2000 DODGE Dakota

Was driving and I went to stop and before I got stopped completely the truck just shut off. And it makes a clicking noise from the starter but I took the starter off and can’t turn the motor with or without the starter and it has right amount of oil and all the fluids and it hasn’t ever over heated or made any noices so I don’t kno why it just locks up I never had any problems out of it before. It only has 103273miles on it

We purchased our 2000 Dakota Quad Cab 4×4 4.7L V8 in August 2002 with approximately 42,000 miles. We began having problems from day one. This truck has an ever present vibration that seems to come from the front end, in addition to a clunk noise primarily when turning, but also at other times. We have returned time and time again. Some things have been found and fixed, but the problem still remains. The things fixed were upper control arms, sway arm bushings, and even four new tires. We keep being told that the vibration can\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’t be felt by the dealer\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’s mechanics, but yet they did make some repairs and I do have one document where a mechanic did indeed feel it. I also have a problem with the steering wheel sort of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’catching\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’ or almost jerking to one side when rounding curves. For this they added what they called "anti-slip" to the rear end. That problem continues. The transmission continues to give us grief as follows: When accelerating either at a traffice light, or going up hill, the truck gives a very sudden and deliberate "jerk" almost as if someone were behind the truck pulling on it suddenly. It did it one time so bad when accelerating up hill that my son\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’s seatbelt tightened against his body much as it would if you came to a sudden stop. The dealer recently had my truck for four weeks and the only thing they did in regard to these complaints was to replace the tires. The transmission performance they tell me is normal, though I drove a 2002 Dakota during those four weeks and didn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’t have ANY of these problems. Another thing I notice with this truck that I didn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’t with the 2002 (nor did we have any of these troubles with our 95 Dakota that we traded in) is that the transmission seems to shift constantly. In the past couple of weeks we have noticed what seems to be an oil leak possibly from the rear of the motor as we get a very noticeable oil smell when going up hill. Almost forgot – from the day we bought the truck the back passenger door wouldn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’t shut properly. You had to slam it hard to shut it. The door ajar light would come on if you didn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’t slam it. We had the same problem with the tailgate – you had to slam it hard to shut it. They did make a few adjustments to the door and also replace the latch mechanism in the tailgate. Thus far, because we notified the Dodge dealer where we purchased the truck immediately, these problem checks and repairs have been covered by the dealer because we had a 60 day warranty.As it stands now I have another appointment to bring this truck back for the vibration, chugging, clunking, transmission and oil leak. I\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’m also concerned that on one of these visits our powere steering fluid was very low and am wondering if it is leaking. I was told that it isn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’t, but it was supposed to have been changed and filled at the time of purchase. UGH! Would be very interested in hearing about other similar 2000 Dakotas. Thanks.

TRUCK WHILE DRIVING NORMAL DOWN HIGHWAY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND TRUCK BEGAN TO SHIFT AND CLUNK INTO GEAR, NOW AFTER I GOT IT REPAIRED THE ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON AND IT CLUNKS INTO SECOND GEAR.

TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AT 30 MPH.DODGE RECOMMENDS COMPLETE OVERHAUL.SERVICE ADVISOR GAVE ME THE #800-992-1997TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE.WILL FOLLOW UP WITH RESPONSE…

THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AS I WAS DRIVING. ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF TRUCK.THE PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

The paint on the roof is like burning off and every other black Dakota I see has the same problem. The rest of my paint seems to be following the trend slowly but surely. This is ridiculous, I wax it every 3 months; it had plenty of protection it has to be bad paint. Especially considering every other one I see has the same problem. Something must be done. I called Dodge and they told me my warranty was expired and no one else had complained of this problem.

The paint is corroding/peeling aroung my doors and front quarter panels. I have been told by a dealer representative that it will also happen on my hood and other front quarter due to the bubbling showing in the clear coat. Dodge has only offered to cover 1/2 of the cost to repair wich will exceed over $1500(total). My warranty information shows that the Corrosion Warranty for the outer-body sheet metal panels is covered for 5 years or 100,000 miles. I believe that that the clear coat is turning white due to corrosion.Does it have to have holes in it to be Corrosion?? Dodge previously re-painted my roof in Nov. 2003 for the same problem, thus admitting that it was a factory defect, but now they won’t step up and accept responsiblity. I called the manufacturer Customer Service and was told that they could not overrule the District Manager’s decision. When I requested to speak with a supervisor and the name of the District Manager I was told that he could not provide that information. Dodge treats their customers like crap. I’m glad to see that GM is taking better care of theirs with this issue.This is very frustrating as a consumer.

The Mirrors block the drivers view of people in the cross walk there have been numerous times people in cross walk and cars coming at a right angle to car.The mirrors block a normal persons vision

The brakes on my 2000 Dakota give me a intermitent pulsation. Sometimes the operation is perfect, while sometimes the pusation is so bad it shakes the cab. This began at less than 10000 miles. It is not so bad that I consider it a crisis. The brakes have never failed to stop the truck when called upon to do so. It’s more of an iritating, nagging problem. I previously had a ’94 Dakota. Same brake problem, yet in reviewing sites such as yours, I don’t see others with problems like this. I begin to feel like the "Lone Ranger".

Suddenly had white smoke pouring out of exhaust pipe. Contacted Chrysler Extended Warranty. They arranged for truck to be towed to nearest dealer. Dealer tested truck and found low compression. Dealer then took off intake manifold and found large amount of sludge buildup in motor. Dealer contacted warranty company and told them sludge build up due to lack of maintenance, would need new engine. Claim for repairs denied. I had truck towed to dealer that I purchased vehicle from. This dealer said head gasket leaking allowing coolant to mix with the oil. This dealer is now repairing head gasket, cleaning motor etc. Says truck should be fine. Second dealer contacted warranty company-they still deny claim, even though head gasket is covered, saying they don’t cover sludge. Oil and filter on truck has been changed as scheduled in owners manual, once by a auto shop that I have a receipt for and other times by me. Unfortunately I didn’t save receipts for oil and filter purchases. I have spoken to warranty people by phone and they told me my claim is denied, will not be changed and not to contact them again. Truck was used when I purchased it, which is why I decided to buy the extended warranty. A meaningless piece of paper that I paid almost $1000 for and now am shelling out more for a repair that should be covered. What a horrible company. First and last Chrysler product that I will ever own and I will tell anyone and everyone that if they want a decent vehicle they should always consider paying a little extra for a GM product. I have owned 16 vehicles and have never had a problem like this and I have done almost all the maintenance myself.

SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE CAUSING THE TRUCK TO STALL DURING RUSH HOUR FREEWAY TRAFFIC MORE THAN ONCE.THE TRUCK HAD TO BE TOWED 3 DIFFERENT TIMES THE TRUCK HAS BEEN FOR REPAIR 4 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. ONLY ONCE WAS THE TRUCK UNDER WARRENTY. ALL REPAIRS SENCE THE FIRST TIME HAVE BEEN PAID FOR BY THE OWNER.FIRST FAILURE WAS AT 39,000 MILES.

Rear diff went out

Power steering pump blew all of the power steering fluid out through the main seal. Steering failed. Pump had to be replaced becasause seal was not available from manufacturer.

Paint on the roof and doors is peeling. The clear coat is flaking off. The dealer and chrysler said it was out of warranty…Date of failure: October 2004Mileage at failure: 48,000Total repair cost est.: $2,000

One of my kids was leaving the house via the driveway with my 2000 Dakota. The front wheel fell completly off at the end of the drive. I had it towed to the nearest certified repair garage. The total cost for repairs including new axel, wheel, tire, upper and lower ball joints, brakehose, rotor, shock, brake pads,bumper and labor was over 1800.00 dollars. The cause of accident was due to the faulty ball joints and happened while the the nationally advertised call back for the dakotas and rams regarding faulty front end ball joints was taking place. Daimler Chrysler sent me a letter stating that they would reimburse me the cost of repairs. Upon sending them all reciepts for reimbursement they replied with an official letter signed by Debbie with no last name stating that they regretfully cannot cover the cost for the damage done by their faulty ball joints. Thanks a whole bunch Dodge and would you tell that abnoxious salesman from the Dodge dealer I purchesed the Dakota from to stop calling me and trying to sell me another Dodge product. Never again!

Oil sludge plug up oil holes. Dodge say it

I had to prematurely replace upper control arms with ball joints, then tie rods and finally tires and alignment as a result. the vehilce had probelms earlier but I didn’t get tot he bottom of it until after the warranty had run out. Dodge District service rep denied any pattern of problems and denied help even though warranty had recently expired at 30,000 miles.

I first took in my truck at 8,260 miles for spark knock.They claimed the problem was fixed.It was fixed under the Warranty.Again at 21,677, I took it in again for the same issue.Virginia Beach Dodge said again that the problem was fixed.I took it in again at 24,915 and they said it was Intake Leaking that caused it to knock and ping.I took it back and they fixed it again and I was charged no money because of the warranty but was charged 71.16 for the computer check.When the problem arose again I took it to Greenbrier Dodge.They didn’t charge me but said the problem was fixed.That was at 26,915.Back at 28,482 miles and the same thing they said they fixed the Spark Knock.No Charge.31,649 I took it in again and they did a tune up and said it wasn’t covered under the warranty.That cost $123.I took it in back to Virginia Beach Dodge.69,249 I took it in and they put fuel injector cleaner in the truck and said that would fix it.$6.00.70,215 and I knew that the warranty with the dealership was about to run out.took it in again.$140 to replace cap distributor,cables,rotor distributor.They said that would fix it.82,252 the warranty is gone and I had to pay $128 to replace plugs and valve-crankcase vent.The issue I have is I made numerous attempts at getting this one problem fixed and now that the warranty has run out all cost will be my responsibility. I called Chrysler and they acted like they were not responsiblw what so ever and I had to take all complaints to the dealer.Sorry this so long but I have to document every visit to show the attempts I have made.

I bought the truck with a bent suspension that Dodge refuses to fix. I went through arbitration but the arbitrator said I didn’t prove the suspension was bent, even though I had two body shops look at the suspension and say the suspension was bent. I have seen other models like mine that have the axle offset to the left like mine and I wonder if it is something Damlier/Chrysler has always known about.

Faulty upper control arms, ball joints and tie rods that failed prematurely. I had them replaced as well as the tires they ruined. I addition, I had to get the truck realigned 2 times during the course of diagnosing and final repair. The truck’s steering and suspension are still not right. The region Dodge Rep denied that premature failure of the ball joints and control arms was a pattern.

Engine Light Continues to come on and the engine surges without warning. This vehicle has been to the same dealership six (6) times to date and is scheduled again 7/30/03. Same problem each time and parts replaced so far are: AIS motor/Filter AI/Cleaner T/EVAP Port/Solenoid/Fuel Injectors/Plugs/Plug Wires/Leak Detection Pump/Fuel Tank Neck & Gas Cap/AIS motor again/Motor Air/Cleaner T.Vehicle continues to surge without warning.

Dodge Dakota has new locking system that lock automatically when engine starts. While driving cross country, just before our stop in Texas the driver side lock started making terrible sound every time engine started, then again when engine stopped. In Texas my husband tried to get to it to see if he could fix it. It broke and locked for good. We couldn\’t open or shut the door for the rest of the trip to Virginia. Took it to dodge place, they said to take to collision place where we waited almost two hours to get it open. It is still not hooked up right, husband has to open driverside door by reaching across from passenger side to open the door. Now the back door behind driver is starting to act up, it makes a terrible sound and sometimes opens and then not. This is a dangerous situation, once the locks lock up one cannot get in or out of the door. The locking system should not have been hooked up to the starting of the vehicle. If these locks get messed up in an accident one cannot get out or in the truck. They would have to use a crowbar to get in. Haven\’t taken to Dodge again, but I would estimate about 500.00 to 600.00 to get this fixed. I would rather have the auto locks that one can open and lock themselves. I thought this was neat when we first got the truck, but now its just awful. Very very dangerous.

At 58405 miles one front brake caliper was replaced at a cost of $484.43 on 6/2/03.At 70720 miles the front brake rotors were replaced at a cost of $156.60 on 2/10/04.At 76780 both front brake calipers were replaced at a cost of $651.40 on 7/7/04.The truck is used in light duty. I believe the dealer mishandled the repairs possibly causing additional and repairs. I also believe that there might be a design defect in the front brakes.

After following all manufacturer suggested servicing and oil changes, my husbands ’00 Dodge Dakota started making rattling noises in the engine. The vehicle has never been off road and has been very well taken care of. So we took it to the dealer for a diagnostic and repair. Apparently the engine needs to be replaced! It only has 60,000 miles on it! I am baffled that this could even happen as most of today’s engines last roughly 150,000 to 200,000 miles! None of the repairs fall under the warranty and the lemon law time period has lapsed. We are furious about this! I will write every possible source and enter complaints. We would be thrilled if others would like to join us in a class action law suit. I cannot believe that Dodge does not stand behind their product. But then from what I have read, I am finding their product is not worthy of being “stood behind”. What a rip off!

2000 Dodge Dakota R/T with rear abs brakes. Rear brakes never worked from day one, although the emergency worked just fine. That tells me mechanically they worked, but hydraulicly they didn\’t. This vehicle was eventually bought back by Chrysler and I was told it would be fixed or scrapped and that the title would show it to be a buy back. Carfax shows it as good for resale! I do not want anyone driving an unsafe vehicle previously owned by me or any others. Now I find a dozen or more of these vehicles with the very same problem and I can\’t get any action on this. I\’ve complained to NHTSA with no response, and to Chrysler. These are a few rare cases, I\’m sure, but seems to be all 2000 up to 2002 models of the R/T only. Not other Dakotas. It\’s a design failure of some kind related to the mastercylinder/proportioning valve combo. It seems strange that a brake system would fail like this, and now in 03, they have a entirely new brake system! Tells me they were aware of a problem.

Engine over heated, and blew a valve.

2000 dodge dakota developed a misfire in the engine while driving with the cruise control engaged.*mr the consumer stated he recently read where there was a service bulletin out regarding a sensor in the transmission. *jb

Dodge dakota 2000 consumer states vehicle shakes when brakes are applied. *bf the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer because he heard about a recall on the dodge dakota. the dealer explained that the recall was for 4x4 vehicle's only. *nm

Heard a clunking noise from front end. vehicle also shakes when apply brakes. *bf while driving over 65 mph the front end of the vehicle shook as though it was misaligned or unbalanced. it also shook when the brakes were applied at speeds of 50 mph or higher. the vehicle's wheels have been balanced, the steering aligned, the brakes and rotors have been replaced yet the problem recurs. *nm

2000 dodge dakota steering problems.*mr the consumer's vehicle made strange noises, shook excessively and pulled to the right. the consumer suspects that the ball joints are the cause of the problem. the consumer would like to know the status of the investigation in progress on the dodge dakota's. *nm

Tl* the contact owns 2000 dodge dakota equipped with cooper tires, tire line: futura, tire size: 275/75/r15. the contact stated that the tires were very loud while driving. the contact stated he took the tires to pepboys (7725 w newberry rd, gainesville, fl 32606, (352)332-6003) to be inspected. the contact was informed that the wheel bearings were faulty and needed to be replaced. the tires were not replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 235,100.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. while driving approximately 25 mph, the frame underneath the passenger side of the vehicle fractured without warning. the contact had not called or taken the vehicle to the dealer. the contact's insurance company informed the contact that the vehicle was not operable and was unable to be repaired. the contact attempted to speak with the manufacturer, but was unsuccessful. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

My transmission is not shifting right and it is very sluggish in freeway and while we idling. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. while the vehicle was parked at the contact's residence, the fuel tank detached from the vehicle without warning. an independent mechanic was contacted and came to the contact's house. the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and confirmed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. the fuel tank was strapped to the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic where it was currently being repaired. the dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000. the vin was unknown.

Bad rust issue to areas including front and rear bumber, the entire bed including mounting points, fenders, cab corners and frame. lost fender flare twice due to rust and almost caused an accident the entire bed slid back and almost fell off and fenders and bumbers are basically rust and need replaced, wheel wells on bed are falling apart causing a safety issue if i haul anything

"takata recall" the power steering continues to leak even after several repairs have been made.

I have been the owner of my truck since 2007 . i have had 3 car wreckers and my6 air bags never deploded. i need to know what to do ? ..updated 09/28/17 *bf updated 7/19/18*jb *tr

When you apply the brakes to stop or slow down the vehicle while in motion, the drivers seat slides forwards. i can't seem to figure out what is causing the seat to move forward when coming to a stop

Complaint #10734989 7-19-2015.no response from you. calling and sending e mails since october 2013 not just your department! no one will help. you, dodge or the person when i was sitting on the side of 71s. & promised someone would call me back - oh it was friday afternoon and everyone was leaving work! no one will help me resolve this.do i and have to get killed before anyone will start to listen! purchased this vehicle in july 2010.when driving at a speed of 65, long distance the engine light comes on, slows me down to 45. the engine makes the loudest whinning (like something is stuck under the hood) like it wants to blow up!!!pull over - wait til the light goes off. temperature gauges do not show overheating. i've started replacing parts.still light comes on and slows me down to 45 i actually am very upset about no one helping me. i was told to take to dealer when it does it..i did and they can't find anything wrong because light is now off to drive it there. they tell me to leave it and they will go thru it. "i don't have the money to have them do this" my life as well as my grandchildren, father, me and anyone that i have had in this car is at risk. being on the side of the expressways or exit ramps waiting for this light to go off with semi's, cars, flying by. people are driving off roads with distracted driving hitting people parked on the side. i don't want to be a fatality! my grandchildren were in the back seat and i was parked along i96. my father (alz) was in the car while i was parked on us23. my husband and i...when do i get help. when someone is dead. please please is it the cvt!!! i don't know anymore.... i was depending on you to help me or dodge. i have to drive to nc and i am actually scared to drive the distance.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. the contact stated that when the ignition was turned to the on position, steam appeared from the vents. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the heating coil spring needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 118,795. updated 02/10/16*lj;updated 04/30/18*jb *js

I was slowing down to turn into my driveway and the other vehicle was speeding and took a curve to fast and crossed the center line and hit head on. the driver side air bag did not deploy properly and the passenger side airbag was busted when it was deployed. the steering wheel inner componets came out with the airbag which did not inflate and caused injury to my chest area. the passenger side airbag deployed but was busted and caused my daughter to get a broken arm. i believe this was a default in the airbag system in my truck. my two youngest children were taken to the hospital by ambulance.

It has been confirmed. i have received a second opinion and have been told intermediate drive shaft needs to replaced. i have researched this problem and am totally confused as to why chrystal has not yet issued a recall on this faulty part, it has been an ongoing issue for many dodge owners. all nhtsa needs to do is search it online. so many complaints and yet no action has been taken. i have written/ emailed to dodge corp. and was told that recalls need to be processed through nhtsa. please anyone else having this problem file a complaint so dodge will finally do something about it!

While driving car, turn signals stopped working, all fuses and relays and new turn signal have been replaced, and turn signals still not working, since this happened it still has not been working. also at idle, car revs up to 2000 rpm, and drops back to normal idle, this problem happens at any speed or at idle. car was tuned up, and no codes found. but still revs up at times. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. the contact stated that there was inadequate clearance between the front driver side brake tube and the power steering hose, which caused the power steering hose to become punctured. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 00v193000 (service brakes, hydraulic). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 200,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. the contact stated the engine failed. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000. updated 12/30/14*lj

Brake lines rusted-lost all the fluid. the brake lines had to be replaced and fabricated by the repair shop. *js

My front brakes keep sticking. this is the third time it's happened. i've replaced the pads, calipers, discs and lines twice now. i just finished that repair about 5000 miles ago because of the same problem. last week, smoke pours out of my front right wheel well, and the truck is pulling and vibrating.....same issue. why does my truck keep doing this? *tr

While driving at approximately 65 mph tread completely separated from tire but did not lose air and i was able to control the vehicle. tire tread caused over $2,000 damage to the bed of the 2000 dodge dakota pu as the tread explosively separated from the truck. the tire was 6 years and 3 months old with less than 20,000 miles on it. we do live in an area that experiences summertime temps in the 90-110 degree range. the temp that day in may was about 90 degrees. i am reporting this because i just had another definity dakota h/t tire develop a bulge and looks like it is about to experience a tread separation also. tire is on the same vehicle and the same, passenger side rear position as the first tire incident. both tire were purchased in feb 2007 as a set of four definity dakota h/t. tires. i checked with pep boys and the local rep said he was not aware of any problems with these tires and state that he had them on his vehicle. *tr

Tl- the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the air bag warning light remained illuminated and the cruise control failed. the local mechanic performed a diagnostic which located a failure code at the clock spring. the manufacturer advised the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 01v153000 (air bags, cruise control). the failure mileage was 110,000 and current mileage was 196,000. the vin was unavailable. mah

I have noticed that most if not all dodge vehicles are having a peeling problem with the clear coat of paint which over time affects the paint and then rusts the vehicles, whether they are a car,suv or truck. i am assuming that it is from watering down the paint to save monies for the company but cheats the consumers in the long run. since there is no warranties on the paint then once this problem is noticeable it is to late for the consumer to claim or pursue any legal actions against dodge. shame on cooperate america. *tr

2000 dodge dakota truck. consumer request an investigation on defective tires. *smd the consumer stated the tires he purchased, would lose air on a constant basis. also, there were rust stains coming from the side of the tires.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. the contact stated while driving various speeds with the brake pedal engaged, the front brakes locked without warning and a strong burning odor and smoke emitted. the failure was experienced several times. the rotors, calipers and master cylinder were replaced twice. the failure was not corrected. the vehicle continued to smoke when the brakes were applied. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 48,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab. the contact stated that the vehicle stalls without warning. the vehicle has no power steering or brakes when the failure occurred. the contact also stated that the vehicle does not sputter or hesitate prior to stalling and when the security warning light is flashing, he is not able to start the vehicle. the contact has to play with the remote to get the light to turn off, and stated that all of the gauges on the instrument panel stopped working when the failure occurred. the vehicle had not been inspected. the vin was not available and the failure mileage was 78,000. the current mileage was 78,900.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab. while driving approximately 30 mph the contact began to hear a squeaking noise and the steering wheel suddenly became loose. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where they informed that the the steering wheel failure was related to the defective upper ball joints. the manufacturer was notified and the contact was advised the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 98,000 and the current mileage was 134,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota . the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the front wheels locked up. the front calipers needed to be replaced the failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 165,000. updated 04/22/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota 4x4. the contact stated that when driving, the rear tires would suddenly lock up. he had to press the overdrive button to stop the failure. the contact stated that the problem caused him to have to replace two transmissions. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the transmissions were replaced. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was 131,625. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

2000 dodge dakota slt. very low mileage 36,300 events leading to failure: driving failure: brake line rusted through to point of failure. first occurrence in this truck. almost hit another vehicle. spilled brake fluid on a 2 mile drive to work. did not know was spilling. warning light came on only after failure (possible during) correction: buying parts to fix broken line. other lines look bad also, may need replaced soon. have to wait another week for another payday. should be a safety recall!!!. this happened to my father in his 1999 dodge dakota,so this is nothing new. *tr

Steering locking up due to faulty steering shaft universal joint. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota with tbc big o sxp tires, line size p255/70/r15. the contact stated that the tires exhibited abnormal bubbling. the tires were replaced however the failure persisted. the contact stated that the tires would only last for one year and a half before exhibiting the failure. the contact inquired with the manufacturer in regards to an unknown recall for the tires. the manufacturer advised that they were not aware of a recall and no further assistance was provided. the dot number was not available. the failure mileage was 52,000 and the current mileage was 110,000.

Universal in the shaft wears out and causes excessive play in the steering wheel,and could break. had to buy a new shaft off ebay,that dodge has since improved. *tr

Brake lines totally rusted out all over truck at 70k;have contacted nhtsa before about terrible oem quality vs rust of brake lines. please mandate stainless lines and brass or stainless fittings .~ 5$ per car, save 1000's of lives. the present "protection" coatings on steel are truly useless. nhtsa replied they are "too expensive" last time. i checked costs actual quoted cost difference on 25 feet of tubing was about 8$. far more important than anything else you can do. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument control panel, which indicated that the air bag system was inoperative. also the cruise control switch would not activate. he had not taken the vehicle to the dealership to-date. he called the manufacturer regarding recall 01v153000 (air bags) for the air bags and was informed that his vehicle was not included. the cruise control switch was replaced. the repair did not remedy the failure. the current mileage was approximately 151,360. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Heater core in dodge dakotas. the heater core in dodge dakotas seems to be a really big issue with thousands of people complaining about the defective part. with a bad heater core, anti-freeze is expelled through the ac vents as a steam which is inhaled by the drivers and passengers. inhaling antifreeze can have many results: antifreeze fumes can cause eye irritation and upper-respiratory irritation. additionally, inhaled fumes, particularly if from a mist, can cause breathing difficulties, headaches, drowsiness, blurred vision, irregular eye movements, nausea and vomiting. material safety data sheets show that repeated inhalation of antifreeze fumes may affect the central nervous system. coma may occur if the inhaled antifreeze fumes were in mist form. dodge really needs to make a recall on these faulty heater cores. i have read many forums where at least 5 heater cores have been replaced within 50,000 miles. that is way to frequent for just common wear and tear. it is expensive for the consumers to fix and has some bad health related issues from inhaling the antifreeze caused by this faulty part. *tr

Rotors turned and then warped/wore set of pads down to bare metal in less than 20,000 miles. rotors were warped at 32,000 (at time of purchase), 50,000, 63,000, and 80,000. rear brakes replaced at same interval as front brakes, but hardly any wear was present at time of malfunction of front brakes. all other brake components inspected, no other failures noted. failure caused an accident due to the brakes giving out. rwal does not function. no system indication to malfunction. pulled fuse, and system faults as normal. extremely poor brake performance/endurance. *tr

Dodge/chrysler 9.25 inch rear differential failure. retaining clips for the clutch pack of the true-trak differential fall out. the metal parts get chewed up by the ring and pinion and cause the rear end to fail. this is a very common problem as i researched the problem and found hundreds probably more of the same problem. dodgetalk.com forums.there have been instances where the rear end locks up and causes crashes. i was lucky it did not cause me to crash. i called chrysler and they said cars out or warranty sorry. *tr

The ball joints in 2000 dakotas were recalled on only the 4x4 models. i have a 2000 with 2 wheels drive. the manufacturer sent out a letter saying it was recalled, inspected it and said they were fine. that was at 50,000 miles. now at 99,000 the ball joint disconnected from its unit, causing me to almost crash into a telephone pole. manufacturer will not pay for towing to get seen, and will only replace the ball joint. most of the suspension parts on the side of the defective ball joint were damaged. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. immediately after purchasing the vehicle and driving approximately 55 mph, all of the instrument panel indicators illuminated. the vehicle then began to shake and the contact placed oil in the vehicle. he restarted the vehicle and it began shaking even worse. he turned off the vehicle and called the dealer. the dealer retrieved the vehicle and gave the contact his original vehicle back, but did not return his money. the current and failure mileages were 130,100.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. the contact noticed a small red puddle underneath the vehicle. upon further inspection, he observed that the transmission fluid level was low. he added transmission fluid to the vehicle. while driving at an unknown speed, he took the vehicle to the dealer. the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 00v197000 (power train:automatic transmission), although the failures were identical. the dealer would have to get authorization prior to making any repairs. the manufacturer stated that because the vehicle was eight years old, they would not assume responsibility for the repair. the vehicle has not yet been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 174,168.

