1998 DODGE Dakota

Fuel tank strap just broke going down the highway. Luckily I heard a noise and stopped to check it out right away.
The other strap held and the gas tank was almost empty. Would hate to think about what might of happen if the gas tank fell right off. Very dangerous(explosion/fire) for us and anyone around us.
Side mirror cracked when trying to adjust it. Only way to adjust is to move the mirror itself.
Paint on hood has cracks and cab roof paint is just gone.
Issues with check valve that controls the air flow through vents in cab. Constantly going to default-which is to windshield. Otherwise the truck is in very good condition. The fuel tank straps should not of broke.

While driving at 55 mph on the highway, the driver\’s front wheel bearing failed causing the wheel to become separated from the bearing making control of the vehicle extremely difficult. A significant amount of sparks came from the front axle. The axle, CV joint, CV boot, wheel, bearing, rotors and pads needed to be replaced due to the damage caused by the wheel bearing failure for a total cost of $2036.49. The truck only had 38500 miles on it and Dodge refused to cover any part of the repair stating that it was outside the warranty period. This was a very dangerous condition and obviously due to a defective part or improper manufacture based on the low mileage at the time of failure.

Vehicle was purchased used in 2002, had 17,000 miles. Three years later, at 43,000 miles, vehicle developed a \"rattling\" from underneath. Contacted a Dodge dealer, to see if their were any recalls concerning this. I was informed that since I was not the original owner, nothing was under warranty. I had the catalytic converter checked, and it was found to be defective. Vehicle was taken to my shop of choice for repairs. Mechanic at shop called Chrysler to find out if any recall or warranty existed, and was told no. Two months later after the repairs were done, I get a letter from Chrysler stating that a warranty period of 8 years or 80,000 miles exists for this problem. Now my problem is, I would like Chrysler to reimburse me for the work, since they told me that there was no recall, when there was. I have all copies of receipts and letters or emails to Diamler Chrysler Customer Assistance. Can you help me in this matter?

This truck was diagnosed with a broken rod. Are there any similar complaints? I have not had the truck repaired as of yet.

Since purchasing the vehicle new in 2000, there has always been klonking noise and jolting sensations whenever shifts between 1st and 2nd gear. I have taken vehicle to three to four different Dodge service centers regarding this problem. All of which stated ,\" there was no problem.\" now I have klanging noises coming from the rearend of the vehicle. Sounding as if the vehicle will fail to move.

See failures

See failures

Paint- Soon after paying off truck the clear coat started to crack and fade on the hood, roof, tailgate, and the sides of the bed. Now the clear coat is starting to crack on the doors.Transmission- Throw out bearing went bad and was making a grinding noise until I made the repairs myself.Steering- Since vehicle was first bought it has been hard to steer during cold weather months until vehicle warms up. Has made a popping noise when trying to steer during cold weather.Water Pump- water pump went bad leaked coolant and almost caused vehicle to overheat.

My vehicle wouldn’t pass inspection because the check engine light was on, the code said cylider 1 mis fire, i took it to a mechanic who couldn’t figure out the problem so he ran it by the dealer and they told him that it has a burnt exhaust valve. It’s only got 67,000 mile on it, is this normal?Thanks!

My main complaint is the paint on my black 1998 Dodge Dakota. The paint on the roof started fading after about 5 years. The truck was waxed at least every four months. Today, the roof has faded so bad that it is 50% white. The paint on the doors and the hood is now started to fade.

I RECEIVED MY VEHICLE REGISTRATION RENENWAL NOTICE ON OCTOBER 2007 NOTING THAT A MANUFACTURER RECALL #E22 WAS REQUIRED (PROOF OF CORRECTION CERTIFICATE REQUIRED) AND TO CONTACT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR FREE REPAIR. NOTHING WAS NOTED OR SAID TO ME AT THE TIME OF REPAIR ABOUT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WHEN I GOT IT SMOG IF FAILED AND THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS NOTED TO ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY DODGE ABOUT THE RECALL MUCH EARLIER. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE RULES ABOUT A MANFACTURER THAT HAS RECALLS IN NOTIFYING THE CONSUMER ABOUT A RECALL, BECAUSE DODGE DID NOT NOTIFY ME BY CERITIFIED MAIL OR TELEPHONE OR EMAIL ABOUT THIS RECALL AND I COULD HAVE QUALIFIED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED BY DODGE, INSTEAD I AM LEFT TO PAY FOR IT ON MY OWN.I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT I CAN DO AND POSSIBLE IF I COULD STILL QUALIFY FOR THIS FIX IT BY DODGE SINCE I WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY THE COMPANY. MR. CERDA

I just spent $2,000 on fuel system repairs and got the truck home. I went on a 2 week business trip, returned and started the engine. It knocked loudly. Now I am told that the oil pump failed and the egine needs to be replaced or rebuilt. I was told at the time of the fuel system problem that the valves were going bad and I should think about getting a new truck if it acts up again. With only 80,000 miles omn the truck to have the engine go bad when I have done all the recommended services is just unexceptable. I don’t know what to do, spend 3,000 to rebuild only to have the values go out and need repair or 5,000 for a replacement short block or 61,00 for a replacement long block. This should not be happening to this truck it should last 150, 000 to 200,00 miles. I have had engine issues since I bought the truck in 1998 new.

I have researched all of the problems with my truck and in a VERY short time found out I am one of 10’s of thousands of people whom have had EVERY one of the issues that I have with my truck and Chrysler is doing NOTHING about it from what I am finding, especially for MY year “1998” and mileage truck. They know and where aware of these problems a long time ago when they were occurring but DID NOTHING. Now that the truck has high mileage they use THAT as an excuse not to cover it. My intake gaskets – FAILED, My coolant system – FAILED, Paint – FAILED, Front Ball-joints and suspension – FAILED, NOW, the coolant system has FAILED again causing a MAJOR FAILURE with the engine and oil pressure system. I’m NO PRO but I have been in the AUTOMOTIVE/SMALL ENGINE PARTS business for 20+ years and I’ve heard and experienced enough to know that MOST if not ALL of these problems COULD have and SHOULD have been avoided when the truck was younger, BEFORE I had ANY PROBLEMS. BUT, NOW because I’m a dedicated DODGE owner BUT haven’t purchased a NEW DODGE but chose to (actually financially HAD TO) retain and drive my current DODGE I WILL BE PENALIZED and forced to pay for CHRYSLER’s known DEFECTS in manufacturing and workmanship. I WILL SUE, with whom I don’t care, but it’s ridiculous that they keep coming out with NEW products without fixing their WIDE SPREAD current FAILURES. Thank you for your time and effort.

I have had this vehichle for 10 years and kept it garaged and washed and waxed it and taken very good care of it. Now the paint on the roof is completely oxidized and the entire truck is beginning to turn white it is getting so bad. The paint color is black. Is there anything I can do to have Dodge paint this for me? I have been noticing that all Dakota’s that I see are doing the same thing.

I bought a 1998 Dodge Dakota the beginning of 1998. The first day of driving off lot, vehicle broke down on the expressway. Vehicle continues to break down the entire 3 years of the lease agreement 4 total. I tried at the time to qualify for the lemon law only to be denied. The 1998 Dodge Dakota brakes apparently gave in on my uncle\’s property. Caused over $15,000 in damage. Insurance coverage at time; State Farm paid damages and Chrysler still wouldn

I am on my 6th set of front brakes (replaced rotors everytime) Dealership replaced cailbors after the 3 repair.Control module went bad on air bag I have had the condenser, evaporator and the heating coil replaced.I replaced the lower end ball joints.The truck has left me stranded on 2 ocassions to be towed to the dealer so they could just reset the computer and not be able to explain to me why it would not start before, they explained to me a glitch in the system.CD player was replaced.Replaced intake gasket.Replaced cap, rotor, distributor and plug wires.This vehicle has been in the dealership 17 times since I purched it new April 1998. I paid 26,000.00 for it and have put over $5,000.00 in repairs.

engine builds up with sludge. Oil is changed on a regular basis. Oil pump was replaced in 2004. I just wanted you to know that this is not just a few isolated instances that Chrysler is talking about. When I had my oil changed at QUICK-Change last week, they told me that they had had several Chrysler Product vehicles in over the last several weeks with sludge build-up,(one to the point that they could not even give it an oil change).Last year when I had the pump replaced I saw several engine with the same problem.

Engine block cracked, headers needed replaced, water pump needed replaced. Cat converter replaced three times, and fuel filter needed replaced. Still has problems starting.

BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS (2) ON A V6 ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WERE JUST FIXED AT 46,000 MILES. THE ESTIMATE FOR THE STEERING COLUMN CLUNKING REPAIR WAS $1000.00 ON 12/5/02/ LOOKING FOR A SECOND OPINION. THESE REPAIRS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A 5 YEAR OLD TRUCK WITH ONE OWNER WITH ONLY 46,000 MILES ON IT.

Bought used from Dodge dealer and the next day truck continuously stalled at stops. Took back to dealer and he said he cleaned the throttle body and fixed it. Has to be done every year or problem exists.I have had 5(five) water pumps go out on the vehicle. This is unacceptable.Gave truck to my son after getting a $1500 major tuneup and timing chain replacement at dealership.The paint on the truck looks like crap. The clear coat is bubbling up on the top, the hood, the top of the tailgate, and now starting on the sides even though the truck has been well matintained. I have spoken to several body shops and they all say the dodge has a problem with their paint.Wish I had of known earlier because I bought another Dodge truck and I will be very angry if it happens to this truck too.

