAIN AND I SLID INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AS THERE WAS NO WHERE TO TURN. MY DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED OF BRAKE PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS BUT TOLD ME THE BRAKES AND ROTORS ONLY LAST 25000MILES. THESE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK AND THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME. *AK