The truck was being driven at approx 25 mi per hour. there was a loud thump. smoke began to pour out of the hood. i pulled over. flames were visible underneath. the hood blew open and flames poured out. in less than 4 minutes the truck was totaled. *tr

Engine overheated relay and relay board melted. can not replace relay dodge knows of the problem and sells a relay relocation device. this is defect and they know it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. while driving between 30-35 mph, the contact swerved to avoid a cat and struck a tree and a parked car. the air bags failed to deploy. the key broke off in the ignition and the turn signal was damaged. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact's face struck the steering wheel. as a result, her teeth went through her lip, her face was bruised, she sustained a black eye, and her right hand was cut and swollen. a police report was filed. the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. whenever the contact turns the steering wheel while driving at any speed, the front end of the vehicle pops. she also hears a clanking noise in the front suspension. the contact took the vehicle to a repair shop and was informed of nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint). the failure mileage was 8,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab. while driving 55-60 mph, the contact smelled hot brake fluid and noticed that the brake pads were grinding into the rotor. the vehicle was towed to his residence. upon further investigation, the contact discovered a defect in the knuckle of the vehicle. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 169,000 and current mileage was 169,015.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab. while the vehicle was warming up for approximately five minutes, the service cap on the radiator hose ruptured. the vehicle is not able to be driven. the current and failure mileages were 117,000.

No specific crashes that i am personally aware of, but there have surely been many, possibly attributed to other causes. the failure-severely rusted brake fluid lines which have caused loss of braking. it occurs very frequently in the 'rust belt states', ie massachusetts for example. repair involves replacing rusted lines and related parts, usually at substantial cost to vehicle owner. the reason for reporting this problem is that i am a repair shop owner with over 40 years in business, and i am seeing more of this problem every day. it constitutes a substantial percentage of my shop's business. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota with cooper discovery a/t tires (tire size p215/75/r15). she observed that the tire pressure was very low on all four tires. the mechanic stated the tires were cracked and would be unable to maintain air. in addition, he stated that the front passenger side tire needs to be replaced. as of may 23, 2008, the mechanic had not repaired or replaced the tires. the current and failure mileages and the vin were unavailable.

We bought a 2000 dodge dakota sport in january 2008. ever since we've had it, it's rpm goes up to 3 1/2 to 4 rpms before it shift from first to second and from second to third. at first, it was when we would first leave our parking lot, and now it does it almost all the time. we bought it at kunes in delavan, wisconsin and they say that it's normal. we've never owned a vehicle or known anybody who has ever had that happened to. the truck only has 67,000 miles on it. if this is normal why is it getting worse the more we drive it. *tr

Timing cover housing that also houses water pump and thermostat, has poor casting quality where coolant enters housing from lower radiator hose resulting in erosion of material and ultimately leaks out radiator fluid. after speaking with chrysler corporate, they are not willing to furnish pars for repair or labor to complete repairs. even with having information that an average of 24 parts per week across u.s. are being ordered and replaced they are not willing to act upon this problem. i feel that i should not be responsible for repairs that need to be made due to poor product quality for engine components that are essentially non-consumable. *tr

Premature front wheel bearing failure: replaced left front wheel bearing at 72,026 miles; needs replacement again at 79,505 miles; 15 months later. (2000 dodge dakota: p/n: 52009528ae. *tr

Clips in rear differential broke (believe they held the spring to the clutch plates). car is dodge dakota 2000, with 80,000 miles of light use ( no towing, light and infrequent hauling) beleive there is a design defect with the clips that may cause premature failure in the rear differential.*cn

I have a 2000 dodge quadcab 4.7 piece of crap truck that i bought new. it has 59,000 miles on it and has been maintained since new with the regularly scheduled maintenance. in addition, i have replaced two of the computers which cost me about $1800 combined. for the past year or so it has been running like crap. it stalls, the idle speed fluctuates drastically. at times the idle speed will go from 500 to 2500 rpms fluctuating up and down when sitting at a red light. the people next to me must wonder what's going on with my vehicle lunging the way it does. the second computer that was replaced was done in an effort to correct this problem and it failed. im am tired of spending money on a vehicle with so few miles for a problem that many many other dodge owner have experienced. i feel like i was duped. my wife's toyota camry just hit 130,000 miles and we have never had a problem with it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. while driving 2 mph, the vehicle failed to stop when the brakes were applied. the contact applied the emergency brake in order to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop and the mechanic stated that the metallic brake line was rusted. the mechanic replaced the brake line. the current and failure mileages were 92,000. the consumer stated had 2 front brake lines plus second line between junction blocks replaced by the dealer and after inspection revealed additional rust. updated 11/20/07 *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. the contact heard a clunking noise when he drove over a bump in the road. he noticed that the steering wheel was loose when he attempted to turn the vehicle. the dealer replaced the upper ball joint. the failure occurred immediately after the upper ball joint was replaced. the dealer performed a wheel alignment and stated that the front end was out of symmetry. the dealer stated that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced. the dealer replaced the lower ball joints, rotors, calipers, and tires. however, the failure persists. the current mileage is 101,000 and failure mileage was 95,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. the drivers side seat belt buckle assembly has failed. the dealer/manufacturer will not replace the assembly free of charge. the current mileage is 93,000 and failure mileage was 52,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab. while driving 60 mph, the contact experienced difficulty steering the vehicle. the mechanic stated that the rack and pinion, ball joints, and tire rod needed to be replaced. the mechanic performed the repair. approximately four years later, the vehicle experienced the same failures. the current mileage is 85,100 and failure mileage was 57,400.

Rotors and front brake pads wear out prematurly. rotor wear indicates the problem seems to be with the caliper primarily applying preassure from the piston side while the oposing side seems to bind. rear brakes are still original while front have been replaced 3 times.

The door locks on my 2000 dodge dakota have failed to work. they lock but do not unlock from the inside. they have been repaired 2 times and have failed a third . i was told the door latch/lock assembly is the part that is failing also the central timer module is also in need of replacement. the doors will unlock from outside with the remote but will not unlock from the inside. *jb

Noise from engine compartment and vibration from steering wheel. sounds as if power steering pump was low on fluid. makes a load noise when steering became difficult to steer. drove short distance to repair facility and was shocked that the high pressure hoses had split. also the rack and pinion steering will have to be rebuilt if possible if not replaced. also a boot was torn and has to be replaced. work has not been started as i find it is necessary to get more than one estimate. the local garage wants in excess of $1200 for the repairs while the dealer wants over $2000. approximately 12 months ago i had the upper ball joints replaced under warranty and had to get a front end alignment at an extra charge. no visual signs of wear was noticed. *jb

Truck fuel leak. 2000 dodge dakota quad cab purchased new december 1999; mileage 66,000 + ; extensive preventative maintenance performed on vehicle, also garaged when not in use; truck is not 4wd and is only driven over paved roads. . started smelling fuel in garage, then could smell fuel when truck parked in open, finally could smell fuel when stopped at traffic light with windows closed and air / fan not on recirculate. went to dealer, found fuel dripping from vehicle tank. dealer says it is a molded fuel line from the tank, and it is being replaced now. this is the second fuel leak in this vehicle!! just over 2 years ago, the truck intermittently quit while driving,and it took 4 visits to 3 dealers to get the fuel pump / filter diagnosed as the problem. that repair left a fuel leak which required 2 subsequent trips to dealer [ and one other repair facility] to get repaired. driver / owner is 60+, with extensive driving experience, having owned 3 trucks, and at least 10 over vehicles manufactured in the us, japan, and germany, and is a pilot by training. driver / owner has never experienced a fuel leak in a previous vehicle; he also thinks that his expectations are not outrageous , and that this is a safety issue.*jb

Tl*- the contact stated that while driving her 2000 dodge dakota (139000 failure mileage) at 50 mph in the light rain, she attempted to go around a slightly sharp curve, but the curve turned out to be sharper than expected. when the contacts applied the brakes heavily the wheels locked, and the contact skidded, hitting the embankment. after the crash, in the process of exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the seat belt belt did not tighten to secure the occupant in the seat. as a result, she hit her head on the windshield. *ak

My 2000 dodge dakota drivers side window regulator has failed. i also own a 2001 caravan whose drivers side regulator broke 2 years ago and my 2001 durango had both left side drivers and passengers window regulator broke as well. that is now 4 windows regulators failed in less than 3 years. *nm

Truck started to pull to right upon mid-level braking. was told brakes ok, tie rod ends bad/replaced, no change. then told rack & pinion bad/replaced, slight change, still pulls to right, getting worse. now 3 months later and after $400.00 in repairs, i go with a different shop, i was told brakes caliper bolts are stripping out. this causes the brake shoes to move when braking, binding, then pulling the steering wheel out of hands. has also caused right tie-rod end to go bad again. the biggest danger is that upon braking the steering wheel turns to the right and i could lose control of the truck. have been trying to find a good used steering knuckle and all the ones found have the same problem. the fix is, if caught soon enough, heli-coil new threads or replacing the steering knuckle ($415.00 part alone). *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds on normal road conditions, the steering wheel malfunctioned on a worsening basis while trying to turn in any direction. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who determined the intermediate shaft of the steering column needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not included in any recall due to the vin. no replacements had been made. the contact encountered similar complaints on the nhtsa website # 10120725 regarding the steering column.

A design failure in the timing chain cover 4.7 cid 2000 dodge dakota in the housing where the ther. housing bolts to the cover. a pin hole leak occurred. dodge has redesigned this cover 2 times to correct the design error. defect cover is available for inspection. 145,000 miles. *nm

I own a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab. 3 out 4 electric door locks stopped working in the same year and the last that has not been replaced will not lock when it is cold outside. *nm

Felt 'clunking' noises through steering wheel. during annual massachusetts vehicle inspection in august 2006 truck failed on front suspension test. took to wcs automotive in rockland, ma. mechanic determined both upper and lower ball joints on both right and left side required replacement. total repair bill was $809.56. old (original) parts no longer available. *jb

I bought a 00 dakota r/t used not from a dealer in 2004. i had some alignment problems and took it to the dealer where the truck was originally purchased from. they said they needed to change some parts to align it which cost over $1000. about 1 1/2 years later it needed alignment again and now the alignment is still off. the wheels are fighting each other and there is a creaking sound when going over bumps and it also feels like there is no suspension at all. i have changed the shocks recently and it made no difference whatsoever. *jb

I own a 2000 dodge dakota 2wd. there are defective ball joints on the front end. there was a recall on 4wd dakotas, however, there has been no recall for the ball joints on the 2wd models. there was an "extended warranty" that was silently (as in i never knew there was an issue) on the ball joints on the 2wd models. i have had 6 years of continuous trouble with the front end of the vehicle (i bought it brand new 07/2000). as in i have replaced the rotors on the front end at least every 3 months for the first 18 months of owning it. i have had it aligned (front and rear alignments) over a half dozen times. all work done in the first 18 months was done at the dealer, who should have been, and probably was made aware of the issue. after 18 months of paying to fix the problem (out of my own pocket because dodge's warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on) i conceded defeat (and took the word of the dealer) that nothing was wrong, and there was nothing to worry about but maintaining the rotors and purchasing new tires ever 12-16 months. when made aware of the problem, dodge is unwilling to correct the defect. if no one has died, there is no problem. let all buyers beware, safety is not always the most important issue. *jb

The doors lock and unlocking intermittently without activating the power door lock switch. there is also a clicking sound from the power door locks. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated another driver turned in front of the vehicle while traveling 35-40mph, the brakes were applied, but the vehicles collided in a near head on position. the contact was not wearing a seat belt, but sustained no injuries. the police took a report at the scene and the vehicle was towed to the contacts home. the manufacturer was not alerted.

Dt*: the contact stated while backing out of an angled parking space, the passenger side tire would not turn. the contact determined the outer tie rod came apart. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and the contact repaired the vehicle. the manufacturer was alerted.

Consumer complaint regarding upper ball joint recall (04v-596000)that caused possible collision and death of passenger. *ts *nm

My wife was driving home from work in my 2000 dodge dakota pickup truck. she heard a knocking noise and the engine locked up. fortunately she was able to coast to a stop (she of course lost all power assist to the steering and brakes). the dealership denied my extended warranty claim so i purchased a rebuilt engine block and i am in the process of having it installed. there was excessive sludge buildup in the manifold and a piston rod had broken. *nm

2000 dodge dakota constant mechanical failure due to the type of rotors, brake pads, and ball joints they use. they use inferior products that do not last on a vehicle based on normal wear and tear. have to constantly replace brake pads and rotors about every 20,000 miles. that is not acceptable. dodge products from the earlier years really suck. i am not sure about the newest models such as 2004 and 2005. *nm

When the truck is started the rear drum brakes have a tendency to lock upon first braking. abs does not engage when this happens. brake operation normal afterwards. had an ase mechanic adjust drums problem returned four months later. front rotors have warped twice. first time the rotors were replaced at approximately 2 years/25k mileage. rotors were replaced again 2 years later/50k mileage. rear drums are not adjusting properly. *jb

When the truck is off for several minutes or more, it takes several seconds for the engine to start. this started when it was about 5 yrs old with about 70,000 miles on it. it will start immediately if it has just been turned off. i suspect a lowering of gas line pressure when the engine is off. *nm

Dt: the contact's vehicle was involved in a single car accident while driving 35-40 mph. it struck a tree. upon impact, the airbags did not deploy. the passenger was wearing a seat belt. however, he sustained facial injuries. a police report was taken at the scene. the vehicle was towed from the scene. a manufacturer's representative inspected the vehicle, who determined that the airbag sensor functioned at the time of the accident by the computer codes. he stated the airbags did not deploy because of the location of the impact. this determination was made based on the data collected by the representative. there was extensive damage to the front of the vehicle. no repairs have been made. *ak

On my 2000 dodge dakota my steering knuckle snapped past the tie rod on the wheel part of the right passenger side if the vehicle (front) this part is approximately a 1 inch by one inch of solid steel. this resulted in a crash with a parked manatee county patrol car. i believe this part should not have snapped under any circumstances. the investigating police offier agreed. i was not issued any traffic violation after the officer saw what had happened. i also believe this is a manufacturer defect that should be investigated . i plan to be following up on this with a phone call to your ageny. i wonder how many ticking time bombs are out there? i am aware of the recall of upper ball joints falling off and i am wondering if maybe defective steel is the cause. *nm

There has been a failure of the oil pump in my 2000 dodge dakota sle with the 3.8 liter engine.... 60k miles, out of warranty...!! 60000 miles !! the dealer service dept claims that it was due to sludge build up of the pick up tube of the oil pump. i changed the oil often and use a good quality synthetic oil... no way "sludge" could be built up due to the oil. i have seen other instances of this engine having been known to make sludge on the internet... great...!! in a related matter, i had the oil filler tube replaced about two years ago as it was sludge up... the service fellow replaced a baffle and cap on the filler tube.. there was a considerable amount of sludge build up on the inside of the tube assembly. are the two related..? i would like for dodge to pay for the oil pump replacement if they knew before hand that this engine indeed makes sludge. *jb

The 2000 4 wd dodge dakota with the 4.7 engine that we own and bought new (last time...) had an oil pump failure at 60k miles. the dealer had the vehicle for a week to repair the problem citing sludge build up and lack of maintenance as the reason for the failure and the reason for the longer than quoted repair time. originally the quote was for 6-8 hours plus the cost of the pump which also came in higher than quoted, we ended up paying more than twice the quoted hours for the replacement of the pump. the "sludge" build up problem bothers me because it is reported all over the internet with other people having this problem in the 4.7 magnum engine. the dealer told me that the pick up tube of the pump was blocked with sludge, hence the oil pump failure. well that in it self is all understandable however, why does it make sludge...? three years prior to the failure while changing the oil i happened to have discovered a slimy sludge build up in the oil fill spout on the engine, asked the service folks at the dealer about this condition and the reply was yes, this is a known condition, come in for the retrofit to cure this "moisture" problem in the 4.7 engine. the service dept did indeed install this baffle and cap and i asked then if there were any other problems associated with this condition. no was the reply. so, my contention is that the aforementioned oil spout sludge problem went hand in hand with the sludge build up in the engine and caused the failure. i feel that the oil pump failure on this vehicle is not acceptable given to miles on this, a well maintained engine and i would like for chrysler to pay for the repair fully and to investigate the reliability and failure trend in this engine and sludge making tendencies leading to these failure. rad. *nm

Brake failure due to rusted brake pipes. *jb

I read in today's paper about the investigation of 2004-05 dakotas and durangos with the investigation into steering looseness and problems - our 2000 dodge dakota quad cab had to have the shaft replaced due to a broken connection - it had loosened for a long time until it affected our driving. the dealer repaired it to the tune of $ 250 and about 3 weeks later my minister had the same problem with her dodge durango also 2000 - the mechanic even said "do you know a mrs. ksionzyk from your town - i just replaced the same thing on her dakota" i don't think this is a coincidence - this is a very small dealer and community. *jb

Power lock actuators all failed one after another. the first one to fail was the driver's side rear in 2002. the other rear and passenger front failed in 2004 and now the driver's power lock actuator is malfunctioning. is this common and should there be a recall if so?*jb

Dt: 2000 dodge dakota. the consumer had an indication that it looked like a faulty clockspring assembly. the dealer stated that unless the airbag warning light was on there was no problem. spoke to a mechanic, he said that even though the warning light was not on now that the airbag will eventually fail. the consumer contacted the manufacturer, and go reference number 14124132. there were no recalls on this vehicle. this began at noon on october 4, 2005. . the stereo was completely out. this occurred when activating the tilt on steering wheel. the steering wheel has radio controls that go through via the clockspring. *ak

Transmission failed on dodge dakota on a hill. no crash but i heard this is happening to tons of dodge trucks at around 70,000 miles. some one could get hurt. transmission had to be rebuilt. *nm

2000 dodge dakota developed a misfire in the engine while driving with the cruise control engaged.*mr the consumer stated he recently read where there was a service bulletin out regarding a sensor in the transmission. *jb

2000 dodge dakota recall #119667 (upper ball joint replacement). i took my vehicle in to get the recall performed and i was told i needed to pay for an alignment to set caster, they are telling me that the toe adjustment is included in the recall but not the caster, dodge customer service agrees with them. i have been in the business of repairing cars for 18 years and 99% of vehicles that have upper ball joints replaced need a caster adjustment. dodge needs to include this in the recall and give the people that have paid for this adjustment their money back. *nm

Brakes, out of round or warped rotors and drums, prevents smooth stopping and locks-up individual wheels. front rotors and rear drums replaced twice in 50k miles, and worn out again. *jb

I have a 2000 dodge dakota sport. the color is solar yellow. in late april of this year, i noticed that my clear coat was starting to peel and it was turning white in other sections of my truck. i took it into a dodge dealer which told me that the clear coat is too thin on all panels. he contacted chrysler to let them know what was wrong, and they denied to fix it since it is out of warranty. so i wrote them a letter asking them to reconsider since it wasn't my fault that the clear coat was too thin on the whole vehicle. they have informed me that it is out of warranty.

While driving down the road at approximately 40 mph, the engine of my 2000 dodge dakota truck, 4.7 liter v8, just quit. the result was a complete loss of power steering. power assist for the brakes quit after two attemps at brakeing. i coasted to the side of road and stopped. i restarted the truck and check engine light came on. the next day, the check engine was not on. a week prior to this occurrence, the power train control module was replaced under warranty. at that time, only the check engine light was coming on. it would go out in the next day or so.

I purchaced in march 2004 a used 2000 dodge dakota quad cab with 71,000 miles. with in the first month the right rear window regulator needed to be replaced. in july '04 the right front door regulator went out that needed to be replaced. in sept '04 the left rear window went bad. in may 2005 the left front door regulator went out. i find it hard to believe there is no recall on any of these regulators. even thou its a 2000 and in good shape. the dealer informs me no recalls. i have researched on line for any information to confirm this? no luck. i'm very frusterated as a dodge owner. there has to be some information some where to support all these problems happing with in the first year.

2000 dodge dakota developed a brake problem.***no answer required***.*mr the brake would pulsate when braking and cause severe problems with the abs which almost took the vehicle off of the road. the brakes were replaced a year prior. *sc

Dt: the contact owns a 2000 dodge dakota. the consumer stated that he had the recall work done for the upper ball joints and that after the recall work was done the vehicle pulled to the right. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who indicated the vehicle needed a front end alignment which would cost $60. the consumer indicated that he did not have a problem with the vehicle's alignment before the recall work was done. *nm *jb

Transmission shifted rough from when it was brand new. brought to dealershop no less then 10 times in 5 years complaining. no problem could be id'd until last week. the engine malfunction light came on while sitting in park. the dealership id'd problem as faulty valve body. replaced valve body and transmission solenoid, at a cost of over $950. vehicle has 63,000 miles.

Driving down the road made a complete stop started to make right turn but the tires did not turn luckiely i stopped just in time to prevent an accident the steering shaft that connects to the steering colum completly broke off therfore leaving me with no control of my truck. i replaced the steering shaft. the replacemen part has been replaced with a upgraded part. that lead me to believe the manufactuer knows about this problem. this could have been much worse if i was on the highway traveling at a much higher speed. i was out of 286.00 dollars but i much rather be out of 286. dollars than out of my loved ones.please help before some body gets seriously hurt or loses thier lives. dodge also have a recall on this truck problems with the conrol arms that could break and have no control of the steering this also leads me to believe why the the steering shaft on my truck broke off. *ak

Vehicle 2000 dodge dakota pick up 2 wheel drive. failed new jersey motor vehicle inspection for ball joints. there was a letter about the upper ball joint failure. upon inspection found both upper and lower ball joints have excessive play to the point where they may pull out of the socket.