AT THE REAR TRANNY MOUNT,THE CASE OF THE TRANNY ROTTED AND GOT SO FAT BETWEEN THE MOUNT AND THE CASE THAT IT BROKE THE CASE OR REAR TAILSTOCK.SO I TOOK A 3 OR 3 1/2″ MUFFLER CLAMP AND PUT IT AROUND THE CASE AND DOWN THROUGH THE MOUNT AFTER KNOCKING OUT THE STUDS.I PUT A NUT ON EACH SIDE OF MOUNT AND CASE WITH A SMALL PLATE BETWEEN THE CLAMP AND THE HOUSING AT THE TOP OF IT. WORKS GREAT

STEERING COLUM MAKES A CLUNCKING NOISE WHEN I RUN OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD OR TURNING.

Have a rust problem on the bumper ,they will not fix it ,it was under warranty when I told tem about it .29777miles when they did AC.ABS liht and brake light on again. they fixed that already..

Consumer wants to know why the ball joint recall was not expanded to include 1998 dodge dakotas. *bf *nm

Dodge dakota 1998 consumer replaced ball joints. *bf the consumer replaced the upper ball joints at 31000 miles and both the upper and lower ball joints at 43000 miles. the technician indicated that the lack of grease fittings on the original design created and excessive wear problem. *nm

Owner of a 1998 dodge dakota reporting defective upper/lower ball joints and wheel bearing hub assemblies. *bf the faulty ball joints caused uneven and excessive tire wear. *nm

Low miles on dodge dakota, upper and lower ball joints had to be replaced. *bf

Foia request all material re traffic accidents, studies tests, recalls, civil suits involving 1998 chrysler dodge dakota, firm represent client charged w/death of a passenger in his vehicle following an accident (search attached) (nar) *ph *cb *jb

Foia request all material re traffic accidents, studies, tests, recalls, civil suits involving 1998 chrysler dodge dakota, firm represent client charged w/death of a passenger in his vehicle following an accident (search attached). (nar) *ph *cb *jb

While driving a combine was approaching in on coming lane taking up part of my lane, applied brakes and pedal hit the floor (no brakes). i had to go off road to avoid accident. upon inspection found brake lines rusted through. repaired and while bleeding lines had another rusted area rupture due to rust ( 4 areas so far). fearful to drive until all lines replaced......but too costly!

The truck has a electrical issue the lights go off and on out of no where i was driving down the road in very dark two lane road and lights go off. thank god nobody tried passing in oncoming traffic pr we would be dead i replaced light switch a few months ago and it was fine until recently started doing same thing. *tr

My truck has a bad pcm i have it rebuilt 3 times and the same problem will start once then will not start put a pcm in from a 8cyl runs all day not well because its from 8cyl everything has been replaced and still will not start i have seen a lot of this same thing on line this is my first dodge nd it will be my last and all of this is from the dodge dealer

Engine mysteriously dies for no apparent reason. it may happen at idle all the way to and including highway speeds. dry weather or wet weather. cold weather or hot weather. cold engine or warm engine. no pattern detected. it doesn't splutter -- it just dies as if the ignition key has been turned off, and it throws no code.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the headlamps failed to illuminate. an independent mechanic diagnosed that the wiring in the headlamp assembly was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 214,674.

I found a list of recalls on pep boys website

The emine will die amytime! going around cormers lor on expressway sitting in driveway idling. my family has had this vehicle sine 1999. this just started 6 months ago. up until then it never happened. replaced several sensors (tps,iac,map,coolant temp and also computer)so far nothing fixes it. i know dodge knows about this and so do you!!! something needs to be done there are too many dakota/durangos on the road i am surprised no one has died or at very least been hurt badly. i know it goes on in earlier dakotas and later of both not sure if it ever was fixed since old bodystyle ended in 2004. happwned first time about feb.1,2018. afraid to drive it for fear of dying or badly hurt because it dies anywhere anytime including rush hour trffic in tulsa ok

This car has been a safety nightmare. from steel brake lines rusting through (and the vehicle losing it brakes), to upper ball joints almost separating to steering wheel drive shafts where the u-joints almost separated. these are not items that should fail like this. i spent part of my career looking after global product liability for cummins engine and i am stunned at the poor quality chrysler has used in critical components.

For dodge cars around 98 or ones that have the automatic door locks, they stop working. it sounds like they want to actuate the lock but it won't lock or unlock. all other function remains in the doors opening and closing. upon my quest of trying to fux the problem on both doors, i took apart the electronic motor housing where the gears are. there is a little blue piece under all the gears that has broken and appears to be broken from the pressure of the friction spring behind it. thinking this was the problem with the other one, i tore it apart and was the same thing. the two parts had broken in the exact same spot. i have a feeling this is due to product defect and not juse in my case.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. while driving 45-50 mph, the frame detached from the vehicle without warning. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000. updated 10/24/2014*lj updated 04/20/2015 *js

Cant get info...how too make any one fix recalled parts. *tr

Brakes failed due to complete rust through of lines. have had to subsequently replace other lines and hoses due to their defective quality. *tr

Head lights flicker and turn off intermittently whether driving or at a stand still. this has occurred since this vehicle was purchased used and is a common problem with this and the dodge durango. have been stopped twice by local law enforcement. the vehicle is stock with no aftermarket additions. *tr

The spare tire hoist / carrier cable broke, causing the full size spare tire to drop to the road. fortunately, it happened as i pulled into my driveway. this could have easily been a severe accident on the interstate. *tr

Approaching stop light when hydraulic brake lines suddenly and completely ruptured causing a condition of no brakes and impact with vehicle in front of me. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. the contact stated that at engine startup, the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 150,000 and the current mileage was 160,000. updated 02/01/12 *bf the consumer stated the air bag light intermittently illuminated. the intermittent behavior would occur at idle, when cold, hot, all speeds and when the vehicle was first started. the consumer stated a recall was issued. however, chrysler denied a recall existed. the consumer paid $1,243 for the repair, which included a defective clock spring assembly as noted in the recall. updated 02/10/12

Lower steering shaft u joints are unprotected and rusted out causing sticky steering and difficulty controlling the vehicle in a turn. *tr

1998 dakota brake line (steel) rusted through and ruptured resulting in catastrophic brake failure (right front). the dealer blames the failure on road conditions in western virginia (salt). the truck has only 80000 miles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the vehicle shut off without warning. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic who suggested that the air idle control solenoid be replaced. the contact replaced the idle control solenoid but that did not remedy the issue. the vehicle continued to shut off without warning at 50 mph. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the problem. the contact stated the vehicle is unsafe to drive and the dealer needed to diagnose the failure. the contact also noticed online that the ecm needed to be replaced but the dealer did not performed a diagnostic test. the failure mileage was 114,000.

Steering shaft on our dodge dakota went bad.....going to fix it but how many are on the road with the same problem and the fix costs a small fortune. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the driver was traveling 32 mph when he attempted to stop but the brakes failed; as a result, the vehicle rear ended the vehicle in front. the contact experienced the brake failure several times. the local repair shop replaced the calipers and brake pads five times. the vehicle was taken back to the repair shop and the mechanic stated that the abs could be the cause of the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired again. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 58,000 and the current mileage was 58,882.

The master cylinder brake line on my 1998 dodge dakota truck failed completely and suddenly under normal driving conditions (light braking). upon inspection, all front brake lines from the master cylinder to the distribution junction and from the distribution junction to the front brakes (left and right) were heavily corroded. last winter, the brake line leading from the distribution junction to the rear brakes failed under similar circumstances, however; some braking ability remained. these two failures over a relatively short time-frame lead me to believe it may be a manufacturing defect with all metal brake lines. *tr

1998 dodge dakota drivers power seat movement when braking. seat abruptly moves back and forth on the track when applying brakes. very dangerous and scary situation. *tr

Service brake hydraulic lines ruptured twice. once at 55,622 miles on august 13, 2007. this occurred in my driveway, when the brakes were applied, about mid way between the front and rear of the truck on the drivers side. the dealer replaced 7 brake lines and the 2 rear wheel cylinders because the bleeder screws would not open. today, march 5, 2010 at still less than 60,000 miles the front brake lines ruptured near the radiator where they cross between the drivers and passengers side of the truck. this occurred on a main highway while braking for a red light. both times the tubing (metal piping) catastrophically failed with no previous warning signs such as slow leakage, low fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir, etc. *tr

Brake line rusted through. *tr

Warm weather causes 98 dodge dakota 3.9 engine to stall at any speed, anytime. engine completely dies and takes 20 to 30 min for engine to cool while off. then able to restart, but problem persists within 5 to 15 minutes after cooling. consequences are i have paid to have pcm replaced, as well as fuel pump. could cause death on freeway when everything dies at 70 mph. almost caused wreck today. no known fix, have spoke with chrysler and dealership on many occasions with no answer. *tr

I own a 1998 dodge dakota pickup truck i have been experiencing a looseness in the steering. the steering was looked at by a mechanic who showed me that my intermediate steering linkage was failing and could come apart, causing a complete loss of steering. the mechanic told me that this was a common problem in dakotas and durangos. i checked with the dealer service dept. and was told that it happened so often that they couldn't keep the part in stock. salvage yards don't even like to sell this part used because they fail. i checked with chrysler/dodge and there is no recall. this is a very dangerous defect that could cause a serious accident. dodge doesn't seem to be doing anything about it. i've read stories on the net from others with this problem. *tr thank you

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. when the contact activated the heater, he smelled antifreeze. he inspected the vehicle and could not find any leaks. approximately one month later, the overflow for the antifreeze was empty; however, antifreeze was still present in the radiator. the contact performs his own repair work and stated that the heater cores were defective. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the current mileage was 104,000 and failure mileage was 89,000. updated 2/23/09 *cn the consumer stated the heater core was leaking into the heater box, when the heater was on. updated 02/26/09. *jb

Me and a friend were in a car accident .when we lost control of my 1998 dodge dakota and hit the side of a building at 40-45 mph when we hit the air bags did not deploy and the seat belts did not lock up like they were supposed to in result we bounced or faces and heads off of the steering wheel and dash board and now having head neck and back problems. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. the contact stated that he felt a lot of play in his steering wheel and it would not lock in place when the vehicle was turned off. he also heard a knocking noise coming from the steering wheel when attempting to make a left or right turn. the noise could also be heard when the steering wheel was moved back and forth. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop and the mechanic stated that the vehicle needed a new steering column/armature due to the failures. the failure and current mileages were less than 80,000.

