2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

2002 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4, MILEAGE 20800, THE FRONT BRAKES WERE PULSING AND INEFFECTIVE, THE ROTORS WERE SO BADLY PITTED THAT THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DODGE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT OTHER TRUCKS WERE COMING IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM, DEFECTIVE ROTORS, AND DODGE SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL.

UNSAFE CONDITION INVOLVING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MANIFESTED ITSELF AT APPROXIMATELY 4,000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL ENTER OVERDRIVE MODE AT APPROXIMATELY 45-50MPH. ONCE THIS OCCURS THE VEHCILE WILL NO LONGER RESPOND TO LIGHT OR MODERATE THROTTLE PRESSURE. IF YOU APPLY A HEAVIER PRESSURE THEN THE VEHICLEE DROPS DOWN INTO PASSING GEAR AND TAKES OFF. THIS PRESENTS A VERY UNSAFE AND HAZARDOUS CONDITION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ENTER A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY OR PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE, IN THAT THE VEHICLE POWER AND ACCELERATION IS LOST AT THE PRECISE MOMENT THAT THE TRANSMISSION DROPS INTO OVERDRIVE. THE DEALERS FIX WAS TO REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. UNFORTUNATELY THE NEW TRANSMISSION HAS DEVELOPED THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER ONLY 3,000 MILES. THE NEW TRANSMISSION ALSO DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR WHEN STARTING UP IN THE MORNING. THE ENGINE REVS AND GAINS RPMS BUT THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT UPSHIFT UNTIL THE VEHICLE HAS TRAVELLED 4-5 BLOCKS.

2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB W/ 5.9 LITER ENGINE. MY TRUCK SUFFERS FROM A SHAKY IDLE, VERY PREVALENT WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE AND ROLLING. IS WORSE AT COLD START UP. I SUSPECT IGNITION SYSTEM= LOCATION OF COIL MAY BE THE CAUSE DUE TO BEING SO CLOSE TO THE TENSIONER PULLEY OR A OUT-OF BALANCE HARMONIC BALANCER. *JB

CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE AND RETRIEVED SOME ITEMS FROM THE INTERIOR CABIN. CONSUMER SAW A FLASH AND THEN SMELLED A "BURNING" ODOR. LIGHTING HAD STRUCK THE STEEL ANTENNA. THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED WITH THE CONSUMER'S 1997 DODGE CARAVAN. CONSUMER BELIEVED THE ANTENNA WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB

THE VEHICLE PULLED FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO STATED THE FRONT DISC ROTORS WERE WARPED AND NEEDED TO BE TURNED. *JB

MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4X4 SPORT HAS HAD SUSPENSION PROBLEMS, AND BRAKE PROBLEMS. THE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS HAVE BEEN BAD FROM DAY ONE. I NOW HAVE 35,000 MILES AND THE POUNDING AND NOISE HAVE NOT STOPPED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. WHY NOT A RECALL? *NLM

WHILE DRIVING THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING . THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED ( SIZE#P26570R16 AND DOT#PK72WDWR4001). *NLM

ROTORS AND DRUMS WORN TO BELOW OEM REPLACEMENT SPECIFICATIONS IN ONLY 20,000 MI. WITH NO TOWING INVOLVED. AT ISSUE FOR SAFETY IS WHETHER OR NOT THE DESIGN OF THE ROTORS AND DRUMS ARE ACCEPTABLE FOR THE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT OF THE QUAD-CAB LINE. THE WEAR ON MY VEHICLE IS UNUSUALLY FAST AS I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR ONLY 7 MONTHS AND DRIVE MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES. THE BRAKE PADS (LININGS) ARE STILL IN GOOD SHAPE SO, IN MY OPINION, THE COMPOSITION AND DESIGN OF THE ROTORS AND DRUMS ON MY VEHICLE ARE NOT SAFE. IF THIS ISSUE IS NOT ADDRESSED THERE WILL BE THE POSSIBILITY FOR NUMEROUS BRAKE FAILURES ON THIS MODEL IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. THE PARTS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE ROTORS AND DRUMS SHOULD BE REDESIGNED. *NLM

FRONT END LINKAGE. TRANSMISSION WON'T SHIFT OUT. FRONT END HAS A POPPING NOISE AGAIN ( SAME AS BEFORE) TRANSMISSION WON'T SHIFT OUT AND CAUSES THE MOTOR TO REV UP CONSIDERABLY. *NLM

CONSUMER NOTICED UNEVEN WEAR ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE FRONT TIRES. THERE WAS A GROANING SOUND COMING FROM THE AXLE AREA WHEN TURNING CORNERS AND THE STEERING COLUMN WAS VERY LOOSE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE. *AK *JB