Consumer received recall 04v596000 concerning ball joint wear in december 2004. consumer contacted 3 dealerships, and was told that they could not get the parts.*ak

While driving at highway speed steering rack and pinion failed, causing the vehicle to pull to the left, and resulting in a collision. consumer had the vehicle towed. dealership will be notified.*ak

Dodge dakota quad cab 2000, problem with transfer case shifting. *bf the truck began to shift out of normal gear. when the vehicle did go out of gear, the consumer had to coast to the side of the road and come to a complete stop before he could get the vehicle to shift back into gear. the consumer stated a truck of this age and mileage should not require this type of repair. *jb

Vibrations during braking at high and low speeds. pulsing while depressing brake pedal. today the right front brake overheated while driving at highway speed on level road. the disc brakes were locked up on the rotor and would not release. appears to be a failure within the caliper??? i have heard several other reports of similar incidents of this type. is this a design flaw or problem that can result in an accident? the truck may have caught fire due to the overheating of the brakes, however it did not during this incident.*ak

A loud noise came from the rear of the vehicle, and vehicle shook uncontrollably. driver pulled over, and noticed that the right rear passenger tire tread separated from the wheel, and the tire damaged the under carriage of the truck. driver was able to change the tire, and took it to the dealership. mechanic claimed that a cause could not be determined at this time. daytona radial 31q05r.15lt . *ak

'recall campaign' dodge dakota 2000, consumer replaced ball joints . *bf the consumer was notified by phone that he would be reimbursed for the ball joints which failed. the tie rods also had to be replaced and consumer feels he should be reimbursed for that as well. *nm

Upon starting the vehicle consumer was unable to shift gears to third. also, vehicle failed to go into reverse. excessive force had to be applied to clutch to get it to go into reverse. then, vehicle stalled. when the tow truck arrived consumer was able to change gears with 2 fingers. dealership was currently taking the transmission apart , but indicated that the failure may be due to a bad flywheel. two tsbs, #6089740 and #6089792 were issued on this failure.*ak

While servicing vehicle for nhtsa recall campaign 04v596000 concerning upper ball joints it was determined that inner tie rods were bad due to wear.*ak

While pulling away from a stop light the pinion nut fell off, causing the rear end to lock up. this caused the pinion to twist inside the differential, and lock up between the differential casing and the ring gear. *ak

Have a dodge dakota-it had a leaky head gasket; when brought in for repairs chrysler warranty will not cover because they say there is sludge in engine due to lack of oil changes; i have changed oil and i don't see how a lack of oil changes would cause a leaky head gasket anyway. paid extra for extended warranty; chrysler people very rude. i bought this truck used and have had it for 2 years, 30000 miles. had engine oil tested and anti freeze was in the oil, explained this to warranty people and they still refuse. i called them twice and they told me not to call again. i want my money back for the extended warranty and i want chrysler to know that they have rotten products and i will never own another one. *ak

2000 dodoge dakota - immediate, catastophic failue of upper ball joint. vehicle operated fine just days before then suddenly loud clunkomg and steering pull to the right. tandard auto parts houses do not carry the proper parts - citing dodge says you must replace the entire lower control arm.*ak

All the balljoints on my 2000 dodge dakota quad cab 2wd with 51,000 miles, have gone bad. the lowers i replaced because there was no recall or notice of extended warranty. while replacing the lowers, one the the dust boots fell off the upper ball joint on the passenger side. i then inspected the boot to find that there was dried grease(flaky) and the balljoint was extremely easy to rotate by hand. i then realized that the boot should not have been able to come off on its own. so i called two local dodge dealerships and explained the issue. they explained that even though the boot came off(and did confirm it should not have), and that the grease maybe dried out, that they would not replace the balljoint until it actually has play in it. now i know that without grease, the balljoint will wear out faster, and that these have already been an issue. i am really concerned that they do not want to correct the problem before it becomes dangerous. i do have high resolution pics of the balljoint described above. thanks.*ak

' recall campaign' issued for 2000 dodge dakota 4x4 for upper ball joints, parts not available. *bf recall# 04v596000. *sc *jb

A loud clanking noise started coming from the rear of the vehicle. the driver also noticed that the vehicle would sway from left to right on its own. the consumer was able to drive to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the suspension needed replacement due to wear and tear. please provide additional information. *jb

While the vehicle was at the repair shop for a front end alignment, the mechanic informed the consumer that the upper and the lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *jb consumer believe 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive dodge dakota trucks have the same front ball joints, therefore repairs should be paid for under the current recall. *bf *nm

Power steering pump went out while driving my 2000 dodge dakota with only 60,000 miles. apparently the main seal blew out and all fluid leaked out causing difficult steering. required that the entire pump be replaced. *ak

Recall campaign 04v596000 concerning ball joint wear. unable to get the dealer to honor the recall. consumer stated, it has been over three months. *ak

The passenger side power window failed then two weeks later driver's side window failed. the power door locks made a loud noise when locking or unlocking. motor needed to be replaced. *ak *nm

The tilt feature on the steering wheel of the consumer's 2000 dodge dakota shorted out a wire which caused the headlights to go out. *nm the problem occurred when the vehicle was 16 months old and recurred 12 months later. *sc

Nhtsa recall campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin, but the front right tire fell off at 55 mph. *ak

No parts were available for recall campaign 04v596000. concerning ball joints. lithi dodge, 425-255-7220. *ak *sc *jb

Consumer was a part of a recall for the ball joint. he contacted the dealer, and was told there were no parts. was told he would be placed on a list. please provide any further information. *ak

While driving 30 mph the upper ball joints failed. as a result, the steering also failed, causing the vehicle to crash into a guard rail. no injuries reported. *ak

The vehicle's steering rack failed resulting in noise while steering. *nm the vehicle was originally taken to the dealer to have the ball joint recall done. the consumer informed the dealer of a creaking noise in the steering and was informed that the noise was a symptom of the recalled ball joints. when the vehicle was finally taken to the dealer they indicated that the steering rack was faulty and causing the noise in the steering wheel. the consumer had to pay $1000. to have the steering rack replaced. the consumer believes this part should have been covered under the recall for the ball joints. *nm

Dodge dakota 2000 consumer states vehicle shakes when brakes are applied. *bf the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer because he heard about a recall on the dodge dakota. the dealer explained that the recall was for 4x4 vehicle's only. *nm

The consumer was driving 15 mph coming out of a drive- thru and the brakes locked up. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer on three separate occasions within the last 6,000 mi. the dealer was supposed to have fixed the problem. however, within the last 7 miles, all four brakes have locked up again. provide further details. *jb

Steering column develops clunk. is most notable on braking and acceleration. original column replaced at end of 36000 mi warranty period. new unit developed same problem after 12000 mi. concerned that failure may cause binding in steering and loss of control. *nm

I own a 1999 dodge dakota 4x4 which has the same problem as the 2000-2003 ball joints problems. consumer wants the vehicle to be included in the recall. *bf the front end felt loose with shaking and clunking noises. the consumer was informed that the ball joints were bad and needed to be replaced. this problem caused damage to the front end. the consumer requested reimbursement. recall campaign 04v596000 *sc *jb

Dealer has not had parts for three weeks. this is for nhtsa's recall # 04v596000 regarding ball joints. *nm

The vehicle would make a whining noise while driving 30 mph or more. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop. the mechanic informed the consumer that the differential unit needed to be replaced. the consumer stated this would be the forth replacement within a year. the dealer and the manufacturer were notified. *jb dealer however. there is vibration at 40 mph. tires and suspension inspected, no problem found. engine hard to start following overheating. dealer found no condition that merits a repair. *tt

The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the upper ball joint recall. the mechanic replaced the upper ball joint and informed the driver that both lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to the parts being dective please provide further details. *jb

While driving approximately 5 mph, consumer hit a pot hole. suddenly the front driver side wheel literally fell off. *nm

No injury yet. we drove from ca to tx. just before we get to texas the driver side lock started making very loud shrill noise everytime we started and stopped the engine. lockes on this truck lock and open when engine is started or stopped, which is very bad. husband tried to fix problem, then it locked up for good. husband had to slide in from passenger side the rest of the trip. these locks are very dangerous. took truck to dodge dealer, they suggested to take it to collision place. took 2 hours at collision place to get door open. but door is not fixed. have to manually open and lock door from passenger side now. now the backdoor on drivers side is making the same sound and sometimes works and sometimes not. they should have never changed locks to open an close with turning on the engine. once these lockes stop working one cannot get in or out of the door. if there is a wreck and these locks stop working, there will be injury or death. i am trying to warn people before there is an injury or death. this is very serious.*ak

Automatic door lock on 2000 dodge dakota failed in the locked position, was not able to open with key, key fob or door handles, inside or out. if failed before an accident, emergency personnel would not be able to open door. replaced door latch with built in actuator. *nm

While driving 20 mph front passenger side wheel separated. dealer stated the upper ball joints failed. *ak

The consumer had trouble unlocking the passenger door from the inside. the consumer will contact the dealer. *jb power locks will not unlock either door of vehicle, whether using the keyless entry keyhole or using the unlock button on the door. the only way to unlock vehicle is by a combination of using key and remote at the same time as pulling up the door lock button. this condition would be quite unsafe in any emergency situation and need to repaired by the manufacturer. vehicle started making noise at 34,000 miles but still work. vehicle stopped working at about 38,500 miles. *sb *nm

The state vehicle inspection station was inspecting the vehicle. the inspector informed the consumer that the vehicle failed the inspection because both upper ball joints needed to be replaced. the dealer was notified, and informed the consumer that this vehicle was not covered under that recall.*ak

Vehicle experienced upper ball joints problems. in the process the lower ball joints were being effected by the defect of the upper ball joints. consumer made an appointment with the dealers for thursday january 6, 2005. *ak

Consumer took the vehicle to dealer for nhtsa recall 04v596000 concerning ball joint replacement. after retrieving the vehicle and arriving home the driver's side front rim cracked, and the tire was ruined. consumer was told that lugs: nuts were placed on too tightly. the dealer denied that any ting was wrong. *ak

Nhtsa campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle was included in the recall, but there were no appointments available until april, which could be dangerous for the vehicle to be driven.*ak

The upper ball joints wore out prematurely on the passenger's side. *ak

Consumer stated she had to have the lower ball joint, and tie rod replaced. *ak

On the evening of november 4, 2004, the right front tire assembly of my 2000 dodge dakota pickup truck fell off. my 17 year old son was making a right turn into the driveway of a friend's home when he heard a loud bang. when he got out of the truck he found the right front-end of the truck resting on the wheel assembly. the following morning, the truck was towed to a local repair shop that i use for car maintenance and repair. upon arrival at the repair shop, the shop owner told me that the upper ball joint had failed. as a result of the failure, the lower ball joint and outer tie rod were also damaged and had to be replaced. based upon the mileage on the truck, the shop owner told me that the ball joint should not have failed. total cost to repair the upper and lower ball joint and the outer tie rod was $595.67. *nm

Vehicle was taken to the dealer for a routine inspection, and mechanic determined that both frontal lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to worn out parts. *ak

I have had wobbling on the freeway and had to replace both upper ball joints and one lower one to get the problem corrected. my 2000 4x2 dakota only has 45,000 miles on it and i replaced the first joint at 38,000. i have sent a letter to chrysler requesting reimbursement for parts and labor and am awaiting a response. *nm

I have a '2000 dodge dakota, quad cab 4x4 that has reoccuring break warpage problems. i drive about 12000 miles a year, mostly highway, and need to replace my rotors atleast every 18 months. durring normal breaking durring wet or icy conditions there is excessive pulsing that leads to individual tires locking up and skidding and activation of the antilock breaking system. ive replaced the rotors with dealer puchased parts and equivilant aftermarket parts and both warp within 1-1.5 year.*ak

I've had my oil changed at the dealer the day i got it..and for the next few times, i changed mine twice and have one of the reciepts...but it still covers the duration of the two according to the owners manual. my 4.7l equipped dakota blew up....i purchased a warranty for over $1k at purchase, but they will not honor it now because they say its lack of maintenance...how i dont know!!! now they expect me to pay for a new motor....what a load of crap!!*ak

While driving 50 mph steering shaft failed. as a result, steering failed, causing the vehicle to crash into a guard rail. *ak

My 2000 dodge dakota r/t 5.9 is making a loud chunk noise in the front suspension. the current recall only involves 4x4 models and my vehicle is a 4x2 so it is not included. my truck has the same exact problem and i feel unsafe. i believe that this problem will result in an accident of some type. *nm

Popping and clunking noise coming from front wheels (ball joints) when turning at low speeds. reported to dealer several times, and was told "that's common, don't worry about it." i've been reporting it to then each time i bring the vehicle in for service over the last year and they never bothered once to inspect it. now there is a potential recall, and i'm afraid my ball joints won't last till chrysler gets the recall campaign going and will cover the repair/replacemnt costs.*ak

Nhtsa recall 04v596000 concerning ball joint wear. consumer contacted the dealer, and was informed that the next available appointment would be may 07, 2005. *ak *nm

Nhtsa campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle was included in the recall, but results showed that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced as well. vehicle will not pass inspection if lower ball joints were not repaired. dealer will repair for recall only.*ak

No event yet, however as the 2000 4 x 2wd dodge dakota has the same ball joints as the 4 x 4 version it should be included in the recall. since it is not, i am filing this complaint. if any failure, accident or injury does occur from dodge's refusal to repair my 2000 dodge dakota under this recall i want note made of my complaint. *ak

Front brake rotors were replaced 3 times. rotors warped between 10,000 to 20,000 miles. in the process of replacing them again only with high performance rotors, dodge brake rotors are no good.*ak

The right front tire came off while the consumer was traveling at 30 mph. vehicle had to be towed. there was a second occurrence when the left front tire came off while the vehicle was being driven. *ak

The power steering pump failed (with no warning), causing me to lose control of my truck as it went around a corner. i lost control of the vehicle momentarily, due to the unexpected heavyness of the streeing and the low speed (about 10 mph). i did regain regained control and avoided hitting the cars in the oncoming lanes. i made it home, parked the truck until i could bring it in for service. the truck was not drivable around town with the power steering broken. i took it to the dealer and they replaced the power steering pump unit (part #52106253af). i believe i disposed of the unit. my truck is a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab 4x4 with the 4.7 and automatic. the mileage on the truck was only 32,501, but the dealer told me the in service date of 23 june 2000 put the truck out of the warrantee period. cost of the repair was $501.23. the truck has not seen any off-road abuse and is responsibly driven.*ak

Subject vehicle: 2000 dodge dakota r/t, iles: 49000; usage: daily driver-city/hwy only; complaint: excessive upper ball joint play early failure. *ak at approximately 35,000 miles i noticed a slight clicking sound coming from the front right suspension. i lubed the front end using the appropriate tool and grease nipples but found that there was no fitting on the upper ball joint. the clicking sound progressed to clunking over the next 10000 miles and on inspection i found excessive play in the upper front suspension on both sides of the vehicle. the left side being the most egregious. in addition i started to notice wandering in the steering track of the vehicle at higher speeds. i focused my attention on the upper ball joint assembly's and have since replaced both. the symptom has cleared. i have had an assortment of problems with this vehicle this having the most potential for catastrophic failure. your attention to this problem would be appreciated james daly

My wife drives a 2000 dodge dakota club cab 2 wheel drive i drive a 1999 dakota 2 wheel drive. for months my wife's truck had a popping noise from the left front end it was examined and nothing was found wrong we kept driving it,the popping got much worse and the steering wheel would jerk to the left. on one occasion we heard a much louder pop we pulled back in the driveway i jacked up the front left of the truck to look under, once the weight came off the front end side, the whole wheel fell to the ground. after examination i found that the upper arm ball joint assembly had separated. the socket was rusted very worn,and did not conform to the ball. the ball was very worn rusted and miss shaped the rubber boot was worn and pieces missing. the ball joint assembly was replaced (we kept the old part)my 1999 dakota exhibits the same problem as my wife's and continues to get worse. we are still hearing a popping noise from my wife's truck the same as before. we had heard of this problem a year ago on cbs news and contacted daimler chrysler many times and have not heard back. on 12-9-04 the federal gov.ordered a recall,on 2000-2003 durangos 4x4 and dakotas with 4 wheel drive.our trucks are 2 wheel drive and prove that the problem exists on other non 4 wheel drive trucks. *jb

Door latch assembly part #55256713ab failed thus occupant can not open door. *jb

Premature wear of factory ball joints on my 2000 dodge dakota and water leak that fills up my passenger side floorboard. dealer has never been able to find water leak problem.*ak

Dodge dakota upper ball joint failure. shaking steering wheel and front end noise clued me in to the known problem. ball joints were replaced with better moog greasable ones.*ak

While pulling inside of the parking lot, the vehicle started to vibrate. the noticed that the driver and passenger wheel failed to move on its own. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that the upper and lower ball joints and tie rod needed to be replaced. please fill in additional information. *jb

Dodge dakota tie rods. tie rod actually broke. *bf the consumer sent in a complaint to the nhtsa on line but had trouble. *tc

My 2000 dodge dakota would not pass for inspection due to upper ball joints so i had them repaired. when i got my dodge dakota back about a week later the lower ball joint on the driver side broke and caused a crash. when the ball joint broke it caused the front of my truck to drop down onto the frame and breaking my axle, bursting my tire and bending a spindle and breaking my shock. i was lucky that i was in the parking lot of where i worked at the time of the accident. *jb

I have a 2000 dodge dakota 2wd club cab pickup. the ball joint on the upper right side went bad at 60000 miles. i know there is an investigation involving the 4 wheel drive version of this truck and i was wanting to show that there is also a problem with the 2wd version also. on first inspection by the dealer i was told the ball joint was not bad. this occurred because the mechanic working on the truck did not know you couldn't check ball joint wear while the truck was on a twin post lift with the wheel hanging free. after i showed them how to do it they agreed it was bad. after calling dodge they told me it would not be covered because it was out of warranty and i was not the original owner. i bought the part from them and did the repair myself. i called dodge myself and they have offered to reimburse the part cost if i send in the invoice. *jb

Recall 2000-2004 4x4 dakotas/durangos hey, what's up with only 4x4s???? two wheel drive dakotas and durangos have the same ball joints as the 4x4s. why do i have to wait to see if my wheels fall off before the 100,000 mile guarantee being offered on mine is up? what's this nonsense it "only happens at lower speeds, not high speeds". this is totally unacceptable and is dc way of saving money. perhaps the government only investigated the 4x4s since they are the most popular vehicles (i.e., 600,000 4x4 versus 200,000 two wheel drive) never giving a thought to those of us who do not own the 4x4 versions. *jb

I bought a 2000 dakota 4x4 used, with 42,000 mi. in oct. 03. went to get a missouri state inspection certificate, i was told upper & lower balljoints were "going bad". july 04, truck started to pull to the right.it"s an expensive repair that i cannot afford right now. i saw a news story on this issue and realized i am not alone. i belive dodge makes a great truck. they should stand behind there name, as well as product.*ak

2000 dodge dakota front end problem. nothing has happened yet, but the front end of my truck makes unidentifiable noise when turning. i have been to the mechanic 3 times and no one has been able to identify or fix it. i don't feel i should have to pay for this if it defect.as well, i would like the problem corrected. please advise. thanks.*ak

Per mechanic upper ball joints worn out.*ak

Bad front ball joints.*ak

On 11/12/04 i brought my 2000 dodge dakota, extended cab, 4x4 , with 36,703 miles, in for a routine front end allignment. the mechanic showed me that the right upper ball joint was bad. i had it replaced. the cost was parts: 92.39, labor: 96.00. today, i heard on the news that you are currently conducting an investigation into this problem.*ak

I called moss brothers dodge to get an appointment to have the recall #d47 to replace the front upper ball joints. they told me i would have to wait until february 1st 2005 before they would have the ball joint in stock.*ak i live in the mountains at 7,000 feet and have to drive down the hill about twice a week and now am afraid to drive at all. seems to me that the dodge dealer should have the ball joint in stock because of the recall. what can be done?

2000 dodge dakota upper ball joints. last year, my upper left ball joint (bj) failed. thankfully i was still in a parkign lot at the time. if this failed at speed on the highway, it would have invloved sginificant injuries. *ak due to the failure of the one bj, i had a dodge dealer replace the left tire rod end and the left front axle shaft assembly since they bent when the tire and wheel assmembly came loose. in addition, i had the both lower joints replaced and the right upper bj and right side tie rod. the problem i have now is that the new dodge tie rods rub against the wheels on sharp turns. i took the vehicle and the service reps indicated there is no problem with this. however, the tie rod ends continue to wear the factory aluminum wheels. one dealer rep indicated that in 2001 the dakotas went to 16" wheels, and since my 2000 has 15" wheels, that i need to buy 16 wheels so the tie rods don't rub. well, quite frankly that is unacceptable. i find dodge / damiler chrysler response to the upper ball joint issues pathetic. in addition, the spray nozzle freeze up anytime the temperature goes below 30 degrees. i've used all kinds of washer flui, and even added rubbing alcohol to the fuild, regardless this is a visibility hazard, and it should be noted the design was changed in the 2001 dakota / durango models

Two months ago consumer experienced suspension problems. the front end jerked, especially while making turns. he took vehicle to dealer to get it serviced, and mechanic determined that the problem was caused by the rotors. they needed to be shaved. *ak

I have a 2000 dodge dakota 2wd with bad ball joints. the 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive have the same "defective" ball joints.*ak

With the pending dodge recall on the ball joints, why will it only cover the 4x4 trucks. the same ball joints are used on the 2 wheel drive ones and have had the same failures. i am the owner of a 2000 dakota club cab. i travel 110+ miles a day with the truck. currently at 90000 and planing on 200+. is the plan on nhtsa and dodge to wait till deaths before the 2 whell tricks are fixed??? am if i am the informent one to die, then are you going to explain why this issue was not fixed to my wife and 1 year old son!!!!!!! let's not do the job half way. let's just do the job right!*ak

Upper ball joints on my vehicle have failed and daimler chrysler refuses to repair and also refuses to agree to a re-embursment when a recall does come out affecting my vehicle. i own a 2000 dodge dakota r/t two wheel drive regular cab pickup truck. *ak

The front ball joints are making a popping noise, causing the wheel to shkae and rust to fall off. dealer was informed by consumer for repairs.*ak

Noticed very loud squeaking in front end of 2000 dodge dakota. took in for dealer to service(46,000 miles). mentioned ball joints. they replaced sway bar bushings. four months later squeaking was back(51,000 miles). returned to dealer questioning ball joints again. they lubricated the sway bar bushings. five months later vehicle in for state inspection and drivers side upper ball joint failed, passenger side upper ball joint almost out of tolerance (55,000 miles). had both replaced with oem from dodge. sent email to service manager questioning coverage by dodge and received no response. *jb

Since filing my complaint last month, my front passenger side upper ball joint detached and cause my wheel to nearly fall off. luckily i had just pulled onto a street when the wheel fell off, so my speed was less than 5mph. i have been waiting on backordered parts to be shipped since my orignal complaint in october, so the worn ball joints had not been replaced yet. *ak

1-grabbing & squeaky brakes; 2-front rotors & disc pads; 3-replaced front rotors & disc pads. dealership kept old parts. ak

Driver side tie rod end needed replacement at approx. 55,000 miles. this unit is sealed at the factory and not servicable by the owner. it was replaced by vissing dodge, jeffersonville. in. service manager noted that this unit could fail resulting in loss of steering control,(worst case senerio). i was concerned about driving back to cal. with this problem and its safety related issues. passenger side unit is now squeeking and will need replacement. truck now has approx. 58,500 miles. *ak

Front driver's side upper and lower ball joints failed. *ak

I noticed that my dodge dakota 2000 4 x4 with 39,000 miles was pulling to the right. i took it in to have the alignment adjusted and was told that it could not be performed because the lower ball joint on the front driver side was failing. seems to me that no part of the ball joint should be failing at 39,000 miles. from what little research i've done, there seems to be a widespread problem with dodge dakota/durango ball joint failures. *jb

Failure of upper ball joint. 2000 dodge dakota. discovered during a tire purchase. having fixed at dealership. wear is premature.*ak

I own a 2000 dodge dakota that i bought new. it is a club cab 4x4 with the 4.7l v8 an automatic. the vehicle has never been off road and has just turned 51,000 miles. without warning the pass. side upper and lower ball joints both wore out and needed to be replaced. this of course was not covered under the warranty . luckily i caught the problem before the wheel fell off. i drive approx. 90 miles a day on a major highway and if the wheel would have come off it could have caused a major accident. *jb

Electric rear door locks failed. loud buzz noise from right rear door when door locks activated. took to dealer and had fixed at a considerable charge. approximately 2 months later the left rear door lock began doing the same thing; due to cost haven't had replaced and now the door lock will not manually unlock without first hitting the electric door lock even though the electric door switch doesn't unlock the door. *jb

Upper and lower ball joints are worn to the point of making alignment impossible. alignment shop says condition is dangerous and could result in wheel separation. condition has existed and has worsened since about 30,000 miles. this condition was repeatedly mis-diagnosed by several dodge dealerships until warranty expired. *jb

Problem started with popping noise in front suspension. tires eventually were wearing uneven. took truck to dealer for alignment. they could not perform due to worn out upper ball joints. replaced ball joints and noticed left upper joint had deteriorated to the point that it was close to separation. also noticed tires had worn to the point that inner steel belts were exposed. *jb

Braking system on this vehicle is sub standard for stoping, on a emergency stop the brake pedal goes to the floor, but will not stop as it should. was in an accident the other day, that could have been prevented it the brakes worked as they should, i have a (2002) darango and the braking sysem is like night a day virs the dakoda.*ak

While driving steering wheel jumped on its on. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and took it to the dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that the rack and pinion steering and upper ball joint needed to be replaced. *ak

Upper and lower ball joints

All four of the door actuator have failed. first they make aterrible grating sound then if not replaced, at an increasingly inflating rate (now over $200 each), the door will eventually lock and cannot be unlocked by the keyless entry. you can be locked out or a small child could be locked in. at any rate it is a defective part, it is unsafe, the dealership says this is a recurring problem for dakotas and durangos but now out of warranty so too bad. if you fix it you pay over $200, if you do not you run the risk of doors locking automatically and being unable to unlock them, resulting in any number of dangerous, injurous and destructive situations.*ak

In july 2003 consumer's vehicle another vehicle while traveling about 20 mph. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. driver was slightly injuried, but nothing serious. consumer contacted dodge and thought they were going to investigate the problem, but has not heard from them.*ak

Both upper ball joints are loose requiring replacement. *jb

I have a 2000 dodge dakota. on november 2,2004 while driving on city side streets the front passenger wheel fell off the vehicle. while waiting for a tow truck to arrive, i called the dodge dealership where i purchased my vehicle and was told this would not be covered under warranty. i had my vechile towed to my mechanic who did most of the repairs (totaling about $1,300). he handed me a box with the ball joints from my vehicle and told me to hang onto them. the upper and lower ball joint on both sides needed to be replaced. the cause of the accident was the upper ball joint losing all it's grease (this is supposed to be a sealed unit!), causing undo stress on the joint until it eventually sheared away from the vehicle. i still have to take my vehicle in for some repairs that need to be completed (cv boot replacement and a tie rod that is twisted) - which is estimated to be an additional $400. i do have the ball joints - all in varying degrees of defective damage along with photos of the vehicle at the place of the accident. photos include close up shots of the wheel and ball joint. i have written a letter to dodge corporation as i feel they should pay for the repairs since the parts were obviously defective. this is also a serious safety concern as if this wheel had fallen off my vehicle just 2 miles sooner, i would have been traveling at 65 mph coming down the highway from the rocky mountains! the wreck would have almost certainly killed me!! the wreck would have also taken out any vehicles traveling near me! this is a very serious safety risk.

Tie rod broke. replaced toe rod and all ball joints. *ak

Heard a clunking noise from front end. vehicle also shakes when apply brakes. *bf while driving over 65 mph the front end of the vehicle shook as though it was misaligned or unbalanced. it also shook when the brakes were applied at speeds of 50 mph or higher. the vehicle's wheels have been balanced, the steering aligned, the brakes and rotors have been replaced yet the problem recurs. *nm

Begining symptoms of ball joint wear and possible failure on my 2000 dodge dakota. have also replaced my front rotors four times with only 61,000 miles on vehicle.