The paint is coming off of my truck. i have seen quite a few trucks on the road with the same problem. a repair shop near my house says he has seen this often, also. he says the primer used is probably the cause. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. the contact started the vehicle and the brake pedal extended to the floor. the vehicle coasted across the parking lot before the contact could apply the emergency brake. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic and they stated that the brake lines were corroded and needed to be replaced. the mechanic replaced at least three lines and informed the contact that others may need to be replaced at a later date. the failure and current mileages were 89,249. updated 09/15/08 *bf update 09/24/08. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. the contact attempted to start the vehicle and the air bag sensor activated. the dealer stated that the vehicle would have to be brought in to be placed on a diagnostic computer to determine the cause of the failure. the vin, engine size, and number of cylinders were unknown. the current mileage was 136,069 and failure mileage was 135,900.

My tires have been wearing on the outside for over a year now, i had the truck looked at and all ball joint uppers and lowers are bad. this truck only has 90,000 miles and has been driven to and from work for the last 5 1/2 years that i have owned it. the front passenger side is ready to give way. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. while decelerating from 40 mph in the rain, the vehicle skidded approximately 50-60 feet. the contact removed his foot from the brake pedal and after reapplying it, the brakes worked correctly without skidding. his wife also stated that the same failure occurred while she was driving the vehicle in rainy weather. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 74,858 and failure mileage was approximately 73,000. updated 01/17/08 *bf updated 01/17/08 *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. the ball joints have completely worn out and also has a very noisy lifter in the vehicle. the vehicle drifts in and out of lanes at any speed; however, the failure was noticed while driving 10 mph. the contact has not taken the vehicle to the dealer. he was informed of a recall on the previous year's model, but his vin was not included. the recall number was unavailable. the current mileage was 93,500 and failure mileage was 82,000. updated 03/14/08. *lj the shifter didn ot stay in park

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. while decelerating at 3 mph the brakes failed. the brake line was completely covered with rust and corroded. the dealer stated that the rust was a natural phenomenon and they are not responsible for the repairs. the current and failure mileages were 107,000. updated 12/12/2007 *bf updated 12/12/07 *tr

I am the owner of a 1998 dodge dakota. when i brought in this vehicle for the mandatory safety inspection in 2006 i was informed that the engine manifold bolts had broken and needed to be replaced for the vehicle to pass the safety inspection. without replacing the bolts it would be unsafe to drive. cost to me was $561.18. i had the required safety work completed. this year i brought the same vehicle in for the required safety inspection and was informed that the ball joints were warn and needed to be replaced or the vehicle would not pass the safety inspection. the vehicle has 63,736 miles on it. i talked with several repair shops and they informed me that ball joints should be warn out at this low mileage. i also went to the consumers affairs commission web site and there was numerous articles regarding the problems with the dodge dakotas suspension and steering assemblies. there was no accident or damage but there seems to be defects with these parts. any help will be appreciated. *nm

Tl* - the contact stated that while driving his 1998 dodge dakota, at a speed of 25 mph in dry road conditions, when applying the brakes, the pedal gave no resistance, causing the vehicle to take longer than usual to come to a stop. in order to avoid a collision contact had to steer the vehicle onto the grass median. the contact can provide pictures if needed. *jb

I was advised today that my 1998 dakota is plagued with the same issue that has been around for quite a while. the upper and lower ball joints are garbage at about 75,000. fortunately i drove my wife's car by a stroke of luck and they gave me a lot of noise. so i caught it before a wheel fell off. dodge should be recalling or at least replacing free of charge all ball joints that failed. not just the 2000-2003 model numbers.*jb

Tl* - the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota, whose left lower control arm on the front driver side broke off due to defective welding. the contact's dealer advised him that the vehicle was beyond the warranty period and not repairable. per the contact, the lower suspension bolts fell off the vehicle while driving 25 mph. there was no collision at the time of the failure. *ak updated 2/2/2007 - *nm

Ball joints seperated...costing me over $1000 in repairs...and now they have failed again....also control arm bushing is failing. *jb

Our truck's paint is flaking. we want daimler chrysler to re-paint our truck. we found out from our insurance that this is a manufacturer issue and screwup. our roof and hood are flaking and if not taken care of soon it is going to rust. we have noticed that other trucks in our area that is in the same year model range is doing the same as ours with the paint. what is the deal? *nm

Around 60,000 miles i was left stranded after the fuel pump failed. the repair cost over 700 dollars plus the cost of the tow. at 90,000 mile the fuel pump failed again. this time the truck quit in the middle of a major intersection up traffic and putting my life at risk. this time the repair cost 777.00 dollars plus the cost of the tow. i don't feel that a fuel pump should fail so often. especially a such great cost for repair. *nm

Upper and lower ball joint failures @ 58,500 miles. *jb

Clear coat on paint is flaking off of truck on the hood, top of cab, top of tailgate and bed of truck. this has been explained to me that the result of this is because dodge did not allow the paint to dry before continuing assembly. *nm

We own a 1998 dodge dakota sport 4x4. it currently has 144k kilometers. we just installed our 3rd set of upper ball joints, and have replaced the lower ball joints twice. we expect to replace the lowers again before next year. we know when the joints need replacing, when the vehicle becomes difficult to keep within a lane at highway speeds, due to excessive play in the steering. i see from the internet that chrysler has issued a recall for 2000 and later models. this is insufficient, as many people on the internet are experiencing the same issue in models as late as 1996. i believe this issue is well known in the industry, one person or family getting killed by this defect for there to be an official recall is not good enough. our vehicle maintenance is paid by our company, however a family that may not be able to afford such expensive replacement on a regular basis, may be putting themselves in jeopardy. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated when the tires are aired up they slowly deflate. there is a nhtsa recall, # 04t001000, regarding the tires. the tires have the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the serial number. updated 4/11/2006 - *nm

Steering won't turn at all when cold, until it warms fully it's hard to turn. i've noticed this on 2 other 98 dodge dakotas i looked at. *nm

Dt: the contact states every year when he takes vehicle to be inspected they inform him the upper and lower ball joints need to be replaced. the ball joints have been replaced three times. the replacement takes place approximately every 20, 000-25,000 miles. a local mechanic said it was the design of the ball joints that caused the problem. *ak

Steering column started making a clicking noise as the wheel was turned. dealer stated that the locking mechanism was failing and could easily lead to a catastrophic and sudden locking of the steering column while the vehicle was being driven at any speed. *nm

Ball joints failed, passengers side came loose and the wheel feel off and the transmisson had to be rebuilt due to cheap internal parts. but if you own a 98 dodge dakota have your ball joints checked they are a hazard and someone is going to get killed, if they already have not.... *nm

Walking back to my parked "98 dodge dakota, after dining out with family, i noticed that my front passenger side wheel was cock-eyed while the driver's side wheel was pointing straight. i had the local dodge dealer/service department check it out and they discovered that 3 out of 4 ball joints were bad. the service manager said that it was a very dangerous situation and i shouldn't have been driving the vehicle. i was appalled to hear that since i had no indication that i or my passengers were in any danger: the truck never pulled to one side, and it didn't steer funny, or give me any reason to believe that something was so terribly wrong. the service manager urged me to replace all four ball joints, which i did at a cost of over $773.81. i think dodge needs to recall the '98 dakotas' ball joints. there's no reason a vehicle with only 73,000 miles on it should have 3 out of four ball joints go bad to the point that the wheels are coming off. *nm

After reading about steering problems in dodge vehicles, i have hope you can help me. i purchased my '98 dodge dakota from 5 corners dodge at 1292 highway 143, cedarburg, wisconsin 53012. *09 dec '97 i took my truck in for "customer states that when making left hand turns there is s jarring that comes through the steering wheel" - replace intermediate shaft - n/c. *23 july '99 - "check noise at low speeds from drive train" - front propeller shaft ball socket insufficient lube noisy 16300100 driveline/propeller shafts, remove inspect wheels, brakes, universola, repair/lube front shaft ball socket joint and reinstall -n/c. *07 july 2003 - "grinding noise from drivers side front end area" - 2200 replace left front wheel bearing/hub assy, 219 replace upper and lower ball joints-both sides, 2wt 2 wheel truck alignment, 52165 test drive and insp replace failed lf bearing assy replace both upper ball joints replace both lower ball joints 2wheel truck align - $1095.12!!!! i brought attention to the problem from the beginning and by the time it was finally fixed, it was no longer under warranty. can you help me, in any way? thank you, don gruell. *jb

My 98 dodge dakota has had the exhaust catalytic converter replaced 2 times already under warranty, the last one about 10 month ago, now it rattles like rocks in a tin can again, now my mileage is over the warranty by about 9000 miles and they say they will not replace unless i pay! obviously there is a major problem nation wide with this emission componet. *jb

Seat belt malfunctions

Dt: the consumer had a 98 dodge dakota, took to tire shop, truck could not be aligned because it had defective ball joints. contact called the daimler chrysler, who informed him that there was no recall on this vehicle after repairs were done vehicle had steering problem. there was a noise in the steering column. then, at repair shop owner was informed there was a defective steering gear, and would cost $800. owner did not repair steering and vehicle veered to the right/left. tire company stated the crown of the road caused vehicle to pull to the left/right. tire shop indicated they could repair the problem,but there were 500 steering gears on back order. owner felt there was a problem with the steering gear otherwise there wouldn't be 500 steering gears on back order. *ak

Had to replace rack&pinion after only 35000 miles

We have had problems with loose steering on our 1998 dodge dakota for approx. 2 years now. we have had a couple adjustments, and parts replaced and finally have been told that is an issue with the manufacturing of the steering components and it will cost us in excess of $1000 to repair. i went online to see if anyone else has had similar problems with this and found out that there are literally hundreds of complaints out there for this very problem. it appears to me that dodge is not concerned with all these complaints but i wanted to file mine anyway. i was told by my garage that the vehicle is safe to drive, but i read story after story of accidents that have caused severe damage to vehicles, injury and even death.

