1998 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

HEATER CORE FAILED - NOW I HAVE NO DEFROSTER AND ANTI FREEZE LEAKED ALL OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE CARPETING CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO VACATE THE VEHICLE.*AK

PURCHASED TRUCK IN 1998 AND IN 2001 AT 48000 MILES HAD TO REPLACE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS IN THE FRONT END ON BOTH SIDES AND I THINK I AM GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THEM AGAIN AND MILEAGE IS OVER 99000. I ALSO MADE TWO OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR BOTH FRONT CALIPERS SEIZING ON THIS WEBSITE. I WOULD HAVE MADE COMPLAINTS SOONER, BUT JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS SITE. I WANTED TO MAKE COMPLAINTS AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE DODGE DAKOTA AND DURANGO MODEL YEAR 2000 AND UP WITH THEIR BALL JOINTS. *JB

PURCHASED TRUCK IN 1998 AND SINCE THEN THE LEFT FRONT CALIPER SEIZED AND THE ROTOR PADS AND CALIPER HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER COVERED THIS UNDER WARRANTY THE TRUCK HAD ONLY 12000 MILES AND THIS OCCURRED IN 1999. SINCE THAT TIME THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER ALSO SEIZED IN 2002. THE MILEAGE ON MY TRUCK WAS 62260 MILES. THE CALIPER PADS AND ROTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED AND BRAKE LINE. *JB

I BOUGHT MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA TRUCK IN AUGUST OF 1998 IN MARCH OF 1999 BROUGHT THE TRUCK BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR BECAUSE IT WOULD PULL TO THE LEFT. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE BRAKE BECAUSE THIS WOULD OCCUR OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING AND AT TIMES THERE WAS AN ODOR THAT SMELLED LIKE THE BRAKES WERE BURNING. THE VEHICLE WAS CHECKED AND THE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CALIPER WAS SEIZING UP AND DAMAGED THE ROTOR. THE CALIPER, BRAKE PADS, AND ROTOR WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER UNDER THE WARRANTY. *JB

WHILE DRIVING HEARD A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE. DRIVER NOTICED WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL A CLANKING NOISE WOULD FOLLOW. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT UPPER BALL JOINTS NEEDED NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS SEVERELY WORN . DUST BOOTS TORN AND NO GREASE FITTINGS (SUPPOSE TO BE LIFETIME LUBRICATED). REPLACED WITH AFTER MARKET ONES WITH GREASE FITTINGS. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 64,700 MILES . *AK

UPPER BALL JOINTS PREMATURELY WORN OUT DUE TO LUBRICATION BEING WASHED OUT (SAME PROBLEM AS DETAILED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V596000, BUT MY VEHICLE IS A 1998 MODEL AND THIS CAMPAIGN IS FOR 2000 AND NEWER).*AK

POPPING SOUND WAS COMING FROM LEFT FRONT OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE BAD AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DRIVEN WITHOUT IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT. HAD SERVICE WORK DONE FOR $1500. CONSIDERING THE PROBLEM IS OBVIOUSLY RELATED TO THE SAME ISSUE THAT SPARKED THE RECALL NOTICE IN LATER MODEL DAKOTAS, I FEEL I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIRS. *NM

WHILE MAKING A 90-DEGREE RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING LOCKS UP. AFTER A WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE STEERING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE HEAT SHIELD FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FELL DOWN ONTO THE STEERING LINKAGES, WHICH WAS LOCKING UP THE STEERING. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *NM

FAN BLOWER GOING ON AND OFF. NO DEFROST ,HEAT,AC AVAILABLE WHEN BLOWER IS OFF. SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT IS A 1998 DAKOTA. EVERYONE IS SAYING THE PROBLEM IS A RESISTOR, WHICH IS HARD TO GET TO. SEEMS AS IF THE WHOLE DASH HAS TO COME OFF TO GET TO THIS AREA. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS $85. FOR DIAGNOSTIC. CLOSE TO $200-$300 PROBLEM FOR ONLY A $9-$12 PART. SAD JUST ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR THE DODGE LOVERS. *NM