I own a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab vin [xxx]. this vehicle currently has 58000 miles. during an inspection of my brakes, i discovered several front end parts with unacceptable wear. at my own expense, i am replacing upper and lower ball joints on both sides as well as both outer tie-rod ends. i was lucky enough to have discovered these problems before any actual failure occurred. the truck is not new but these parts should have no where near this amount of wear at only 58000 miles. i have since discovered that i am only one of many that has experienced these problems with this type of vehicle. i plan to save all the old parts as well as my receipts in hopes that eventually i might be reimbursed. *nm updated 07/24/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Upper ball joints prematurely wore out. fell apart during changing of ball joints. *ak

Vehicle vibrated severely when braking from 5-65 mph. vehicle was driven to the dealer for inspection, and dealer determined that front pads broke, and both front rotors were warped.*ak

While driving 20 mph the passenger side wheel snapped off. *nm the consumer stated that steering did not feel right in the front end. *tc

Exhaust manifold bolts snapping off. this is a common problem with 3.9 liter engines in the dodge trucks. exhaust fumes then escape and get sucked into the cabin area and there is also a fire hazard as more bolts snap and the manifold separates from the head.

Anti-lock brake system. while driving along at aprox 40 mph with the windows up and air conditioning fan on high speed, i didn't hear an approaching fire truck as i neared an intersection. upon entering the intersection, i was starteled by the loud blow of the fire truck's air horn and immediately slammed on the brakes. the anti-lock brakes system engage in a very perculiar manner! immediately upon feeling the brakes engage, the anti-lock brake system released the brakes and allowed my vehicle to coast forward nearly 20 yards before the brakes re-engaged bringing my vehicle to a halt. if it were not for the skillful driving of the fire truck's operators (both front and rear drivers) who swirved and steered around me, the outcome would have been disastrous (even fatal).*ak

The front end of my 2000 dodge dakota quad cab 4wd knocks during turns. front tires badly worn. brought to independent shop and was told front ball joints, shocks, and tie rod ends badly worn and not safe to drive. will cost over $900 to repair. first noticed front end noise around 60000 miles.*ak

While driving 30 mph, the vehicle jerked and vibrated uncontrollably. the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and pulled over. the vehicle was towed to a body shop. the mechanic informed the driver that the upper and lower ball joint were broken and needed to be replaced. please provide further details. *jb the consumer swerved to avoid hitting a deer. after swerving the left front of the vehicle fell to the ground and caused the vehicle to slid into a guard rail. *jb

There were no warning signs leading up to the upper ball joint failing, and the front left tire folding over, causing the truck slow quickly and pull to the right. so far the dealership has not called with any repair prices. *ak

I own a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab truck, and wanted it to be noted that both front tires came off the truck due to inner tie rod socket disconnected from main rack and various ball joint repairs have been made. thus far, i have not crashed or injured anyone, but that may be because i am afraid to drive the truck. *jb

2000 dodge dakota quad cab 52000 miles dealer maintained regularly turned into parking lot where entrance crossed over city sidewalk, mild to moderate bump, heard a loud thump, then grinding, and lost steering control. stopped car and found right front upper ball joint separated with wheel almost complete flat on ground. allied dealer refused to cover repair. vehicle towed, replaced ball joint. ~$160 concerned about the rest of ball joints on vehicle!!!!!!!*ak

While making a left turn, the right front passenger tire fell off. after towing the vehicle it was discovered that ball joints were defective. *ak the mechanic stated that the problem was the upper ball joint. *sc

While driving, heard a rubbing noise from front wheel area. ball joints and tie rod on front driver side had went bad. did not hear any pre-warning signs. only noticed when the noise of rubbing started. had to replace both ball joints and tie rod. *jb

Driver's side front wheel separated and fell off while driving at 10 mph. no injuries or damage were sustained because of the low speed being driven at the time of the incident. this occurred because front upper ball joint and tie rod separated and fell off. *ak

While an inspection was performed being performed on the vehicle, it was discovered the ball joints were defective. after searching the web a recall was found. *jb

While driving at 45 mph vehicle stalled. vehicle was towed to the dealership, and technician determined vehicle overheated, as result, the head gasket cracked. engine needed to be replaced. *ak

Front ball joints fail on a regular and far too often basis. *jb

At 72,000 miles had the upper ball joints replaced three times. *ak *tc

Problems regarding 2000 dodge dakota. *mr the consumer thought this was an isolated incident. the consumer found that this was a widespread problem. the #5 cylinder misfired due to a cracked cylinder head. the left head and gasket was replaced along with a blown belly pan gasket. the consumer requested his money back. *sc *jb

8/18/04: my son was driving west bound on 2nd ave (tx hwy 22). just prior to turning left from 15th st (also hwy 22), he heard a popping noise in the front end of the truck. after traveling approximately 2 blocks, his front driver side wheel fell off, causing him to lose control and pull to the left across three lanes of traffic. fortunately, he did not hit a car and came to rest in a parking lot for an a/c company. although the damage is being fixed under an extended warranty, chrysler and the dealership (berry chrysler/jeep/dodge, corsicana, tx) are refusing to replace the tire that was dragged on its sidewall approximately 200ft; the tire was pinned under the truck. the cause of the accident was two broken ball joints on that wheel. i orignally believed this problem to be faulty craftsmanship on the dealership which had repaired another problem on that wheel a year ago; the brake caliper fell off. i now believe this to be the manufacturer as many dakotas and durangos have been reported with the same problem and often similar consequences.l. *ak

"clunking noise" coming from front of auto when driving over uneven surfaces/bumps. front right wheel assembly detached from vehicle at upper ball joint. lower ball joint remained attached. all four ball joints replaces. right brake line replaced. warned of damage to cv shaft, however dealer only replace outer cv boot

While driving at 45 mph ball joints on driver's side exploded underneath the pickup, breaking into bits and pieces. the tire completely disengaged. the axle was bent, and the inner tie rod had to be replaced. *ak *ts *tc

I own a 2000 dodge dakota with just over 75,000 miles on it. on a recent service visit i was informed that my upper and lower ball joints, on both the driver and passenger side need to be replaced. while looking online i saw that this is a recurring problem with the dakota and durango so i wanted to report it.*ak

The brake disc steel is faulty, and pits. this causes very jerky, difficult, and unreliable braking. as if one was braking on top of logs. two years ago we had the disc(s) machined, and that fixed the problem temporarily. but it returned. today we are having the discs replaced. i think dodge should be made aware of this problem, and recall it.*ak

Bolts broke on exhaust manifold shield and shield fell between steering shaft and motor, causing steering to jam in straight ahead position on highway. could not pull over to breakdown lane to avoid other traffic. bolts broke from heat stress i imagine, not too good a thing to happen on a highway but would have been worst in city if i could not steer away from pedistrians. just cheap undersized bolts that break. checked the other side and found one broke there too. bolts are too small to hold the manifolds in place after they wear with age. *ak

Email consumer letter add to odi number 10051116 regarding upper ball joints on 2000 dodge dakota.*mr the consumer stated his vehicle exhibited a popping noise. *jb *sc

2000 dodge dakota steering problems.*mr the consumer's vehicle made strange noises, shook excessively and pulled to the right. the consumer suspects that the ball joints are the cause of the problem. the consumer would like to know the status of the investigation in progress on the dodge dakota's. *nm

While driving consumer heard a loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle. consumer took the vehicle to the dealership, and mechanic determined that the upper ball joints failed. *ak

While driving at 15 mph the consumer turned a corner and the right front wheel snapped off. the dealer found that the upper right ball joint has malfunctioned. this caused considerable damage to the under body of the vehicle. also the right control arm broke after the right ball joint was replaced. *tc

While driving at 45 mph the consumer heard a loud bang come from under the vehicle. the consumer saw the wheel from the vehicle roll across the road. the vehicle skidded across the road and ended up in a ditch. the consumer nor the passenger was injured in the accident. a tow truck mechanic informed the consumer that the ball joints collapse on the vehicle. *nm *nm

Consumer complained about a ball joint problem. vehicle was noisy around 35,000 miles . currently, at 50,000 miles the ball joints corroded. consumer took the vehicle to dealer for general maintenance when it was determined that the ball joints were defective. *ak

Only 70000 on the 2000 dodge dakota. tie rods broke without warning. had to replace 2 outer and 1 inner tie rod. at the same time the ball bearings were found to be in horrible shape. those had to be replaced too. *ak

I have a 2000 ddge dakota & went to get a tire fixed & learned that my front tires are about to fall off!!! i had no idea that the upper ball joints were bad! then i found out that a recall may be issued for these concidering how many have went bad!!! i am just very lucky that my 2 infant children were not injured in an accident do to a falty part that has not been recalled yet! is there going to be a recall???*ak

Ball joints on 2000 dodge dakota 4x4, i have just replaced all ball joint,s on my vehicle, an was just told by a colision busines that i should not have had to pay for it, due to the fact that dodge is hiding the fact of bad ball joints on their vehicles, he also said that at 59000 miles i should not have needed them replaced. *ak

The transmission just act liked it went into neutral, but now i know the transmission completely went out suddenly. *jb

Vehicle was involved in an accident and the air bags failed to deploy. *ak

While driving at 20 mph out of a driveway right front wheel detached from the vehicle and rolled down the road. vehicle was damaged on the bumper and the under carriage. *ak *tc

Vehicles transmission would heat up and we could only use first gear. after driving the vehicle 25 miles at 55 mph transmission would only use first, reverse and park. it has been to two transmission shops and two dealerships and still don't know what is wrong. *jb

While driving 60 mph engine light illuminated. then, the motor blew out. consumer had the vehicle towed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

When replacing tires on my 2000 dakota, i was advised that my ball joints were worn to the point of being unsafe. my vehicle was less than 30 days beyond the expiration of the manufacturer's warranty, and had approximately 19,000 miles on it. i believe both the ball joints and the tires should wear more mileage than that. i also believe the deterioration of the ball joints accelerated the wear of the tires. ball joints have been replaced at my own expense. did not want to wait for a recall at the expense of my family's safety.

During inspection, the mechanic informwd the consumer that their front lower/upper ball joint were wearing. *jb

Front drive axel, left mount broke. dodge has a tsb # 889 issued on aug 2000, regarding this. this tsb covers the front axel pinnion nose bracket bolts which may losen. these loose pinnion bracket bolts cancan cause the bracket to break off. in addition a customer satisfaction notification was issued to replace bracket bolts. at this time dodge is talking about $3,400 for repair at my cost. otherwise i'm still work on resolving this issue. vehical has 52,000 miles on odometer with less than 50 miles on front drive axel

2000 dodge dakota 4x4. while cresting a hill on a maintained gravel road traveling approximately 30 mph brakes were applied. control of vehicle was lost. vehicle struck berm on right side of road and returned to center of road. vehicle stopped after sliding about 50 yards to the bottom of a downgrade. upon exiting vehicle it was found that both front/ left ball joints had failed, causing tire/wheel assy. to buckle underneath vehicle. damage to stearing components and axle also occured. chrysler has been contacted and a rep is being sent to inspect the vehicle. *ak

Normal, regular duty use of a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab v8 requiring regular maintenance, needed a front end alignment at 57,000 miles. the local dodge dealer (mike brown @ granbury) performed the alignment, conducted two (2) test drives while i was there and returned the vehicle to me with a comment that it was pulling to the right. i took the vehicle back with the 'pulling to the right' problem and the dervice manager said to bring it back the next am and they would make it right. they called to notify me that the right lower control arm bushing was deteriorated and that they couldn't align it to specifications. they had a replacement lower control arm and bushing (comes as one part) for $280.00 and 4 hours labor ($65/hr) would fix it. my response was 'pull it out front and park it'. my discussion with the service technician when i arrived at the dealer was about how in 31 years of new and used vehicle ownership i have never had a front end go bad in 57,000 miles.he brought out that the v8 left exhaust manifiold heats up the bushing and deteriorated it faster that one would expect. we agreed that it was a design problem and therefore a manufacturer engineering issue. i will go back to collect my initial alignment fee charged on a job that could not be performed to factoory specs due to failing front end parts.*ak

Both electric door locks have failed in exactly the same way. they don't unlock properly but, instead, stick in a halfway. this is a safety hazard.*ak

I was going down the highway, doing about 60 mph when the right upper ball joint on my 2000 dodge dakota failed causing the whole tire assembly to fall off. the truck started to spin across three lanes off traffic, the truck started to turn on its side until it hit the guard rail causing it to land on the three tires that were left on the truck. after taking the truck to the body shop there was a total of $11,000.00 damage done to the truck, as of right now it is still in the shop getting fixed. *nm

2000 dodge dakota 78200 miles front right tire shimmied/shook at speeds from 40 mph on up. no noise or popping sounds heard. front end would jump around if a pot hole was hit going around a turn. took truck in for alignment & tire balancing. service tech found upper right ball joint was worn out. had ball joints replaced. tech removed boot from ball joint and found that no lubricant was present in the sealed boot, and that joint was loose. *la

While driving abs braking light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic replaced a sensor inside of the abs unit. *ak

The consumer had the ball joints checked and it was confirmed by the dodge dealer that they needed to be replaced. *ak there were problems when making sharp turns. *sc *jb ball joints failed tires fell off. while the consumer was driving the vehicle the ball joints came apart and the many parts were damaged as a result of it. the consumer was told to buy a left inter tie rod end. she has to buy the whole rack pinon . the vehicle dropped to the ground and skidded 215 feet. the steering box broke off the frame. *tc

After following all manufacturer suggested servicing and oil changes, my husbands '00 dodge dakota started making rattling noises in the engine. the vehicle has never been off road and has been very well taken care of. so we took it to the dealer for a diagnostic and repair. apparently the engine needs to be replaced! it only has 60,000 miles on it! i am baffled that this could even happen as most of today's engines last roughly 150,000 to 200,000 miles! none of the repairs fall under the warranty and the lemon law time period has lapsed. we are furious about this! i will write every possible source and enter complaints. we would be thrilled if others would like to join us in a class action law suit. i cannot believe that dodge does not stand behind their product. but then from what i have read, i am finding their product is not worthy of being stood behind. what a rip off!

2000 quad cab 4 x 4 dakota. i bought the dakota used with 59,000 miles. shortly after the front end began to squeak and clunk. a dealership diagnosised the problem to be the upper ball joints. this is aweful early to have ball joint failures. i had the ball joints replaced for $360. the service manager also informed me that daimlerchrysler is aware of the problem but will not issue a recall because they do not believe it to be a safety issue. if an upper ball joint fails, then it will seperate from the knuckle. the knuckle holds the wheel in place. so, if the ball joint fails there as high probability that the wheel will come off.

Rear diff went out

2000 dodge dakota quad cab 4x4 slt. heavy duty suspension. top of the line model. took truck in for service on a squeeking front end suspension. service finds right upper ball joint needs replaced. once the technician got into the work he finds all four ball joints, uppers and lowers, need to be replaced. truck has 87k road miles all on paved road. never been taken off road. vehicle was partially repaired. pending my ability to pay for remaining right lower, and left upper and lower ball joint replacement.*ak

2000 dodge dakota sport 49,000 miles, need both upper ball joints replaced. upon hearing about this problem, i took it into the dealer to have it checked prior to going on a trip. after the dealer looked at the truck, they said the right wheel was about ready to fall off and the left was bad as well. they said they would not drive it across town. they provided me a car to drive until they fix it. dodge needs to perform a recall on these and fix the problem for good. i'm am concerned that it will just happen again later, just like some of the other reports of needing replacement multiple times. if they don't do a recall, it will not only effect my wallet, but also future buying decisions. i want a company to stand behind their product. i think the resale value would also be effected if a recall is not done.

Upper and lower ball joints wore out. makes a horrible popping sound when turning the wheel or intially going forward and backing up while cutting the wheel.*ak

Vehicle was three years old when the right ball joint had to be replaced. *ph the consumer heard a popping noise from the front of the vehicle, which alerted him of a problem. *jb

I own a 2000 dodge dakota, and have noticed a popping noise on the dirvers side front end. i have since determined that it is in fact the upper ball joint that is badly worn, and has an extreme amount of play in it. i understand that this is becomming a growing problem and wanted to add to it in hopes of getting it replaced before my front wheel falls off. *ak

Upper and lower balljoint failure in my 2000 dodge dakota,nec to replace balljoint due to excessive wear

Had seen a news story regarding 2000 dodge dakota upper ball joint failures where front wheel would come off. i suspected mine were making clunking noises so i asked the dealer to check them at about 62,000 miles. i told them i had had heard of complaints/possible issues related to this problem. they indicated they were "ok". on may 2nd ( at ~67,000 miles), while jacking the front end up to check brakes and rotate tires, the upper ball joint completely dropped out of the socket on the front passenger side wheel. i consider myself very fortunate, this ball joint didn't pop out while driving. i am furious that chrysler hasn't recalled (that i am aware of), or at least sent out a service bulletin on this problem. *ak

While driving 55 mph a loud noise was heard coming from the rear. consumer drove the vehicle to the to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the both frontal upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to worn out parts. *ak

While traveling at 45 mph consumer's vehicle rear ended another car. upon impact, none of the airbags deployed. *ak *la

While the tires were being rotated mechanic found that the upper ball joints wore out prematurely. mechanic informed the consumer about the upper ball joints, and recommended that vehicle should not be driven. *ak

Truck with 53,000 failed state inspection with a worn upper ball joint. it is possible to replace this part without the control arm, saving about $100 in repair costs. however, dodge has these parts on backorder due to the high demand(coincidence??), resulting in a $300 repair bill for my truck to pass inpection. recall anyone???*ak

While backing out of driveway at low speeds front driver side wheel disconnected from the vehicle. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Upper and lower ball joints defective. replaced @ 75,000 miles when handling degraded and "clunking" noise started to avoid catastrophic event.*ak

Consumer serviced the vehicle, and a technician determined that ball joints became loose. *ak

Ball bearings had to be replaced because they were dry, loose, and worn out according to the independent mechanic. wheel would have come off the truck while driving if not replaced in time. *jb

At very low mileage, an independent shop replaced the lower and upper ball joints at the consumer's expense. *ak *jb

The upper control arm broke at 5 mph. this caused the left front tire to cave in. vehicle was towed to dealer, who replaced the upper control are on both sides. *ak on right hand turns, there was a clunk noise and the steering had become difficult. the tire collapsed in the wheel well. the control arm broke. *sc

The front of vehicle experienced vibration. after having vehicle serviced consumer was told that the ball joints needed replacement. *ak

While driving over bumps at any speed, the consumer could hear a rattling sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. the consumer can also feel a thumping sensation coming through the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic who replaced the left upper ball joint. *nm *nm

2000 dodge dakota pickup 27,700 miles of use 4 years old the local dealer replaced all four front end ball joints and both tie rods. the dealer paid for all parts and i paid $365.00 in labor costs. the dealer stated these parts were defective and should have lasted much longer than the 27,700 miles on the vehicle. my concern is i would have been unaware of the problem had it not been for a cbs tv report. these vehicles and the 2000 dodge durangos should be recalled for the safety of the owners. defective parts were placed on these models and should be checked by the manufacturer. thanks for your attention.*ak

At approx. 8k miles, pulsing and shimmy started in front end. had to resurface rotors. had to do again later at about 35k. not normal. at 15k reported front end creaks/groans dealer found no problem. at 35k more of the same, dealer replaced front stabilizer/sway bushing. at 38k miles, replaced lower steering column. helped some but still creaking when steering at low speed. at 53k asked again about steering groan. dealer says he could fix for about $1000 (of course out of warranty now! and i've been asking about this since 15k miles). also at 53k, replaced lower ball joints left side and fuel pump. at 59k back in the shop today to replace right ball joints which cause vehicle steering to "wander" and have badly worn inside right tire. quality of vehicle is lousy and they won't admit it or stand behind it. the rotor and front end problems could be very dangerous because they impair the drivers control of the vehicle. *jb

Electric door locks fail repeatedly and often. they present a real danger in the event of a collision or fire, when the door may not be easily opened. on a more mundane level i would think they could build an electric lock system that doesn't need to be replaced every 12-24 months. i am totally disgusted.*ak

During routine brake maintenance, dealership warned that upper ball joints are loose and upper control bushings are cracked and both are in urgent need of replacing. vehicle mileage was at 55,746. ball joints are supposed to last to 100,000 miles. vehicle is secondary family vehicle and only driven freeway with no towing, heavy loads, or hauling. if vehicle was not maintained regularly this defect would have been missed and serious harm or death to pregnant wife, 7 year old, and myself would have occurred due to the nature and severity of defect. *jb

When driving it feels like vehicle has a mind of its own. driver will attempt to drive straight, yet it feels like vehicle is alternately pulling towards left and right. dealer replaced front brake pads and rotors three times. this did not remedy the problem. vehicle had been examined by dealer five times, and stated no problem could be found with the way vehicle performed.*ak

My 2000 dakota quad cab which has 63,000 miles on it. i took it into the dealer to have it checked out because it was making 'clunking' noises and also make squeaking noises in the front end (like a worn out 70's model truck). this problem has been occurring since the truck had about 30,000 miles on it. their diagnosis is that both front upper and lower control arms need to be replaced. (right and left side). both the bushings and the ball joints are worn out. the service tech that called me back to tell me what was wrong said 'i would not continue to drive your vehicle in the condition it is in, it is not safe due to the worn ball joints.'*ak

Fax fm kerrie m. studley (ma) re the defective ball joints on her 2002 chrysler dodge dakota 4x4 quad cab pickup truck, reply attn mark sternman/boston ofc. *ph *mr

While driving 15 mph, a squeaking noise was heard coming from the front. the driver drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the upper ball joints needed replacing due to worn parts. please fill in additional information

Front end noises. clunking sound that continues to get louder. has been checked by dodge service center a few times. the last time they replaced front ball joint. still has a loud clunk. also, it will not hold an alignment for any lenght of time.

I bought a 2000 dodge dakota extended cab sle model. it now has about 50,000 miles on it. the truck has been regularly washed and waxed but is not garaged. it is black with a gray lower body panel. several large white discolorations have appeared on the roof of the truck. no amount of washing waxing or polishing compound has any effect on these white spots. they seem to be a defect in the clear coat. i have seen at least one other black dakota of the same vintage with the same problem. these were first noticed several months ago. *jb

While driving there was a popping metal noise in the front end. dealership replaced the upper then the lower ball joints because they were worn out. *ak the ball joints were replaced at 27k miles and again at 65k miles. *sc

My 2000 dodge dakota was in the shop to have upper and lower control arms replaced on the left front side. the vehicle had 90923 miles at the time of repair, at a cost of $803. *jb

Noise felt in front suspension when turning - especially with left turns. took to dealer and they were unable to reproduce problem. took to a different dealer a few months later and they told me i needed new upper ball joints. i took it to a different dealer and was told that i needed new lower ball joints. i have replaced the lower ball joints for a little over $600! i still can't afford to replace the upper ball joints and i am still feeling a slight thump when turning. this problem is so common with this vehicle and i am mad at dodge for not recalling. i read a report on 60 minutes about ball joint problems causing tires to fall off vehicles during driving. what a dangerous thing to happen. i think of this everyday as i drive on the highway. what would happen if my tires fell of on the highway while driving over 60 mph? i hope dodge gets some sense and does a recall on this! here is the link to the article: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/03/eveningnews/main603833.shtml *jb

Most recent problem. ront end: 1) "clunking" noises followed by front wheel assembly break. front wheel assembly disengaged from vehicle while driving. *ak hostory of brake problems: 1) rear drums ineffective, and lock up under humid condition after sitting. 2) front rotors warped x2 occurences. dealer replaced pads and rotors. second incident "nott covered under warranty." 3) front brake pads fall and wear diagonally resulting in ineffective braking. 4) generally poor and unresponsive braking.

Most recent problem. front end: ) "clunking" noises followed by front wheel assembly break. front wheel assembly disengaged from vehicle while driving.*ak hostory of brake problems: 1) rear drums ineffective, and lock up under humid condition after sitting. 2) front rotors warped x2 occurences. dealer replaced pads and rotors. second incident "nott covered under warranty." 3) front brake pads fall and wear diagonally resulting in ineffective braking. 4) generally poor and unresponsive braking.

While driving 60 mph the vehicle would vibrate and pull to the right when the brakes were applied an independent shop determined that the upper ball joints needed to be replaced. the problem still exist. *nm

At 31450 miles dealership replaced lower ball joint and left upper ball joint. *ak *la

Upper ball joints failed. as a result, when turning in either direction wheels wobble back and forth. *ak

Consumer indicates there is a lot of play in the front wheels, and can hear a popping noise while driving. consumer feels this may be related to ball joint problem, and the wheel may come off. *ak

Dealer replaced lower ball joints at 60,000 miles. *ak

When vehicle hit a bump a clicking sound came from the front wheels. a mechanic examined the vehicle and determined that upper ball joints were severely worn out. also, rotors on both sides were warped to the point that they couldn't be turned safely.*ak

Premature failure of right front upper control arm balljoint and lower balljoint (50,000 miles). *ak

Dealership informed consumer that front upper ball joints were worn out. consumer was not having any problems at this time. dealership did not resolve the problem. *ak *la

Dealership informed consumer that upper front ball joint were worn out. consumer was not having any problems at this time. dealership had not resolved the problem. *ak consumer received a copy of a consumer report regarding the problem with ball joints on vehicle, but manufacturer said they don't know about the existing problem. *la

While driving the vehicle and turning left or right, consumer heard a rattles noise. vehicle was taken to independent shop, mechanic determined need to be replaced the ball joints. dealer notified.

In a parking lot while travelling less than 5mph the passenger side upper ball joint seperated without warning. the entire wheel, brake, and control arm assembly rotated under the vehicle. the vehicle had to be towed. before pulling into this parking lot i had been travelling at 55mph on a highway.

