2000 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

CRACKS ON SIDWALL OF RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS 18 INCHES LONG, AND WAS CIRCLING THE RIM OF TIRE AT LEAST 1/4 INCH DEEP. TIRE REMAINED INFLATED. ON TWO FRONT TIRES, CRACKS WERE NEAR THE RIM OF SIDEWALL AND STILL INFLATED. HAD CHECKED TIRES AFTER RETURNING FROM TRIP. TAKEN TO TIRE RETAILER, AND TIRES REPLACED ON PRORATED BASIS. GOODYEAR, WRANGLER, P215/75R15 WITH 9,028 MILES. *AK

REAR BRAKE ROTORS/DRUMS ARE WARPED, THIS WAS UNDER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, NEED TO BE RECALLED AND REPLACED,*AK

MY DODGE DAKOTA SPORT 4X4 4.7LTR V-8'S BRAKES STARTED SPUTTERING AND HOPPING AT ABOUT 13000 MILES. SINCE THAT TIME THE PROBLEM HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE. I AM CURRENTLY AT ABOUT 24000 MILES. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHERE I WORK THAT HAVE OWNED DODGE VEHICLES (99 AND NEWER) AND ALL OF THEM HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND HUNDEDS UPON HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. USING BRAKES THAT ARE DEFECTIVE ON A VEHICLE IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. HOW COME DODGE HAS NOT YET RECALLED THESE BRAKES? HOW CAN SO MANY PEOPLE BUY A BRAND NEW TRUCK AND HAVE TO REPLACE THE BRAKE SYSTEM WITHIN A YEAR? THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND DANGEROUS FOR ALL THE DODGE VEHICLE DRIVERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THANK YOU, [XXX], FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

DURING NORMAL OPERATION THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED UPPER LEFT BALL JOINT AND UPPER LEFT CONTROL ARM WERE BEGINNING TO SEPARATE. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED REPAIRS, BUT PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AS CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AWAY FROM DEALERSHIP. SECOND INCIDENT RESULTED WHEN MECHANIC FAILED TO TIGHTEN BOLTS, ALLOWING PROBLEM TO REAPPEAR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ ATTACHMENTS*AK.

REAR BRAKE PULSATING OR SHUDDERING. HAVE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND SEEMS TO BE WIDE SPREAD.*AK

WHEN APPLIED BETWEEN 35 AND 40 MPH, THE REAR BRAKES WILL PULSE CAUSING THE REAR END OF THE TRUCK TO HOP. THE REAR DRUMS ARE WARPED BUT "HARDLY WORN" ACCORDING TO THE INSPECTOR AT MIDAS. THE TECHNICIAN AT MIDAS TOLD ME THAT RE-SURFACING THE DRUMS WOULDN'T FIX THE PULSING & HOPPING PROBLEM. I FIRST REALLY NOTICED THIS PROBLEM AT AROUND 17K MILES AND IT HAS BEEN CONSISTENT AND REOCCURRING EVER SINCE. I HAVE TRIED TO FIND RECALLS OR TSB'S FROM DODGE (DAIMLERCHRYSLER) REGARDING THIS PROBLEM BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN ISSUED THAT I COULD FIND. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, MANY OWNERS WHO ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM WITH SIMILAR DODGE DAKOTAS AS IS EVIDENT BUT THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE SEEN POSTED ON VARIOUS SITES ON THE INTERNET.*AK

THIS PROBLEM HAS TO DEAL WITH A ROUGH/LOW IDLE AND OFF IDLE HESITATION WHICH SOMETIMES RESULTS IN ENGINE STALLING IN TRAFFIC OR WHEN CROSSING HIGHWAYS. THE IN GEAR WARM IDLE IS AT A VERY ROUGH 500-600RPM. WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS TURNED ON THE IDLE JUMPS UP TO A FAIRLY SMOOTH 700 RPM, AND THE TRUCK RUNS FINE. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ALL CURRENT UPDATES AND RECALLS PERFORMED. THE DEALER HAS CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY AND IAC MOTOR UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE PROBLEM IS LESS EVIDENT IN COLD WEATHER OR WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED TWICE; ONCE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ONCE WHEN CROSSING THE HIGHWAY. THE ROUGH IDLE IS ALWAYS PRESENT (SOMETIMES WORSE THAN OTHERS), BUT THE STALLING IS VERY INTERMITENT. I AM AFFRAID THAT THIS WILL AT SOME POINT CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

WARPED FRONT ROTORS CAUSING SEVERE VIBRATION IN STREERING WHEEL AT CRITICAL BRAKING SITUATIONS, LIKE COMING DOWN HILLS IN TENN. OR PULLING A TRAILER.*AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER 45,500 MILES. DEALER HAD TRIED TO FIX PROBLEM IN APRIL 2001 BUT TRANSMISSION FAILED IN OCTOBER.

BRAKES KEEP FAILING ON THIS VEHICLE -LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE SLOWING DOWN FOR EXIT RAMP. LEFT ROAD AND SLID ON GRASS TO A STOP. DO YOU NEED FATALITIES TO MAKE THIS AN ISSUE? WITH MORE THEN 50 DOCUMENTED COMPLAINTS ON FILE WITH NHTSA IT WONT BE LONG NOW. *AK