2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS HAD TO BE TURNED/REPLACED AT APPROX. 17000 MILES. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE AS BRAKES ONLY HAVE 1YR/12000 MILE WARRANTY. REPAIR FACILITY ONLY REPLACES WITH OEM PARTS, SO THEY WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO BE REPLACED AGAIN IN ANOTHER 15-20000 MILES. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.*AK ALSO APPEARS I WILL NOW HAVE TO REPLACE BALL JOINTS AT APPROX. 18500 MILES. THESE PARTS SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER THAN THIS. VEHICLE IS 2002 DODGE DAKOTA CC 4X4 4.7L ENGINE.

DEALER REPLACED BOTH UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARMS. CONSUMER STATED THIS VEHICLE WAS THE VERSION OF DURANGO, THEREFORE , THEY USED THE SAME PARTS. *AK

2002 DODGE DAKOTA 4X2 PICKUP HAS PREMATURE FAILURE OF UPPER BALL JOINTS AND SEVERE TIRE WEAR. 32,000 MILES HAVING TO REPLACE UPPER BALL JOINTS, BAD FRONT END SUSPENSION AND HANDLING.*AK

TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY FOR SEVERAL BLOCKS BRAKES ARE PULSATING WHEN MAKEING NORMAL START, HAS 13500 MILES. *AK

WITH NO ADVANCE WARNING MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA BEGAN EXPERIENCING SEVERE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION WHENEVER THE BRAKES WERE ACTIVATED. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT THE VECHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS CHARGED $148 DOLLARS TO MACHINE THE FRONT ROTORS OF MY TRUCK. THE TRUCK (USED AS TRANSPORTATION TO MY DESK JOB) HAS 24,000 MILES ON IT, IS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, AND IS HIGHWAY DRIVEN SO THE BRAKES DO NOT SEE ALOT OF ACTIVITY. A CHECK OF THE DAKOTA.COM SITE INDICATES MANY ROTOR PROBLEMS WITH LOW MILEAGE DAKOTA SERIES TRUCKS. I BELIEVE EITHER THE BRAKE ROTORS ARE NOT DESIGNED PROPERLY OR ARE BEING MADE OF MATERIAL THAT CANNOT SUPPORT SAFE PERFORMANCE WITHIN A 25,000 MILE LIFECYCLE. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO HAVE ANY BRAKE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON ANY OF MY OTHER VEHICLES (OTHER THAN INSPECTION) BEFORE 75,000 MILES AND I AM CONCERNED THAT THE PROBLEM WILL REOCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.

I HAVE A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4 PICK UP TRUCK WHICH NEEDS TO HAVE ITSUPPER LEFT BALL JOINT REPLACED AFTER 10 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. I PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 2000 DODGE DURANGO WHICH HAD THE SAME PART REPLACED ON THREE OCCASIONS.

THE INVESTIGATION ON THE 1998-2003 DODGE DURANGO BALL JOINTS NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO THE ENTIRE LINE OF DAKOTA TRUCKS. THESE VEHICLES, FROM THE "B" PILLAR FORWARD ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL. GO TO THIS SITE TO SEE HUNDREDS AND HUDREDS OF COMPLAINTS: WWW.DODGEDAKOTAS.COM USE THE SEARCH ENGINE. THE BALL JOINTS ARE COMPLETELY WORN ON MY 2002 DAKOTA QUAD CAB, TO THE POINT WHERE THE SUSPENSION HAS BECOME UNPREDICTABLE UNDER CERTAIN ROAD CONDITIONS. THIS VEHICLE HAS ONLY 21K MILES ON IT.

MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA SPORT 4X4 ANTILOCK BRAKES DON'T PROVIDE ADEQUATE BRAKING. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I HAVE HAD TO STOP QUICKLY AND EVEN AT SLOW SPEEDS THE ANTILOCK FEATURE RELEASES THE BRAKES LONG BEFORE IT SHOULD. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY SAID THE PROPORTIONING VALVE IN THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS DEFECTIVE AND THEY REPLACED IT. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I DON'T THINK THE REAR BRAKES ARE ENGAGING AS THEY SHOULD. I'VE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON YOUR SITE AND FEEL DODGE NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE PROBLEMS BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY TO IGNORE. I HAVE HAD THREE NEAR MISSES WHERE THE ANTILOCK FEATURE OF THE BRAKES CAUSED THE BRAKES TO RELEASE PREMATURELY WHEN I HAVE HAD PLENTY OF TIME AND DISTANCE TO STOP SAFELY. I HAVE HAD ANTILOCK BRAKES ON SEVERAL OF MY PREVIOUS VEHICLES BUT THIS TRUCK HAS THE WEAKEST BRAKES I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED ON ANY CAR OR TRUCK I'VE OWNED.*AK

RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK MADE BUZZING NOISE WHEN LOCKED, WHICH IS STARTLING WHEN AUTO-LOCK ENGAGES ON ACCELERATION. DEALER REPAIRED, AND AS I LEFT PARKING LOT, IT BEGAN AGAIN, AND WAS REPAIRED. ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER, LEFT REAR LOCK DID THE SAMETHING AND WAS REPAIRED. OF COURSE, THE DEALER DID NOT BELIEVE ME UNTIL I TOOK TIME OFF OF WORK TO TAKE IT TO THEM. I ASKED THEM TO REPLACE ALL REMAINING MOTORS, BUT THEY REFUSED SINCE IT WAS STILL IN WARRANTY AND NOT BROKEN YET. TWO MONTHS LATER, REAR DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC WINOW DID NOT WORK.*AK

DEFECTIVE BRAKES AND ROTORS. THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHERS JUST LIKE MYSELF GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROBLEM. EITHER IT IS A PORTIONING PROBLEM WHICH THE CAUSES THE MAJORITY OF THE BRAKING WEIGHT TO BE ABSORBED BY THE FRONT BRAKES WHICH CAUSES ROTORS TO WARP DUE TO THE SELF ADJUSTING BACK BRAKES, WHICH DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. OR THE FACT THAT THE FRONT ROTORS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO CARRY THE WEIGHT OF THE V8 QUADS. EITHER WAY, THERE ARE TOO MANY POSTINGS TO LIST FROM OTHER DODGE TRUCK OWNERS AT WWW.DODGETALK.COM AND WWW.DODGEDAKOTAS.COM FORUMS THAT LIST THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FIX IS UNFORTUNATE FOR OWNERS AS IT CAN RANGE ANYWHERE FROM 600.00 - 1500.00. WHEN YOU PURCHASE A TRUCK THAT COSTS 25,000.00 - 35,000.00 YOU ARE PUTTING YOUR MONEY INTO SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE DURABLE BEYOND THE STANDARD 12,000 WARRANTIES ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. I'VE READ POSTINGS WHEREAS PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM START AT THE LOW MILEAGE OF 5,000 UP TO 25,000 MILES. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!! I'VE CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND RECEIVED AN "OH WELL, IT'S YOUR PROBLEM NOT OURS" ATTITUDE. THIS PROBLEM STARTED AT APPROX 20,800 MILES FOR ME UNDER NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS IS MY 2ND COMPLAINT ON YOUR WEBSITE!! PLEASE HELP US!!!! EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTACTED CHRYSLER HAS GOTTEN THE SAME RESPONSE. I'VE READ WHERE SOME OF THE OWNERS RECEIVED WARRANTY REPAIR WITHIN THE 12,000 MILEAGE RANGE ONLY TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN AFTER THE WARRANTY LIMITATIONS WITHOUT HELP FROM CHRYSLER BEYOND THE 12,000 EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AN ISSUE THAT WAS ON GOING PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION. WITH THE COST OF VEHICLES THESE DAYS AND THE OUTRAGEOUS MONTHLY PAYMENTS, THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. CHRYSLER IS NOT RESPONDING TO ANY OF US. HELP!!! TO SAY THAT BRAKES ARE NOT A SAFETY ISSUE IS LUDICROUS!!!*AK