2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

FRONT RIGHT BALL JOINT FOR MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB EXTREMLY LOOSE AND BROKEN. NEEDED REPLACEMENT. COST $200 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. REPAIR SHOP SAID HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS '01 DAKOTA AND SO ARE MANY OTHERS.

BALL JOINT FAILURE. I HAVE ALREADY FILED A COMPLAINT IN REGARDS TO UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE ON MY TRUCK. WHEN I FIRST STARTED CHECKING ON THE PROBLEM THE ONLY REPAIR SOLUTION WAS UPPER CONTROL ARM REPLACEMENT. BY THE TIME OF INVESTIGATING FOR AN AFTER MARKET PRODUCT DODGE HAD RELEASED A BALL JOINT ONLY PART. THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT DODGE SAW THAT THERE WAS A UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF BALL JOINT FAILURES. NOW TO MAKE THINGS WORSE I AM STARTING TO GET THE SAME SYMPTOMS I HAD BEFORE (WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF REPLACING THE UPPERS). WHICH TELLS ME THAT EITHER THE LOWERS ARE GOING OUT NOW OR THE NEW UPPERS WERE DEFECTIVE AS WELL. IT ALSO SEEMS STRANGE THAT ALOT OF THE PROBLEMS ARE HAPPENING JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I THINK DODGE MAY BE USING PLANNED FAILURE. I ALSO THINK NHTSA OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM SHOULD LOOK AT COMMENTS ON OTHER WEBSITES. NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THEY CAN REPORT A PROBLEM ON THIS WEBSITE. JUST DO A SEARCH FOR DODGE DAKOTA BALL JOINTS AND LOOK AND SEE HOW MANY COMPLAINTS THERE ARE OUT THERE. THE SCARIEST THOUGHT ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND NOT KNOW THAT IT IS THE BALL JOINT AND HOW SERIOUS THE FAILURE COULD BE.

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE BALL JOINTS. THE DEALERSHIP/MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE UPPER FRONT BALL JOINTS WERE WORN OUT. *AK *PH *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN. WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, MOST OF THE TIME THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND. THE DEALER HAD TRIED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AT LEAST 5 TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS. THE MASTER CYLINDER/ROTORS AND CALIPERS WERE REPLACED. *AK WHEN THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DISENGAGED, THE PROBLEM WAS NOT PRESENT. THE PROBLEM RETURNED WHEN THE ABS RE ENGAGED.THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. A REPAIR ATTEMPT WAS MADE 8 TIMES. *CB

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT LEFT UPPER BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. *AK

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA 2WD AND I HAVE A VERY LOUD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM MY LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE BALL JOINT AREA. IT HAPPENS WHEN I TURN SHARP AND HIT A BUMP ALSO. I UNDERSTAND FROM MANY PEOPLE WHO OWN THESE VEHICLES THAT THIS IS THE FIRST SIGN OF A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BALL JOINTS GRINDING AND COMING APART. THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.*AK

FAULTY BALL JOINTS ON A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4 WITH 39,000 MILES ON IT. MY OLD HONDA ACCORD SEDAN (1990) AND MY EXISTING 1998 ACCORD HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM AT 150,000 AND 90,000 MILES RESPECTIVELY DESPITE DRIVING ALL THE SAME ROADS. THIS THING IS A TRUCK AND IS OFTEN ADVERTISED AS BEING "TOUGH" AND "RUGGED." IS CHRYSLER KIDDING? TODAY, JANUARY 7, 2004, THEY ARE BEING REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE.*AK

WHILE BRAKING FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO PULSATE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN FROM A COMPLETE STOP FRONT LEFT BALL JOINTS FAILED, CAUSING THE FRONT LEFT TIRE TO DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE. *AK *MR

VEHICLE FAILED GEORGIA STATE INSPECTION. TECHNICIAN INDICATED THE NEED TO REPLACE THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS. *AK *MR