1999 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

1999 DODGE DAKOTA SPORT TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 150,000MI AND AIR COND. GONE *TR

PREMATURE BALL JOINT FAILURE RESULTING IN EXTENSIVE REPAIR COSTS, PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE RESULTING IN REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION, EXCESSIVE OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP CAUSING LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. *TR

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS, THEY FAILED. NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE FRONT BALL JOINTS. WHY IS THIS NOT BEING RECALLED? IS MY SAFETY NOT A CONCERN TO DODGE OR NHTSA? I HAVE ALREADY BEEN STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY AT MIDNIGHT, THANKS. *TR

CALIPER BOLTS SEPARATING FROM SPINDLE CAUSING CALIPER TO FALL ON TO BRAKE ROTOR. LOSS OF BRAKING TO WHEEL, DIFFICULTY STEERING VEHICLE. SPINDLE (STEERING KNUCKLE) HAD TO BE DRILLED OUT AND RE TAPPED AND THREADED. HELI COILS (9M) INSTALLED TO HOLD CALIPER BOLTS. NEW CALIPERS AND ROTORS INSTALLED. FURTHER INSPECTION DETERMINED THAT UPPER BALL JOINT FAILED. ALL BALL JOINTS WILL BE REPLACED SINCE THE UPPER ONES ARE NOT SERVICEABLE AND I DO NOT TRUST THE LOWER ONES. THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALLS FOR MODEL YEAR 1999 DAKOTA HOWEVER THERE ARE SEVERAL TSB'S #050399, 0200600 AND SEVERAL THOUSAND COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET. WHY HASN'T THIS SAFETY ISSUE BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA? *TR

TWO YEARS AGO I PURCHASED A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA 4WD PICK UP TRUCK WITH APPROX. 63K MILES. AT 68,500 MILES I REPLACED THE BRAKE ROTORS, PADS AND CALIPERS. THE CALIPER BOLTS PULLED OUT OF THE SPINDLE ON EACH WHEEL AND ALLOWED THE CALIPER TO DROP DOWN ONTO THE ROTOR CAUSING THE BRAKES TO PULL TO THE LEFT SIDE AND OVERHEAT. WHEN I REMOVED THE CALIPERS THE BOLTS WERE REMOVABLE BY HAND AND THE THREADING IN THE SPINDLE WAS RUSTED OUT AND WOULD NOT HOLD NEW CALIPER BOLTS. I CONTACTED TWO DODGE DEALERS (PARTS DEPT) AND THEY STATED THEY KNEW OF NO PROBLEMS WITH THE SPINDLES. I CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AND IT SEEMS THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE BOLTS PULLING OUT OF THE SPINDLES ON THIS MODEL OF DAKOTA'S AND DURANGO'S. THIS IS CLEAR CUT SAFETY PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DODGE AND THE NHTSA SHOULD BE FORCING THEM TO MAKE THE REPAIR OR AT LEAST PROVIDE THE PARTS FOR A SOLUTION. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL DID BEGIN TO OVERHEAT AND ACTUALLY BEGAN TO CATCH ON FIRE WHICH REQUIRED ME TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND ALLOW IT TO COOL DOWN AND TEMPORARILY ADJUST THE CALIPER IN ORDER TO GET HOME. *TR

AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKE TO SHIFT GEARS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH VERY LITTLE RESISTANCE. THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON THE DASHBOARD. WHEN I GOT OUT OF CAR, THERE WAS A LARGE POOL OF BRAKE FLUID UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I NOTICED THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE RUSTED BRAKE LINE. *TR

THIS IS IN REGARDS TO A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA SPORT WITH A CLUB CAB. IT ONLY GETS DRIVEN A FEW MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR AND ONLY HAS 53,000 MILE ON IT. I DROVE MY TRUCK TO THE CITY TRANSFER STATION ON SUNDAY. WHILE BACKING UP TO THE DUMPSTER MY BRAKES LET GO. THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND I WAS BARLEY ABLE TO STOP BEFORE THE TRUCK ROLLED INTO THE DUMPSTER. UPON INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES HAD ROTTED AND GAVE WAY. THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY I TOOK IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP. MY TECH SHOWED ME THAT EVERY BRAKE LINE UNDER THE TRUCK WAS ROTTEN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED COSTING $900 PLUS. *TR

THE DODGE DAKOTA, 1999 MODEL, HAS A RECALL GIVEN TO THE BALL JOINTS THAT WERE INSTALLED DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. I OWN THE DODGE DAKOTA, 1999 MODEL. ALSO MY BALL JOINTS HAVE GONE BAD LEADING TO UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. THESE ORIGINAL BALL JOINTS ALSO HAVE NO GREASE FITTINGS FOR REGULAR GREASING. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS REPLACING FAULTY PARTS GOING BAD ON MY DODGE DAKOTA. I WILL NOT CONTINUE. I EXPECT TO GET SOME KIND OF REPLY BACK ON HOW WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT TO REPLACE THE FAULTY BALL JOINTS ON MY DODGE DAKOTA. ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS A RECALL ON THEM. THANK YOU CHRISTOPHER PERRONE *TR

I CURRENTLY OWN A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA 5.2L 4WD EXT. CAB. I HAVE HAD UPPER BALL JOINTS REPLACED AT ABOUT 65,000 MILE RANGE BY THE DEALER AND PAID FOR THE REPAIRS. NOW I AM AT 94,000 AND NOW THE LOWER BALL JOINTS ARE BAD. ALSO MY INNER TIE ROD. I AM SEEING ALOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE BALLS JOINTS ON THIS YEAR CAUSING MAJOR ISSUES. I HAVE SEEN THERE WAS A RECALL OF 2000-2003 BUT WHAT ABOUT 1999 YEAR? ISN'T IT THE SAME FRONT END AS THE OTHER YEARS? ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL ABS SPEED SENSOR. NOW I HAVE READ MANY PLACES REGARDING THE FRONT SUSPENSION ISSUE ALONG WITH THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT SHOWING ON DASHBOARD AND IS BECAUSE OF A BAD SENSOR IN REAR DIFFERENTIAL. WHAT IS THE POSSIBILITY OF DODGE REIMBURSING ME MONEY TOWARDS UPPER BALL JOINTS AND FIXING MY LOWER BALL JOINTS AND TIE ROD FOR FREE? *TR

BALL JOINTS FAILED ON VEHICLE. ONE BALL JOINT BROKE AND TOOK OUT THE BRAKES. WAS ON FREEWAY WHEN HEARD CLUNKING NOISE. GOT OFF FREEWAY AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALER SAID THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED DRIVING. *TR