2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

FRONT ROTORS WARP AFTER ONLY 20,000 MILES . DEALER COULD NOT TURN THEM DUE TO THE SEVERE RUST PITTING .AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH I FIND THIS PROBLEM VERY COMMON. ALL OF THE REPAIR SHOPS AND DEALERS AND A MAJORITY OF DAKOTA OWNERS HAVE HAD WARPED ROTORS. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFTY ISSUE DUE TO THE DIMISHED BRAKE CAPACITY OF DEFECTIVE ROTORS.*AK

THERE WAS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. *NLM. *AK

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. *NLM *AK THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING: KNOCKING IN THE SUSPENSION(4 ATTEMPTS TO FIX), THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT, THE DRIVER DOOR HAD A WIND NOISE AND WATER LEAKED, THE TAILGATE HANDLE WAS LOOSE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THE LOWER STEERING COLUMN COUPLED, AND THE UPPER CONTROL ARM BOLTS WERE FOUND LOOSE. *SCC

VIBRATION WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. WARPED ROTORS AT ONLY 27,000 MILES WHEN USED ONLY FOR COMMUTING TO AND FROM WORK, MAINLY HIGHWAY MILES. WAS TOLD THAT MANY THINGS COULD CAUSE PREMATURE WEARING AND OR WARPING OF THE ROTORS SUCH AS HEAVY TOWING AND HIGH TEMP'S. NONE OF WHICH THE TRUCK HAS ENDURED. I DO NOT/HAVE NOT TOWED ANYTHING AND FURTHERMORE THE WARPING HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER SO, HIGH HEAT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE EITHER. I'VE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ONLINE AND REALIZE NOW THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR. DODGE WILL NOT ASSIST WITH RESOLVING THE ISSUE AS THEY WILL ONLY WARRANTY ROTORS UP TO 12,000 MILES. THE OTHER CASES I'VE READ ABOUT SEEM TO HAPPEN AT OR WITHIN 10,000 MILES. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT DODGE NEEDS TO ADDRESS AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF. NOT ONLY THE BRAKE ISSUE BUT I AM ALSO EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS AS OTHERS WITH THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. MINE HAVE ALREADY HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY WERE SO LOOSE THAT YOU COULD MOVE THEM WITH YOUR HAND. DODGE SHOULD BE HELP ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE ISSUES!!!! *NLM

THE CONSUMER NEARLY HAD A COLLISION DUE TO THE MALFUNCTIONING OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. *AK *CB *JB

BRAKING FOR 4 MONTHS HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE DEALER STATES THAT IT WAS WARPED ROTORS. THE DAKOTA TRUCK IS ONLY 1.5 YEARS OLD WITH 23,000 AT FIRST START OF PROBLEM. THE DEALER STATES THEY CAN'T BE TURNED DUE TO SEVERE RUST PITTING WHEN I BRAKE THE TRUCK HOPS INTO THE NEXT LANE . THE DEALER STATES THAT IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I SUSPECT THAT THERE ARE MORE TRUCKS WITH THIS PROBLEM OUT THERE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. *JB

AT JUST AROUND 17,000 MILES, THE BRAKES STARTED TO VIBRATE WHEN APPLIED. DEALER SAYS ROTORS ARE ALREADY WORN AND NEED TO BE CUT/REPLACED, ALTHOUGH BRAKE PADS ARE STILL GOOD. ROTORS SHOULD LAST A LOT LONGER, EARLY WEAR IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO IMPROPER DESIGN, VENTING, MATERIAL AND WILL RECUR ONCE REPLACED. DODGE WILL DO NOTHING, AS THEY CLAIM THEY COVER ONLY 12K MILES ON DEFECTS. I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S A DEFECT, BUT RATHER A DESIGN ISSUE, WHICH THE CONSUMER CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, OR AVOID EVEN WITH EXTRA-EASY DRIVING. THERE IS NO ALTERNATE ROTOR AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME THROUGH DODGE. *JB

THE CONSUMER LOSS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED AT 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE HIT A TREE AND NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *JB

WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND HIT A TREE. CONSEQUENTLY NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *JB

THE BRAKES OF MY DODGE DAKOTA STARTED TO PULSE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AT 24,000 MILES AND THE ROTORS WERE WORN TO BELOW MINIMUM STANDARDS. THE REAR DRUMS HAD TO BE CUT. I DRIVE HIGHWAY WITH NO TOWING AND MINIMAL STOP GO DRIVING. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE DO THIS TO ME BEFORE SO IT IS NOT MY DRIVING. *NLM