2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

FRONT AXLE ON 2001 DODGE DAKOTA UNEXPECTEDLY BROKE. *MR THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE DEALER STATED IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SEVERAL SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITHIN ONE YEAR WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON UP TO 80 MPH. *SCC *JB

THE TIRES CRACKED UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. DEALER NOTIFIED. *JB *TS *JB

EXCESSIVE BALL JOINT WEAR. MY WIFE (STEPHANIE BALL) FILED A COMPLAINT BACK IN 1999 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. I THINK HIS NAME WAS STEVE FROM NHTSA CONTACTED US AND KEEP US INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM. SHE HAS HAD THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED FIVE TIMES IN HER DAKOTA. THE LAST CONTACT FROM NHTSA WAS THAT THEY WAS GOING TO MAKE DODGE RECALL THESE VEHICLES FOR THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS AND WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANY MORE ON THIS ISSUE. I HELP BY GETTING NAMES OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I MANAGE AN AUTO PARTS STORE A AUTO OF MADISON WV AND THIS IS NOT JUST AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. I KNOW OF 4 DAKOTA THAT WERE WRECKED AND SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE DUE TO BALL JOINT FAILURE. THE ADJUSTER FROM STATE FARM'S MOTHER HAD A WRECK DUE TO BALL JOINT FAILURE. AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD SEEN SEVERAL THAT HAD WRECKED. I COULD REPLACE THESE BALL JOINTS WITH AFTERMARKET MOOG BRAND AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM. BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE UP TO ME TO SOLVE IT. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT AFTER THE FIRESTONE EPISODE THAT ISSUES LIKE THIS WOULD BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY. I CONTACTED THE DEALER TODAY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO CHECK THE BALL JOINTS EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE ON KILLING SOMEONE BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM THAT HAS EXISTED SINCE 1997. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE BALL JOINTS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE SO MUCH PLAY FROM THE FACTORY. THE AFTERMARKET ONE I SELL DO NOT. ANYONE WITH COMMON SENSE KNOWS THAT IF A COMPONENT IN A HIGH STRESS AREA THAT TAKES A LOT OF BEATING IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE ANY PLAY. THE LONGER YOU DRIVE IT THE WORSE IT GETS. I RECENTLY TOOK A WV STATE INSPECTION CLASS. THE STATE POLICE HAVE DODGE DURANGO'S. HE SAID TO MAKE SURE AND CHECK THE BALL JOINTS BECAUSE THEY WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM I AM . SO I THINK THE TIME HAS COME TO GET THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED, BEFORE SOME ELSE WRECKS OR SOMEONE GETS KILLED. ITS PRETTY EVIDENT WHEN THE TROOPER TEACHING THE INSPECTION CLASS TELLS YOU TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THIS PROBLEM! PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU NEED ANYTHING. *NLM

WHEN STOP AND IN NEUTRAL. IT'S VERY HARD TO PUT IT IN FIRST GEAR AND THE CAR GETS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. IT JUST WONT SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR YOU CAN BE THERE FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES TRYING TO PUT IT IN FIRST GEAR, AND THIS CAUSES A TRAFFIC JAM BEHIND ME. I'M NOT SURE IF ITS THE GEAR BOX OR THE CLUTCH, BUT ITS VERY FRUSTRATING. THIS IS A 2001 TRUCK AND I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE HAVING A PROBLEM YET. MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER 2001 DODGE DAKOTA WITH THE SAME PROBLEM LIKE THIS. *NLM

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND MY FRONT AXLE BROKE. I ALSO HAD TWO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE TRUCK WERE IT WOULD ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN TO 80 MILES A HOUR AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP WAS TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL, EMERGENCY BRAKE AND PRESS ON THE BRAKES AND PRAY. I WAS OUT OF A CAR OVER THIRTY DAYS BETWEEN THE TWO TIMES TRYING TO REPAIR THE ACCELERATION. *JB

NOTICED ANTIFREEZE SMELL COMING OUT OF HEATER VENTS AND STEAM FOGGING UP WINDSHIELD AND SIDE WINDOWS, THIS IS THE THIRD FAILURE OF HEATER SYSTEM. WAS TOLD BY SERVICE MGR THAT COOLING SYSTEM WAS CONDUCTING ELECTRICAL CHARGE. DEALER HAD GROUNDED COOLING SYSTEM AFTER SECOND FAILURE BUT AFTER 5 MONTHS HEATER CORE FAILED AGAIN. CALLED CHRYSLER CONSUMER RELATIONS AND FILED A COMPLAINT CASE # 11323644 TALKED WITH DEALER ON 07 JUNE 03 CHRYSLER IS SENDING FIELD REP OUT TO LOOK AT TRUCK WAS TOLD THEY DON'T WANT TO BUY BACK TRUCK DUE TO MILEAGE. *JB

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S STEERING COLUMN. *MR THE CONSUMER ALWAYS NOTICED A SLACK OR A LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING . THE VEHICLE ALSO DEVELOPED A NOISE. THE INPUT SHAFT SEAL WAS DRIED AT THE RACK AND PINION AND THE DUST COVER WAS REMOVED TO THE INPUT SHAFT AND THE SEAL WAS PULLED BACK. *SCC *JB

METAL ON FRONT BRAKE PADS IS DETERIORATING. AS A RESULT THERE IS A SHIMMY IN THE FRONT END WHILE DRIVING. *AK

2001 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4X4 DRIVING ALONG THE HWY AROUND CURVE AT 55 MILES AND HOUR POWER STEERING FAILED ALMOST HAD A HEAD ON COLLISION. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR A WEEK BEING FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. ODOMETER 29980.00 MILES. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRUCK EVER SINCE IT WAS BOUGHT NEW, THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP, MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT (MIL) ON THE DASH. TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. RECEIVED THE TRUCK BACK FROM THE DEALER DROVE 22 MILES TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AGAIN MIL LIGHT ON AGAIN. HAD TO REPLACE THE RADIO MALFUNCTION, I COULD GO ON AND ON. I FEEL THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILING, COULD HAVE COST MY WIFES LIFE NOT TO MENTION THE OCCUPENTS OF THE ON COMMING TRUCK. THE TRUCK IS DRIVEN BY HER 99 PERCENT OF THE TIME. I JUST HAPPENED TO BE DRIVING IT ON THE LONG WEEKEND. I WAS ABLE TO FIGHT WITH IT AND MANAGED TO DRIVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCURED WITH THE KIND OF MILEAGE PRECENT ON THE TRUCK AS WELL AS THE AGE. ANY HELP YOU CAN PROFIDE IN ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES, WOULD BE APPRECIATED

WHILE DRIVING ON A SIDE ROAD THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD, THE FRONT DRIVER-SIDE TIRE, WHEEL, BRAKE, AND ROTOR ARM FELL OFF MY CAR. I BELIEVE THE BEARING FAILED AND DISCONNECTED ITSELF FROM THE AXEL.