I took my 1998 dodge dakota 4x4 in for a front end alignment and found out that all four front ball joints were bad. one side was very loose and was almost ready to break. i talked to several mechanics who said this is expected for any dakota of this era. i found out that the 2000 and above years have been recalled. why aren't the 98's included in this, they have the same problem.

Ii had noted a clunking sound when turning into my driveway and at other times involving turning or driving over speed bumps or turning up an incline, also the steering feel had become vague. during my annual state insp. the mech stated that the upper ball joints on both sides were complely worn out, and as such could not pass it without repair.

Dt: the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. the front end upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. chrysler said that there was no recall. *ak also front end was aligned and the brake front rotors had to be turned. *tt *nm

All 4 front ball joints failed at 86,000 miles

I have a 1998 dodge dakota. i bought it with 11,000 miles on it. during my warranty at about 20,000, the truck would backfire when shifting up a gear.towson dodge had my truck for a day and said that they couldn't duplicate the circumstances and it cost me $75 anyway. around 45,000 miles my truck was running real poor with no power. the catylitic converter clogged up so bad the truck stopped running. the goodyear place where i took it, carney tire, didn't tell me of the federal warrenty on converters and replaced it and the muffler for a few hundred dollars. after my learning of the warrenty, carney tire refused to refund 50% as suggested by the chrysler rep. on the phone. now at 80,000 miles the muffler rusted enought to loose the tailpipe, which now resides in my driveway. this is totally unexceptable for this truck. i had an '87 dakota with 145,000 miles on it and never had an exhaust problem . i was going to trade it in for a 2500 ram but this and other complaints will keep me from ever buying another chrysler. i will bad mouth dodge,especially towson dodge (schaefer & stromenger), to anyone who askes me.the service managers over there didn't help a bit. i was given a service bulliten by the mechanics about a broken bolt on the manifold after my third visit,when the 2 managers weren't around. i'll never buy anouther chrysler product and i'll badmouth dodge to everyone i can. i'm going to buy a gmc product where i know they take care of any complaints a customer might have, beings they know the customer is always right.*ak

While driving 45 mph front passenger wheel felk off. driver pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to a garage for inspection. mechanic determined that the upper and lower ball joints broke, and needed to be replaced. *ak

Recall 00v193000 for the power steering pressure hose has been issued and repaired, however the problem recurred. *ak the brakes failed resulting in an accident. *nm

1998 dodge dakota has upper and lower ball joints failing.*mr the vehicle was taken to service center to have front wheel alignment done. the technician noticed sever front tire wear and concluded that the front upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *nm

While driving my 1998 dodge dakota at 55 mph on the highway the front driver's side wheel bearing failed, causing the wheel to become separated from the bearing making control of the vehicle extremely difficult. the resulting damage required the axle, bearing, wheel, cv joint, cv boot, rotors and pads to be repaced for a cost of $2036. the truck only has 38,500 miles on it.*ak

On my 1998 dodge dakota i experienced a "klunking" sound in the front end. found out at 84,000 miles that the ball joints were bad and contributed to wheel bearing and hub assembly problems. repair bill was $738.95. i had the repair performed at my local dodge dealer "morgan dodge" in durham, nc. the dealership told me the repair was necessary and the vehicle was unsafe to drive without the repairs. the oem replacement parts are on national backorder and the dealership had to use aftermarket parts for the ball joints. i have contacted dodge and they said the vehicle is out of warranty and "is not subject to any recall" so they can not assist me.*ak

While pulling away from the gas pump consumer heard a loud noise and then the front right side of vehicle fell/dropped. consumer was able to observe that the front right lower ball joint broke. vehicle was towed to a repair shop, and mechanic confirmed that it was the lower ball joint. also, the left lower ball joint needed to be replaced. dealer was not notified.*ak

I own a 1998 dodge dokota truck and had to have the ball joints replaced in november, 2003. i have heard they are recalling the dokota's starting in year 2000. what about the ones before that year. i have receipts where it cost me $753.71 to have this work done.*ak

Loud rear axle noise....brought to dealer.........replaced pinion and carrier bearings in axle.......cause was because maufacturer changed tow capacity on rt's after owners manual was published....i bought used truck at 40,000 miles and has no idea it could only tow 2,000 lbs vrs owners manual said 6,000...an 8cyl truck and can't toe boat.....how week for dodoge!*ak

Failure of equipment......manufacturer defect...replaced 3 catalyatic converters on my 1998 dakota rt.....vin# [xxx]........cost each service $600..........now rear end noises (pinions and bearings out)...due to owners manual states towing capacity 3 times higher than what truck can tow....was a change after market. *ak *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Vehicle would vibrate and make a clanking noise while driving at any speed. vehicle was taken to a repair shop, and mechanic determined that the upper ball joint on the right side needed to be replaced. the dealer was notified, and informed the consumer that their vehicle was not covered under that recall. *ak *bf *nm

Owner of a 1998 dodge dakota reporting defective upper/lower ball joints and wheel bearing hub assemblies. *bf the faulty ball joints caused uneven and excessive tire wear. *nm

Noise from front end, had checked out and mechanic found left side ball joints (upper and lower) were prematurely worn. i had them replaced at my expense. i saved the old parts. now the passenger side nedds to be replaced. again the dealer tells me the recall does not apply to my car.

Consumer wants to know why the ball joint recall was not expanded to include 1998 dodge dakotas. *bf *nm

Dodge dakota 1998 consumer replaced ball joints. *bf the consumer replaced the upper ball joints at 31000 miles and both the upper and lower ball joints at 43000 miles. the technician indicated that the lack of grease fittings on the original design created and excessive wear problem. *nm

Consumer noticed front tire on dakota was having alignment problems due to front ball joints. *bf the technician informed the consumer that the front ball joints were bad and needed to be replaced

Purchased truck in 1998 and in 2001 at 48000 miles had to replace upper and lower ball joints in the front end on both sides and i think i am going to have to replace them again and mileage is over 99000. i also made two other complaints for both front calipers seizing on this website. i would have made complaints sooner, but just found out about this site. i wanted to make complaints after hearing about the problems with the dodge dakota and durango model year 2000 and up with their ball joints. *jb

Purchased truck in 1998 and since then the left front caliper seized and the rotor pads and caliper had to be replaced. the dealer covered this under warranty the truck had only 12000 miles and this occurred in 1999. since that time the right front caliper also seized in 2002. the mileage on my truck was 62260 miles. the caliper pads and rotor had to be replaced and brake line. *jb

I bought my 1998 dodge dakota truck in august of 1998 in march of 1999 brought the truck back to the dealer for repair because it would pull to the left. i thought it might be the brake because this would occur off and on while driving and at times there was an odor that smelled like the brakes were burning. the vehicle was checked and the it was found that the caliper was seizing up and damaged the rotor. the caliper, brake pads, and rotor were replaced by the dealer under the warranty. *jb

Left and right side upper and lower ball joints severely worn . dust boots torn and no grease fittings (suppose to be lifetime lubricated). replaced with after market ones with grease fittings. vehicle only has 64,700 miles . *ak

(1) front end making a popping noise. when i turned. truck was still under warranty dealership kept saying it was brake noise. (2)upper and lower ball joint failure, ball joints were rusted out, (3)all 4 ball joints replaced at my expense,when truck was barely out of warranty. *jb

Dodge dakota 1998 front end has failed. consumer wants to know why the recall info doesn't include the '98 model year. the vehicles front wheel could have fallen off at anytime because the ball joints were so bad. *bf *jb

While driving heard a loud squeaking noise. driver noticed while turning the steering wheel a clanking noise would follow. driver took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that upper ball joints needed needed to be replaced. *ak

I heard a clicking noise from the front end and a low pitched growl fromn the rear end. i brought the vehicle into the dealer, who determined that at 35,428 miles theat it needed two upper ball joints and a new differential (rear end) . vehicle is a 1998 dodge dakota 4wd.*ak

While making a 90-degree right turn, the steering locks up. after a while the consumer was able to unlock the steering. vehicle was taken to a repair shop. the mechanic confirmed that the heat shield from the intake manifold fell down onto the steering linkages, which was locking up the steering. the dealer and the manufacturer were notified. *nm

Popping sound was coming from left front of vehicle. dealership found that upper and lower ball joints were bad and the vehicle could not be driven without immediate replacement. had service work done for $1500. considering the problem is obviously related to the same issue that sparked the recall notice in later model dakotas, i feel i should be reimbursed for the repairs. *nm

Heater core failed - now i have no defroster and anti freeze leaked all over the passenger side carpeting causing me to have to vacate the vehicle.*ak

Consumer stated upper ball joints wore out prematurely. the protective coating broke, which allowed dirt onto the ball joints. *ak......also, dealer replaced wheel bearing, and performed throttle body service. *ak

1. excessive drifting back and forth in the lane i was driving in . uneven tire wear. 2. service tech said that i was lucky a wheel didn't come of while driving. 3. replacement of upper and lower ball joints on my 98 dodge dokota sport.*ak

