1999 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

THE ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT IN MY 1999 DODGE DAKOTA STARTED STAYING ON AFTER STARTUP INTERMITTENTLY. THE LIGHTS STAYED ON MORE OFTEN AS TIME WENT BY. SHOP COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. EVENTUALLY BOTH LIGHTS WERE ON ALL THE TIME. VEHICLE STARTED STALLING AT STOP SIGNS AND WHEN GOING AROUND CORNERS. SPEEDOMETER WOULDN'T WORK AT LOW SPEEDS--CAME ON ABOUT THE TIME DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED (20-25 MPH). SHOP REPLACED SPEED SENSOR. VEHICLE RAN FINE FOR 30 DAYS OR LESS. SAME SYMPTOMS ARE BACK. *NM

I HAVE RECENTLY HAVE HAD SUSPENSION ISSUES WITH MY 1999 DODGE DAKOTA EXT. CAB PICKUP WITH 69,600 MILES. . I HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL OWNER SINCE NEW. I EXPERIENCED SHAKING, NOISES DURING CORNING, ETC. COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE. I THEN TOOK IT TO AN ALIGNMENT SHOP AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE BAD AND COULD SEPARATE AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I DID SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AND FOUND NUMEROUS WEBSITES THAT INCLUDED NOTABLES OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SAME ISSUES. I ALSO FOUND THAT OTHER DODGE DAKOTA MODELS HAVE HAD BALL JOINT RECALLS. THIS DIDN'T INCLUDE MY YEAR OF TRUCK. I WANTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT SO THAT I CAN BE INCLUDED IN THIS ONGOING INVESTIGATION REGARDING BALL JOINT ISSUES WITH THE 1999 DODGE DAKOTA 2 WHEEL DRIVE EXT. CAB VEHICLES. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE FAULTY BALL JOINTS AS OF YET. THE VEHICLE IS NOT CURRENTLY IN USE. THANK YOU, BRENT OWENS. *NM

MY SON ESCAPED DANGER WHEN THE TRANSMISSION/TORQUE CONVERTER OF HIS 1999 DODGE DAKOTA WENT OUT ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. AFTER REPLACING THAT AND HEADING BACK HOME, HIS U JOINTS AND WHEEL BEARINGS WENT OUT ALMOST CAUSING ANOTHER WRECK. THESE WERE ALL REPAIRED. SO FAR $3000 IN REPAIRS IN A MONTH. THEN THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO AS HE WAS DRIVING. NOW THE OIL PUMP NEEDS REPLACED. ALONG WITH THE TIE END RODS, THE TIMING CHAIN, AND THE SERPENTINE. HE'D ALREADY HAD THE TOTAL BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACED THIS SUMMER. HAVING ALL THE RECEIPTS SHOWING REGULAR OIL CHANGES, THE WARRANTY COMPANY REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE OIL PUMP BECAUSE OF SOME SLUDGE IN THE PUMP. NOW I FIND FROM RESEARCHING ON THE COMPUTER THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN DURANGOS AND DAKOTAS. WE'VE PUT $5000 IN THIS TRUCK IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH. THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO ADMIT THE FLAWS IN THIS VEHICLE. THEY HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY HERE. WE ARE JUST GLAD HE WAS NOT INJURED OR KILLED. BUT WE'VE PUT OVER $5000 IN A '99 VEHICLE - WHICH IS UNFAIR WHEN THE PROBLEMS ARE RELATED TO THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF THE VEHICLE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED VEHICLE THAT EXHIBITED A FRONT SUSPENSION PROBLEM. AFTER THE INITIAL VEHICLE PURCHASE HE NOTICED A PULLING SENSATION ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED BOTH FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE DUE TO EXCESSIVE EXPENSE. *AK

VIN NUMBER: 1B7GG22YX XS206501; VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: DODGE DAKOTA 4X4 P/U CLUB CAB MODEL YEAR: 1999 A KNOCKING BEGAN IN THE FRONT END AND I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO FOUND BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS NEARLY READY TO FALL APART AND BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS WELL WORN. HE SAID DODGE HAD RECALLED NEWER MODEL YEARS BUT WAS REFUSING TO FIX THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE 1999 MODELS. THE MECHANIC SAID THE PROBLEM IN MY PICKUP WAS EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM IN SEVERAL 2000 - 2003 MODELS HE'D FIXED. I CALLED DODGE BUT THEY JUST SAID IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM. I ENTERED AN INCIDENT DATE BELOW BUT THERE REALLY WASN'T A SPECIFIC INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED. THE BALL JOINTS JUST DETERIORATED MUCH TOO QUICKLY. I'M NOW PAYING OVER $700 TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. *NM

AT 79,729 MILES AND ALL THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED OIL CHANGES AT THE DEALERSHIP (LAST ONE AT 70,000) THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, THE "CHECK GAUGES" LIGHT SUDDENLY CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND CHECKED FLUID LEVELS (OIL, TRANSMISSION, AND RADIATOR) WHICH WERE FINE. OIL PRESSURE WOULD DROP TO 0 AND JUMP BACK TO 40 WHEN ENGINE WAS RESTARTED. THINKING (INCORRECTLY) THAT IT MIGHT ONLY BE AN OIL PRESSURE SENSOR FAILURE, I TRIED TO DRIVE HOME TO GET IT SERVICED THE NEXT DAY, BUT IT BEGAN KNOCKING AND SMOKING AFTER A FEW MILES AND HAD TO BE TOWED. IT IS BEING EVALUATED NOW, BUT IT WILL PROBABLY INVOLVE A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT TO REPAIR. I NOTICED SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND THINK THAT DODGE SHOULD OWN UP TO THIS DEFECT. *NM

DT: WHEN THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT. THIS PROBLEM CONSTANTLY RECURRED WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE T AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE.*AK

1999 DODGE DAKOTA, 87,000 MILES DODGE DEALERSHIP STATES UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS (FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT) NEED REPLACEMENT BEFORE FRONT END ALIGNMENT CAN BE DONE. ALSO RIGHT HUB BEARING RECENTLY REPLACED. NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING, NO ACCIDENTS. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE WOULD NOT STAY IN ALIGNMENT. IT MADE LOUD POPPING AND SNAPPING SOUNDS WHEN MAKING TURNS. UPON INSPECTION THE UPPER BALL JOINT GREASE SEAL COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED. THE LOWER BALL JOINTS HAD UP AND DOWN PLAY, WHICH CAUSED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE TIRES. BOTH UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR MODEL YEARS 2000-2002 TWO WHEEL DRIVE ONLY. HOWEVER, THIS DID NOT COVER THIS MODEL YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL 04V596000 CONCERNING UPPER BALL JOINTS. THIS RECALL WAS FOR MODEL YEARS 2000-2002 FOUR WHEEL DRIVE MODELS ONLY. THE CONTACT FELT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY OR RECALL SHOULD APPLY TO THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS. *AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - THE OUTER TIE ROADS AND UPPER/LOWER BUSHINGS WERE ALSO REPLACED. *NM

DODGE DAKOTA 99, 2WD. BUMPER PREMATURELY RUSTS. EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS PREMATURELY RUST CAUSING MANIFOLD TO SEPARATE FROM ENGINE BLOCK. POSSIBILITY OF CAUSING EXHAUST GASES TO ENTER DRIVERS CABIN. DODGE WILL NOT FIX FAILURE - WARRANTY EXPIRED. *NM