2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

FRONT SUSPENSION PROBLEMS IDENTICAL TO THAT OF THE DODGE DURANGO. HAVE HAD BOTH LOWER AND UPPER CONTROL ARMS/BALL JOINTS RELACED WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. PARTS WERE REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP WITH SAME DEFECTIVE PARTS AS ORIGINALLY INSTALLED ON VEHICLE. PERSONALLY, NO ACCIDENTS RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM YET. CONCERNED ABOUT OVERALL SAFETY OF DAKOTA OWNERS. WE HAVE A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA.*AK

RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE THE FOLLOWING: DRIVERS SIDE UPPER BALL JOINT AND CONTROL ARM, DRIVERS SIDE SPINDLE RETAINING PLATE AND LOCKING NUT. THE SIMPTOMS WERE, A SLIGHT THUMPING NOISE WHEN GOING OVER SMAL BUT SHARP BUMPS (LIKE ENTERING A DRIVEWAY), AND A SOUND SIMILAR TO A SPRING BEING STRETCHED AND COMPRESSES. THE WORK WAS DONE UNDER WARANTY (29,000 MILES). THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME IS THAT IT TOOK 2 ATTEMPTS AT THE DEALER TO GET IT FIXED, AND THAT ALL THE THINGS I'VE BEEN READING INDICATE PROBLEMS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE! AM I JUST A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN? IS DAIMLER CHRYSTLER GOING TO OWN UP TO DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OR DO A BUNCH OF PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE FIRST?*AK

FRONT UPPER BALL JOINTS ON BOTH SIDES ARE WORN OUT BEFORE 38,612 MILES (MILEAGE AT TIME I AM SENDING THIS EMAIL). TOOK DAKOTA DEALER (RAINIER DODGE, OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON) LAST MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2003, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AND WOULD ONLY TAKE A FEW DAYS TO GET NEW PARTS. THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX IT AND WE JUST SAW A NEWS REPORT (ON DURANGOS THAT ALSO MENTIONED DAKOTAS BEING WORSE) SHOWING HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO DRIVE A VEHICLE WITH BAD UPPER BALL JOINTS (BROKE OFF AND WHEEL AND ALL WENT ACROSS 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC). ON THEIR WORD THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, WE TOOK AN OUT OF TOWN TRIP THIS WEEKEND. I THANK GOD THAT WE MADE THE TRIP SAFELY! WHEN IS A RECALL GOING TO BE MADE ON BOTH THE DAKOTA AND DURANGO? OUR DODGE DEALER SEEMS TO BE DRAGGING THEIR FEET GETTING THE PARTS TO FIX OURS, AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY DAKOTA UNTIL IT IS REPAIRED. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THIS CONDITION IS AND DODGE NEEDS TO ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM ASAP! *LA

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP. LAST YEAR IT STARTED MAKING A SQUEAKY NOISE (LIKE AN OLD CAR CREAKING) IN THE FRONT END. I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO DEALMAKER DODGE HERE IN WATERTOWN, NY. THE FIRST TIME TAKING IT IN THEY STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS FROM LOOSE BOLTS IN THE FRONT END AND THAT THEY JUST TIGHTENED THEM UP. THE NOISE PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE. I TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS POSSIBLY THE SWAY BARS. THEN THE OCT. 10, 2003 I WAS DRIVING AND WHEN I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, SOMETHING POPPED IN THE FRONT END, THE FRONT END DROPPED DOWN AND I LOST STEERING OF THE TRUCK. THIS WAS EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE TRUCK VERY SLOWLY OVER TO DEALMAKER DODGE AND THEY LOOKED AT IT (NEVER TEST DROVE IT, JUST LOOKED AT IT). THEY STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED BUT THAT MAYBE THE SWAY BARS GAVE WAY. TIM (SERVICE MGR) STATED THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO ORDER BUSHINGS AND A PART FOR THE STEERING BOX AND THAT UNTIL THEY CAME IN THE TRUCK WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE. UNFORTUNATELY, I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE - WE PARKED THE TRUCK IN OUR DRIVEWAY UNTIL THE PARTS CAME IN. WE ASKED WHY THIS HAPPENED TO A FAIRLY NEW TRUCK AND TIM (SERVICE MGR) COULD NOT ANSWER US, HE DID NOT KNOW. WE TOOK THE TRUCK IN ONCE THE PARTS ARRIVED AND HAD IT WORKED ON. WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP, I ASKED TIM (SERVICE MGR) WHAT DID THEY DO TO THE TRUCK (REPAIRS)? HE STATED HE DID NOT KNOW BUT THAT HIS WARRANTY GIRL WAS OUT OF THE OFFICE AND THAT THEY WOULD MAIL ME A COPY OF THE PAPERWORK. UPON RECEIPT OF THIS PAPERWORK, IT NOTED THAT BOTH SWAY BAR BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE COUPLING. THE NOISE SEEMS TO BE GONE IN THE FRONT END, HOWEVER, WHEN I GO OVER BUMPS OR ROUGH ROAD, IT STILL MAKES A POPPING NOISE IN THE FRONT END. AFTER WATCHING THE CBS EVENING NEWS TONIGHT WITH REGARD THE FRONT END SAFETY ISSUES ABOUT DAKOTAS, I AM NOW VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND THE LIFE OF PASSENGERS WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. *LA

I HAVE A 2001 DAKOTA THAT STARTED KNOCKING ON BUMPS AT APPROX. 25000 MILES. I DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL AND TOOK IT TO A 5 STAR DEALER AT APPROX. 34000 AND 37000 MILES AT WHICH BOTH TIMES THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE SUSPENSION. MY FATHER OWNS A 1995 DAKOTA THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ONCE THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED, NOT BY A DODGE DEALERSHIP, THE NOISE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED. THERE ARE MANY REVIEWS STATING THIS ISSUE BUT CHRYLER DOES NOTHING TO ADDRESS IT. THE ONLY THING I AM LEFT TO DO IS PAY $800-$1000 TO REPAIR IT. I UNFORTUNATELY CANNOT AFFORD THIS AND RISK HAVING IT BREAK AT ANYTIME. *AK

THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT PREMATURELY. THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE PART WITHIN FOUR MONTHS. DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO GREASE FITTING IN THE BALL JOINTS AND THE JOINTS BECAME DRY. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

UPPER BALL JOINT ON BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE ARE FAILING. VEHICLE ONLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 40000 MILES ON IT. JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. *LA

WHEEL SHEARED OFF COMPLETELY FROM THE HUB WHILE DRIVING.*MR NO ONE WAS ABLE TO OFFER ANY EXPLANATION AS TO HOW THE WHEEL COULD HAVE SEPARATED FROM THE HUB. CONSUMER FELT CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE COVERED THE $398.41 REPAIR BILL. *PH *JB *JB

AT 21000 MILES, I NOTICED A CLANKING SOUND IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE DEALER CHECKED IT OUT, THE BRAKE PAD CLIPS HAD RUSTED AWAY AND ONE ROTOR HAD EXCESSIVE WEAR. HOWEVER, CHRYSLER REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIRS, WHICH COST OVER $400.00. *LA

MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA HAS PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE ROTORS WARPING AND THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT ADMIT TO THIS BEING A PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THOUSANDS OF OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. MY ROTORS HAD TO BE TURNED AT 15,000 MILES, AND THEY NEED IT AGAIN AT 40,000 MILES. *JB