2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

OUR 2002 DODGE DAKOTA 5-SPEED GOT STUCK IN A SNOW DRIFT DURING OUR BLIZZARD LAST WEEK. AFTER SHOVELING IT OUT, I FORGOT TO RELEASE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEFORE PUTTING IT INTO GEAR, NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THE ENTIRE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM IS BLOWN AND IT WILL COST $1200.00 TO FIX. CHERRY CREEK DODGE HAS THE TRUCK, THEY TELL ME THIS IS NORMAL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THEY HAVE SEVERAL OTHERS IN THE SHOP WITH THIS PROBLEM NOW. IT SEEMS LIKE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT FOR SOMETHING LITTLE LIKE THIS TO CAUSE SO MUCH DAMAGE TO AN EXPENSIVE VEHICLE. I WANT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM, IT SOUNDS LIKE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THE REPAIR SHOPS ARE MILKING LOTS OF MONEY FROM. *JB

WARM ENGINE IDLE ON 4.7L ENGINE IN 2002 DAKOTA QUAD CAB STUMBLES WHEN IDLING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. RPM AT NORMAL IDLE ONLY 500 TO 550. WHEN FLUCTUATION OCCURS IDLE SPEED RANGES BETWEEN 450 RPMS TO 650 RPMS. ENGINE VIBRATES DUE TO LOW IDLE RPM AND HAS STALLED ON ONE OCCASION. TO PREVENT STALL OUT I NEED TO SHIFT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL. HAVE BEEN TO DEALER TWICE AND WAS TOLD THEY CAN'T FIX AS NO TSB HAS BEEN RECEIVED ALLOWING FOR CHANGE TO COMPUTER. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW LAST JUNE. NOT JUST DATE SPECIFIC AS REQUESTED BY AN INCIDENT DATE. *JB

FUEL LEVEL IS OFF. THE VEHICLE MAY HAVE 7-8 GALLONS OUT OF 22 WHEN FUEL LIGHT COMES ON. BOOK SAYS YOU HAVE 1/8 LEFT, EQUALLS ABOUT 2 7/8 GAL. DEALER AND CHRYSLER SAY IT IS OK, HAVE TO KEEP FUEL PUMP COOL? *NLM

PICKUP TRUCK DRIVE TRAIN BINDS UP DURING 2 WHEEL DRIVING. THE FRONT AXLE (4X4) DOES NOT ALLOW THE FRONT WHEELS TO DISENGAGE. TRUCK HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES AND DODGE SAYS THIS IS THE WAY THEY ALL ARE. AT 4272 MILES THE FRONT TIRES SHOW SIGNIFICANT FEATHERING, AND IS STALLING OUT WHEN DRIVING AROUND CORNERS IN LOW GEAR MODE (@ INTERSECTIONS AND PARKING SPACES). DODGE SAYS THAT THE FRONT AND REAR AXLES ARE NOT LIMITED SLIP BUT POSITIVE TRACTION AND RECOMMENDS THAT I PUSH IN THE CLUTCH TO KEEP FROM STALLING. THEY WANT ME TO DOUBLE-CLUTCH TO GET THROUGH AN INTERSECTION WHEN I MAKE LEFT HAND TURNS? I FEEL THAT THIS IS A DESIGN ERROR WITH SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. *NLM

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED FOR SECOND TIME. FIRST OCCURENCE WAS AT 10,000 MILES, SECOND WAS QUITE NOTICEABLE BY 20,000 MILES. I HAD A 2000 DAKOTA WHICH CHRYSLER RE-PURCHASED FOR THE SAME REASON (HAD 5 REPAIRS IN 30,000 MILES ON MY 2000). CHRYSLER OFFERING A NON-WARRANTIED SOLUTION.

A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN THE BRAKE PEDAL ACCOMPANIED BY SHAKING OF THE TRUCK CHASSIS. PH

MY TRUCK HAS LOUD KNOCKING NOISE IN ENGINE AND DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERELY, HAVE TAKEN TRUCK IN AND THEY SAY THE ENGINE RACING IS NORMAL. THE KNOCKING NOISE IS A PURGE SOLINOID WHICH DODGE ADDMITS THERES A PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO FIX. THEY HAVE MADE ADJUSTMENTS WHICH NOW HAS AFFECTED PERFORMANCE TO ENGINE. I HAVE HAD IT IN SHOP 4 TIMES SO FAR WITH NO RESULTS. THEY TRY TO TELL YOU THERES NOTHING WRONG LIKE ITS YOUR OWN IMAGINATION.

VEHICLE'S LOG NUTS KEEPS COMING UNSCREWED, WHICH CAUSES WHEELS TO BE LOOSE. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE RIMS AND THEY REPLACED THEM, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PH, *AK

THE SECOND WRECK I CAN ATTRIBUTE TO THE ANTI-SKID BRAKING SYSTEM. (TWO SEPARATE VEHICLES). PH

GOODYEAR TIRES: I PURCHASED A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA IN JUNE, 2002. FROM DAY 1, I HAD TROUBLE STEERING. AFTER 3 TRIPS TO THE DEALER, I LEARNED TODAY THAT THE GOODYEAR TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. I WAS TOLD TO IMMEDIATELY GET NEW TIRES. THE GOODYEAR DEALER WAS UNRESPONSIVE TO MY NEED. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH DEFECTIVE TIRES. I WENT IMMEDIATELY TO A MICHELIN (SP) DEALER AND PURCHASED 4 NEW TIRES. THE MICHELIN FOLKS COULD INSERT A CAR KEY FULLY INSIDE SPLITS THAT WERE IN MY TIRES. I FOUND NEWS REPORTS OF ABC INVESTIGATING GOODYEAR BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT GETTING TO THE PUBLIC, EITHER THROUGH THE MEDIA OR DEALERS. NO INCIDENT BUT ONLY BECAUSE I TOOK THE TRUCK IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND AGAIN COMPLAINED ABOUT DIFFICULTY KEEPING THE TRUCK ON THE ROAD. THIS COMPLAINT IS SENT IN HOPES THAT AN INVESTIGATION WILL START. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIRES WERE FROM A "BAD BATCH". HOW MANY TIRES ARE IN A BATCH AND WHERE ARE THE OTHER TIRES? PLEASE RESPOND AND LET ME KNOW THE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS TO TAKE. I WAS MOST FORTUNATE BECAUSE I DRIVE 70 MPH ON INTERSTATE-10 DAILY. THE OIL CHANGE MAY HAVE PREVENTED AN ACCIDENT AND PERHAPS MY LIFE. RESPECTFULLY, PATRICIA HUNTER