I recently moved to misourri and took my truck in for the required safety inspection. i was told that my upper ball joint was wearing significantly. *ak

Uneven wear of front tires prompted an alignment. during alignment inspection, upper ball joints were found to be "severely worn". otherwise vehicle drove normal. *ak

Consumer complained about steering column/headlights. when the steering column was in the tilt upright position, the low beam lights operated. when the tilt steering wheel was in the straight position the low beam lights went out automatically.*ak the consumer found out the low beam wire at the multi-function switch had broken at the connection and shorted out.*jb

Consumer stated that ball joints were popping so badly that he was afraid to drive the vehicle. when he made a turn either right of left it sounded as if the wheel was coming off. this problem started at 60,000 miles.*ak

Failed va state safety inspection because of loose inner tie rod, the entire rack was replaced inorder for it to pass.*ak

While driving at 30 mph and without warning the front left wheel separated from the vehicle, the suspension collapsed completely, severing the body of the vehicle which collapsed to the ground. the towing mechanic determined that the upper ball joints wore out. *ak *sc *jb

Replacement of both lower ball joints at my expense because they were loose.*ak

The brake rotors on my 200 dodge dakota warp, causing inefficient braking and vibrations after only 15k miles. dodge won't acknowledge the defect, in my opinion because they are making too much money on replacement parts. it's dangerous!!

Right upper ball joint loose. *jb

I too am experiencing shaking, popping in the front end of my 2000 dodge dakota quad..turn the wheel too sharply and a bad shake, engine wants to die out. tires aren't wearing evenly (2nd set) and on my 3rd set of rotors (all warped, mechanic in columbia, sc said dodge put undersized rotors on...knock on wood - rotors are hanging in there so far after 1 year). tires & rotors (way too many changes have cost me over $2000 with a brake job). i now have something called a lock actuator that has gone bad, locks make horrible noise when locking/unlocking & rear right doesn't lock. humid mornings make for a rough start as the engine will race in park (high idle), then rapidly drop, dies out sometimes. dealer couldn't replicate the problem (they admitted not starting it until noon!!). *ak

My 2000 dodge dakota has worn out ball joints. there is no way these things should have worn out. i could not find anyplace to grease them. my dealership said that there is nothing they can do about it. my teen son is driving this truck as little as possible. i can't believe chrysler is sticking there heads in the sand!

Upper ball joints failed. *ak

Heard a lot of squeaking and clunking, took to dealer and was told upper ball joints have gone bad along with inner tie-rods. this would cost around $1200 to fix, that cost could be reduced alot if a person could find non-oem parts but instead you are forced to buy from dodge and then you cant even buy the individual tie-rods you have to buy the entire steering assembly. dodge knows this is a problem and did help with the cost of the parts but this is not something that should go out on a vehicle with only 45000 miles, especially when if either part had failed completely i could have lost total control of the vehicle.*ak

My 2000 dodge dakota truck had to have the upper right ball joint replaced. the truck has under 38,000 miles of light-duty use. this seems too early for this type of part failure. when will the other ball joints fail?*ak

Had to replace lower ball joint at 55,000 miles. *ak

While driving front driver side tire wobbled. dealership informed the consumer that the problem pertained to a front ball joint failure. *ak

My husband and i use to own a 2000 dakota quad cab.i don't recall exactly when we discovered the problem, but i do remember the cost to fix it was going to be approximately $2000.00. we originally thought it was a tire or brake or an alignment problem. ours didn't squeek or clunk, ours shimmied so bad our watches on our arms (while driving) rattled. when we took it in to the dealer they told me that it was caused due to us not putting the original tires back on the truck when we replaced the tires. putting original tires back on the truck did alleviate enough of the problem that we traded the dakota for another vechicle without taking a tremendous loss as was the situation when we tried to trade it in before returning the tires to original. for those who might believe it was due to oversize tires that was not the case. we only put cooper tires comparable to the originals on the truck, but goodyear is the only maker of the size of tire we needed and those tires were on back-order.

While driving consumer heard a loud popping noise coming from the upper ball joints. consumer had the problem repaired. *ak *mr

The vehicle was taken to a repair shop for front alignment. during the repairs mechanic determined that the upper and lower ball joints were worn out and had to be replaced. *ak

Both upper ball joints on this truck have excessive play in them. only 45,000 miles when problem began.

Consumer saw on news about vehicle manufacturer's ball joint problems where joints are prematurely braking allowing the assembly and the wheel to come loose on dodge dakota pickup trucks. *la *mr

I have needed to have the rotors on my 2000 dodge dakota quad cab for the second time now and it only has 39k miles on it! the truck vibrate uncontrollably from highway to anything above 30mph when you try and stop. this problem has been persistant since about 12000 miles on the odometer. ill dodge ever stand behind this or make a good replacement part or do we all have to get into an accident??*ak

Vehicle was taken to dealership for ball joint replacement. wheel came off, and consumer had vehicle towed. dealership refused to repair ball joints. also, they would not allow consumer to speak to any diamler chrysler dodge personnel, and they were not giving any adequate information concerning repair cost or even if they would repair the vehicle. *ak

Consumer was complaining about a power steering problem. while driving through an intersection power steering locked. vehicle was then towed.*ak

After hearing of the problems with upper ball joints, i pulled the right side upper ball joint loose and found extreme play in the joint. the dealership could not locate a joint for me anywhere in the state and determined that the joint was backordered by 3000. to get the ball joint i had to replace the whole upper control arm at the price of 175.00.(part only) i removed the original control arm and cut away the rubber seal to find that the lower portion of the joint was fractured and the joint was worn to the point that it was about to fall apart. i believe that with some pressure i could pull the joint apart with my hands. what makes this problem so dangerous is that i had no pulling, tire wear, knocking, or creaking noises to alert me of this problem. if i had not taken a proactive look at this joint, it would definitely have come apart soon. i have saved the part and would be willing to ship it to anyone who would like to examine it. i have also ordered a left side ball joint to replace as soon as it is available. it is clear that this is a defective product and should be replaced by the manufacturer. dodge should ignore the lawyers and step up to the plate to do what is right. it might just save a customer. right now the new ford truck is looking better than the dodge for my next purchase. *la

Front upper ball joints failing at aprox 43,000 miles. i heard the squeeky / rattle noise coming from front of vehicle when going over bumps or turning. i eventually made an appointment with dodge dealer. vehicle was still under warranty. dodge repaired under warranty.

Front brake rotors warp about every 10 to 11,000 miles. have had then turned once at approximately 15,000 miles, and have lived with it since then. cost $115 to turn the rotors the first time, and it's not worth it that often. *la

I live in massachusetts and i failled my yearly truck inspection because of a bad upper ball joint. i hace a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab and it is a 4 x 4. the truck has 33,900 miles on it. i have no recorce but to fix it since i need my vehicle to get back and forth to work. i also understand that chrysler is having many problems with upper ball joints in their dakota and durango line. if i pay out of pocket to have this problem fixed and then chrysler decides to have a recall, would i get reinbursed from chrysler? i was also informed that i need new front brake rotors. is there something wrong with their rotors? thanks steve muzzy. *ak

Both upper ball joints on my truck are bad, the mechanic working on the vehicle said they could cause a wreck if they fail while i am driving the vehicle. *la

While driving the driver's side wheel fell off. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined that the upper ball joints broke off. please provide any additional information. *nm *mr

Premature wear on front end components. upper ball joints and brakes.*ak

Consumer complained about a ball joint problem. *ak

The consumer took the vehicle to the garage for inspection and the mechanic determined that the upper ball joints failed. *ak the upper ball joints were replaced twice at 30k miles. the service dealer and chrysler told the consumer that there was no problems with the ball joints and there were no recalls. *sc *jb

2000 dodge dakota worn out ball joints on front of truck. was told this is a very common problem on all dakota's of this type by several mechanics. there is no way to grease the ball joints . was told parts are in very high demand due to so many trucks with failures. my truck pulls to the right very badly .*ak

The vehicle experienced an engine surge, engine knocking and lost of oil pressure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the consumer received no help. please provide any additional information. *nm

Bad ball joints failed. *ak

Rear differential on vehicle locked up and the pinion shaft behind the forward differential bearing sheared and the entire drive shaft fell out of the truck.*mr the consumer believed the vehicle was made with poor quality or sub-standard parts. *jb

While driving at any speed consumer heard a clanking sound when turning corners. vehicle was taken to a dealer, who found that the upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak *mr

Purchased 2000 dodge dakota. quad cab summer 2002, approximately 20,000 miles at time of purchase. vehicle covered under warranty at that time. had problems with steering. the wheel would jerk from side to side as if the power steering would engage and then disengage during a turn. brought to dealer. they said they fixed problem by replacing steering column. problem was not fixed. returned to dealer. replaced bearings in column during second repair. did not fix problem. returned again, dealer(formerly courtesy dodge, norwich, ct) stated that they sold there warranty to another dealership and they could not make repair. i would have to take to other dealership. taken to other dealer ship but at this time problem had not been fixed and vehicle was over 36,000 miles. dealer said i would have to fill out forms and that it was unlikely the repair would be authorized. how is it if the repair was never completed that they are allowed to wait until warranty expires and say too bad. i was then recalled by the military and had to drive my vehicle to new jersey so the repair was never completed. thanks, now courtesy kia. i wish i could conduct my business like the dealers. just ignore the problem and it will go away!!!!!!!. im not finished with this yet!!!! jpl. *la

Consumer heard a noise coming from the front. vehicle was taken to a tire dealer ,who informed the consumer that upper ball joints were falling apart, and replaced the ball joints. *ak

The left front wheel separated and came off while driving. this was due to premature wear of the ball joints because of poor lubrication. the part was replaced, but currently they were loose.*ak

Upon servicing the vehicle technician inspected ball joints and noticed all four ball joints were worn out, and needed to be replaced. *ak *mr

At about 30,000 miles premature failure of upper control arms, ball joints, tie rods and then tires and allignment costing over $1200 on 2000 dodge dakota 2wd . **ak

While driving the vehicle hit a bump and jumped off the road. the dealer determined that the upper/lower ball joints and the left outer tie rod end was worn out and must be replaced. please provide any additional information. *nm

When braking consumer heard a loud popping noise. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Consumer took vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance, and mechanic noticed that both upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to worn out parts.*ak

Tie rods and ball joints failed prematurely, causing the left front tire to blow out at 10,000 miles. also, the rim was destroyed. *ak

The vehicle was taken to repair shop for heater core replacement. the mechanic was on a test drive when the tie rod broke. *ak *scc

Gsa fleet vehicle defect report.*mr the defect report concerns the 2000 dodge dakota which had a fire caused by a short in the vehicle's dash. *cb *jb

Upper left ball joints were detached and the upper right ball joints were loose. consumer had both sides replaced. *ak *mr

Upper and lower control arms failed. the parts were replaced twice. however, the problem still exists. *ak *mr

One of the front upper ball joints popped off, causing the tire to detach and roll under the vehicle while driving. driver was able to regain control of the vehicle and avoid a collision. *ak the detachment occurred on the front right side of the vehicle. the consumer felt that the cause was due to the lack of grease. there was also excessive wear in the upper ball joint and the left side of the vehicle. *sc

The vehicle's ball joints were defective which made it unsafe to drive the vehicle. the manufacturer is aware of the defect. *ak *nm

I own a 2000 dodge dakota. i recently found out about the upper ball joint situation with these vehicles and decided to check mine. both the passenger and driver side upper ball joints are toast. i don't know how long it has been like this. they shall be replaced immediately, though. i visited dodgedakotas.com and read about all of the other people that are having this same problem. it is ridiculous that dodge knows that this is a problem but will let people drive around with bad suspension parts. *cb

The consumer took the vehicle to the dealership for an inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that the upper ball joints failed. *ak *sc *jb

Vehicle was taken to the dealer for routine maintenance. the mechanic at the dealer indicated that all four ball joints failed prematurely and need to be replaced soon. please provide any additional information. *nlm

While traveling and when depressing the brakes vehicle vibrated until it came to a stop. *ak about every 20k miles the rotors would warp and would need to be replaced. when the brakes were applied at 55 mph, the vehicle would shimmy in the front end, and the steering wheel would also shake when the brakes were applied as well. *sc *jb

Transmission in a 2000 dodge dakota, transmission started to slip in overdrive. dodge recommended a total rebuild. total cost of rebuild was $1465.00 at my expense. *cb

2000 dodge dakota 4.7l quad cab ball joints started making squeaking noises when turning at around 40,000 miles. noise is now getting unbearable and steering somewhat "lurches" when turning tightly. needs major work on ball joints much earlier than would be reasonable. *la

2000 dodge dakota quad 4x4, upper ball joint failed at 40,000 miles. contacted manufacturer, did not receive a satisfactory response. *la

Consumer stated without any indication rear brakes locked up. *ak

2000 dodge dakota front left ball joint broke, causing the wheel to fall off.

The vehicle experienced premature wear of the upper ball joints that caused popping and rattling in the front suspension. *nlm

I have been having brake problems with my dodge dakota 4x4 club cab truck since the first 6,000 miles. warped rotors have been replaced at least 5 times and i have also complained about poor stopping power of back brakes. dodge dealership "checked" them and found nothing wrong. also having lots of problems with noises from front suspension and am suspecting ball joint problems now because of all the news coming out regarding this problem recently on cbs news. *ak

Problems with vehicle's left upper ball joint.*mr while driving the consumer could hear a thumping noise coming from the left front of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the left upper ball joint was bad. the manufacturer was contacted but denied any knowledge of the ball joint failures and refused reimbursement. *nlm

While braking, the brakes were warped, and vehicle jerked forward. this problem was causing extended stopping distance. dealership mechanic tried to repair the problem 4 times but the problem recurred. *ak

The ball joints on my 2000 dodge dakota have failed with 41,000 miles on it. *la

Complaint regarding the failure of the ball joints on my 2000 dodge dakota pick up.*ak

I am responding to the news of the faulty ball joints in dodge dakotas. i too have a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab with just over 56,000 miles on it and it needs to have the ball joints replaced. *la

Tie rod broke on a 2000 dodge dakota.*mr when returning home, the consumer turned the corner and the vehicle seemed to slide. immediately it began to shake side to side like a washing machine with an uneven load. the consumer managed to get off the road onto a parking lot. consumer first thought it was a flat tire, but it wasn't. a man and woman who saw the vehicle shaking, stopped to see if the consumer needed help. the man went to look at the vehicle and noticed the tie rod was broken on the right side after looking under the vehicle. consumer reported the failure to the manager on august 4,2003 and he stated there wasn't a recall and he wasn't sure if other dodge dakota's experienced the same failure. consumer was informed that the vehicle wouldn't be covered under warranty and there was nothing they could do. *ph *jb

Right upper ball joint went bad. *la

Upper and lower ball joints premature wear out 45,000 miles . *ak

Kept feeling a vibration in the steering and an occasional clung. took it into the dealer who diagnosed it to be a loose upper ball joint. the dealer replaced the upper left control arm and problem was resolved, but at my expense. i have been hearing about balljoint problems on these vehicles so i thought i would file a complaint to add my problem to the list.*ak

Sidewall of tire completely blew out on 12/11/03. approx vehicle speed 65mph, outside temp approx 30 degrees, vehicle - 2000 dodge dakota, tires were replacement for o.e. - hercules ltd, 215/75 r15, tire pressure approx 32lbs., mileage approx 16,000.*ak

Failure of rear differential. *ak

When driving over bumps steering wheel vibrated, making it difficult to control the vehicle. consumer took vehicle to dealer to be inspected, and mechanic informed consumer that the upper ball joints were wearing prematurely. *ak

Brakes on my 2000 dodge dokota have been replaced three times. they continue to pulse when applied. the rotors have been turned or replaced three times. there seems to be no answer from the dodge people. *ak

Consumer heard a noise coming from the left front tire. consumer took the vehicle to gas station, and mechanic noticed that both upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak

My dodge dakota 2000, is shaking the front wheels and i discovered that my upper and lower ball joints are cracked. the dealer "main street dodge" told me they will not repair this problem free because dodge do not recall this vehicles. i offered to buy the parts and do the work myself if they tell me what is the name of these and they said they will charge me for this service of identifying the parts, too.*ak

There was a ball joint problem in which the wheel separated from the vehicle while turning into a service station . *ak the suspension. the consumer was also told that there was no history of problems with this make/model. the right front tire had fallen off of the vehicle. the upper ball joint looked as if it were torched. the rubber and the ball joint were completely destroyed. *scc

While rotating tires right front tire fell off with the lug nuts still in place. this occurred after consumer jacked the vehicle up. ball joints split down the middle. prior to this incident, front end would bounce upon coming to a complete stop. *ak 2000 dodge dakota passenger front tire fell off of vehicle during wheel rotation. the result of this occurence was due to the ball joints being spilt down the middle. the regular method of checking the ball joints did not reveal a defect.*mr

2000 dakota 4x2 club cab experiencing worn ball joints at 45000 miles. *ak

2000 dodge dakota front disc brake rotors are rusting from the inside out.*mr this failure caused severe shuttering when brakes were applied. dealer stated rotors and pads had to be replaced. consumer was informed that dodge was aware of the failure but would replace the rotors/pads up to 12k miles or 1 year. consumer has possession of the defective rotors. *ph

While driving at 25 mph consumer was following another vehicle, and upon stepping on the brakes consumer's vehicle did not slow down and collided with the other vehicle. consumer was wearing seat belts, but the air bags did not deploy. when driving at any speed the brakes usually locked up, causing the vehicle to slide to the right through intersections. *ak

Premature failure of upper and lower ball joints on right front side.*ak

Denial of problem and refusal to resolve front suspension problem. *ak

While driving at 40 mph check engine light came on. vehicle would not shift into a gear higher than two. vehicle was driven to a dealer, who informed the consumer that the aceum piston, in the valve body broke. *ak

Upper lower balljoint corrosion: i took my dakota r/t in for a "popping sound" that was coming from the front end. i was told by your service rep at the dealer that there was nothing wrong with my front end. i took my dakota to a local mechanic, he told me that both my upper and lower ball joints were close to failure. i returned to henderson dodge with my dakota and the service dept still told me there was nothing wrong with my front end. i cannot drive my dakota anymore due to the front end. i am very dissatisfied with dodges product. when will you'll stand up and back your products???? *ak

Consumer was unable to open the front passenger/rear doors to enter/exit the vehicle. passengers would have to climb in through the driver's side to enter/exit the vehicle. dealership was notified, but the problem was not resolved.*ak

I have a poping noise in the front end of the vehicle (2000 dakota) this has happened since about 5000 miles , i have 50,000 on it now. i still have the problem with more frequency, it definitely sounds like the ball joint issue. we have to do something about this before some is killed, what if is was your son or daughter riding in these vehicles what would you want done. also i have had the brake rotors turned once and replaced and now they are warped again.*ak

Have replaced upper/lower ball joints once this year. they now need to be replaced again! am now also getting "whirring noise" when i am driving. when reversing out of parking space or turning corner, pulling into driveway, get huge clanking noise consistently. dealer refused to replace at 30,150 miles. bought truck to transport kids in safety. now i transport my 3 kids in terror. thanks dodge. not.*ak

2000 dodge dakota with only 13,531 miles has upper ball joint failure. *la

2000 dodge dakota, bought with 27,200 miles, ball joints progressively gotten worse in two years time and unable to replace parts vehicle now has 74,000 miles a vehicle this young should not have this type of problems. *la

I have a safety concern with my front suspension on my 2000 dakota quad cab 4x4. i hear a popping noise coming from the front shock and control arm area. i also notice excessive abnormal wear on recently new tires. i also hear a lot of tire noise when driving and some front end shake.*ak

Frequent popping feeling in the steering wheel coming from front suspension. always relates to front suspension up/down movement. several garages have inspected, but cannot locate problem. suspect problem has to do with early sign of ball joint failure. dealer admits history front suspension and ball joint problems in this model. *la

When making a stop or turning a corner vehicle made noise in the front end. *ak

The spark plugs knock in the engine, causing damage to the intake gasket. dealer replaced the intake gasket. *ak

Defective oil pump on the 4.7l dodge dakota engine causes engine to seize without warning and need replacement.

Upper control arms loose, defective, plus steering linkage needs to be replaced. *la

Shuddering and vibration in brakes when stopping at all speeds. have replaced pads, and rotors twice. had rotors turned once in between changes. have seen many other complaints and service bulletins issued on this. why is no one doing a defect investigation?*ak

While driving at low speeds there was a loud thumping noise coming from the front. mechanic informed the consumer that it was due to front ball joint failure. *ak front alignment suddenly went out of whack. vehicle was 6 months out of warranty. the dealership denied there was anything wrong with the upper ball joints. after filing a complaint with the consumer protection agency, dodge recommended and refunded the repair cost. *ph

The power steering cooler line was chaffed(rubbed a hole) from a bigger power steering hose with a guard on it. chaffed line turned into a leak of the power steering fliud, which in time will cause power steering pump failure to the system. the vehicle this is on, is a 2000 dodge dakota quad cab pickup. has a 4.7l v-8 engine w/ automatic. has about 60,000 miles on it at time of leak being noticed . *ak

When making a right hand turn the consumer could hear a rattling noise in the front end. the dealer indicated that the ball joints were loose.*ak the dealer replaced the left and right ball joints to correct the problem. *nm

Upper balljoints on my 2000 dodge dakota were badly worn out and took it to kirkwood dodge several times and they did not fix it. then took it to newark dodge and they found the problem and fixed it but my warranty had expired so i had to pay full price. i was lucky that nothing bad happened while driving but still the danger was there. i want chrysler to reimburse me for the car rental and the cost of the work that got done to my truck.*ak

My wife's 2000 dodge dakota 4x4... failed pennsylvania state safety inspection at 37,000 because of worn upper ball joints. estimated repair cost $275. it's absurd that this important safety item wore out before the original equipment tires and dodge is demanding full price to correct an obvious manufacturing safety defect. *la

The right front upper ball joint broke then the front axle broke and caused the wheel to fall off. causing my husband to lose control of the vehicle and ending up in a 10-12 ft deep ditch with water. *la

Vehicle is experiencing slack in the steering column. also, there is a problem with the rack and pinion steering. right side of the vehicle is causing the tires to wear unevenly. there is a rattling and squeaking noise in the front right side. *ak *jb

The upper ball joints needed replacement based on the observation of a mechanic that was servicing the vehicle. *ak *la

2000 dodge dakota- sport w/ ex-cab. i just purchased this vehicle through automax in melbourne, fl and overall am quite happy with the vehicle. but, the front brakes are singing a high shrill song to me. i went to www.dodgedakotas.com, and was even more surprised to see the number of complaints on the dakota braking system. please, i know from reading the complaints that you have heard about this situation... please act on this! *la

2000 dodge dakota sport 42,000 miles, ball joints need replacement. *la

While driving at any speed, the headlights would intermittently fail after turning on the high beam lights. when the high beams were turned off, the headlights would stop working until the consumer turned the vehicle off and restarted it. *ak the headlights would come on after repeated attempts of using the dimmer switch. *scc *jb

When having new tires put on my 2000 dodge dakota, they advised me that the eft front tie rod was loose. i contacted the dealer and got an appointment to have it looked at. they looked at it and said the tie rod was loose as well as the upper and lower ball joints. they said the ball joints were on national back order due to problems with other dodge models (durango). they would contact me when the parts came in. they called yesterday (11-18-03). i have an appointment for next tuesday, 11-25-03, to have it fixed. i have the extended warranty on my truck, and i only have 47,000+ miles on it. the warranty will pay for all but the $100 deductible and the $49.95 for the subsequent alignment that will be necessary. with all of the similar problems you have had with the dakotas, durangos, jeeps, etc. i feel like this should be a recall issue and that i should not have to pay for any of it. my husband says suspension problems like this shouldn't occur in vehicles with this low mileage. i do not use this vehicle hard. it does not pull anything, and it does not carry heavy loads. i am the only owner.*ak

My 2000 dodge dakota r/t has just under 50,000 miles and was diagnosed with faulty upper ball joints. along with a slew of front suspension components including tie rods, sway bars, and lower control arms. *la

Several incidents of electrical failure (date below first incident) speedometer does not work; abs light stays on; computer shorted out; dealer found computer bolted on top of wires; fan stayed on; dates vary over last 1 1/2 years number of failures is a best guess. *la

Right upper ball joint worn at 32,000 miles. *ak

Truck shakes when braking at slow or moderate speed. replaced front rotors and pads three months ago at 38,000 miles. now with 43,000 miles the shaking has returned. *la

The door lock actuators (also called the latch assembly) on my 2000 dodge dakota both are defective and the doors cannot be opened even with a key from the outside if the doors are locked. my vin # is 1b7gl22xys592928. an online search showed that other 2000 dodge dakota owners have had problems with their automatic door locks as well. *la

Consumer noticed while changing high beams to low beams that headlights would cut off. *ak when the consumer switched from high beam to low beam the head lights went out completely. the consumer believes the multi-function switch that controls the head lights dimmer, turn signal and wipers is bad. *nlm

Dodge dakota quad cab, 2000 upper and lower front ball joints failed. *ak

While traveling at 20 mph driver began to hear clicking noise coming from steering wheel. steering wheel had a lot loose control, and the front right wheel was turning, but the left front wheel buckled under vehicle. tires were wearing prematurely due to upper ball joint failure. *ak

Power steering fails. lose control of steering at highway speeds after about 1.25 hours. first occurance in august 2002, then october, 2002. did not drive on highway for extended period until august 2003 - failed again and again on mountain roads, exits, straightaways while passing, gentle curves. november 2002 dealer replaces rack and pinion and bushings at 23,997 miles. august 18, 2003, 31424 miles, dealer replaces column, intermediate shaft and bolt per starline. sep 3, 2003, 31904 miles, dealer replaces all four control arms - cannot replicate problem as they will not drive the required miles, i'm their test dummy. the knobs for air conditioning also broke at this time - charged to fix this. manufacturer says to contact dealer, dealer won't drive necessary miles - i still have to check the sep 3 repair to see if it really fixed the problem. each time the alignment is out and they will not fix this as part of the warranty item although i maintain my vehicles' alignment. the brakes have been relined at 26k miles because the dealer said they were shuddering - which i had not experienced until they repaired them. shocks have been replaced, have been trying to get the rear struts replaced due to excessive sway and loss of control when carrying a load, another thing they claim not to replicate.

Brake rotors on dodge dakotas. mine have been replaced 4 times in 50,000 miles. the originals were replaced under warantee in 2000 miles. i can't keep a set of rotors on the truck without them warping.

