1999 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

THE REAR ABS FAILED AT 6002 MILES, IT WAS REPAIRED ON 06/16/2000 BY DON SCHMID DODGE,FAILED AGAIN AT 6102 MILES, REAR BRAKES DRAGGING TO THE POINT OF SLOWING THE VEHICLE DOWN ON BOTH FAILURES. ODOR OF HOT BRAKE LININGS AND RED HOT DRUMS ON THE FIRST FAILURE. *AK

IDLING IN PARK ON FLAT LAND, SLIPPED INTO REVERSE AND HIT PARKED CAR. 2 PREVIOUS INCIDENTS OF REVERSE INTO NUETRAL WHILE BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE. 3 INCIDENTS OF DRIVE INTO 2ND. SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF "SETTLING" SOUNDS WHILE IN DRIVE. MANUFACTURER SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG AND REFUSING TO PERFORM WARRANTY REPAIR.

WHILE DRIVING ON ROAD HAD TO APPLY BRAKES SUDDENLY TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. ABS LIGHTS CAME ON, WHEELS LOCKED UP, AND DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKES SHOULD FLUCTUATE TO MAINTAIN STEERING CONTROL. *AK

I HAVE HAD BOTH PROBLEMS (ABS AND TIRE FAILURE) ON TWO SEPERATE OCCASIONS. THE DATE ON THE REPORT WAS FOR THE MOST RECENT. I CAME AROUND A CURVE TO THE RIGHT, THEN TURNED TO THE LEFT TO STRAIGHTEN OUT FOR THE ROAD AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I STARTED HEADING FOR A DITCH IN SOMEONE'S YARD SO I APPLIED THE BRAKES THEY LOCKED UP THEN RELEASED COMPLETELY. MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT CAUSING STEERING TO BE NONRESPONSIVE. IN MY FIRST ACCIDENT, I WAS FOLLOWING A FRIEND COMING FROM A LIGHT THAT JUST TURNED GREEN, AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF HIM STARTED TO SLOW DOWN TO TURN, WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THEY LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT RELEASE SO I TURNED THE WHEEL TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT AND THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT CAUSING ME TO SLIDE ON THE WHEEL INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER MOTORIST. I HAVE WITNESSES IN BOTH CASES THAT SAY THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO AND THAT I WAS NOT BREAKING ANY LAWS. NO CITATION WAS GIVEN IN EITHER CASE BECAUSE THE OFFICERS AGREED THAT I DID NOTHING WRONG.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 255/55/R17 )

WHILE TRAVELING AT 40 MPH AND AS A RESULT OF VHEICLE HITING A TREE, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPOLY WITHOUT INDICATION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

CHRYSLER DECLARED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. AFTER THREE TRIPS TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE REAR BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE 9 INCH REAR DRUMS DID NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH FRICTION TO EFFECTIVELY STOP THE WEIGHT. I REPLACED THE DRUMS WITH FACTORY 10 INCH AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. CHRYSLER THEN REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME, AND DECLARED MY WARRANTY VOIDED. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER DAKOTA OWNERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THE FRONT ROTORS ARE BEING WARPED AT 3000 MILES AFTER REPLACEMENT. *AK

I HAD TO BRAKE SUDDENLY FOR A DEER. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKED PROPERLY AND HELD ME AWAY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK AND MY WIFE WAS THROWN FORWARD INTO THE DASH. I SUBSEQUENTLY CHECKED THE SEAT BELT AND FOUND IT WOULD NOT LOCK AT ALL. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY ORDERED AND INSTALLED A NEW ONE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE THE NEW SEAT BELT DID NOT WORK EITHER. THE SERVICE MANAGER TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT IF I FIRST WOULD LET THE BELT GO BACK AND THEN YANK ON IT IT WOULD WORK. I ASSURED HIM THAN IN A FRONTAL CRASH A BODY AT REST DOES NOT GO BACK AND THEN FORWARD. I REMINDED HIM THAT EINSTEIN FIGURED THAT OUT A LONG TIME AGO. HE SHOWED ME A JEEP IN THE SHOP WHOSE SEAT BELT ALSO WORKED THE SAME. I ASKED HIM TO SHOW ME A NEW DAKOTA AND COMPARE THE RESULTS. UPON CHECKING THE NEW DAKOTA HE FOUND THAT THE SEAT BELT INDEED LOCKED PROPERLY EACH TIME IT IS PLACED UNDER RAPID DECELERATION LOAD. HE AGREED TO ORDER ME ANOTHER SEAT BELT. I AM CONVINCED THAT SINCE I ALREADY HAVE A DEFECTIVE BELT AND THEY SENT ME ANOTHER DEFECTIVE BELT THAT DODGE HAS A LARGE INVENTORY BOTH ON THE ROAD AND IN THEIR WAREHOUSE OF BAD AND UNSAFE SEAT BELTS FOR THE DODGE DAKOTA. *AK

PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT 10-15 MPH WHILE RAINING WINDOWS FOGGED UP, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. CONSUMER WAS MAKING A TURN AND HIT A POLE, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING HEARD NOISE IN THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE. RIGHT/LEFT BALL JOINTS AND UPPER CONTROL ARM HAVE BEEN REPLACED, WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT ALL THE TIME, CONSUMER FEARS THAT CAR MAY LOSE CONTROL, AND THERE MAY BE AN ACCIDENT. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL. *AK *ML