Had to replace upper and lower balljoints and outer tie rod ends.*ak

Dodge dakota ball joint failure. the mechanic was unable to perform an alignment because the upper and lower ball joints were severely worn. *tc *jb

During inspection consumer was informed that driver/passenger upper ball joints wore out. dealership repaired the problem. *ak

My husband and i own a 1998 dodge dakota, vin [xxx]. we have had numerous problems with this vehicle, beginning in the second year of our lease. during the past four years, we have spent approximately $9,000 on vehicle repairs including a new transmission, new engine, new starter, new wheel baring, new brake caliper, new heater core and new water pump. the catalytic converter and alternator have been replaced twice and two o2 sensors have been replaced. the air conditioner has been repaired four times. while these repairs have been costly and inconvenient, none of them has posed a safety concern per se. i am writing now to complain about our most recent vehicle failure which most certainly is a safety issue. on november 18, 2004, my husband was driving approximately 35 mph when his front driver side tire broke off from the axle. the tire fell on its side and the truck landed on the tire. the steering wheel locked up, and the truck skidded to a stop in the left turn lane. my husband had no control of the truck. when we took the truck to our mechanic, he found that the passenger side wheel was near the breaking point as well and replaced that axle as well. we are still driving on the two front tires, but we were informed that we should get an alignment and probably have the tires replaced as well. we understand that dodge has recalled the 2000-2003 dakotas for this same defect. we believe that our vehicle should also be covered under this recall. *nm updated 07/24/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Fan blower going on and off. no defrost ,heat,ac available when blower is off. seems like a lot of people are having this same problem. it is a 1998 dakota. everyone is saying the problem is a resistor, which is hard to get to. seems as if the whole dash has to come off to get to this area. the dealership wants $85. for diagnostic. close to $200-$300 problem for only a $9-$12 part. sad just another problem for the dodge lovers. *nm

I have 61000 miles on my 1998 dodge dakota. when i got my tires rotated i was shown that my upper control arms were worn out. i had heard a "chunking" noise when i turned. i don't understand why they are failing with so little mileage on my truck. i called the chrysler corporation on december 28 & 29 to discuss the problem i was having. i had talked to three people, 1)whitney, 2)billy (12/28/04), and i talked with 3)carol (12/29/04). carol had told me that there was nothing chrysler could do and there was no one else i was able to speak with. i have read that there are recalls to the 2000-2003 dakota's. why weren't the 1998-1999 included? they have the identical front end. is there any way you could give me some answers to my question. thank you. *nm

I have replaced the ball joints twice now on my 1998 dodge dakota in the past four years. on a recent visit to my mechanic for an oil change, i was advised that i will again need to replace my ball joints and that one in particular was close to failure and was unsafe. in his words: "you got lucky. this could have failed at any time." i have scheduled another appointment to once again replace my ball joints. *nm

1998 dodge/dakota has same problem as 2000-2003. upper ball joints problems. consumer wants to know why are you excluding 1998 when the problem existed in the 1998. *bf

Bad ball joints on 1998 dodge dakota sport, vin [xxx], 41,300 miles, discovered at pa state annual safety inspection.*ak updated 07/24/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

I have a 1998 dakota 4x4, making suspicious noises in front end. took to alignment shop where i was told that all ball joints and tie rods needed replacement badly, as , according to shop owner, the wear was so extensive that the truck was dangerous to drive. truck was repaired on 12/01/ 2004. this truck has never been an off-road used vehicle, hwy. miles only. i was also told by the shop owner that he has recently been receiving same complaint and need for repair by an unusually high number of dakota and durango owners. recall for 2000-2003 vehicles as released by the media occurred after my truck was repaired.*ak

When turning or driving at low speeds there was a dry shuttering noise in the front end. took vehicle to dealership for inspection, and dealership indicated that the upper/lower ball joints were defective and needed to be replaced. parts were replaced. failure recurred 3 years later on upper ball joints only. *ak control arm, ball joint, and tie rods were replaced again at 136,807. *tt

My 1998 dodge dakota 4x4 5.2l club cab truck had the front ball joints fail on me. i know there is now a recall for 2000 to current models, but what about the 98? it's the same problem. i have 89000 miles on it currently. *jb

While making a turn the tire rubbed the wheel well. *nm the consumer was told that the ball joints were the cause of the problem. *tc *jb

1998 dodge dakota. i purchased 4 new tires from a goodyear dealer. they told me at this time that all four ball joints were extremely bad. one upper ball joint had about an inch to an inch and a quarter. i had the vehicle towed at my expense to the dealer where i purchased to truck and an extended warrante. pervious to this, i had been complaining about a loud thumpiong sound coming from the passenger front. (this turned out to be the worse ball hjoint found). the dealer kept telling me that all my suspension and ball joints were fine. the sound continued and i repeatedly bought the truck back complaining about this sound. the last time, prior to my getting new tires which were rotated every other oil change, i was charged a road test fee and told nothing was wrong. after the new tires were installed and the truck brought back to the dealer, i was told that their 'front end expert' found one lower ball joint (passenger side) that has a small amount of play in it. it was replaced. i brought the truck directly back to goodyear for the alignment and they called me into the service area where they showed me an incredible amount of play in the right upper ball joint and an more than normal amount of play in the left upper joint. the lower joint had a grease fitting and did not reveal that much play this time because the dealer and done a lube, oil and filter change while the truck was there for the ball joint work. i now see that the nhtsa and asked for a recall on the dodge vechiles starting from the year 2000. my truck is a 1998 and certainly fits the description of the other recalled vechiles.*ak

Sir, i just read on the internet where chrysler is recalling the dodge dakota going along with the governments recommendation. i understand they are only going back to the 2000 models. well, i have an 1998 model that's going through the same things. the ball joints have gone bad the steering has gone bad. there's been a bad crunching coming from the front-end for over a year and no-one can find out what's making it. i'm getting scared to drive it. i've already spent a load of money on the front-end of this vehicle!!! i have been to the dodge dealers numerous times and they tell me there is no bulletins on these problems but you can go on the internet and check on complaints for the dakota and there are thousands on the front-end ever since they changed to the new body style. i don't know what you guys can do about this problem but i think you should, in good faith, make them reimburse or recall all of these vehicles having the problems not just the last 4 years. this is just a cop-out on their part to keep you guys off their backs. if you think there are not complaints just go on the internet and check it out. this problem began several years ago, not just in 2000. thank you -------- an answer to this e-mail would be appreciated. jim jerles . *ak

1998 dodge dakota upper and lower ball joint failure. reported by repair shop when asked to perform a front allignment. i was told that tey have never seen a worse case of worn out ball joints. they told me that an allignment cannot be performed without the ball joint repalcement. fron end is loose and makes a popping sound when turning. truck has approximately 85,000 miles. no repair completed as yet. i was informed by the repair shop that a recall to correct this defect is likely to be initiated soon and that i should wait for the recall and avoid driving the truck until fixed. *ak

My mechanic informed me that all 4 ball joints and the inner & outer tie rod ends need replacing on my 1998 dodge dakota. since there is currently a recall for 2000-2003 dakotas & durangos and a class action lawsuit pending for 1998 durangos, i wonder if there is merit to my 1998 dakota failure and the resulting expense.*ak

Lower ball joint failure in 1998 dodge dakota 4wd. query: why isn't the recall re. ball joints covering dakotas manufactured prior to 2000? mine experienced lower ball joint failure at 30,000 miles and i was told by the dealer that there is a design defect that will cause repeating ball joint failure. now i am informed there is a recall of 2000-2004 models with a similar defect, because wheels have come off. this is a serious safety issue and should be comprehensively addressed to include prior model year problems. most of these vehicles are still on the road ! *ak

Noises in front end, upper and lower ball joints on a 1998 dodge dakota 4-wheel drive defective. lower ball joints replaced under warranty at 34,853 miles. replaced lower joints again and upper ball joints at 59,629 at a cost of $1123.55. luckily it was caught before any serious accident occurred. your recall indicates year 2000-2003 but problem was there prior to that.*ak

My upper ball joints had to be replaced in my 1998 dodge dakota at 56,000 miles. why are the 98 and 99 dodge dakota's not being covered under the same recall. that is un-acceptable as they have the exact same ball joint in them. *jb

1 - took the dodge dakota truck in to have the snow tires put on and was told that the upper & lower ball joints where ready to fail. the automotive shop then replaced the upper & lower ball joints. *ak

1998 dodge dakota, current mileage:426,000. have had to replace all control arms twice. ball joints unavailable, requiring entire a-arm replacement. bummer. *jb

I started to notice a loud popping noise coming from the drivers side front wheel well on my 1998 dodge dakota slt club cab. i took my truck to an independant garage and was told that my ball joints were in desparate need of replacement. i was told by the ase certified mechanic that the ball joints are sealed and could not get the proper lubrication causing premature failure. the mechanic also stated that the ball joints could have failed at any time causing the wheel to fail which would result in loss of control of the vehicle. i asked the mechanic if the replacement ball joints were greasable. he told me yes. i feel that the original ball joints were not designed properly by daimler chrysler, and this is a safety issue that warrants a recall.

