2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB, HAD NOISE IN FRONT END STARTING AT ABOUT 25000 MILES. COMPLAINED TO DEALER AT THE FOLLOWING 2 OIL CHANGES ABOUT FRONT END PULLING TO THE RIGHT AND NOISES IN FRONT END, DIAGNOSED AS "NORMAL". FINALLY, I TOLD DEALER THAT I WOULD PAY FOR A FRONT END ALIGNMENT, AND BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS DIAGNOSED AS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THE ALIGNMENT COULD HAPPEN. BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED AFTER A 4 WEEK WAIT FOR THE BALL JOINTS THAT WERE ON "BACK ORDER", 32,000 MILES AT REPLACEMENT TIME.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 40 MPH TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO A LOW GEAR, AND VEHICLE'S SPEED DECELERATED TO 8 MPH. THIS OCCURRED WHILE CONSUMER SWITCHED LANES TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER MOTORIST. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THE FAILURE CODE READ A CATASTROPHIC INTERNAL FAILURE.*AK

REPEAT WARPING OF BRAKES. ROTORS AND DRUMS WARPED AT 30K. TURNED. AGAIN WARPED AT 36K. NO HILLS, TRAILERING, ABNORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS.

DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE SEVERELY WORN. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NM *MR

CLUNKING AND EXCESSIVE SQUEAKING COMING FROM THE FRONT-END. SLOW 90 DEGREE OR U - TURNS CONSISTENTLY REVEAL CLUNKING. 18000 MILES CURRENTLY ON DAKOTA QUAD CAB. STEERING SHIMMY INADVERTENTLY APPEARS WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. THESE SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING FOR 3+ MONTHS. I AM EXPERIENCED WITH FRONT-END WORK, AND RECOGNIZE THESE SYMPTOMS TO BE FAMILIAR WITH UPPER BALL-JOINTS FAILURE. I REFUSE TO HAVE THE SAME PRODUCT INSTALLED. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM. *JB

AT JUST 22,200 MILES TRUCK IN FOR THIRD TIME FOR ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON. THIS TIME THE THERMOSTAT WAS BROKEN. LESS THAN 1000 MILES SINCE THE LAST TIME IT WAS ON, LAST TIME THE CANISTER HOSE WAS CRACKED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A CLANKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT BALL JOINTS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

FOUR MONTHS AGO WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH CONSUMER HEARD NOISE COMING THROUGH THE FRONT END. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND TECHNICIAN DETERMINED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. FOUR MONTHS LATER AND WITHOUT WARRANTY DEALERSHIP INDICATED TO THE CONSUMER THE NEED TO REPLACE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS. *AK

2002 DAKOTA PK FRONT BRAKE ROTORS POOR QUALITY CASTINGS , PITTTED CAUSING SHIMMY ON BRAKING . VEHICLE STILL IN WARRANTY . COMPANY ADVISES VEHICLE NOT IN WARRANTY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THERE'S A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. *AK