2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

THE HEAT QUIT WORKING IN OUR 2001 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB. IT WOULD NOT WORK ON ANY OF THE BLOWER SETTINGS. I BEGAN LOOKING UP POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM. I REPLACED THE FUSE, AND IT STILL DIDN'T WORK. I ALSO REPLACED THE RESISTOR. WHILE LOOKING ONLINE FOR OTHER OPTIONS, I REALIZED THAT MANY VEHICLES FROM DODGE FROM THAT YEAR AND SURROUNDING YEARS HAD A COMMON PROBLEM. EVERYONE HAD MENTIONED THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED. SURE ENOUGH, I WENT AND CHECKED AND IT WAS MELTED JUST BEFORE WHERE THE RESISTOR PLUGS IN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PREVIOUSLY HAD REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V596000 (SUSPENSION, FRONT CONTROL ARM, UPPER BALL JOINT). HE WAS EXPERIENCING AN ABNORMALLY LOUD SQUEAKING AND CLANKING SOUND WHILE HE WAS DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IDENTICAL FAILURE RECURRED AFTER THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

COOLANT WAS LEAKING NEAR CAP, COULD NOT REPLACE BECAUSE DEALER CLOSED ,DEALER ONLY PART,TRIED DUCT TAPE FOR TEM. FIX UNTIL DEALER OPENED, DID NOT STOP LEAK, WAS STILL WET AT CAP GAVE CAP A TWIST TO INSURE TIGHTNESS,,, PLASTIC HOUSING SUFFERED MAJOR FAILURE, SPLIT APART AND COVERED ME WITH SCALDING COOLANT,2ND DEGREE BURNS ON 10% OF ME.. BEWARE IF YOU HAVE THE 2.5 L ENGINE THEN YOU HAVE THIS SETUP. ALL DODGE NEEDED TO DO IS MAKE THAT THIN PLASTIC PIECE OF JUNK A BIT THICKER. *TR

STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT HAS ALOT OF PLAY GETS WORSE ON HIGHER SPEEDS FOUND TO BE THE UNIVERSAL JOINT ON THE SHAFT SHOULD BE A RECALL VERY DANGEROUS CAN CAUSE LOSE OF CONTROL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, HE COULD FEEL THE BRAKE DRAGGING FROM THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER ADVISED HIM THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE NEW AND THAT THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY MALFUNCTIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED TO THE OWNER, HOWEVER THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE AND THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,615 AND THE CURRENT WAS 62,000.

THE STEERING IN MY 2001 DAKOTA QUAD-CAB HAS BECOME VERY STIFF TO TURN. IT COMES AND GOES, BUT CONCERNS ME SINCE MY WIFE SOMETIMES DRIVES MY TRUCK AND I'M NOT SURE IF SHE COULD TURN THE WHEEL IF SHE NEEDED TO IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IS THE CULPRIT. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER ON AND THEN BACK OFF. ALSO ALL GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL HAVE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. HE WAS AWAITING THE CONCLUSION OF THE TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

THE HORN QUIT THE CRUISE CONTROLS QUIT WORKING. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ARE ON AIR BAGS ARE DEAD THE CLOCK SPRING IS BAD IN ALL THE 2000 2001 DODGE DAKOTA 'S ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER SAID SOUNDS LIKE YOU GOT A PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR

1. THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE ON MY VEHICLE WILL ONLY OCCASIONALLY ENGAGE WHEN THE SELECTOR IS SET TO 4-WHEEL DRIVE. IF ENGAGED IT ALWAYS DISENGAGES SUDDENLY AND/OR RE-ENGAGES AT RANDOM TIMES. IN OTHER WORDS, IT GOES IN AND OUT OF 4-WHEEL DRIVE RANDOMLY AND ON ITS OWN WHEN THE SELECTOR IS SET TO 4-WHEEL DRIVE. 2. THE PROBLEM BEGAN DURING THE WINTER OF 2008-2009 AND HAS CONTINUED TO THE PRESENT. THIS HAS CAUSED UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS AND SLIDING ON ICE AND SNOW COVERED STREETS WHEN THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE SUDDENLY GOES OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH. I HAVE NOT YET HAD AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT BUT HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF VERY SCARY INCIDENTS AND NEAR MISSES. 3. ON JULY 7, 2009 I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. AFTER 2 DAYS OF DIAGNOSIS HE REPLACED THE CONTROL MODULE BUT STILL COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH HIS DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER FOUND THE COMPONENTS WORKING CORRECTLY INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER. HE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON LINE AND FOUND IT SHOULD BE RELATED TO A SAFETY RECALL FOR DAIMLER CHRYSLER. HE PRINTED OUT THE RECALL INFORMATION FOR ME, WHICH I HAVE IN MY POSSESSION. 9/19/09 I TOOK IT TO BELLEVUE DODGE, 120 116TH AVE NE, BELLEVUE, WA 98005 WITH THE RECALL PAPERWORK. THEY TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS RECALL ITEM. SINCE THIS IS SUCH A DANGEROUS PROBLEM I FELT A REPORT IS IN ORDER. *TR

LOWER STEERING COLUMN SHAFT HAS A BUSHING THAT FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING. TRUCK VEERED INTO A DITCH AT 30MPH. I CALLED DEALERSHIP TO PURCHASE THIS PART AND FOUND OUT THAT IT IS ON A BACKORDER OF OVER 100. WENT TO SEVERAL AUTO RECYCLERS AND USED PARTS STORES AND FOUND THAT EVEN THEY HAVE THE PART BACKORDERED. THIS SHOWS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE IF THERE ARE SEVERAL BACKORDERS AND THE PARTS IS A REQUIRED TO SAFELY OPERATE THE VEHICLE. I AM SURPRISED THAT THERE ARE NO ACTIVE RECALLS ON THIS ITEM. *TR