While pulling into the driveway upper ball joints failed. as a result, front driver's side wheel fell off, and the front end collapsed. *ak

My 1998 dodge dakota 4x2 pickup has 74000 miles on it. the truck recently developed a loud squeak in the area around the front driver's-side wheel. this squeak was traced to the sway bar and anti-sway rod. the bushings in this area of the truck are poorly designed and prone to failure. a check of a dakota owners' forum (www.dodgedakotas.com) lists many dakota owners having this same issue. what can happen with a sway bar that fails due to this type of bearing failure? the vehicle can become unstable during turns. this can lead to rollovers, injury and death. this is an unsafe and common failure on this vehicle. *jb

While driving 35 mph vehicle swerved to the right and suddenly consumer heard a loud noise coming from the front, and the vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that both frontal lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak

A recent recall announcement for dodge dakotas and durango only included the model years of 2000-2004 for failed ball joints and wheels falling off. this compliant is to notifiy the nhtsa that early model years also experience the sample problem. in 2001, my 1998 dodge dakota had the right front wheel colapse while in motion due to a failed ball joint. the nhtsa should expand this recall to earlier models.*ak

This is in response to, and in support of, the reccommended recall of dodge dakotas. i have a 1998 dakota and recently had work done (july '04) on the front ball joints and tie rods. after a few months of popping noises from the front end when backing out and turning the steering wheel and a definite feeling of loose suspension on turns i took it to the dodge dealer for inspection and repair. they told me the truck was not driveable. the ball joints and tie rods were both failing and i was warned had i continued driving the vehicle in this condition i would have had a major accident. this, after having the same symptoms, but different repairs made by a different dealer, a year prior. the vehicle had one previous owner and 61,000 miles on it when i bought it in late 2002. i put on maybe 10,000 miles before the first incident and only a few thousand more before the second incident. i feel this vehicle is not only unsafe, but poorly manufactured and have contacted the manufacturer with my concerns. i feel the suggested recall should include the years prior to those reccommended (2000-2003). i have had two authorized dodge dealers perform two sets of repair to the amount of nearly $3000.00. this is nearly the value of the vehicle and it's not even paid off yet.*ak

I've submitted a complaint about my plight previously but i have another episode to report. my first complaint (last year) detailed problems with my 98' dodge dakota truck. the ball joints on this vehicle are substandard to say the least and are actually downright dangerous. my truck has less than 70000 highway miles on it and i have replaced two ball joints already (as noted in my previous complaint) and now a third is failing and in need of repair. you may ask how i know it failing when i haven't had it repaired yet?... because it's happened so many times before and i know the symptoms. that makes 3/4 of the ball joints on the front of this truck that will have been replaced in the last two years. i was elated to see where the nhtsa has requested chrysler to recall the dakota and durango as a result of these ball joint failures. i was equally dismayed to see that it only covered 2000-2003!!!! why?!!! as you read above, my truck has failed equally if not worse than the models the nhtsa recommended be recalled. numnerous web sites are filled with complaints about these same issues on vehicles that are older than 2000. i suspect it has to do with money = anything more than 4 model years and chrysler will start screaming. if the failing ball joints are dangerous on the 2000-2003 models, then the same failing ball joints are dangerous on the older models too. please explain to me why my safety is less important than those with trucks two years newer than mine. thank you.*ak

Consumer stated upper ball joints wore out prematurely. *ak

Ball joints have begun to fail..only 64,000 miles on vehicle...57,000 at the time problem started...know there is a recalll for 2000 and higher models...but fear this is a bigger problem than known in earlier models as well....dealer will fix, but not pay, and have no explanation as to why there is such an early failure.....also have noticed from your site that there were other recalls....did not know of these...will try to have dealer fix these......and check on my 4 ball joints.

Left and right ball joints on my 1998 dodge dakota pickup truck failed with only 46,000 miles on the truck. i had to replace them in order for the truck to pass its state safety inspection.*ak

There is a squeaking noise in the front end while driving. dealership indicated that all 4 ball joints needs to replaced due to premature wear.*ak

The upper and lower ball joints wore out completely at 27,000 miles. *ak the consumer stated that a consistent rattling noise was heard coming from the front steering suspesion area. the consumer stated that the play inside the ball joint was severe. *tc

Ball joint problem with 1998 dodge dakota. i have had symptoms of the problem, heavy clunking in front right, for about a year now. i went to the dealer believing it was an upper ball joint problem. i even asked them to replace the uppers. dealer diagnosed problem as lower ball joints and i paid for them. i beleive they were just out of stock on the uppers. 7 months later, the clunking has gotten worse and when backing out of a parking spot with the wheeel cut hard to the right the front end "hopped" to the side. i had this happen twice in the same day, and took the truck to the dealer the next day. they now admit it needs upper ball joints and are charging me $500+. it is clear that this is a design problem based on the number of people having problems at relatively low mileage.*ak

My 1998 dodge dakota sport 4wd 5.2 auto has a loud squeak in the suspension area. i took the truck to get an oil change and asked that they make sure they lubricate all areas. the tech told me my ball joint was the problem and that it needs replaced. he told me that dodge had a recall on them. is this true? i will be calling the dealer this week to see if they can repair since this may be or already is a recall. *jb

Discovered upon vehicle inspection; abnormal wear to front tires, front brakes and rotors, upper and lower front ball joints. *jb

Consumer complained about an ongoing automatic transmission problem for 3 years which became worse within the last 2 weeks. the rpms revved very high when the vehicle went into second gear after accelerating from a complete stop position. when this occurred consumer had to pull off the road immediately and turn the vehicle off. dealership nor the mechanic could identify what was causing this to occur.*ak

Low miles on dodge dakota, upper and lower ball joints had to be replaced. *bf

I went in to get my truck aligned because the outer end of my tires are woren. however, i was informed that all four of my ball jionts were worn out and that this is a very common problem with dakotas. i am looking into fixing them but if they are defective and will be recalled i would like the manufacture to pay to have them fixed.*ak

Owner says that the differential went out on the vehicle after only 53,000mi. vehicle was purchased brand new. owner took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that there was broken pieces of disc. owner feels that what happened was to premature based on the milage of the vehicle. provide further details. *nm

While driving, a loud popping noise was heard coming from the front of the vehicle. the consumer was able to drive it to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that the front lower ball joints needed to be replaced. please fill in additional information. *jb

After taking the vehicle into a repair shop, the ball joints were completely worn out after only 40k miles. *jb *sc

The vehicle had to have both lower ball joints replaced. the vehicle has only 29,045mi on it. *jb (right and left lower ball joints) there was excessive tire wear. the mechanic determined that the lower ball joints to be worn within excess of the specifications and could not be aligned. *sc

While attempting to turn right the steerling locked up and was not able to turn. this caused the vehicle to go off of the road and into a field before stopping. this could have been a lot worse if there had been other vehicles involved.*ak mechanic has recomended that all of the following components be replaced. (4) ball joints (2) control arms (2) tie rod ends have seen numerous complaints about premature failures of the components on 97 - 04 dodge dakota and durango models. mine is a 98 dakota w/ 63665 miles. chrysler has not issued a recall, stating this is not a safety issue. not being able to turn your steering wheel seems to be a safety issue to me. after considerable effort i was able to break the "locked" condition and free up the steering. after this, the steering was still sticking, but got better as time went on. it seems to stick the most when the temperature is below 40 deg. f. i have not had the repairs done yet.

While driving at any speed, a squeaking/popping noise was coming from the front of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. who informed the consumer that both front lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *jb

Vehicle accelerated and lurched forward after shifting out of park or neutral. dealer was not notified. *ak

While applying the accelerator pedal vehicle failed to move. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that transmission needed to be replaced. *ak

Front end noise. excessive tire wear and frequent front end allignments. 2 lower ball joints failure requires replacement replacement of faulty lower ball joints. *ak

Ball joints, front upper, and lower wore out, and were very loose. took vehicle to the dealer. however, the problem still existed. *ak

At 50k miles the front end was extremely loose and steering control was becoming quite dangerous. no off road activities. both upper and lower ball joints were pretty much destroyed. after 1300$ to fix the front end found that the steering worm gear is also worn out. steering is still dangerous. the steering should pretty much never fail and under normal conditions the ball joints should last at least 100k miles. *jb

The rubber boot on all 4 ball joints shredded and all of the grease was lost and washed out. *ak *sc *jb

Purchase of used 98 dakota on 8/14-04, noise in front end, returned to used car dealer, bad ball joints, replaced bad parts.*ak

Vehicle leaks on the passenger side floor board. after searching for the leak spotted the source under the front dash.*ak

This is not a safety related failure, but a known problem that has gone unfixed by chrysler corporation, according to repair shops in my area. i have a 1998 dodge dakota with 65,000 miles. i'm the 2nd owner. vin# [xxx]. the problem is with the a/c evaporator. according to repair shops in louisville, ky. chrysler has had a known problem with their evaporators for almost 10 years, since changing over to the 134 freon. the defective evaporators usually will last till the vehicle is out of warranty and then fail. all oem replacement parts have had the problem fixed and tend to not fail, according to the shops. this is a very costly repair, due to dodge placing the evaporator under the dash, which has to be removed to repair. i feel, based on what the repair shops are telling me, that dodge should stand behind at least a portion or the cost to replace these evaporators. the average cost for a dodge truck is $800.00. below are 2 shops which i've spoken: roppel's radiator/ac 632 baxter ave. louisville, ky. 502-587-8648. *ak se-cliffs truck ac 4436 popular level road louisville, ky. 502-458-5319 thanks, for any help you may be of updated 07/25/2012 *js.

