2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

ITS POOR QUALITY OF DODGE. THIS IS 1 OF COUNTLESS BRAKE PROBLEMS. IF I COULD AFFORD TO GET RID OF PICKUP I WOULD. APPLIED BRAKES AFTER COMING HOME FROM HOSPICE WHERE MY MOTHER IS WITH STAGE 3/4 BREAST CANCER. APPLIED BRAKES AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, LUCKY NO CARS INFRONT OF ME,ROLLED THOUGH LIGHT, PULLED INTO SHOPPING CENTER TO STOP. AT 60000 FRONT RIGHT CALIPER BURST REPLACED BOTH FRONT. HAVE REPLACED RANGER THAT HAD 105000 MILES WITH NO PROBLEMS, REPLACED BRAKE SHOES ONCE, TURNED ROTORS AT 92,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK AND INTO DRIVE UNTIL AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN SHIFT INTERLOCK WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V555000 9POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: LEVER AND LINKAGE: COLUMN SHIFT); HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN. THE BRAKES SEIZED AND THE VEHICLE SKIDDED AND SWERVED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AS THE BRAKES RETURNED TO NORMAL AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKES OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. WHERE THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE PADS, ROTORS, HOSES AND THE BRAKE LINES, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 11/16/11 *BF UPDATED 03/08/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH HE HEARD A CLICKING SOUND NEAR THE FRONT SUSPENSION ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT NOTICED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V596000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT) AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED DUE TO THE VIN THE VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

TRAVELING SB ON US 13, I FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. STRUCK 2 VEHICLES AT APPROX. 50 MPH, POINT OF IMPACT DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT OF TRUCK. INSURANCE ADJUSTER TOTALED THE TRUCK, SO THE IMPACT WAS SURELY ENOUGH TO WARRANT DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS. THEY FAILED TO DEPLOY, RESULTING IN A HEAD INJURY TO MY COMPANION. SHE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE, SO HER INJURIES WERE DOCUMENTED. I HAD A LARGE ABDOMINAL BRUISE, BUT REFUSED TREATMENT SO I HAVE NO DOCUMENTATION OF MY INJURY. SHE HAS A PERMANENT SCAR ABOVE HER EYEBROW AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT, WHICH I BELIEVE WOULD'VE BEEN PREVENTED HAD AIRBAG PROPERLY DEPLOYED. *TR

TRUCK HAS BEEN DRIVING LIKE SOMETHING WAS GRINDING AGAINST MY FRONT RIGHT WHEEL FOR A WEEK OR SO, I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT, IT HAD JUST BECOME AN ANNOYANCE. ID LOOK UNDER THE WHEEL AND EVERYTHING LOOKED OKAY AND IN SHAPE, NO DAMAGE WAS BEING DONE. THE OTHER DAY I DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE AND HEARD A POP, LIKE SOMETHING HAD POPPED NEAR THE WHEEL, I PULLED OVER AND COULD SEE NO DAMAGE. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND NOTICED THAT THE GRINDING HAD STOPPED AND MY WHEEL SEEMED TO BE FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. I ARRIVED TO MY DESTINATION WITH NO PROBLEM. WHEN I LEFT THE DESTINATION TO RETURN HOME, I STARTED FEELING HEAVY PULL TO THE RIGHT ON MY STEERING WHEEL, IF I LET GO OF THE STEERING WHEEL I WOULD HAVE GONE INTO A DITCH OR THE WOODS OR ANOTHER CAR. I THEN STARTED NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM MY RIGHT WHEEL, I WAS A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM HOME AND FIGURED I COULD MAKE IT, I STARTED NOTICING MY BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING TOO WELL, AND ANYTIME ID PUSH ON THE BRAKES MORE SMOKE WOULD ARISE, I WENT THE 3 STOP SIGNS TO MY HOUSE AND PULLED IN, RAN AROUND AND SAW THAT BEHIND MY WHEEL HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE, TOOK ABOUT 5 MINUTES TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH WATER AND SOME CAT LITTER WE HAD LYING AROUND. IT WAS SO HOT THAT IT WOULDN'T COOL DOWN FOR ABOUT 45 MINS TO AN HOUR. WE WOULD THROW WATER ON IT AND IT WOULD SIZZLE. I QUICKLY REMOVED THE TIRE TO PREVENT ANY DAMAGE TO IT. I NOTICED IT HAD STARTED TO MELT THE PLASTIC BOOT COVER ON THE SUSPENSION. WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE WHEEL YOU COULD SEE IT HAD SNAPPED OFF ON THE BOTTOM HALF, CAUSING THE WHOLE WHEEL TO TILT INWARD WHICH THEN CAUSED A FULL ON GRIND OF THE WHEEL AND THE BRAKEPADS AND WHATEVER ELSE IS DOWN THERE CAUSING SUCH FRICTION THAT IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. I THEN DID RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THEIR HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE... :( *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE BRAKES SEIZED. LATER, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE HUB OF THE BRAKE HAD BURNED AND WAS AN ABNORMAL COLOR. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 09/21/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HE REPLACED THE CALIPER, BRAKES, HOSES, BRAKE PADS AND TURNED THE ROTORS. UPDATED 10/05/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, HE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE GETTING HOT AND SEIZING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE BRAKE PADS, SHOES, AND CALIPERS WERE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A KNOCKING SOUND COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THE BRAKES WHENEVER THEY WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO JERK DURING THE FAILURES AND SMOKE WOULD BE SEEN COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000. UPDATED 08/31/11 *BF THE CALIPER GUIDE WAS RUBBING CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SOUND LIKE METAL ON METAL. THE BRAKES SMOKED AND BECAME HOT THREE TO FOUR TIMES IN A PERIOD OF A YEAR. UPDATED 09/01/11