1997 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT STATED DEALER REPLACED BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS IN 2003. UPON INSPECTION THIS YEAR IT WAS DISCOVERED THE BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY ACCUMULATED 16,500 MILES SINCE THEY WERE LAST REPLACED. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS COMPLETED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CURRENT REPLACEMENT OF THE BALL JOINT WILL BE DONE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. HE FELT THEY WERE DEFECTIVE BASED ON THE LIMITED MILEAGE.*AK

AFTER READING ABOUT BALL JOINT FAILURE ON DAKOTAS AND DURANGO'S I CHECKED MY 1997 DAKOTA WITH 43000 MILES AND FOUND ALL UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT SEALS TORN OPEN AND NO GREASE IN THE IN THE BALL JOINT SOCKET. THERE IS NO SIGN OF ANY GREASE EVER IN OR AROUND THE BALL JOINTS. THE JOINTS ARE STARTING TO RATTLE. *JB

I NOTICED ANOTHER COMPLAINT DATED 3/1/2004 AS THE FAIL DATE AND AN INTERNAL USE DATE OF 7/6/2005 OF THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE PAINT ON THE ROOF OF THE CAB STARED PEELING OFF AND PAINT ON VARIOUS OTHER AREAS OF THE TRUCK. THE BUMPER WAS THE FIRST TO GO. I WOULD SAY THIS STARTED ABOUT AFTER THE TRUCK WAS 4-5 YEARS OLD. I ONCE HAD THIS HAPPEN ON A TWO YEAR OLD NISSAN TRUCK AND NISSAN REPAINTED THE ENTIRE TRUCK AN SAID IT WAS DEFECTIVELY PAINTED. *NM

OCT. '04 BROUGHT TRUCK IN FOR A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND WAS TOLD THE CONTROL ARM AND UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACING AT A COST OF $1,000. FOR SAFETY I HAD THE FRONT END FIXED. YOU HAVE ORDERED RECALLS FOR SIMILAR FAILURES IN THE 2000-03 DAKOTAS. THE 1997'S HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

THE UPPER BALL JOINTS ON MY 1997 DODGE DAKOTA FAILED WITH ONLY 28,000 MILES ON THEM. I REPLACED THEM MYSELF WITH MOOG GREASABLE BALL JOINTS. I STILL HAVE THE OLD PARTS. *NM

PAINT BEGAN BUBBLING ABOUT A YEAR AGO ON THE ROOF OF THE CAB. SINCE THEN EVERY SINGLE PANEL ON THE VEHICLE(HOOD, ROOF, FRONT 1/4 PANELS, DOORS, CAB BODY, AND REAR FENDERS) ALL HAVE AT LEAST ONE SPOT WHERE PAINT HAS BUBBLED AND PEELED. SOME SPOTS AS BIG AS A FOOT IN DIAMETER AND GROWING. THIS IS NOT RANDOM. I MEAN EVERY BODY PART HAS PAINT JUST "LETTING GO". THIS IS AN OBVIOUS CASE OF POOR PAINTING PROCEDURES AND IS SEEN IN MANY OTHER MAKES AND MODELS FROM DODGE IN THIS SAME TIME FRAME.

BEGAN SMELLING FUEL WHILE AT IDLE OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER SHUTTING ENGINE OFF. IF VEHICLE WAS LEFT SHUT OFF FOR 30 MINUTES OR SO THE SMELL WOULD SUBSIDE AND CEASE. VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TAKING SEVERAL SECONDS OF CRANKING TO START WHICH ADDED TO THE CASE THAT FUEL WAS ESCAPING FROM THE PRESSURIZED FUEL LINE WHILE SITTING. I OBSERVED FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDER TRUCK ON DRIVER SIDE OF VEHICLE IN THE CAB REGION AND UPON CLOSER INSPECTION FOUND THE METAL FUEL LINE SHOWED EVIDENCE OF RUBBING AGAINST UNDER SIDE OF CAB BODY AND WAS SPRAYING FUEL TOWARD CENTER OF TRUCK AND HAD THE UNDER SIDE OF TRUCK CAB WET IN ABOUT A 2 FOOT SQUARE. FUEL LINE SHOWS NO EVIDENCE OF BEING IMPACTED AND IS STILL HELD IN ROUTING AND SECURING CLAMPS UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE ORIGINAL ROUTING OF FUEL LINES.

WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 485 AT CHARLOTTE, NC AND AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO COLLSION. WENT TO DEALER AND ALL THEY WANTED TO DO WAS CHARGE ME 2700.00 TO FIX THE AIRBAGS

THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR IN FOR STATE INSPECTION AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED REPLACEMENT DUE TO CORROSION. *NM UPPER BALL JOINTS REPLACED BY DEALER AT 34,000 MILE. AT STATE INSPECTION IN 2004 THE UPPER AND LOWER JOINTS WERE REPLACED. MANUFACTURER RECALLED THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE BUT ONLY MODEL YEAR 2000. *BF *NM

ON FEB. 21, 2005, WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WITH INFANT DAUGHTER. REALIZED SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT AND SLOWED TO 2 MPH IN 1ST GEAR. CAME UP ON 9% GRADE WITH 4 S-TYPE CURVES. ENTERED 1ST CURVE AT 2 MPH, TRUCK RAN OFF ROAD, COULD NOT KEEP IT ON ROAD. GOT IT BACK ON ROAD ONLY TO COMPLETELY LOSE CONTROL AND ENDED UP ON OTHER SIDE OF ROAD IN A PARKING AREA (STOPED SIDEWAYS). TRUCK WAS PUT ON ROLLBACK AND SENT TO RAMEY DODGE (PRINCETON, WV) THE NEXT MORNING. THEY KEPT TRUCK UNTIL THAT EVENING, COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. PARKED TRUCK UNTIL FRIDAY 2/25/05, FATHER TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC TO HAVE FRONT END ALIGNMENT. WAS INFORMED THE WHEELS WERE READY TO FALL OFF AND TRUCK NEEDED TO BE TAKEN BACK TO DEALERSHIP ON WRECKER. MY FATHER DROVE THE TRUCK TO PRINCETON WHERE HE WAS TOLD IT NEEDED UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES. THEY KEPT MY TRUCK FOR ALMOST A WEEK. TOTAL REPAIR BILL $811.00. DAD DID NOT GET BALL JOINTS THAT WERE TAKEN OFF. I CALLED BACK TO GET THEM AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD DISPOSED OF THEM.