The vehicle was having a problem with the ball joints. the ball joints caused excessive tire wear from the inner sidewalls. *jb

Both upper ball joints were loose and had to be replaced in order to pass state (mo) safety inspection. vehicle mileage was only 35311 and the inspection and replacement was performed by a dodge dealership.*ak

Consumer heard a clicking noise in the front of the vehicle. once the vehicle was turned off consumer still could hear the clanking noise. the ball joints have been rerpaired twice. *ak

The lower ball joints were worn and needed to be replaced. in a discussion with the dealer representative, i was told to retain my bill since although there had not yet been a recall, there may be one in the future. from this conversation, it was obvious that this is a problem as has been indicated on several news reports and newspaper articles.*ak

Upper and lower ball joints deteriorating 5-24-2004, 27,675 miles steering intermediate shaft 6-22-2004. ball joints, lower control arm, and right wheel bearing had to be replaced by dealer.*ak steering intermediate shaft had to be replaced at freehold dodge nj very loose front end, hard to control, bounce. typical symptoms of a front end falling apart. dates above are replacement dates. third major problem is all of the bolts attaching the cab are deteriorated. taking to my nm dodge dealer. can not even take off the bots they are so bad on the cab of my truck [xxx] i have been the owner from day one. in my parents name in new jersey for insurance rate reduction. updated 07/24/2012* js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

While attempting to slow down when approaching a red light, the main brake line running from the front to the rear broke when the brake pedal was depressed. this resulted in extended stopping distance. the consumer crossed a red light, but reached the other side before oncoming traffic. *ak *sc *jb

(1) noise from rear end (2) bearings failed, all pinion and carrier (3) replacement of bearings and seals only 75,000 miles on vehicle. *jb

While driving the consumer heard a loud knocking noise coming from the front upper ball joint. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak *nm

(1) events leading to the failure were simply normal driving. nothing special or out of the ordinary was done or attempted. (2) the ball joints on both of my upper and lower control arms have failed. the joints were original equipment and are permanently sealed supposedly requiring no maintenance. however the rubber boot surrounding the joint failed, thus leading to water and other road grit to enter the joint. thus the joints did not remain lubricated, eventually leading to mechanical failure. (3) due to dodge not selling the individual ball joints, i opted replaced both of the entire front control arms. due to the cost of that repair i opted to purchase and install aftermarket ball joints for the lower control arms rather than replace the entire arm as had been done with the upper. the repair was very labor intensive; especially on something which should require minimal if any maintenance.*ak

While vehicle was being serviced technician noticed that the ball joints along with the tie rod ends were loose. *ak *tc

I have a dodge dakota 98. i went in for an alignment today. my 69 dollar alignment was bumped up to 830 dollars. they said that all of the ball joints need to be replaced and that this happens all the time with the dodge truck of this year thru 2003. they told me that my wheels might just fall off. i told them not to perform this since i did not have the money and they told me to watch out for bumps and sharp turns. my truck is not making any wired noises and i cant believe that this issue was legitiment since you would think a recall would have been issues for such a dangerous thing. i went online of course to look into this and found that this is currently being looked into by the feds. if i had not gone in for the allignment, and my wheel fell off with my 6 year old child in the car i or her / both might not be here. i will be driving my other vehicle for the time being and would like to know when this will be recalled / addressed. firestone put at the bottom of the recommended services: system failure - required upper-both ball joints/ lower both ball joints the money is one thing. me and my kid is another. and with no indication of this problem, that really concerns me!!!*ak

Consumer took the vehicle to the dealership for inspection and the mechanic determined that both upper ball joints were wearing prematurely. consumer will have the mechanic replace the upper ball joints. *ak the vehicle made a squealing noise. the mechanic discovered a ball joint problem. the brake warning light had come on and the p/s wheel squeaked when going over bumps. *sc *jb

Front ball joints on my 1998 dodge dakota failed. i noticed a popping noise in my front end that transitioned up through my steering column. they have to be replaced!*ak

Vehicle has a cracked mirror, crack in the catalytic converter, and a broken manifold bolt. (nar) *mr the evening that the consumer took the vehicle home he noticed a rattling noise in the engine area which he did not notice during the test drive. the vehicle was taken tot a different dealer for an unbiased opinion. the dealer determined that the vehicle had a broken manifold bolt, a crack near/on the catalytic converter and a broken mirror. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who initially decided to repair the vehicle. later the dealer refused repair stating that the vehicle was purchased as is. *nm *cb

While having the vehicle inspected technician determined that vehicle would not pass inspection due to defective left and right front ball joints. *ak

Foia request all material re traffic accidents, studies tests, recalls, civil suits involving 1998 chrysler dodge dakota, firm represent client charged w/death of a passenger in his vehicle following an accident (search attached) (nar) *ph *cb *jb

1998 dodge dakota ball joint failure. *mr consumer felt that failure of ball joints was an example of poor design and vehicle being unsafe. *la

Consumer took vehicle to the dealership for inspection. the mechanic determined that the upper ball joints failed. *ak the dealer replaced the ball joints under the vehicle's warranty. *nm

Inquiry into anything consumer could do to get dodge to take care of the ball joint failure which he experienced. *ph the consumer stated the ball joints rusted and loosened. *jb

Consumer questioned whether the numerous complaints of ball joint failure would be enough to issue a recall. *ph when the consumer took the vehicle into the shop to be serviced, he was told the upper and lower ball were bad. *jb

Consumer took the vehicle to an inspection station and vehicle did not pass inspection due to worn out upper and lower ball joints. consumer will take the vehicle to the dealer in the near future. *ak

Driver side upper ball joint completely failed and had to be replaced. mechanic indicated the passenger side was "not in good shape" but operating.

I am on my third catalytic converter on a 1998 dodge dakota, i just hit 70,000 miles and there seems to be an aweful lot of bad catalytic converters on this vehicle. now the dealer tells me the biggest safety problem with my truck is the upper and lower ball joints (it'll cost almost $1000), these are the same as used on the durango and they have had all kinds of problems also.*ak

Upper and lower ball joints wore out prematurely. *ak *sc *jb

I own a 1998 dodge dakota sport 4x4 5.2l v-8 w/125k miles, in the last two years the once shiny black paint is flaking off in large areas on the roof, the flaking/peeling has now begun to start on the top of the doors and the bed rails. *ak i have contacted my local dodge dealer here in dublin california and spoke directly with the service manager who told me that dodge has not taken a position on this issue, that they realize it is wide spread and refuse to do anything about it. many other dodge owners inthe mid west have been able to receive some sort of good faith effort form their local dealer by way of a $300 credit toward paint. here in california we are not so lucky. the local dealers do not give a damn about the dodge owners once the leave the lot. i challenge any northern calif dealer to prove to me this is an isolated issue! dodge will never get any of money again and have soured me from any dodge chrysler product!

Foia request all material re traffic accidents, studies, tests, recalls, civil suits involving 1998 chrysler dodge dakota, firm represent client charged w/death of a passenger in his vehicle following an accident (search attached). (nar) *ph *cb *jb

While vehicle was being serviced mechanic determined that ball joints and tie rod ends were loose. *ak

Front suspension, ball joints, & stabilizer bars were all replaced due to unusual wear & tear. the steering was popping and my front tires were loose. my vehicle was deemed unsafe by the dealer & needed immediate repair. according to the dealer this is a common problem with the dakotas & durangos & daimler chrysler is fully aware of this issue. i was told it would be in my benefit to bring my particular vehicles problem to nhtsa's attention as well as daimler chrysler.*ak

Purchased used 1998 dodge dakota truck in april 2002 from toyota dealer with mileage of 42,000. i heard a knocking noise in motor on 11-11-2003 took to my mechanic and he had to replace bolts in the manifold. again on 3-2-2004 heard clicking noise in wheel my mechanic had to replace front suspension ball joint. i wrote a letter to daimler chrysler of the problems and they said that they are unable to assist me with the problems because i was no longer covered under the warranty. so i feel, that other purchasers should be made aware of the protential problems with this vehicle.*ak

Ball joint's in dodge dakota's. i have a 1998 dakota with low miles, my warranty is up already and my truck has very low miles for it's age. 14,500. i noticed that it was riding funny so i took it into car-x whiting in. and he informs my my ball joints are shot, plus i needed an alignment. it's bad enough that i needed a serpentine already, but now this. it hasn't even been broken in and these are shot for $500 bucks. are there any other people complaining about this? there is an article from a news paper http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=1700237 about bad dodges. i think dodge should pay me pay the money.*ak

Premature wear on both upper ball joins and one lower ball joint. *jb

The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection after a road trip. dealer determined that upper ball joints were about to separate, and the lower ball joints were worn out. upper and lower ball joints were replaced. *ak

Headlight switch malfunctioning - headlights act erratic, switch gets hot & smells as if it's burning up. *jb

An independent shop replaced the lower and upper ball joints lat september at the consumer's expense. dealer notified. *ak the cv drive and axle shaft were also replaced. *jb

Defective upper and lower ball joints on my 98 dodge dakota. i just went to les schwab to get new tires and an allignment when they told me all of my ball joints needed to be replaced. this seems way to soon for this type of problem. and it cost me 800 dollars to get it fixed.*ak

Water on passenger side floor board. *nm

The driver took the vehicle to the garage for tire repair. the mechanic noticed that both upper and lower ball joints needed replaced due to the excessive wear on the inner side of tires and wheel are loose.