All four tires split at the bead. *mr the tires had all broken at the bead. the left upper ball joint was defective. the consumer requested a refund. *scc *jb

Front rotors warped causing violent pulsations under normal braking conditions. rotors were turned and then finally replaced at 30k miles. new rotors lasted 5000 miles before shimmy returned. chrysler needs to step up and take responsibility for this ongoing problem.*ak

Brake rotor on my 2000 dodge dakota have been turned down twice and replace once in 30,000 miles. the was due to excessive pulsating and degradation of stopping ability. i am concerned that this problem is a safety issue due to the occurrence of reduced braking power. this problem is occuring once again and needs to be remedied. i have been told by dodge that is is normal wear and will happen. a warped brake rotor is not considered normal wear. the pulsation of the brakes can easily cause someone to lose control on a slippery surface. it is also concievable that the abs system may not work properly when the rotor is warped. please look further into this, thank you. *ak

I own a 2000 dodge dakota - have had to replace the front brake rotors 3 times and pads once in 26,000 miles and now at approx 29,000 miles the rotors need to be replaced again.

I have a 2000 dodge dakota r/t. it only has 25k on it. i first noticed the problem at probably 20000. the problem is the rotors. whenever i slowing down to stop at a light/intersection the whole truck shakes.*ak

Brake rotors warp prematurely and there is shaking and vibration inside of the vehicle. *ak

Vehicle lost power and stalled out.*mr on five different occasions. dealer notified. *cb

Consumer states that upper control arm has failed.*ak

Consumer states that upper ball joint is wearing prematurely. dealer notified.*ak

I am having my ball joints replaced for the third time. i have a friend who has the exact same vehicle, and they have had theirs done four times. i also know at least three other people with same truck (year,make,model) that have had this same problem multiple times. this is not mere coinicidence- something is wrong with the suspension of these trucks.*ak

The rotors on my 2000 dodge dakota continue to warp. i have replaced them at my expense (because the dealer won't recognize the obvious engineering problem) various times. aftermarket parts don't seem to help though it does slow the process down. *ph

Consumer complains about brake problems. the rotors warped at 10309 and 15,000 miles the consumer eventually replaced the brake system with an aftermarket system. on one occasion the front brakes started smoking. it was later determined that the caliper had stuck and overheated. brakes lock up/ smoke, and have even caught on fire. no one seems able to repair them. while driving and wanting to stop, cannot stop. this is a serious problem. consumer has not been able to drive vehicle for a while. *ak *nlm

Consumer states both upper ball and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. vehicle was running without warranty. dealer notified. *ak *ts

The consumer stated the vehicle was involved in a head on collision. upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. dealer notified.*ak *ts *jb

Front brake rotors on the 2000 dodge dakota truck are of inadequate designed, they warp too often..no support from the dealer or manufacturer.*ak

Repeated replacement of front brake rotors due to warping. dealers kept saying never heard of any problems with dodge dakota brake problems.*ak

Consumer stated vehicle's driver side tire separated at the bead. dealer notified. please provide additional information. *ph. the consumer stated all four tires separated at the bead. *jb

Consumer stated that while driving the vehicle would only shift to neutral. dealer notified. *ph when the vehicle was in 3rd gear it went to neutral and the engine rpm's increased for a short period of time when the transmission should have changed to 4th gear. the vehicle had been to the service dealer 6 times for repairs. there was a vibration in the front of the vehicle due to warped rotors. faulty wheel bearings caused a popping noise in the steering when the consumer made left turns. *scc *nlm

Multiple issues with the disc brakes in my dakota. original rotors warped once, i had them turned (paid for by me), they warped a second time. i paid the dealership to replace with new rotors. these rotors warped. the dealership paid to replace this set of rotors. i was on my 3rd set of rotors by 75000 miles.*ak

The upper driver side ball joint separated. the male end of the ball joint came apart from the female part. dodge, under my extended warranty replaced all 4 ball joints and the two upper control arms.*ak

I have a 2000 dodge dakota, i have been to the dealer a countless amount of times complaining about my from, every from noise to instability, excessive bounce. i am given every excuse in the world about this problem , i have even told them what it is , the ball joints, the tell me that it wheell and they replaced them, but have same trbl over and over again , i believe something jsut need to be done, it you need professional advise or complaint go to dodgedakotas.com. *ak

I currently have a heavy surging sensation while braking. i was told my rotors were warped. my dodge dakota 4x2 quad cab has 40000 miles. i feel that i should be able to rely on my vehicle to stop without shaking me or my family like a rag doll. the heavy shaking may lead to my ability to control my truck while stopping, which constitutes a serious safey issue.*ak

While driving home from work i needed to slow down to make a turn. i pressed the brake and it went completely to the floor. luckily i do not have an automatic because i had to power shift down and i barely made the turn not to mention almost hitting a telephone pole. i was just about home so i proceeded driving slowly because i knew i had no brakes ,and i then i saw smoke coming out of the hood. i quickly then got to the house and sprayed it down with the hose. i am in the process of figuring out what happened and the last that i heard was the main switch went out, which should have never happened. i am just thankful that nobody got hurt. (luckily it did not happen where there were people).*ak

2000 dodge dakota ball joints failed prematurely and wheel hub assembly came loose.

Numerous front suspension problems. bad ball joint/control arm assemblies/ bad tie-rods/bad shock absorbers, and bad strut bushings. all of these issues have been replaced by the dealer. most of the problems started at about 15000 miles, and have continued. way too many problems at low miles. i still have problems at 51000 miles.*ak

2000 dodge dakota,4.7l aout transmission/upper control arm ball joint assembly defective.replaced at 1.100 miles,lower control arm assembly ball joint came apart at 9,200 wheel came off. *ak

Consumer stated that while driving and without warning the front passenger side tie rod snapped. dealer notified. *ak the consumer pulled off the road into a parking lot, then backed up, and the tie rod snapped off. the tie rod had gone through the rim on the right front tire which all had to be replaced. the problem was reported to dodge and they did not respond. *scc *jb

My 2000 dodge dakota has has front rotor problems continually. dealer temporarly cured the problem by changing front pads, turning down front rotors and rear drums. warranty ran out and i had same problem. warped front rotors. i had heavy duty rotors installed and ceramic pads installed at different times. nothing has helped the problem. when i step on the breaks the front end shimmys until i take it to a repair facility to have more work done. okay for about 5,000 or less miles. what are my options besides setting the thing on fire and getting a new one?*ak

Front rotors warped after 6 mo./11,000 miles, replaced rotors and pads. warped again at 15 months, 33,000, but used for additional year+. replaced again at 32 months/60,000. again warped after 40 mo/73,000, but used 5 months. replacing again with high performance slotted/drilled and keeping my fingers crossed.*ak

Have had front rotors warp 5 times in less than 48,000 miles. dealer will not rectify problem. *nlm

Brake rotors are wearing and when applying the brakes vehicle will have a heavy vibration, and extended stopping distance. dealer notified. *ak

Upper and lower ball joints have failed. 40,000 miles on vehicle. ball joints should last much longer than this. dealer wants $1,200.00 to change them. truck has already had new front drive shaft, new sway bar bushings, new driver seat cushion, new fuel injectors, new electric motor in right rear window. what has happened to "ram tough". may have to go back to "like a rock". old pickup 1979 chevrolet never had ball joint problems, much less any thing else major. thanks rick worsfold. *nlm

While driving the vehicle overheated. the driver pulled to the side of the road and opened the hood. the hot liquid blew out onto the consumers face, chest, arm and hand. the dealer was notified but said there was nothing they could do. *ak *nlm

Electrical locking system has failed. if you use the electrical lock system, the doors do not electronically open, you must manually push the locks up to open and exit the vehicle. you cannot manually push the locks up to exit the vehicle unless you hit the electric door button up and then and only then can you push the button up and then open the door. if you do not hit the electronic button, which does not electronically unlock the doors because it has failed, then you cannot even exit the vehicle. you are locked in, cannot escape. manually as well as electronic door locking system has failed. if an accident causes the driver to be pinned in the vehicle, or unconscious or the vehicle mangled in such a manner that you could not push the electric button up, my children (8 year old daughter and 11 year old son) will not be able to get out of the vehicle. what if the vehicle was on fire and they couldn't get out, if we were unable to push that button or they were unable to push that electric button up, the button must be pushed by the driver's side in order for it to allow you to unlock the vehicle, it would result in possible death. we told dealer, they will not fix, they want to charge us $100.00 per door, i barely make ends meet, i don't know what to do. i have to drive to get to work, the dealer could care less.....we spoke with chrysler, they could care less and they say they have not had a fatality so until they do, they will not cover this safety issue. someone has to be injured or die in order for them to fix very serious safety problem. you cannot get out of the vehicle, by manually trying to unlock the doors, if the electronic opener is not pushed first, then you cannot manually unlock the doors, the drivers electric door button must be pushed up, even though it does not make the doors electronically unlock, if it is not at least pushed, you are locked in and cannot unlock the doors because the lock will not go up....you are trapped. *nlm

Front brake disks have warped twice in 30,000 miles. i do mostly highway driving. this should not be happening. have had them turned twice, the dealer says there is no problem they know of with the rotors. *jb

Something needs to be done about the warped brake rotors on newer dodge dakota's. everyone i talk to has the same problem. if you replace them, they go back to being warped after a few thousand miles. *nlm

Brake rotors warp on 2000 dodge dakota. i had to have the front brake rotors turned twice, followed by replacement of the rotors, all before 50,000 miles. the new rotors have already started to warp, less than 2 months after installation. note: brake pads show no unusual wear and haven't been replaced; the pads are supposed to be the sacrificial part, not the rotors!!! all work has been performed by clear lake dodge and allen samuels chrysler, both in houston; at no time has either place mentioned any systemic problem with dakota brake rotors. *ak

Rotors and drums on 2000 dodge dakota need turned or changed often. *ak

Rotors warped front rotors warped due to poor back brakes adjuster. *ak

Noticed pulsating of brakes at approximately 20,000 miles. the pulsating has become increasingly worse now at 30,000 miles. i feel that the brakes need to be replaced for safe, predictable stopping. *nlm

I have 19,000 miles on the truck and it has had 3 brake jobes already and had to replace the rotors, dealer is unresponsive, truck pulsates so bad it's a road hazard. *ak

While driving the engine shut off. the dealer stated the entire engine needed to be replaced. *jb

Clutch failure (broken center) after only 45000 miles, also took out slave cylinder in the process. vehicle was not used for towing (other than the occasional stalled car), the dealer had never seen this before and clutches were on a national back-order status. problem manifest itself as a "cant get transmission into gear". was intermittent also, problem would happen and not happen again for 2 months.*jb

The vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and the air bags failed to deploy. *jb

I began to smell horrible antifreeze/musty smell (truck had always had musty smell, but this was much worse). it was so bad that i had to turn the heat off and roll the windows all the way down and keep them that way through the dead of winter because the first time i took it in, i was told nothing was wrong. the second time i took it in, i specifically asked them to look for an antifreeze leak. seeing as how they are mechanics, they should know this was a heater core problem. i obviously didn't know at the time. they told me nothing was wrong. the third time i took it in (by this time it had gotten to where heavy mist would come out of vents and fog up the entire cab), they told me it was mildew and charged me to clean and deoderize. what a ripoff since that was not the problem, my vehicle is under warranty, and it still stinks! i now have another appointment with a different (hopefully better) dealer since my warranty expires in three weeks and chrysler "customer service" told me i have to get it fixed before warranty expires or i will have to pay...even though the problem has been going on for 10 months and it is chryslers fault it is not already fixed. from what i understand, this is a huge problem with new dakota's. all you have to do is search heater core dakota on the internet and you'll come up with many complaints, most of which say that if chrysler finally admits there is a problem, then the person is still out of a vehicle for weeks at a time. honoring warranty also seems to be a huge problem with chrysler. i'll never buy another unless they change their attitude. *nlm

The power seat adjustments on the driver side stopped working in 04/2003. the seat was also unstable. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the serial number for the part is 5012532-aa. *nlm

The brake system overheated and caused the vehicle to pull to the left while braking. it was determined that the brakes did not release while driving. *nlm

When the consumer made a stop, the vehicle pulled to the left. when the consumer got out of vehicle, she saw the wheels were hot, because the brakes failed to release. *jb

Violent pulsation in the brakes started at 3000 miles. personally paid for rotor resurfacing and brake servicing. the pulsation resumed at about 10000 miles. *nlm

Power steering pump went bad, causing a major leak of power steering fluid to be sprayed throughout the engine compartment, causing both the power steering to fail while driving and causing the drive train belt to begin slipping. *nlm

Right front brake sticking at random time had to pry piston back to release pad and prevent fire and release brake drag. *nlm

Carried 2000 dodge dakota slt back to dealer @11503 milesfor front end shimmie under normal braking condtions.

Carried 2000 dodge dakota slt back to dealer @ 8496 miles for front end shimmie under normal braking conditions.

Took delivery of truck on 12/10/99. on 2/12/00 (4524 miles) reported problem of brake pulsation which resulted in the front rotors being replaced on 5/1/00 (9998 miles). since that time, problem continues to occur and rotors have been replaced on 10/18/00 (21234 miles) and 10/15/02 (55228 miles) and turned twice within that time period. *jb

Rear end of truck is failing. this problem is occurring on many other dakota's and there is shortage of used and replacement parts.*jb

The passenger seat belt, failed to properly restrain the consumer. *jb

I stopped the truck and put in the park position, i then came out of the truck, closed the door and the truck started to move in the reverse direction, i ran after the truck to see if i could stop it but the reverse speed was to fast for me and the truck hit the tree damaging the rear bumper and i fell back injuring my back. checked the position of the shift after above incident to see the pointer position above "r". i tried several times to duplicate the same symptom without any success. this i know for certain you can not get out of the truck when it is in reverse. *jb

Rear tire on passengers side sticks out about 2 inches more than the drivers side. dealer called factory. dealer told me that this is normal condition. *nlm

Warping rotors on dodge dakota. i am on my third pair of rotor's which are also warped. the dealer has told me it is the way i drive. i am sorry, but i drive my company van a lot harder than i drive my truck, and it has not had a problem with warping rotor's. this kind of thing really makes me want to by another dodge, "not". *jb

The rim on the spare tire was cracked although the tire had never been used. *nlm

The lower ball joint snapped in half. *jb

Ball joints failed. *nlm

Brake rotor warping again & again & again. i only have 48000 miles on my truck and i am on my third set of rotors and still the same pads which have about 3/8 of an inch left. the dealer tells me it is how i drive, i disagree with that. i will never buy another dodge unless they find a solution to this problem. i don't know if this will help anything but oh well. *nlm

The vehicles front brake rotors rusted pitted and warped which caused the steering wheel to vibrate when the brakes were applied. *nlm *nlm

Experienced warped rotors. dealer refuses to do anything. states driving habits caused it. i disagree.

2000 dodge dakota. ****dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****769308. *ak *jb

Radio was popping during drive from seattle to montana. after a dinner break in idaho, engine died after driving across bridge to get back on freeway. smoke was issuing from hood (rear drivers side of hood) before coasting to a stop. vehicle engine compartment and engine were completely destroyed - vehicile totalled. fire chief (shoshone county, idaho) said it looked like the fire started either in or under the fuse box under hood. dodge sent a fire engineer to inspect vehicled but won't share the results.

2000 dodge dakota / motor locked up at 52,000 miles / having to replace motor

Vehicle struck a tree stump and none of the airbags deployed. the driver's side front seat belt released, throwing driver into the window. please provide any further information.

There was a strong gas smell in cab with all windows closed. i closed the vent, but it was still very strong and getting worse. no fuel leaks found. this has occurred 5 times. seems to be intermittent and not directly connected with re/fueling, or fuel tank level. i was told it was possibly the orvr. sounds like a good combination for a explosion. *jb

When cruise control was engaged at speeds between 60 and 75 mph vehicle would surge, and speed would increase and decrease. the throttle position sensor was found to be defective. *jb

Engine coolant temperature sensor housing gasket leaking. factory installed. bolts found loose.*jb

There seems to be a wind noise coming from the windshield. is this normal for this vehicle? the dealer said it was. i don't trust the dealer. *jb

The driver side window was off track.*jb

The sliding seat belt clip on the rear middle seat of the 2000 dodge dakota extended cab loses tension on very short trips (i.e., 3 miles or more). this loss of tension has rendered the seat unsafe for transporting children and adults because the seat belt does not stay snug against a person's body and lacks a tensioning device. the problem has been reported to the manufacturer on numerous occasions and despite multiple demonstrations of the defective condition, the manufacturer adheres to the claim that the seat belt operates according to specifications or the rear middle seat is not made for transporting children even though an average adult would not fit for lack of leg and shoulder room. nevertheless, despite the uncomfortable position, my husband has traveled in that seat and the seat belt still comes loose. the manufacturer claims that the seat belt will operate if positioned at a precise angle which is virtually impossible to duplicate under normal use. on one occasion, while turning, my daughter's car seat flipped because the seatbelt was loose.*jb

Latest problem is stalling at stops. one occurred while crossing railroad tracks. the problem was traced to the transmission. ph

Consumer called complaining about having problems with the rim of the spare tire. also stated that it is original equipment and that the tire was never used. *nlm

The vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and the air bags did not deploy, the consumer was injured. *ts. the consumer back was broke, also the manufacturer stated the vehicle was not hit hard enough for the air bags to deploy. *jb

Consumer states that when hit at 45mph in the front center of the vehicle the airbag did not deploy causing minor injuries to the consumer. dealer notified. ts

2000 dakota club cab r/t with rear abs brakes only. complaint: never had working rear brakes, couldn't be fixed by dealer, sold back to chrysler. now i have discovered several more r/t's with the same problem! chrysler/dodge won't or can't fix! how many more are out there? rear wheels will not stop turning under under any condition except using the emergency brake. found this out on snowy street while stopping. when vehicle finally stopped in the middle of intersection, the speedometer was reading 10 mph! looked out door at rear wheels and they were spinning with the brake pedal depressed hard. it's no wonder they can't keep front rotors on these vehicles, they are doing 100% of the stopping!

After 30k miles on my 2000 dodge dakota r/t my front rotors were warped and the front seemed to do 100% of the braking so i jacked up the truck and put it on blocks and tested the back brakes they didnt even stop under idle so i took it to my local dealer tom matson's dodge of auburn,wa and had them fix it the same day i went home to test in the same manor i did in the first time and still no back brakes others from the r/t truck club i belong to also have had this problem with there 2000 models and dc had bought them back because of a "design flaw" if they know its a "design flaw" why do they let thousands of people drive around the streets with ½ of there braking ability? to me that is a serious safety issue and they should do something to fix it

Lack of braking bias to the rear of my 2000 dakota r/t pickup. this has caused my truck to go through 3 sets of rotors in 55, 000 miles. i have also had several near accidents to to the reduced braking. i have similar trucks built in 98 and 99 without this issue.

My 2000 dakota r/t had no rear brakes, chrysler bought it back and furnished a 03 for me. it has a complete different brake system than the 00 did. chrysler admitted a problem. now i have contacted several owners of r/t's 2000 to 2002 with the same problem and they don't know what to do. i know of at least 10 r/t's without rear brakes! what is it going to take to investigate this before someone is killed? i've complained to deaf ears!

Consumer called complaining about having a defective rim on the vehicle. also stated that there is a crack of about two inches true the whole rim and is never been used also said that this is a spare tire. manufacture was not contacted at the time of this call.

Consumer called complaining about having a defective rim on the vehicle. also stated that there is a crack of about two inches true the whole rim and is never been used also said that this is a spare tire. manufacture was not contacted at the time of this call. ts

2000 dodge dakota quadcab - i was going forward in my driveway when i stopped the truck and put it in "park", engine still running. i got out of the truck and after about 15 seconds it engaged itself in reverse. it smashed through a gate and i got injured when i got caught between the gate and the left front fender of the truck. when the truck stopped i got in and still found it indicating in "park". the driveway was level. i have since been able to duplicate the condition with the gear shift just slightly out of "park", particularly with a cold engine.

Front brake rotors continue to warp, causing truck to vibrate wildly under braking. front brake rotors were turned @ 9k, 15k, 31k. now at 45k unable to turn them again and have had to replace. front shocks also being replaced due to excessive wear.

Defective wrangler tires

Front disc warp severely, front end shudders when brakes are applied, turned and replaced rotors several times

Consumer called complaining about having problems with front right wheel. also stated that while driving the vehicle on the road the right front wheel came off making damages to the axle and to the vehicle. dealer was contacted and does not want to tell the consumer what is wrong with the vehicle and won't fix the problem either. ts

4 way flashes failed repeatedly (crushed wiring harness was discovered while looking for source of different problem). front brake rotors warped again & again. rotors turned 2-3 times, replaced once, then turned again. smoke coming from center a/c vents in dash. rear leaf springs were replaced. 2 days after smoking dash repair radiator fan would not shut off, requiring operator to open hood and pull approiate fuse.

Brake vibration with less than 11,000 miles, got rotors turned. the vibration returned, had rotors turned. six months later they started to vibrate again and still are. replaced rotors with high performance rotors.

Consumer states while driving approx 45 mph vehicle's power steering failed w/o warning. checked by dlr who advised rack and pinion failed. mr

Front brakes rotor problem, replaced sever times, rotors are warped or have excessive run out, can not find the cause. resulting in vehicle vibration when the brakes are applied. replaced front disc rotors several times.

Noticed noise upon starting in morning. found battery cable that goes to starter had came in contact with power steering pulley due to cable not being in retaining clip. replaced battery cable assembly. upon replacement old cable was found to have been cut by pulley into the copper wire about 1/6".

When starting vehicle with foot on brake pedal, consumer states the vehicle will roll backwards. dealer has been contacted. please provide any further information. ts

Consumer states that while driving at any speed and no warning the brake rotors are worn causing extended stopping distance. dealer notified dealer replace three times already ts

Goodyear tires are bad size p215-75r15

Consumer states that while driving and no warning the drive shaft are hitting the right rear tire causing heavy vibration and damage to the tire. dealer notified. mr

Vehicle was involved in a head on collision into a van. estimated speed of impact was 30 mph. driver did make contact with console or side of truck. upon impact, dual air bags failed to deploy, and driver sustained injuries. please describe details. *ak

Front brake rotors pulsate. brake effectiveness is failing. stopping distances has increased. rotors are starting to go every 14,000 miles. dealer is aware. please add more details. *ak

Consumer states that vehicle's computer is defective. dealer notified. *mr the vehicle failed state emission test and the dealer replaced spark plugs and serviced the fuel injection. but the vehicle failed the emission test again. another mechanic stated that the catalytic converter could possibly be the cause. yh

Brakes are making loud noises/pulsate when consumer applies them. also, there is extended stopping distance. contacted dealer, and dealer is not willing to do anything.*ak

Consumer states the shaft under the hood fell apart at the gear box, this caused consumer complete steering loss. please provide any further information.*jb

While driving and with no warning brakes went out ,causing and accident. cause unknown. dealer notified. *ak

While driving at 45 mph was involved in a head on collision and front air bags did not deploy. vehicle was totaled. contacted dealer, and dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak

While traveling on highway noticed radio pop. then, white smoke started coming from vent. vehicle was on fire. fire started from engine. *ak

While driving vehicle makes a thumping noise and shimmies when get up to speed. took to dealer ,and had repaired vehicle, but problem still exists. *aski

While driving 20-25 mph and without warning left tie rod fell off, causing vehicle to become inoperative. dealer has been notified; however, stated it was caused by wear and tear. *ak

When driving vehicle shifts into other gears. lever, will go into other gears if driver hits it with arm or something by an accident. consumer has to force lever to stay in position. please provide any further information.*ak

When making tight turns and backing up consumer can hear a loud noise coming from rear end. vehicle at dealership at this time. please add further details.*ak

While at dealer for transmission problem, mechanic determined engine head was cracked. please add further information.*ak

When shifting transmission made a crunching sound and hesitated, then, would not shift. vehicle was taken to dealer 3-4 times, could not find cause of problem. vehicle at dealership at this time. this started at 5000 miles.*ak

While driving, locking mechanism malfunctioned, electric locking system grinds upon locking, once locked, they can not be unlocked, even with key. took vehicle to dealer. problem has not been remedied as of yet. *ak *yh

While driving, vehicle sways back and forth, the front end is wearing tires and is too stiff. took vehicle to dealer, replaced tires and had an alignment, but problem still exists. *ak *tt

Rotors need to be replaced due to corrosion and chipping on brakes. contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak consumers vehicle is experiencing premature failure of front rotors. metal on rotors is flaking off and peeling away, because of this the front disc brake pads have to be replaced, even though they are about half worn. dealer notified. owner feels this is a defective part problem and should be replaced by manufacturer not at owners expense. *tt

While driving 10 mph, vehicle started to shake violently. consumer attempted to exit main road, but could not control steering, vehicle hit a curb and came to a rest, vehicle was towed to dealer who determined front tie rod had come apart. *ak *tt

Consumer stated there is no braking action coming from the rear brakes, vehicle was taken into dealership where parts were replaced, however the problem still exists.*ak. consumer stated when stopping on snow and ice the rear wheels continue to spin after the front wheels have stopped, no matter how hard the brakes are being applied, the dealer has replaced the booster, master cylinder, proportioning valve, abs valve, rear brake hose wheel cylinder and brake shoes, consumer stated he still has no rear brakes.*jb

Both outside mirrors cannot be adjusted and are too large. it's impossible to see around them, dealer stated they were standard equipment, and there was nothing that could be done about it.*ak consumer cannot see people standing or crossing the street on the side blocked by the mirrors. *jg

While consumer was at a complete stop another vehicle ran into consumer's vehicle head-on, but none of the air bags deployed. contacted dealer who was not willing to do anything about it. *ak consumer states that the driver?s seat belt did not keep the drivers head from slamming into the steering wheel. *yd

Upper ball joints were loose and have been making clunking noise when turning. contacted dealer. *ak

While driving at normal speed and when depressing brake pedal to make a gradual stop brakes failed to respond, causing extended stopping distance. also, vehicle vibrated upon braking. please provide any further details.*ak

This vehicle is part of recall for rear brake hose .consumer states there were two recalls for same malfunction. *ak

While driving and when attempting to make a sudden stop by depressing brake pedal, brakes locked up and failed to respond ,causing extended stopping distance . also, there was sudden vibration. consumer has contacted dealer. please provide any further details.*ak

Front rotors are warping on a regular basis. rotors were replaced at 18000/40000/47000/57000. currently at 59000 miles, rotors need replacement again. *ak consumer states the front and rear brakes were replaced this time, vehicle has 68000 miles and it feels as if the front brakes are hanging up, there is a lot of brake dust on the rims and rotors, in the winter time the brakes would lock up and cause the vehicle to skid. *jb

When cruise control is activated, vehicle will rev up to 4500 rpms, and sometimes vehicle will down shift, consumer contacted dealer, and they were not willing to do anything.*ak

Consumer stated the vehicle shakes violently when coming to a gradual or a sudden stop, dealer has not to be contacted.*ak consumer stated he did contact the dealer and was informed that they would no longer correct the problem under warranty, since the front rotors had been replaced 3 times prior.*slc

Purchased this 2000 dodge dakota , engine light constantly on stating large leak in evap system. p0455. fuel leak at gas cap. no way to fix this, odor is strong smell the gas leaking out. unable to pass nys inspection! *tr

Heater core busted at 42000 miles. *jb

Fax fm sarah m. pendleton(fl) re her son, dr. wizard pendleton's 2000 dodge dakota truck,defective engine had to be replaced. *mr it's the opinion of the technician who looked at the car that the engine suffered a mechanical defect in the #4 piston wrist pin. that wrist pin crack and caused the piston to buckle, ruin the cylinder bore and broke the other pistons. the engine was replaced once prior to this failure at 3500 miles because it burned a quart of oil every 300 miles. *nm

Vehicle was taken to repair shop to get a wheel alignment. consumer was told that the alignment could not be done because the ball joints were worn out. *ak

Upper ball joints wore out prematurely. *ak

While driving the front of vehicle vibrated severely. consumer replaced the tires, but mechanic told her they could not do an alignment due to ball joint failure. *ak

During normal operation there was a noise coming from front of vehicle. dealership examined vehicle, and determined upper left ball joint and upper left control arm were beginning to separate. dealership performed repairs, but problem occurred again as consumer was driving away from dealership. second incident resulted when mechanic failed to tighten bolts, allowing problem to reappear. please provide any additional information/ attachments*ak.

