2003 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

I HAVE A 2003 DODGE DAKOTA CLUB CAB. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THE UPPER BALL JOINT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE ARE BLOWN. DEALER STATES NO RECALL FOR MY YEAR DUE TO THE FACT MINE IS A 2WD. CALLED CORPORATE AND HAVE HAD NO LUCK. DEALER IS CHARGING ME $400. MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 65,000 MILES. WILL NOT HONOR THE 10 YEAR OR 100,000 MILES EXTENDED WARRANTY. *TR

ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2003 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4.7L V-8. IT EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. VEHICLE HAD ONLY 60,745 MILES ON ODOMETER, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY CHRYSLER'S 7YR/70,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY BUT CHRYSLER REFUSED TO COVER AS WITH ALL THE OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. HOW MANY OF THESE ENGINES HAVE TO FAIL BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT PROTECTS THE CONSUMER? THIS OIL PUMP FAILURE IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER, BUT THEY REFUSE TO COVER ANY WARRANTY CLAIMS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE ENGINE IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN, THESE ENGINES ARE FAILING AT A VERY HIGH RATE. SPEAK WITH ANY ENGINE REMANUFACTURER AND THEY WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE DESIGN FLAWS OF THIS ENGINE AND HOW MANY REBUILDS THEY ARE SELLING TO FIX BLOWN ENGINES OF CONSUMERS THAT HAVE CHRYSLER VEHICLES WITH THIS 4.7L ENGINE. *TR

THIS IS A 2003 DODGE DAKOTA PICK-UP WITH 2 WHEEL DRIVE. UPPER BALL JOINT AND FRONT HUB BEARING ARE BOTH BAD, AND MUST BE REPLACED . THIS VEHICLE HAS ONLY 34,900 MILES ON IT. STARTED MAKING A LOUD HUMMING SOUND WHEN MAKING A TURN AND WAS TAKEN TO REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. WE THOUGHT MAYBE IT JUST NEEDED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIR SHOP THE ALIGNMENT COULD NOT BE DONE AND THE REPAIRS WERE VERY MUCH NEEDED FOR OUR SAFETY. READING ON LINE I SEE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT CHRYSLER HAS ONLY AGREED TO RECALL 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. IF DAKOTA'S WITH 2 WHEEL DRIVE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, WHY ARE THEY NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH HE NOTICED SMOKING COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE CAR WASH TO STOP IT FROM SMOKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO LOCATED THE FAILURE AS THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT. THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS REPLACED. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $320.00. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR COST BECAUSE THE REPAIR WAS NOT DONE BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 3/17/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEFECT WAS ON THE HGH VELOCITY JOINT FO THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT. UPDATED 05/14/10.*JB

3 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE HAD TRUCK IN SHOP WITH NOISE IN FRONT AND REAR TIRE/SUSPENSION AREAS...IN FOR SEVERAL SERVICE VISITS, SEEMED TO GET BETTER THAN CAME BACK, THEY REPLACED BUSHINGS//HAD NOT HEARD NOISE...JANUARY 28, 2009 VERY LOUD NOISE AND HARD TO TURN DROVE TO LOCAL TIRE COMPANY WHICH SAID MY SUSPENSION WAS BOWED THAT TIRES WERE ANGLED INCORRECTLY AND AN IMMEDIATE FIX OF THE UPPER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE DONE FOR SAFETY...$900.00 LATER THEY REPLACED. I FOUND OUT THAT NIGHT THROUGH AN ON LINE SEARCH THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL OF THE SAME PART THAT WAS CONSISTENT WITH MY SITUATION SAME MODEL MAKE YEAR/ I HAVE THE REMOVED DEFECTIVE PARTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE DAKOTA WITH BF GOODRICH TIRES, LONG TRAIL, DOT# AP72F821, SIZE P265/70/R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES FAILED STATE INSPECTION DUE TO ABNORMAL TREAD WEAR. PREMATURE TREAD WEAR ON THE TIRES INCREASED THE RISK OF A TIRE BLOW-OUT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 14,721. UPDATED 10/21/09. *LJ UPDATED 10/20/09*JB

MY HUSBAND AND I HAD DRIVEN OUR 2003 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MILES WHEN WE SMELLED SMOKE. MY HUSBAND LOOKED IN OUR REAR VIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM BETWEEN THE CAB AND TRUCK BED NOT FROM THE ENGINE AREA. AT THE SAME TIME, I GLANCED IN THE SIDE MIRRORS AND SAW SOMETHING LIQUID (OR MELTED) DRIPPING BEHIND US ON FIRE IN THE ROAD AND LEAVING A BURNING TRAIL ON THE ASPHALT. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER (THANK GOD THERE WAS A SPOT TO DO SO!) BUT HAD NO BRAKES. DUE TO THE SANDY NATURE OF THE DIRT AND SLIGHT UPHILL HE WAS ABLE TO THROW IT INTO PARK. I BAILED OUT MY SIDE AND RAN. RANDY TRIED TO EXIT HIS SIDE, BUT THE FLAMES WERE ALREADY TOO HIGH SO HE LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO GET OUT MY SIDE AS WELL. THE ENTIRE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND WHEN RANDY HIT THE GROUND HE NOTICED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HANGING DOWN AND ON ALSO FIRE. THE TRUCK EXPLODED ABOUT 10 - 15 SECONDS AFTER WE ESCAPED. THIS WAS A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE BOTH INSIDE AND OUT AND WE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING THAT WE WERE IN ANY DANGER OR THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. *TR

2003 DODGE DAKOTA, 2WD, 5 SPD MANUAL, V6. AT SPEEDS FROM 15 MPH AND UP THE BRAKE SYSTEM SEEMS TO FAIL AS THE TRUCK JUMPS AND SKIDS VERY RAPIDLY. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS ON THE FREEWAY, TRAFFIC CAME TO A HALT QUICKLY, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND ALMOST LOST CONTROL AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AS THIS JUMPING AND SKIDDING OCCURED. ALL PARTS ON THE TRUCK ARE FACTORY AND HAVE NOT BEEN MODIFIED. I AM CONCERNED AND WONDERING IF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION CLUNKING. *TR

2003 DODGE DAKOTA, 2WD, 5 SPD MANUAL, V6. ALTHOUGH A RECALL HAS BEEN GENERATED PERTAINING TO THE 4WD VERSION ONLY, MY TRUCK HAS THE SAME ISSUE. WHEN I AM DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND TURNING OR GOING THROUGH A BUMP I HEAR A CLUNK WHICH SOUNDS LIKE WHAT IS DESCRIBED ON THE EXISTING RECALL FOR THE 4WD ONLY. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. *TR

HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 2 OF 4 WINDOW CABLES AND MOTORS. TRUCK IS NOW BACK IN FOR THIRD WINDOW IN A SEVEN MONTH PERIOD. WINDOWS ARE HARDLY EVER ROLLED UP OR DOWN. VEHICLE HAS 46000 MILES ON IT, PROVING NOT A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR. FIRST WINDOW, WAS ROLLING BACK UP, GOT HALF WAY AND FELL DOWN. SECOND WINDOW FELL WHILE IN PARKING LOT AND NO ONE WAS AROUND. THIRD WINDOW FELL WHEN CLOSING DOOR. *TR