2005 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER 5 TIMES. THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED GEARS, AND THERE WA SA CLANKING NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACED THE PUMP AND THE CONVERTER. IT WILL STICK IN GEAR, AND IT SEEMED TO HAVE NO POWER WHEN GOING UP A HILL IN REVERSE. DEALER SAID TO KEEP BRINGING THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS. MANUFACTURER SAID TO THE CONTACT CALL CONSUMER OFFICE AND FILE A COMPLAINT. *AK

I BOUGHT A NEW 2005 DODGE DAKOTA FROM HERITAGE DODGE (REISTERTOWN MD)PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF THE GAS MILAGE ADVERTISED AT 16MPG CITY/20MPG HIGHWAY. I HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE MPG AND FOUND OUT THAT I AM GETTING 9 MILES PER GALLON NO MATTER WHERE I DRIVE(CITY OR HIGHWAY). THIS IS A MID-SIZE TRUCK AND SHOULD BE GETTING BETTER MPG. I HAVE CONTACTED MY SALESPERSON(TIM) AND HE REFERRED ME TO CALL ROB SCHMIDT(SERVICE DEPT.???) WHO HAS NOT RETURNED ANY OF MY NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS TO CHECK ON THIS PROBLEM. MY SALESPERSON(TIM) TOLD MY WIFE ON THE PHONE THAT THE TRUCK SHOULD BE GETTING BETTER MILAGE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW DODGE CAN ADVERTISE ON THE STICKER THESE FALSE MILES PER GALLON WHEN THEY KNOW THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY FALSE. TOM

I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS TRUCK FOR 2 AND HALF MONTHS, ONLY 3800 MILES ON IT. I NOTICED IT WAS SHAKING REAL BAD WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. I TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP AND THEY HAD IT FOR 4 DAYS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD A TSB THAT THE REAR AXLES AND DRUMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SO THEY DID THAT AND GAVE IT BACK TO ME AND I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK THE SAME DAY, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT FIX IT. SO.. THEN THEY HAD IT FOR 9 DAYS AND I HAD TOLD THEM THAT I WAS GETTING REAL UPSET ABOUT THIS AND THE MANAGER LOOK ME IN MY FACE AND ASKED ME WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO ABOUT IT. YOU HAVE REAL GOOD PEOPLE SELLING YOUR TRUCKS. BUT ANY WAY. WHEN I WAS FINALLY CALLED 9 DAYS LATER, THEY TOLD ME THAT DODGE HAD TO RE DESIGN THE REAR PLATE. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF THINGS DONE TO THESE TRUCKS AND NOTHING IS FIXING THEM. LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING TROUBLE. I ALSO CALL CHRSYLER AND THEY NEVER RETURNED MY CALL...I CALLED TWICE. THEY REFUSED A LOANER OR A RENTAL. TOLD ME I HAD TO DRIVE IT THE WAY IT IS...MAYBE UNTIL SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER...WHO KNOWS...I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS TRUCK...I WILL NOT PUT MY KIDS IN THIS TRUCK. I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH WALDORF DODGE AGAIN AND I WILL NEVER BUY A DODGE AGAIN. SO MUCH FOR THE CONSUMER THERE..WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THERE MISTAKES....SOMEONE HELP.........OH YEAH I ASKED FOR THEM TO BUY THE TRUCK BACK AND THEY TOLD ME THAT FIRST THEY HAVE TO MAY SURE IT CAN BE FIXED SO THAT WOULD BEABLE TO RESELL IT...NOW WHAT KIND OF SERVICE IS THAT....HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP 2 TIMES NOW

DT: 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE VIBRATED WHEN BRAKING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE REAR AXLES AND DRUMS AND RESURFACED THE ROTORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN, AND IT WAS GIVEN BACK TO THE CONTACT. THE SECOND TIMETHE BRAKES HAVE TO BE REDESIGNED, AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE FIXED THEM UNTIL NOVEMBER. THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING AS SOON AS THE CONTACT GOT ITON AUGUST 15, 2005. HE THOUGHT THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE BROKEN IN AT THIS TIME.*AK

I OWN A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA WHICH I PURCHASED IN AUGUST. WITHIN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, I'VE EXPERIENCED SEVERE BRAKE SHUTTER. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT FEEL SAFE. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM FOR SERVICE ON THE BRAKES. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE ADVISOR THE SAME DAY STATING THAT THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE BRAKE PROBLEM. HE ALSO STATED THAT DODGE IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IS WORKING ON A KIT TO REMEDY IT. THIS STATEMENT LEADED ME TO RESEARCH WHO ELSE MAY BE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. TO MY SURPRISE I FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN, BY DODGE, FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS. THEY HAVE A TSB #05-004-05 FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS BY OTHER DAKOTA OWNERS ABOUT THEIR FRUSTRATION WITH RESOLVING THE BRAKE PROBLEM. THEY'VE HAD THEIR TRUCKS IN THE SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WITH NO RESOLUTION. I UNDERSTAND THEIR FRUSTRATION. WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE THE SHUTTER WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, IT IS FRIGHTENING. VEHICLES SHOULD NOT MAKE YOU FEEL UNSAFE, ESPECIALLY A NEW ONE. WHY CAN'T DODGE REMEDY THIS PROBLEM AND WHY IF THEY HAVE KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM, WHY DID THEY NOT INFORM ME OF THIS WHEN I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK TWO MONTHS AGO? I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AND ALL THE DEALER CAN DO IS LET ME KNOW WHEN DODGE HAS ISSUED A KIT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. SO MUCH FOR CUSTOMER CARE! *NM

I WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT WITH MY 2005 DODGE DAKOTA TRUCK. IN WHICH I HIT A POLE. I WAS DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT WHICH WAS 35 MPH. WHEN I HIT THE POLE MY AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER THEY SAID THAT THERE ARE SENSORS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUMPER. WHEN I TOOK PICTURES OF THE BUMPER THEY SHOW THAT I HIT IT WITHIN INCHES OF THE CENTER OF THE BUMPER. WHEN I TOOK THOSE PICTURES TO THE DEALER THEY SAID THAT THE SENSORS ARE ON THE SUPPORT BEAMS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THEY DIDN'T GO OFF AND IF THERE WAS OR IS ANY RECALLS ON THIS. *JB

AT 470 MILES, MY 2005 DODGE DAKOTA CLUB CAB DEVELOPED A BAD SHIMMY/VIBRATION WHENEVER THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT THE REAR BRAKE DRUMS WERE DEFECTIVE. THEY REPLACED THEM UNDER WARRANTY AND SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE PROBLEM RETURNED. THEY MACHINED THE REAR DRUMS AND PUT THEM BACK ON THE VEHICLE. AT 1472 MILES I HAD TO RETURN TO THE DEALER AGAIN. THE SAME VIBRATION UPON APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES HAD RETURNED, ONLY WORSE. THEY CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND MACHINED THE DRUMS ONE LAST TIME. THIS FIX ONLY WORKED FOR A FEW MORE DAYS. THE SHIMMY/VIBRATION WAS GONE, ONLY TO BE REPLACED BY A LOUD THUMPING NOISE FROM THE REAR END WHENEVER BRAKES WERE APPLIED. AT THIS TIME, THE VEHICLE HAD JUST OVER 1700 MILES ON IT. I RETURNED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 13 SEPTEMBER 2005 AND THE SERVICE TEAM MADE 6 MORE ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM, INCLUDING BRAND NEW DRUMS, MACHINING OF SAME AND TRYING DRUMS FROM ANOTHER 2005 DAKOTA IN THEIR INVENTORY. NOTHING WORKED. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE THAN EVER. THEY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 10 DAYS AND COULD NOT FIX IT! IT WAS RETURNED TO ME STILL DEFECTIVE ON 22 SEPTEMBER 2005. I SENT A CERTIFIED LETTER TO DAIMLER CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CENTER ON 23 SEPTEMBER 2005 NOTIFYING THEM OF MY INTENT TO INVOKE MY RIGHTS UNDER ALABAMA LEMON LAW SECTION 8-20A. I WANT A FULL REFUND. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! *JB

BRAND NEW 2005 DODGE DAKOTA HAS THE WRONG AXLE ON IT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IT ONLY HAD 9 MILES ON IT. I PUT IT IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOR THE AXLE AND NOW IT HAS 1,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS FRAUDULENT. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA LARAMIE. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN IT RAINS WATER IS SUCKED UP THROUGH THE AIR INTAKE AND FORCED TO THE BACK OF THE ENGINE, CAUSING IT TO GO INTO THE PISTONS. THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR THE WATER TO GO SO IT BROKE THE NUMBER FIVE PISTON. THE CONSUMER WILL HAVE TO COVER THE EXPENSE OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE REPAIR WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP WILL HAVE TO PULL THE HEAD AND REPLACE THE NUMBER FIVE PISTON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE VEHICLE STARTED MISSING.*AK

ALL 2005 DODGE DAKOTAS WERE BUILT MISSING SOME OF ITS TRAILER TOW PACKAGE OPTIONS, FIRST IS THE AUX. TRANS COOLER, SECOND IS THE HEAVYDUTY COOLING SYSTEM, I COMPARED MINE TO EVERYONE ON THE LOT AND THEY WERE ALL BUILT THE SAME WAY. I FELL AS IF CHRYSLER IS MISS LEADING THE CONSUMER. I CONTACTED CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE SEVERAL TIMES ONLY TO GET THE RUN AROUND AND I WAS ALWAYS REFERRED BACK TO THE DEALER WHO IN MY OPINION WAS NOT ONLY RUDE, REFUSED TO RETURN MY PHONE CALLS, ALTHOUGH I AM VERY UNSATISFIED WITH THE DEALERS RESPONCE IN THE MATTER, I IM VERY UPSET WITH CHRYSLER DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE THE COMPANY WHO MADE AND ADVERTISED THE VEH. AND LISTED IT'S OPTIONS. THE LOVE THE TRUCK BUT I JUST WISH IT HAD THE OPTIONS I PAID FOR.