2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

I HAVE HAD TO TURN MY FRONT ROTORS ON MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA 4.7L, 4WD QUAD CAB 4 TIMES IN 40,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP BLAMES IT ON RAIN COOLING THE ROTORS TOO FAST. I DO STRICTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING, AND THE VIBRATION THAT OCCURS IS NERVE RACKING. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON CONSUMER SITES REGARDING THIS. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS FOR A RECALL. *LA

AT BARELY 39000 MILES ON MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA SXT, WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINT IS NEARLY SHOT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE NOISE AND PROBLEMS BEGAN WAY BEFORE THE 36000 MILE MARK BUT WE NEVER CONSIDERED THAT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT NEEDED MAJOR REPAIR. NOW WE ARE BEYOND THE 36000 MILE WARRANTY AND WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OURSELVES. AFTER RESEARCH WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS QUICKLY BECOMING A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE OUR ISSUE KNOWN IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IN HOPES THAT MAYBE DODGE WILL TAKE SOME CORRECTIVE ACTION. *AK

BALL JOINTS HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO BEING WORN OUT ON MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4X4. DEALER NEVER MENTIONED THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION OR PROBLEMS WITH BALL JOINTS. SUBSEQUENTLY VIEWED THE CBS REPORT ON DAKOTA BALL JOINTS AND ONGOING INVESTIGATION THE NIGHT WE GOT TRUCK BACK FROM DEALER WITH NEW BALL JOINTS.*AK

AT A FULL STOP YOU FEEL LIKE A "BUMP" IN THE TRANSMISSION, OR JUST LIKE SOMEONE HIT YOU FROM THE BACK. IT DOESN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME. IT NORMALLY HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR MORE THAN HALF HOUR IN TRAFFIC OR LOCAL ROADS WITH FREQUENT STOPS. DEALER HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, WHICH STARTED AT 1500 MILES. THEY SERVICE THE DIFFERENTIAL BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. THEY HAVEN'T BEEN WILLING TO DRIVE IT ENOUGH EVEN WHEN I LEFT THE VEHICLE FOR THEM TO TRY FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS. VEHICLE NOW HAS 17,000 MILES, HAS BEEN SERVICED EVERY 3000 MILES IN FIVE START DEALER.*AK

AT 35,500 I WAS TOLD THAT MY FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE ROTORS WERE PITTED AND BRAKES WERE WORN. I COULD UNDERSTAND BRAKES PADS NEED REPLACING (ALTHOUGH I DO MOST DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY THEREFORE NOT USING BRAKES MUCH) BUT ROTORS NEED REPLACING BECAUSE OF PITTING; SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE. IN ADDITION, EVER SINCE I'VE HAD THIS TRUCK (REAR ANTI-LOCK BRAKES) I NOTICE THAT WHEN THE ANTI-LOCK KICKS IN IT SEEMS AS THOUGH I'VE LOST ALOT OF BRAKING POWER. I'VE FOUND MYSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION AT TIMES BECAUSE THE TRUCK WOULDN'T STOP AND I WAS NOT GOING THAT FAST. I HAD A TRUCK CUT IN FRONT OF ME ONE DAY ON THE HIGHWAY (SOMEONE IN FRONT OF HIM HAD STOPPED) AND THE ONLY WAY I ADVOIDED HITTING HIM WAS TO DRIVE OFF ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD; THE BRAKES QUIT WORKING. I HAVE A '92 DAKOTA WITH REAR ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND IT STOPS WITH OUT PROBLEMS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 30 MPH OR MORE THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE VIBRATED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BALL JOINTS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

VEHICLE DOES NOT BRAKE ADEQUATELY DURING "PANIC" STOPPING. REAR WHEEL ABS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WORKING PROPERLY. HAVE HAD THREE OCCURRENCES WHEN I NEEDED TO "PANIC" STOP AND IN ALL CASES HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID COLLISION BECAUSE BRAKES WERE NOT STOPPING VEHICLE. REAR WHEEL ABS ENGAGES BUT ALLOWS TOO MUCH "FREE-WHEELING" WHICH ALLOWS VEHICLE TOO MUCH TRAVEL. REGULAR BRAKING (EVEN "HARD" BRAKING WITHOUT ABS INVOLVEMENT) SEEMS TO WORK CORRECTLY. HAVE HAD VEHICLE TO DEALER TWICE AND FIRST TIME REAR DRUMS WERE TURNED AND SECOND TIME ABS MODULE WAS REPLACED, BUT HAS NOT FIXED PROBLEM. SERVICE ADVISOR AND MECHANIC SAY THAT THE ABS SYSTEM IS WORKING AS DESIGNED FOR A REAR WHEEL ONLY ABS. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY RESOLUTION TO PROBLEM BUT NOW DEALER WON'T LOOK AT IT BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THEY CAN. *LA

DRIVER'S SIDE UPPER BALL JOINT WORE OUT PREMATURELY. AS A RESULT THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THE BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED.*AK

2002 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4 QUAD CAB PICKUP - BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS EXPERIENCED PREMATURE FAILURE. SIGNS OF FAILURE BEGAN AROUND 30,000 MILES, BUT MISDIAGNOSED BY LOCAL MECHANIC AS "NO PROBLEM FOUND." I LATER TOOK THE TRUCK TO DODGE WHEN KNOCKING NOISE KEPT GETTING WORSE (AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRATION). BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED AND FRONT END ALIGNMENT PERFORMED FOR APPROXIMATELY $500. SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, I BELIEVE A RECALL SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED. *AK

DENIAL OF INSPECTION IN NH FOR BAD UPPER BALL JOINTS. TOLD TO TAKE IT TO DEALER. DEALER SAYS IT'S OK AND CHARGED ME $15.00! IINSPECTOR SHOWED ME HOW MUCH MOVEMENT WHEN I BROUGHT IT BACK AGAIN TO COMPLAIN THEY WERE WRONG. I AGREE WITH THE INSPECTOR, THIS IS UNSAFE. ANY MOVEMENT IS A PROBLEM, THEY SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO SAY .60 IS OK. *AK