Cracks on sidwall of right rear tire was 18 inches long, and was circling the rim of tire at least 1/4 inch deep. tire remained inflated. on two front tires, cracks were near the rim of sidewall and still inflated. had checked tires after returning from trip. taken to tire retailer, and tires replaced on prorated basis. goodyear, wrangler, p215/75r15 with 9,028 miles. *ak

Front brake rotors are prematurely warping. rotors have been resurfaced at 8,000/ 17,000 and 23,000 miles, cause unknown. dealer cannot identify cause. *ak *yh

Abs system only works when pedal is applied very hard. when applied on ice front will lock up and rear will keep going. vehicle taken to 2 dealerships, both stated this was normal for vehicle.*ak

When applying brakes vehicle will vibrate. dealer replaced both front rotors at 10000/ 19000 and 26000 miles. at this time, rotors need to be replaced again.*ak

Was involved in a head-on collison and air bags did not deploy at 25-30 mph. *ak *yh

Abs braking system is defective causing the vehicle to shake. dealer has changed front & back brakes, but vehicle is still having same problem. please provide further details.*ak

Premature wear of brake rotors and pads. please provide additional information.*ak

Vehicle was involved in a 55 mph frontal collision in which driver's side air bag did not deploy, cause unknown. please give any further details.*ak

While in reverse rear end locked up. dealer has inspected and repaired vehicle. please provide additional information.*ak

Brake rotors are warped. when applying brakes they will pulsate or flutter. also, vehicle has extended stopping distance. contacted dealer, and had to replace rotors.*ak

Lugs nuts are defective. when the vehicle is taken for tire rotation nuts have to be replaced. please provide further details.*ak not only the nuts have to be replaced, the bolts holding the tires have cracked 10 out of 12 times and broke on the rear tires. nlm

When slamming on brakes abs braking system worked. however, when at a traffic stop and applied brakes, pedal went all the way to the floor. there were no holds, and he went though intersection. dealership was aware of problem. *ak

While driving 65 mph vehicle hit a barrier head on, and driver's airbag did not deploy. consumer suffered head injuries. received recall letter on clock spring assembly after accident. consumer would like someone to look at vehicle. information provided by eric emanuelson, attorney.*ak

Vehicle was hit from rear at 50 mph in which driver's seat collapsed backwards, cause unknown. *ak consumer states that when the seat failed, she sustained injuries to her hands, shoulder, back, and neck. *slc

2000, dodge dakota quad cab with original tires. set of tires on vehicle have cracks on sidewall below the rim. goodyear store will prorate the tires, size p215/75r15, dot#m6hfekwr1000. *ak the cracks were on inside and outside of the tires. the tire dealer says the cracks were due to the ozone layer. *yh

While backing up she could not straighten wheels, had vehicle towed to dealer who is replacing a broken tie rod at this time, side unknown. *ak

When turning very sharp corner vehicle dies. vehicle could easily be rear ended. also, gears do not engage properly. when shifting into drive it reads that it was in a different gear. please provide any further information.*ak

When vehicle accelrates a winding noise occurs in rear end due to defective driveshaft. cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak

When applying brakes front brakes locks up and the vehicle pulls to left and right, cause unknown. *ak consumer states the problem does not occur everytime the brakes are applied, two mechanis could not duplicate the problem, the brake pads have been replaced four times, the rotors have been turned and the problem still remains.*jb

Consumer was traveling about 65mph on highway and felt vibration. rear passenger's tire tread separated from vehicle. he was able to control vehicle. goodyear tire, p265r/15. *ak

Braking system fails to properly slow/stop vehicle when brake pedal is depressed. when brakes are applied vehicle is sluggish to slow down, and will impact an object in front if a hard stop is necessary. dealership has examined vehicle and determined that brakes do not function properly, but a cause for this defect could not be determined. *ak *jb

Every 7000 to 7500 miles brake rotors and drums have to be replaced due to warping and excessive wear. please provide any additional information/attachments. *ak

Vehicle was taken to a repair shop. mechanic put vehicle up on a lathe and pointed out how drum wobbled when it was rotated. it was about a 1/8 of an inch off center. consumer contacted dealer, and they said brake system was only w arrantied for 12,000 miles. vehicle has ben in several times for vibration when brakes were applied. dealer said it was rotors overheating . turned rotors smoothly and checked adjusted brakes. consumer had 8,000 miles at the time, and thought it was too early to be turned. *ak

Consumer is having problems with clock spring. has taken the vehicle into dealer twice, and both times dealer has replaced clock springs.*ak

Front brake rotors were warping and causing serious bouncing/ vibration while traveling at high speeds and applying brakes. dealership informed consumer that defect was a result of hard driving of vehicle. *ak consumer states vehicle showed signs of warping aat 12000 miles. *slc

There was a loud noise in rear axle. manfacturer's representative was sent out and acknowleged the problem,but could not fix it. *ak the rear axle was replaced after keeping the vehicle for a period of nine days, come to find out the axle was not replace the axle was just repainted that just justifies that rear axle is noisy the front suspension is the same.*jb

While driving about 55 mph on a cool day driver's side window exploded, glass was flying all over inside of vehicle. *ak *slc

While traveling at 45 mph hit another vehicle head-on when other vehicle cut consumer's vehicle off. none of front airbags deployed. *ak

Brakes are out of round, and vehicle vibrates real hard. hard to handle, and hard to stop. dealer feels that consumer is hitting brakes too hard, and may be abusing them. consumer went through this once before with rear brakes, and then with front brakes.*ak

Manufacturer put goodyear wrangler rt tires, p23575r15, dot pdhlfewr109, on vehicle which is for mud/snow, and for a 4 wheel drive. when vehicle is a 2 wheel drive it caused front tires to cup and flatten out, which can cause a blowout.*ak the 2 bad tires were replaced by tire dealer, consumer fears these replacement tires will do the same as the faulty tires. *slc

At 35,000 miles front brake rotors had to be replaced. prior to this, rotors were turned at 16,000 miles and 21,000 miles. also, if cruise control is set between 58-60mph vehicle will suddenly downshift 3 gears and will go to 4500 rpms, and then accelerate suddenly to 65 mph. consumer has taken vehicle to dealer times, but has received no satisfaction. cause is unknown. *ak

Rotors heated up and warped at 9000 miles and vehicle had a bouncy ride. dealership was aware of problem. *ak dealer replaced the rotors, the pads were left on because they didn't look warn. *slc

When consumer applied brakes in gravel sand on street, front two tires will lock up, and rear wheels will not slide. dealership was aware of problem.*ak the consumer states that the dealer failed to properly fix the brakes and the problem still exists. *yh

Front brake rotors have to be replaced about every 15000 miles. *ak *slc

While traveling and without any indication back end of vehicle dropped and leaned to left. consumer pulled vehicle over ,and noticed left back rim cracked. please provide further information. *ak

Was driving vehicle and came upon a stop light. started to smell burning wires. then, vehicle caught on fire. insurance totaled vehicle.*ak *slc

When applying brakes vehicle wobbles. dealership is aware of problem.*ak rotors were replaced but the vehicle was wobblying again after 4,000 miles. *yh

When steering to left or to right a noise will occur. dealer replaced steering shaft once, and steering column twice, but noise still occurs. *ak rear brake drums and front brake rotors failed. *yh

Consumer noticed a popping sensation coming from front end. *ak left front ball joint replaced, steering shaft freplaced, however popping noise still exists. consumer states vehicle pulls to the right and there is tire wear. *slc

Rubber cover came off brake pedal while applying and causing driver's foot to slide onto accelerator pedal, which accelerated vehicle and caused a four car accident. dealer / manufacturer were notified. *ak the rubber cover for the brake pedal was not glued and the manufacturer should be responsible for this accident. *yh

Whenever slowing down or changing gears, vehicle would either stutter or stall. have taken vehicle to dealership serveral times & mechanic indicated it was a factory defect & that manufacturer knew of problem. can not resolve stalling problem. *ak

Intermittently when brakes are applied pedal becomes hard, resulting in extended stopping distance. dealer has inspected vehicle several times.*ak

Vehicle dies in middle of traffic and backing up intermittently, causing a safety hazard. also, there is a clicking noise coming from left front suspension.*ak *slc

When applying brakes abs braking systems was defective, and vehicle didn't stop. *ak rear wheels lock up during snow conditions but the dealer was unable to correct the problem. *yh

While coming to a stop pedal went half way to the floor, and consumer could hear a ticking sound. took to dealer, and dealer could't duplicate problem. *ak the left rear wheel locked up and slided briefly while trying to stops. *yh

Rotors have been turned and resurfaced three times, and replaced once. dealer refusing to honor warranty.*ak

Air bags did not deploy after a head-on collison while travling at 65 mph. there was no prior warning to air bags not deploying. consumer has not contacted dealer yet. *ak

When applying brakes pedal went to the floor , lights flashed on dashboard, resulting in extended stopping distance. after vehicle was inspected by dealer it was discovered that bolt holding calipers popped out. vehicle has been repaired by dealer. *ak

Whenever vehicle stops consumer hears a loud clunking noise. dealer said it was fuel in the tank. currently, dealer claimes it is fuel which is norlmal. *ak the clunking noise is loud and causes vibration of the vehcile. the consumer was concerned about safety and the impact of vibration on the vehicle. the rear seat back was loose on bottom. *yh

Premature wear of brake rotors. dealer has replaced rotors four times.*ak

This vehicle has a little more than 12,000 miles on it, and it has been at repair shop twice for warped rotors. brake pedall goes to floor when brake pedal is pressed. on. dealer has been contacted.*ak

While driving at any speed vehicle just died without warning. it was taken to the dealership. dealer has not been able to correct problem. this has been an ongoing problem since april of this year. *ak

While traveling at 10 mph brakes locked up and vehicle started sliding, and touched the bumper of another car, when consumer applied brakes there was ajumping motion like brakes were trying to lock up.*ak

Brake rotors kept warping for no reason. brakes would shake when applied. took vehicle to dealership & mechanic could not locate cause of rotors warping. replaced rotors again. this was second time they have been replaced.*ak

While driving with cruise control set at 65 mph, truck accelerated up to a speed of 85 mph before driver was able to disengage the system. truck will be seen by the dealership. truck was corrected for the same problem in february. please provide any further information. *ak

Driver released emergency brake while the truck was parked on a steep hill. the engine was turned off. truck rolled down hill backwards. even though driver stood on the brake, truck still continued to roll, and hit two trees. *ak *ml

While accelerating transmission will not shift into gear. the driver has to deaccelerate and then accelerated . dealer has repaired/replaced the transmission twice.*ak

Brakes are not working properly. dealer told him to come in 2 weeks for a brake checkup. by the time the consumer went in his brakes were shot.( nothing left on the front brakes).*ak

While driving about average speed transmission jumped out of gear into neutral without warning, and lost power. *ak

When driving vehicle rattles and makes excessive noises. dealer has seen vehicle 8 times, and can't find a solution. *ak

Gear shift pattern indicator was out of line. when the vehicle was placed in park it would be in reverse, when in neutral it would be in drive and so on. the dealer has been contacted.*ak

While driving in damp wheather applied brakes to avoid hitting another vehicle, seat belt bolts popped out, and consumer went into steering wheel. consumer felt that bolt with lock tight was not screwed in. *ak

Adjustable seat belt anchor on the left side of vehicle pulled out of the assembly, causing seat belt to become inoperable. please give any further details. *ak

Front brakes keep warping due to extreme heat. dealer has resurfaced brakes, and replaced rotors. but defect keeps reoccurring. *ak

Exterior mirrors causing block visibility from ground level up to 8'-10' high to 45 degree to the left side, and 20 degree to the right. dealer notified. provide further details. *ak

When traveling 15-20 mph and when pulling out a parking space on wet pavement, brake pedal went to the floorboard, causing extended stopping distance, and resulting in an accident. consumer has contacted the dealer. please provide any further details. *ak

Consumer was traveling at 60mph, hit brakes and cruise control didn't disengage. driver steered vehicle into a ditch to avoid an accident. there were no injuries. consumer will be contacting dealer. *ak *ml

Vehicle experiencing vibration and unnecessary noise whenever either back side window is rolled down. dealer was not contacted at this time. *ak

When the rear window is opened and while driving at a high speed, vehicle vibrates excessively. dealer has seen vehicle, and cannot fix it. *ak

Transmission went out at 3000 miles. also, engine was missing spark plugs. *ak

At time of purchase consumer asked the dealer what the skid plates were made out off. consumer was told metal. later, consumer found out that they were plastic and broke off, causing the 4- wheel drive to quit. dealer said the driveshaft would have to be replaced. *ak

When driving at lower speeds heard a loud noise ,and vehicle jerked or pulled. also, defroster puts a film on the inside of windshield. dealership suggested to clean inside the windshield with wiper fluid. contacted dealer. *ak

Vehicle experiencing ongoing shutdown/stalling problem. vehicle been in / out of dealer's repair shop on three occasions, and dealer was unable to correct the problem. also, informed consumer that they refused to look at the vehicle any longer until manufacturer would forward a correction to the problem. *ak

While driving a part from the heater core fell off and slipped underneath the brake pedal. occupant could not stop vehicle which caused a crash. please provide further information. *ak

Intermittently when brakes are applied, the vehicle pulls to the right causing failure. dealer has inspected the vehicle and claims that brakes pull because of road. *ak *yc

Automatic transmission failed. *ak

While driving without any indication the vehicle started spinning around in circles and hit a concrete divider due to a broken axle, the rear tire and wheel rolled down the hill and hit another vehicle, the tire and wheel was still mounted to the outside part of the axle. the consumer was slightly injured. *mjs

The rotors have continuely warp at about every 12000 miles. i have had them turned 4 times and installed new rotors at about 38000 miles. they are agained warped at 60,000 miles and need to be turned again. vechile vibrates at 30 to 40 mph when brakes are applied. when rotors are turned the problem goes away for a while. dt

Violent deployment of both frontal air bags caused burns to consumer's skin. nlm

Consumer states vehicle is off set 1.25-1.50 inches to the right, this is causing vehicle to whine and make noise over small bumps while traveling a light speed. *slc

Consumer states driveline is on a poor angle. *slc

I bought a 2000 dodge dakota brand new from nelson auto group in marysville, ohio. the truck is less than 3 yrs old and only has 55,000 miles on it, which 95% of them are highway, and the engine went bad. i took it back to nelson's and they said the motor might need to be replaced due to somethings they found when it was hooked up to a machine. they are not really sure what exactly is going on until they tear it apart and really looks inside. they say it will cost a couple of hundred dollars to do that, and probably a couple hundred more to fix. if i just wanted to replace the engine on a truck that is less than 3yrs old, it will cost $4,624.00. the service department said they contacted the diamler-chrysler representative and they are not willing to cover the repair or even help with the cost. i contacted the diamler-chrysler corporation myself and was told that a decision was made and they won't discuss it any further. the customer service person i spoke with (sandy norris), said she wouldn't let me speak to anyone else regarding the issue and disconnected the call. it is very troubling that we as consumer allow this type of inferior product to be sold to us. then be told that unless we buy more of a warranty they won't back anything. dt

I bought a 2000 dodge dakota brand new from nelson auto group in marysville, ohio. the truck is less than 3yrs old and only has 55,000 miles on it, which 95% of them are highway, and the engine went bad. i took it back to nelson's and they said the motor might need to be replaced due to some things they found when it was hooked up to a machine. they are not really sure what exactly is going on until they tear it apart and really looks inside. they say it will cost a couple of hundred dollars to do that, and probably a couple hundred more to fix. if i just wanted to replace the engine on a truck that is less than 3yrs old, it will cost $4,624.00 the service department said they contacted the diamler-chrysler representative and they are not willing to cover the repair or even help with the cost. i contacted the diamler-chrysler corporation myself and was told that a decision was made and they won't discuss it any further. the customer service person i spoke with (sandy norris), said she wouldn't let me speak to anyone else regarding the issue and disconnected the call. it is very troubling that we as consumer allow this type of inferior product to be sold to us, then be told that unless we buy more of a warranty they won't back anything.

Dealer indicated that manufacterer is aware of design defect with no fix commited. the front brake rotors warp over time which degrades the braking system performance and confuses the anti-lock braking system in 55000 miles. rotors have been already turned twice and are already warped again. dt

The brake light do not illuminate as soon as the brake is depressed, only after the peddle is depressed about a half inch. nlm

The cruise control does not disengage until until the brake is pressed very hard. nlm

My rotors have warped 4 times in 38,530 miles. new dodge parts have been installed. this most recent time i got a surprise. dodge said aftermarket brake pads had been installed. i have only had brake service performed at marietta dodge. the previous installation someone must have used after-market front brake pads. also, this is an on-going problem with this truck. 4 sets of rotors warped in less than 10,000 miles. not good. weak brakes. dt

Factory brake components not adequate for stopping this trucks. everyone who owns a dakota has a problem with frequent brake rotor warpage. this could be very dangerous dodge refuses to do anything about it. owners forced to buy expensive brake overhauls every few thousand miles. check out the message boards at www.dodgedakotas.com you will see a lot of people with the same problem. dt

Mr

Front disc rotors get warped every 17000 miles of driving. although the truck has the towing package, i rarely tow anything. my driving is normal driving with most of it on the interstate. after 17000 miles, the whole front-end of the truck shakes terribly until the rotors get turned. pads are fine. rotors turned at 17,000 miles and 34000 miles. expect to have to turn them again at 52000 miles.*ak

After about 13000 miles, application of brakes caused increasingly severe shuddering of front of truck accompanied by significant extension of braking distance (at least 30%). narrowly avoided what could have been a major collision. suspected failure of abs, took car to dealer who diagnosed it as warped rotors in the front. dealer turned rotors and reported essentially zero wear on the brakepads. dealer also replaced brake pads. dealer surmised that there was a chronic material problem with the dakota disk brake system. this problem appears to manifest itself again now, some 8000 miles later. when i recently contacted chrysler by e-mail and explained the problem, their response was merely that there was currently no open problem (hence no action). what is hard to fathom is that nhtsa with some 100 user complaints about the very same safety-related problem does not appear to be pursuing this issue. corrective action by dodge in the form of a recall and replacement of the failure-prone disk system is clearly warranted in this situation. please advise what, if any, action nhtsa is taking, or plans to take, to address this problem. this truly is a matter of "people saving people."*ak

Even with light application of brakes, progressively severe shuddering of entire front end. service dept. determined warped brake discs and incorrect brake pad (oem). disks were turned and brake pads replaced. now, 5000 miles later, same problem (pulsating condition upon light brake application) manifests itself. what is nhtsa doing to get dodge to take corrective action? this situation is a safety hazard and needs to be corrected!!! there are over 100 complaints in your database about the identical problem with the same vehicle. have described the situation to chrysler but doubt that they will respond with a constructive solution without some pressure from nhtsa. after all, this is all about "people saving people" so let's have some action before we have another firestone-like disaster on our hands.*ak

Rotors deteriorated and would not pass inspection on front wheels. rotors and brake pads had to be replaced to make vehicle safe to operate. mileage is 10991 at time of failure.*ak

I don't have access to vehicle at this time for additional info, accident was vs tree, front end. *ak

Loss of control when braking at moderate speeds, see your consumer complaint database. *ak

Had to replace front rotors three times, 24000 miles,29000 miles, and 33000 miles for warped rotors, causing the breaks to pulsate when applied.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Front brake rotors warped shortly after reaching 12,000 miles, manufacturer did not warranty due to mileage.*ak

Truck was in for several things wrongat 1542 miles , brakes and powertrain was a couple of then they said it was okay, they must not have checked anything because now they are failling in a short time while i'm tring to get all this straightened out my truck is getting worse please help

$400 cost to me $50 my cost?extended coverage should be covered, right. no safety defect mentioned. *ak

The steering column starting squeaking, and the shift stick would wiggle a little while in gear. then one of the next times i went to go move the truck i put it into reverse, stepped on the gas and it shifted itself into drive. also, when driving it, when i turn the wheel it would change gears. i have taken it to my dealer a year ago for the same problem, but all they did was tightened things in the steering column.

Front brake rotor warped. driver side windshield wiper squirter disappeared from sight and no longer works. passenger side windshield wiper squirter no longer works. front license plate (required in texas) bolt failed, lost license plate somewhere.

Brake rotors continue to warp beyond use and repair. have had after maket and oem rotors and both begin to warp within three to 5000 miles and need to be replaced. after market rotors last longer and dont warp as fast as oem but i shouldn't have to replace my rotors twice a year due to under sized rotors for the truck.

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

This vehicle was specifically ordered from dodge as a towing vehicle. the truck came with the factory installed towing package. however, there are no towing mirrors offered as an option. i do not think dodge should build towing vehicles without providing the availability to purchase such mirrors. i have notified dodge about the problem and all they say is there are no factory towing mirrors for the dakota trucks. yet they continue to offer factory installed towing packages. this policy does not make sense. if they do not offer towing mirrors for this model then they should not offer a towing package. i cannot even locate a towing mirror replacement only the universal strap on ones which do not work well. cipa offers a slide over towing mirror but not for the dodge dakota slt model that i have. please look into this.*ak

Engine partially stalled once and then again - engine trouble light came on. upon stopping vehicle, noted that auxillary fan continued to run even though engine was cool. noted a smell of burning plastic and discoverd fan relay in fuse box was smoking and extremely hot. upon removal of fan relay, the fan stopped, and smell of burned plastic stopped. returned vehicle to dealer for repairs on 8/3/02.*ak

Of couse they said it wasn't covered under my extended policy and if my brakes completly fail at only 23,000 miles it's normal wear. *ak

2000 dakota brakes are unsafe and start 'bouncing' after a few thousand miles due to warping rotors. dealership will do nothing to fix problem. have spoke with numerous other dakota owners and this is a very common problem.*ak

Front brake rotors warped,,turned at dealers expense:problem addvised v-8 dakotas are having this problem. not present in 6 or 4 cyl models. rotor substandard for brakeng weight of engine.*ak

Warped brake rotors are causing vehicle to lose control. this will be the fourth set of rotors in 28000 miles. the dealer talked me into paying for new pads last time because he said brake problems are not covered under warranty after 12000 miles. why isn't the nhtsa responding to this unsafe issue? the majority of complaints on your web site is about warped rotors on dodge dakotas. please respond!!*ak

I experienced two tire failures, six months apart, on my original equipment tires. both instances i was travelling on paved roads about sixty mph. i had some camping gear in the pickup bed, but by no means an excessive load. in each instance i felt a slight wobble, then experienced a tire failure. the sidewalls were completely shredded on at least one side. in the first instance i went to a les schwab dealer in lakeview, oregon (only dealer nearby). their person said it looked like a tire failure. i brought it back with me to my hometown of kennewick, wa, and took it to an authorized goodyear outlet to request an adjustment for the fire. they told me it looked like it was a road hazard problem(i must have hit something), and said it wasn't their problem. i left it at that, except to write goodyear at an address in my owners pamphlet outlining my warranty. i described the incident, expressed by disappointment, but neither asked for nor received a reply. the second failure six months later on another of the same tires i thought was a little much, so i purchased a new set of tires. i did not contact goodyear again as i did not expect any response based on not receiving any last time. luckily, even though both tires failed completely, i was able to stop my vehicle in a controlled manner with no injury or damage. this information is provided to you in case you receive notification of a number of similar failures in like goodyear tires. thank you.*ak (dot number: m6hfekwr20 tiresize: p215/75r15)

Is anyone reading these complaints on dakota brake rotors?!? i am on my 4th set of front rotors, which are already warped. each set goes about 10-11k untill needing resurfacing/ replacement.. my local dealership actually billed some of my visits for rotors in a manner that the dealership i bought it from can't even understand what was done. i no longer tow anything, trying to make the rotors last longer- why did i waste money ordering the heavyduty tow package? i am sick of these brakes, like so many other dakota owners. how many complaints does it take? nlm

Rotors have warpped untimely check website dodgedakota.com note all the front rotor warpping. dodge mechanic advised he see a lot of these in the v-8 dakotas, his opinion is the rotors are not suitable for the engine weight while brakeing. could lead to loss of control and possible accidents.*ak

While driving 35 mph vehicle started to shake and could not turn. after stopping and looking at vehicle saw front tie rod had come apart.towed vehicle to dealer who determined tir rod came apart and the upper and lower ball joints are bad.*ak

Rear brakes have been inoperable since the day we bought this vehicle, returned to dealer with complaint. they said it was "normal". returned later with further evidence to show them and they tested it , adjusted the brakes and said it was ok. later i jacked the vehicle up with the wheels powered up and could not stop the wheels from turning. took it back to dealer, showed them my test and they now proclaimed a problem. they replaced every component and still no brakes. they took it to a brake shop for second opinion, the owner claimed i was right. chrysler sent a rep to look at it, claimed it was "normal" so chrysler said they were done with it. so dodge won't do any more either. in slick conditions like snow, the rear wheels keep turning after the vehicle stops. i have to shift to neutral to keep from being pushed into an intersection.*ak

I am the daughter of the owner and am writing and sending this because my father is illiterate and speaks very little english. he is 70 years old and retired. my parents were traveling back from albuquerque, nm on i-40 approx. 8:30 pm at 75 mph when they heard this loud, terrible noise from underneath the vehicle. the steering mechanism stiffenend and they slowly manuevered the truck off the freeway. preliminary report from a mechanic states it may appear that they driveshaft broke initially and in return, it hit and tore apart the transmission and the transfer case. previously, this vehicle has no history of having any sort of problems nor had my parents had any inclination that something could be wrong, such as hearing noises, squeaks, etc. this occurred so suddenly. this vehicle also had 90% highway miles verses 10% flat, graveled or dirt road. my father was unlikely to go 4-wheeling or to mistreat this vehicle (as the dodge dealership is implying).*ak

#1 brakes front and rear when applied vibrate the whole truck # 2when truck shifts from 2 to 3 it bangs hard into gear. *ak

Rear brakes failed to work from the factory, (never worked) and dodge cannot fix it, so they recommend i take it home!*ak

Bad rotors after 12,000k,dealer will not cover. low idle and engine studdering at 400 rpm after 2 pcm recalls for reprograming, dealer can't find problem with idle. problem with the baffles in the gas tank, you can feel the fuel moving around when you come to a stop at about 3/4 full tank. condensation in oil filler cap. sounds like i bought a 2000 dakota. i've found countless entries of the same complaints on the internet. nhts need to get on chrysler about these problems befor someone really gets hurt. specialy the problem with the brakes.*ak

Rotors refaced by dealer at 11848 miles, warped again and replaced at 22946, warped again at 33000 and i'm now out of warranty. continuous problem from dodge dakota's. please push for a recall so all of us can be compensated. *aki

Front suspension makes a popping noise when the steering wheel is turned and the vehicle's front suspension is compressing and decompressing. the dealer has been notified twice and they state that there is nothing wrong with it (unable to reproduce the problem).*ak

I purchased the 2000 dodge dakota clb. new. i noticed the shimmy in the brakes with less than 5000 miles.it was not so bad as to affect the safety of the vehicle and it was covered under warranty. at 11,430 miles the dealer turned the front roters upon my insistance that the shimmy was a safety problem.they did not replace the roters. at 22,994 miles i returned the truck to the dealer with the same problem as before. i was told that the front roters as well as the rear drums needed to be replaced, and these items were not covered under warrenty after 12months or 12000 miles. that they were wear items that were omited from the 36month or 36,000 mile bumper to bumper warrenty as advertised when i purchased the truck. i was told that even though the problem was a reocurrence of a previous problem. the dealership could not treat it as a warrenty problem again. i have spoken to 3 other ase certifyed mechanics that say that roters and drums should not warp in such a short time and that roters and drums are not wear items, pads and shoes, however, are. i have been in comunication with several other 2000/2001 dodge dakota owners and 90% of them have had brake problems just like me. i am sure chrysler/dodge is fully aware of the unsafe/ faulty brake components that have been placed on their vehicles, but are not willing to come forward and recall the inferior parts without being forced to by someone other than the consumer. chrysler has modified the 2002 models so as to not have this problem now. the cost to replace the front roters and the rear drums was $544.00 quoted to me. i do not believe that consumers should have to pay for a manufacturers willfull use of inferior parts. thank you for looking into this unethical action. les maxwell. *ak

Front brake rotors warping every 2000 miles. *ak

There has been a redesign of this oil filler cap.....why?*ak

When on any incline, going in forward or reverse, engine starts to coast for 5 seconds then suddenly accelerates by itself to 1100 rpm's. on flat ground engine idles at 650 rpm but the second you touch the accelerator it jumps up to 1100 rpm . if you let it go it will change into 2nd gear and the vehicle will go about 18 mph without having your foot on the gas. you have to press the grakes very hard to get it to stop.. on icy pavement the front tires stop but the rear tires are still trying to go due to the engine speed. i have made many trips to the dealer for this but all they ever tell me is that they are "checking" with someone. as of this date they have never called me back. my wife refuses to drive this vehicle because she is afraid it will take off by itself and not stop. *ak

About every 12-15k miles, the rotors on the front of the vehicle warped and either have to be replaced or turned. i have never had a vechicle that warped roters...let alone one that warps them so often. the manufacture says it's normal wear and tear and will not cover it. i have seen several people complaining about the same problem with their truck.*ak

Vehicle accelerates to 3800 rpm in first gear going down hill. vehicle does not slow with compression until this point. must ride brakes to slow. brakes get hot rotor warps. brake failure. manufacturer will not address; not warranted even with maxicare warranty.*ak

Front brake rotors have been warping since the vehicle was purchased. first reported at 8833 miles. rotors were replaced. second report was at 16157 miles; rotors were replaced again. vehicle now has 20850 miles and brakes are pulsating again. vehicle has been taken to three dealers over the past two years. all three dealers have been reluctant to admit there is a manufacturer's problem with the front rotors. each has indicated that the problem is caused by "driver habits". how can three sets of brake rotors warp in less than 21,000 miles?*ak

Vehicle shudders on braking (violently on hard braking), dealer says both rotors needed to be replaced although the original brake pads are still in good condition. *ak

Vehicle pulses while braking, and stoping distance has increased. dealer has turned the front discs once, at app. 11000 miles, but the problem has since returned at app. 17000 miles. something must be done to fix this annoying problem. there are too many complaints, of the same problem, by so many owners.*ak

Warped rear brake drums. *ak

Engine problem due to oil sludge. had engine cleaned by jiffy lube during an oil change after tech showed me sludge in oil cap and in the tube where you pour in the oil. started having oil pressure problems and took it to dealer. they say that damage has been done to engine bearings and maybe rods and that at the best it will cost $4000 to fix. not for sure if they will cover it under the warrenty even though truck is not 2 years old and under the milage. i have seen all over the internet that dodge trucks are having problems with oil sludge. i hope that you can help.*ak

Every 9000-10000 mi. front rotors warp and pulsate reducing braking ability.*ak

Rear drums and front rotors have warped under light driving conditions. *ak

My dodge dakota sport 4x4 4.7ltr v-8's brakes started sputtering and hopping at about 13000 miles. since that time the problem has only gotten worse. i am currently at about 24000 miles. i have talked to several people where i work that have owned dodge vehicles (99 and newer) and all of them have had the same problem. i researched this on the internet and found hundeds upon hundreds of people have this same problem. using brakes that are defective on a vehicle is a major safety issue. how come dodge has not yet recalled these brakes? how can so many people buy a brand new truck and have to replace the brake system within a year? this is very frustrating and dangerous for all the dodge vehicle drivers throughout the world. thank you, todd stack, federal law enforcement. *ak

Rear brake rotors/drums are warped, this was under normal wear and tear, need to be recalled and replaced,*ak

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak

Warped front rotors causing severe vibration in streering wheel at critical braking situations, like coming down hills in tenn. or pulling a trailer.*ak

Rotors have excessivly warped twice in 23k miles. common problem. *ak

Transmission failed after 45,500 miles. dealer had tried to fix problem in april 2001 but transmission failed in october.

This problem has to deal with a rough/low idle and off idle hesitation which sometimes results in engine stalling in traffic or when crossing highways. the in gear warm idle is at a very rough 500-600rpm. when the air conditioner is turned on the idle jumps up to a fairly smooth 700 rpm, and the truck runs fine. this vehicle has had all current updates and recalls performed. the dealer has cleaned the throttle body and iac motor under warranty, but the problem persists. the problem is less evident in cold weather or when the engine is cold. the vehicle has stalled twice; once at a traffic light and once when crossing the highway. the rough idle is always present (sometimes worse than others), but the stalling is very intermitent. i am affraid that this will at some point cause a serious accident.

Rear brake pulsating or shuddering. have research problem and seems to be wide spread.*ak

When applied between 35 and 40 mph, the rear brakes will pulse causing the rear end of the truck to hop. the rear drums are warped but "hardly worn" according to the inspector at midas. the technician at midas told me that re-surfacing the drums wouldn't fix the pulsing & hopping problem. i first really noticed this problem at around 17k miles and it has been consistent and reoccurring ever since. i have tried to find recalls or tsb's from dodge (daimlerchrysler) regarding this problem but nothing has been issued that i could find. there are, however, many owners who are also experiencing this problem with similar dodge dakotas as is evident but the amount of complaints that i have seen posted on various sites on the internet.*ak

Just another one on many rotor failures on dakotas. *ak

Brakes keep failing on this vehicle -lost control of vehicle slowing down for exit ramp. left road and slid on grass to a stop. do you need fatalities to make this an issue? with more then 50 documented complaints on file with nhtsa it won't be long now. *ak

Brakes keep failing on this vehicle- dangerous stopping conditions. *ak

On 06/22/01, the rear wheel of our dodge dakota quad cab came off the truck while towing a horse trailer. after it was towed to sunset chrystler dealership in grenada, ms, they turned in to the warranty that the truck had been wrecked and that is why the wheel came off. since then we fixed the rear wheel by replacing the lug bolts and nuts with some that are not a dodge product. we found out at the time that you can not order the rear lug bolts for the dodge dakota qeadcab. we are now having problems with the other tires on the vehicle doing the same thing. the lug bolts are coming loose and requiring tightening almost daily. a mechanic at applewhite's garage in winona, ms looked at them and said that there is a shim behind the rim on each lug bolt. we can not find anyone that knows what or why these are on the lug bolts. this is a potentially hazarradous problem.

When i appled the brakes the front end would shake. the dealer said it was hot spots and was not uncomman for a truck with 21000 miles. they said it was not covered under warranty so i removed the wheel and fond the outer retainer hanging loose and seen marks on the rim where it had been riding. this maybe a problem that could result in a very bad accident. i have pic if you need them. *ak

Seems to be a common problem many dakota owners are complaining of the same symptoms. during braking from any speed the entire truck shakes violently. i think that they have defective rotors or drums.*ak

Pulsation in front braking system at 26000 miles. brought into dealer and said rotors were warped. had rotors turned and now 8000 miles later they are warped again. i'm now in the position of replacing rotors on a vehicle that is only 2 years old. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Poor rotor quality. in speaking with many other dakota owners, aftermarket rotors fixes this problem.*ak

Experiencing severe brake rotor warpage after approx. 14k miles of 80% highway driving. the truck is not used for hauling or towing although it is intended for such as it has the towing package option. the truck has been in for this problem on two occasions. the first occasion, the dealer turned rotors at no cost. pads were still in good condition. the second time, at nearly 36k miles, rotors will be at min thickness if turned, but original pads still have 1/2 material left. truck still has original tires as well. i am concerned that if i were to use the truck at the capacity it is intended (towing or hauling), i would experience severe brake fade or even failure due to the overheating condition that is present with the highway driving i am doing now. at this point, neither the dealer nor the manufacturer will honor this claim. they have classified the condition as normal wear . i disagree as the pads should be wearing faster than the rotors. i have also filed a complaint with the better business bureau. i want to have the front brake system replaced with one that will perform properly and safely under all conditions that the vehicle was intended to operate under. thank you for any assistance you can appropriately provide in this matter. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Brakes have a pulsesating feel. had the front rotors turned and this took care of the problem for approximately 5 months. it's pulsesating again. *ak

You will see if you go to the web sight given you that many people are complaining about dodge's drums and rotors going out at low mileage times. my dodge is very new and so far have not had that problem. but it seems to me that dodge is having a problem with these parts. they say that the rotors are cheap plastic. looking at the years of these trucks. this has been going on for years.*ak

I continue to have problems with my rotors on my dakota. my first complaint was at 3286 miles, the brakes were making a rubbing noise. the rotors were machined at 22173 miles. the rotors were replaced at 35500, 47095 and once again today at 62000. when i first complained about this problem i was told it was my driving habits (i.e. city driving) i drive 100 miles/day on the highway for work. something should be done about this braking problem before someone gets hurt.*ak

Dealer turned rotors @ 17,000 m. @ cost to me of $128.00 rotors warped @ 22,000 m. and i have lived with them. i am looking for replacment rotors that aren't made by dodge.*ak

At approximately 7000 miles i started experiencing an engine rpm surge after putting the vehicle in gear after a cold start. engine rpm would instantly rise to 1400 - 1500 rpm without any throttle input causing the truck to lunge forward or backward depending on the gear it was in. i reported the problem to the service department and was originally told that nothing could be done since the problem could not be duplicated once the engine had been started and had went through this cycle. i finally got a service advisor to listen after living with this problem for approximately 9 months. at that time, the idle air control motor was changed which corrected the problem. after approximately 6000 - 9000 miles, the problem re-occurred. the dealer again changed the idle control motor which did not correct the problem. fuel injector cleaner was then ran through the vehicle and the spark plugs were changed which corrected the problem for approximately one week. any time i start this vehicle after it has set over night with temperatures under 60 degrees the engine starts and idles down to normal idle of approximately 600 -700 rpm. when i put the truck in gear, the idle rpm drops to approximately 400 and will then surge to 1200 - 1400 before idling back down to normal. i am still working with the dealer to get this resolved however am making little progress since they have so far not been able to work with the vehicle long enough to duplicate the problem themselves. the problem occurs for me every day i start the vehicle and the weather is cool. on hot days, it is fine. i am still working with the dealer and will be meeting with them on 8/21/2001. i would like to know if this is a known problem with this vehicle.*ak

Continuing problem with extraordinary wear of brake components. front rotors turned at 17,000 miles current mileage 31,000 and system is in need of repairs again. the vehicle will almost "jump" off the ground when brakes are applied in normal conditions. if the road is wet they will lock under normal pressure. dealer states this is normal wear and is not a manufactures problem. i have never owned a vehicle that the brake system has worn out twice within 31,000 miles. this vehicle is not used for any commercial enterprise, only personal use and the majority of the mileage has occured on interstate highway driving conditions where braking is lite and infrequent. research on the internet has provided me with many other like complaints from other dakota owners. the manufacturer has sold me a vehicle with inherently defective brakes which are failing prematurely under normal driving conditions. i have another appointment for repairs in the morning.*ak

Have been to the dealer at least 7 times with problem with vehicle hopping and jumping during braking, between the speeds of 40 to 30 and under. the dealer has turned the front rotors twice and replaced them once. the rear drums have also been turned and replaced. the problem still exists not only is it annoying it could be a very real safety issue.*ak

05/30/2000- 10402 miles front rotors warped, rotors replaced. 10/20/2000 16936 miles, rotors found warped again, "updated" parts on order, still only 6534 miles since the new rotors were installed. 02/26/2001 22066 miles, "updated" parts installed for previous warped rotors on 10/20/2000, still under 12 months or 12,000 miles for the parts warranty. 07/31/2001 26790, rotors were found warped again and only 4724 miles driven. the dealer told me it was my "driving habit" and they have had no other problem with dakota's brakes, they wanted to charge me for repairs and i inquired about their 12 month or 12,000 mile warranty that is offered on the repair receipt. i just don't believe these rotors are designed properly and it is not my driving habit. i go mostly on the interstate highway to get to my job.*ak

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak

Truck only has 22245 miles. all four tires were severally cracked at the bead. some cracks were over two inches long. all four tires diplayed the same cracks. these tires were rotated every 6,ooo miles and proper air pressure was maintained. the product code on these tires is 773025431. manufactures description according to the dealer is (p215/75r15 s2 100s wrl st owlrptl) (tiresize: p215/75r15)

Consistent failure of brake rotors on dakotas, severe and early warpage leads me to believe in substandard design/manufacture, request investigation of quality issues which i feel may affect safely of vehicle. *ak

Brake rotor needed to be turned after only 30,000 due to shaking. now 3,000 miles later shaking has returned. manufacturer states that this is normal! no brake interlock-my 3 year old son was able to take the truck out of gear and the vehicle rolled back into a treed area damaging the truck. the lack of a brake interlock is an accident waiting to happen and needs to be addressed immediatley. when i contacted dodge about my concerns i never received a response. *ak

Have taken the truck in 3 times for bad jerky braking. front rotors turned and now they want to replace the front rotors and machine the rear drums, but have not decided if they will cover under waranty. currently at 18,000 , miles. symtoms started at approx 9,000 miles and have never been fixed with diagnosis and repair attempts thus far. my brothers year 2000 dodge dakota is experienceing the same problems. we are both afraid to take children in truck for fear the brakes will suddenly fail completely.*ak

Replaced front rotors under warranty at 12,000 miles at 15000 had rotors turned know at 28000 rotors are warped again vehicle shakes violently, chrysler(manufacture not dealership) says they have not heard of problem before, dealer can not replace rotors under warranty because chrysler wont let them. i must now pay out of my pocket for something that should be covered under my warranty, and have had replaced twice before. *ak

Brake rotors need to be turned every 10000 miles, they are junk, and need to be looked at. *ak

At 8000 miles front discs brakes started to shutter. called dealer . they said it normal. 11500 took too dealer to repair. they replaced rotors/pads. they said that they failed due to normal wear and driver abuse. replaced for free under warrenty. at 13400 i now notice same problem again..... these are warping if i brake under wet conditions.like a puddle im pissed on the amount of problems on these trucks. *ak

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak

Brakes shake violently when braking normally; transmission pops out of first gear (manual transmission).*ak

This is a case of poor braking quality, rotors were turned by dealer, but should have been replaced. braking uneven once again. *ak

Transmission failed and replaced at 40000 miles and 1 1/2 years on the road. just had transmission serviced 7000 miles ago. dodge agreed to replace parts, but i still have to pay service which is over 1000. dodge never told me why it failed, nor how. i asked them to check fluid level, never did. brakes when applied cause vehicle to "wobble". brake repair said rotors were warped. they were fixed only to be occurring again. i shall never buy another dodge.*ak

Both rear drums were warped after less than 11k miles. i have never towed or hauled heavy loads with the truck. *ak

Same story as the other 100 people who have taken the time to go through this pain in the ass system to get some government action to protect us!! 5 visits to dealer to resurface and replace rotors...finally lost control due to "pulsing" brakes, luckily, not hurt bad. gonna be a big lawsuit when someone is killed and the laywers see all these posts out here about the dakota terrible dangerous brakes! pay up chrysler. nhtsa, do the right thing and force a recall before we get hurt!!*ak

When back window is rolled down, air pressure on ears is intense. *ak

I just had the rotors replaced 2 weeks ago and they are already getting grooves in these again. the dodge rep told me the first time it was normal wear and tear 495 dollars later i have same problem and just 2 short weeks from the repair. why has their not been a recall to fix this problem. *ak

Brake drums are warping prematurely. dealer/manufacturer is not admitting any problems... although every dakota owner is experiencing this problem. *ak

At 9,000 miles i noticed a shake whenever i used the brakes and it was getting worse. i went into lynnwood dodge - they resurfaced the front brake rotors and the shaking stopped for a while. the shaking came back so at 16,000 miles they replaced the front rotors. within a few thousand miles the shaking had begun again and at 26,000 miles (my next appt. with the dealer) they resurfaced the brakes again. now at just above 27,000 miles i am trying to be super sensitive about it. i believe it is only a matter of time until it starts shaking ahead. the service guy at the dealer said this is a common problem with dakotas and that the front rotors are undersized for the size of the truck. i was told i would be contacted by the service manager of lynnwood dodge (where i had it serviced) but i have yet to hear from him as of yet. *ak additional information: consumer states at 29,700 miles - rotors resurfaced again and also at 34,000. (mjj - hotline)

Windshield and side windows on passenger side has stars in it and the manufacture rep said they have never seen anything like it but will investigate it further.they seem to bubble up and you can scrape the top off of them with a razor blade.one of the mechanics said they had a whole load of caravans that came in like that and they replaced all of the windows.dodge needs to stand behind it's productsand give the customer what they paid for because this vehicle was not cheap.*ak

Windshield and side windows on passenger side has stars in it and the manufacturer's rep said they have never seen anything like it but will investigate it further.they seem to bubble up and you can scrape the top off of them with a razor blade.one of the mechanics said they had a whole load of caravans that came in like that and they replaced all of the windows.dodge needs to stand behind it's productsand give the customer what they paid for because this vehicle was not cheap.

Problem is that the brake pads are like brand new and the rotors are heavily grooved on both sides of the rotor and it is both rotors.it took the factory rep from dodge two months to look at it and when he finally did he said it was normal wear and tear.i have had vehicles for over 7 years for one vehicle and have never had to even replace the brakes.they tried to tell me it is stop and go traffic or pulling my boat and i told them i have only pulled it about 5 times.why would you put a towing package on the truck if you were going to have to replace the rotors evey 15 thousand miles.this is a safety problem and someone is goin to be killed one day if they already haven't.can you do something about this problem or are we just screwed again.*ak

The front brake rotors are junk and dodge will not admit that they have a problem with them. i personally have talked to several people that have had the same problems with the brakes on the dakotas.*ak

Hubs are warped w/o harsh driving, hauling, towing. *ak

Bought truck new, 1200 miles later under normal driving conditions the brakes started shuddering. at 5000 miles dodge replaced the rear drums under warrantee because of warpage that was causing braking to be more difficult and less controlled. 1500 miles later they started warping again. with 9000 miles on the truck (normal driving conditions) i brought the truck in with the shuddering problem and they told me that it wasn't bad enough to replace or turn under warrantee. 3500 miles later they were bad enought to replace but by the the time i brought the truck in for service they were out of warrantee (12k). dodge told me they needed to be turned or replaced at my expense (12,500 miles on the vehicle). they continue to warp and cause the truck to shake and pull under normal braking. this is unacceptable for factory installed equipment.*ak

I belong to a nation club of dakota owners and warped rotors is the #1 problem we talk about.*ak

Had calipers rebuilt and rotors turned because of warpage by dealer at 12000 miles i am now at 2100 miles and have the exact same problem and they refuse to fix it under warranty saying 12000 miles is the limit to the brake warranty i know of others who have had this fixed beyond the 12000 mile mark. i only have 9000 on this set of brakes. they tell me they know of the problem but will not cover it.*ak

Brakes continue to wear out at about 4-5000 miles. when worn, the brakes begin to vibrate and vehicle has difficulty stopping. the dealership has replaced the brakes three times and the front rotors 2 times. they believe that it is not a big problem. or maybe they are waiting to me to get injured in an accident before the admit the vehicle is a lemon. i would appreciate it if you can provide me any help. thank you.*ak

Engine gauge, quit unexpectedly in middle of freeway, no power brakes etc.*ak

Front roters and rear drums go out of round and warp after aprox 1k miles. this porblem has happened 5x . after 4th time roters were replaced with pads at owners cost. problem still showing up after more then 3k of driving. mostley interstate driving. no city stop and go in this part of nh. *ak

We have taken this vehicle to the dealer 5 times for the rotors. 4 of the times they replaced the rotors and once they only cut them. we purchased this vehicle new and this is not normal as the dealer tried to claim in the beginning. the 4th time the dealer replaced the rotors and disc brake pads on the front and also replaced the valve , with switch assembly, brake combination. this work was done on the vehicle at 34,281 miles and now we are at 45,000 approx. and the rotors are shot again for a 5th time. this time in the vehicle also needed to have the sway bar bushing replaced. this vehicle is only 1 year old.*ak

My wife hit a car that turned in front of her (t-bone)at 35 mph. airbags failed to deploy and the rear seatbelts failed to lock up and restrain back seat passenger.

I took my dakota to the dealership with popping noises in the brakes and they couldn't find anything. i took it on a long trip before the 12000 mile warranty on the brakes was up. it stared vibrating when i braked. i finally got it into the dealership after the 2000 plus mile trip and they said the front disc brakes were warped and had to be turned. cost me $168.00 to turn two disc brakes. that's bull! i found 30 plus complaints on the nhtsa about the same thing. i want my money back. the dakota is a piece of crap. i traded in it1. *ak

My transmission sticks at intermitent times the first time it did this i was going 75ph on the freeway and could not get the vehicle back into gear.*ak

Dealer said that the rotors and pads should be replaced every 12k miles....at my expense. no warranty for brake parts. *ak

As i was driving along, the vehicle shut off, and smoke came out of the hood. i opened the hood, and all the wiring in the engine bay was on fire. the truck was a complete loss due to fire damage. *ak

Warped rotors at 11000 miles dealer replaced. 16000 warped again. dealer says this is a big problem with no solution. *ak

There is play in the steering column. the steering wheel will move approximately 1/8 to 1/4" up and down. the dealer claims it's because of the collaspable steering column.

Front rotors were replaced at 5,000 same problem again at 18,000 also drums this time