Had to replace both front upper ball joints and both inner tie rods. *jb

Vehicle was taken to dealer for premature wear of the tires. mechanic determined that ball joints were rubbing , and needed to be replaced. *ak

Dealer replaced the lower and upper ball joints at 90000 miles. *ak

While driving and turning left or right at lower speed consumer heard a noise coming through the front end. vehicle was taken to the dealership and the mechanic determined that the ball joints wore out and needed to be replaced. *ak *nm

Replaced the two upper ball joints,shocks,and tires on my 1998 dodge dakota with 61,000 miles on it.*ak

I have a 1998 dodge dakota. i purchase the vehicle with 55,000 miles. within a couple of weeks i heard a clunking from the front end in a hard right low speed turn. i took the vehicle to the dodge dealer and both front wheel bearings had to be replace. had a failure occured at high speed it could have been a big failure. as a second owner i can say how the vehicle was maintained, but the vehicle showed not other signs of abuse. quite the opposite it showed signs of excellent maintenance. date below is approximate. the repair was expensive, but more important it someone could be killed if the wheel cuts lose at even moderate speed. the property damage checked is to vehicle thanks. *ak

Ball joints and steering column on my 1998 dodge dakota pickup truck. both were worn out after 30,000 miles.*ak

Consumer had to replace the upper and lower ball joints and inner tie rods at 42,000 miles. *ak the ball joints and tie rod ends had excessive play. *jb

Premature failure of right and left upper ball joints

The upper and lower ball joints failed. the consumer was concerned that the front end would collapse while driving. *ak the vehicle was still under warranty. *sc *jb

Heard crackling and poping from the left front wheel, and truck starting to pull to the left. found ny-lock spindle nut (torqued to 185#, factory spec's) almost off. right hand threaded spindle with inner race of bearing rotating in a counter-clockwise direction against the nut. bearing trashed, having to buy whole hub assembly @ $163. checked right wheel assembly while front end raised and was able to turn nut with a pair of 10" channel locks. had to redo both sides at 52+k origional miles, no one has tampered with vehicle. where's the old repairable system with the cotter key?*ak

Failure of all ball joints in march of 2003 and then a subsequent replacement of 2 of those ball joints in july of 2003. currently 1 more of the ball joints is going bad.*ak

While driving there was vibration in the front end. dealership replaced both upper ball joints. also, at 100,000 miles right front upper ball joint was replaced because it was loose, and the wheel was about to fall off. *ak

Upper ball joints on both sides are worn severely and lower left side is showing signs of significant wear. my truck only has 82k miles on it. i am aware that dakota trucks have been reported to have a possible defect in the ball joints and when is chrysler going to issue a recall. my truck is unsafe to drive at this time. *jb

The ball joints on my 98 dodge dakota have failed several times. one time the wheel almost fell off. they have been replaced as well as the wheel bearings and entire hub assembly which they cause to fail when they fail. *ak

The vehicle's upper ball joints failed. please provide any additional information. *nm

I hear a popping sound when i turn left. i took my 1998 dodge dakota to a mechanic and he said all four of my ball joints (two uppers and 2 lowers) are shot. i have an extended warranty so i contacted the local dealer about getting new ball joints. the parts dept. manager told me there is a nationwide back order on the lower ball joints and he expected to get them in within a few months. as for the uppers, he said he could get them within a few weeks. it sounds to me like dodge knows the ball joints are defective so they pulled everything from stock and are having new ones made up. i think dodge might be doing this to avoid a recall. *ak

My complaint is in regards to the ball joints on my 1998 dodge dakota truck. my truck has 80,000 miles on it, but i baby it, have never been in an accident, and can remember just about every pothole i've hit on the road because it makes me cringe every time. i brought the truck to the dealership to investigate the loud noises i could hear, and feel, when i drove. i don't understand why all four of them had to be replaced. i believe the ball joints were faulty upon manufacture, and hope to be reimbursed for the parts and labor. granted this is probably a low priority issue because there have been a relatively low number of fatalities attributed to ball joint failure, and it generally does not involve fire, or emergency situations. i would like to make the point that my truck is much more responsive, and the steering feels much tighter, and attribute this to the new ball joints. whether this is just in my head, or i really do feel a difference, i am relieved to say that i got it done. but i did consider not doing it and waiting to hear more about potential recall status. i would like to urge people not to wait if they are having problems, and keep your fingers crossed for a future recall. the bit of sloppiness, and potential failure of the ball joint, is a large risk, and if you correct the problem now you can mitigate the risk that will become an issue as the automobiles with faulty ball joints grow in age and severity of defect. please do what you can to push for recall.*ak

While driving consumer heard a loud noise coming from the front end. dealerships mechanic informed the consumer that the problem pertained to the front lower ball joints failure. *ak the consumer viewed film where the wheels had fallen. *sc

While driving at any speed consumer heard a clicking sound coming from the front wheels when turning corners. also, consumer needed to compensate for vehicle pulling from one side to the other side. vehicle was taken to a mechanic, who lifted the vehicle and one of the front wheels fell off. mechanic determined that front ball joints were worn out. *ak mechanic replaced upper and lower ball joints, inner tie rod ends and performed front end. *la alignment

While driving at any speed, the consumer heard a subtle noise coming from the front wheels. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined excessive upper and lower ball joint wear.*ak *jb

Technician serviced vehicle and determined that ball joints needed to be replaced. part was replaced in january 2003. vehicle was serviced january 2004, technician installed new ball joints. *ak *mr

While driving ,transmission doesn't shift to next gear, rpm's go really high and the speedometer sticks. i'm afraid while crossing an intersection that i won't be able to get across and it might cause an accident. *la

The owner took the vehicle to the dealership for an inspection. the mechanic informed the owner that the upper ball joints failed. please provide any additional information. *nlm

While driving the vehicle at 30 mph, the right side of the vehicle vibrated. an independent shop replaced the upper ball joint and the upper arm. please provide further information. please provide further information. *jb

Premature wear on left ball joints for 1998 dodge dakota 2wd.

Upper and lower ball joints wore out prematurely. *ak

I bought my 1998 dodge dakota with the confidence of knowing that i had selected a safe, comfortable, reliable car. however, that perception was gone this morning when i found the website called www.unsafebelts.com . *ak i am appalled (yet not surprised, quite honestly) to learn that chrysler is knowingly allowing many people to drive their cars with seatbelts that are not adequate or reliable. i am more shocked that nhtsa and other groups like it are not lobbying for safer belts. as the other owner of my car drives the vehicle at least 20 hours per week, i am shocked and saddened by this inaction. i would like to call for a recall of these belts. i will be contacting the dealership where i purchased my car today and requesting replacements for my seat belts. i will also be asking chrysler to cover the cost of this replacement.

At any speed vehicle was making a clicking sound when turning corners and wearing out tires. the last time consumer replaced a set of tires it was discovered that the upper ball joints had unusual wear. consumer claimed that he was an engineer, and that there was no way that one could lubricate the upper ball joints. *ak *mr

1998 dodge dakota upper ball joint failure dealer diagnosis. *ak

Upper and lower ball joint require replacements as well as tie rods. *cb

Control arm upper ball joint failure. the state of pa requires vehicles to pass an anual inspection in order to drive on the roads. my dodge dakota will fail this inspection next feb. the right upper balljoint on my vehicle (which should have a life span minimum 80 to 100 k; my veh. has 46k) needs to be repaired to be considered safe by pa standards. dodge provided no way to perform preventitive maintenence on this vehicle part. poor design on their part is not worth the cost of serious injury or death and they know it because they modified the repair replacement part which to me admits a flaw to begin with.

Upper and lower ball joint are bad. *ak

Bought used 1998 dodge dakota in july 2002. vehicle had 45,000 miles. was told by dealer that lower ball joints had been replaced. vehicle started making popping noises in october 2003 and continued to worsen. i could not locate the problem. finally took it to dealer in dec 2003 and was informed that both lower ball joints were shot. vehicle had 61,000 miles at time of replacement for second set of lower ball joints. deal er advised that at time of first replacement after market ball joints were not available and that they were factory replacements.*ak

Prematurely worn upper ball joint for 1998 dodge dakota sport truck (2w) with 55,000 miles. severe squeaking and grinding noise along with obvious irratic braking problems.*ak

While having tires replaced and aligned mechanic noticed that the lower ball joints and inner tie rods were defective and needed to be replaced before an alignment could be performed. *ak

Lower ball joints had to be replaced at 42, 000 miles on my 1998 dodge dakota due to the repair shop being unable to perform a front end alignment. mechanic told me that the upper ball joints will most likely need to be replaced within the next year or so depending on mileage put on the vehicle in that time. *ak

1998 dodge dakota 2wd standard cab pickup with a 3.9 liter v6 engine. at 48,000 miles the drivers side lower ball joint required replaceing and now at 52,000 miles the passenger side is making popping sounds. i am probably going to have the upper and lower ball joints replaced with aftermarket parts as dodge prices are double to triple the cost.*ak

The front suspension of my '98 2wd dodge dakota makes a loud 'popping' noise during sharp lowspeed turns - a check of the message boards revealed that this is a common proble with dakotas and durangos resulting from improperly engineered or manufactured ball joints constituting an obvious driver safety issue should these parts fail prematurely as they have in many low mileage vehicles.*ak

Catalytic converter has been replaced 4 times in 4 years. now at the 5th year it need to be replaced again and the dealer refuses because they did it 14 months ago and it's no longer under their 12 month warranty and is no longer covered under the federal 8 yr, 80,000 mile warranty because i'm at 109,000 miles, therefore it will cost me over 600$ to replace a defect in their equipment. i can't afford to put 600$ into my car every 14 months for such a major component plus all the other minor upkeep a vehicle takes.

Per broadcast on december 19, 2003 on cbs nightly news, the dodge durango/dakota ball joint, upper and lower issues, not yet a recall by the mfg. we own a 1998 dodge dakota, purchased in 2000 and at every state inspection, the upper and lower front ball joints need to be replaced. the dealer is aware of the situation that all dodges 97 and up have ball joint issues, so the mfg is aware of the problem for a long time now. every year it is 300+ $ to replace these for the needed state inspection, they go bad every year, and are dangerous if not replaced. we only put about 10, 000 miles a year on the vehicle also. the joints cannot be greased w/o dealer or mechanic assistance. per the news these items need to be replaced to accomodate larger ball joints which is going to be costly. we called about 2yrs ago to chrysler dodge, who advise there is nothing wrong and no recall has been issued. now we see there are major safety issues regarding this defect and causing fatalities and accidents. we dont want to find out this way, we would like it to be a recall to have the joints and arms replaced to accomodate the bigger ball joints required for this type of vehicle. apparently this is a known issue re all dodge trucks/ suvs and needs to have a prompt investigation done not only by the dealers/chrysler dodge who already are aware anyway, no need for them to investigate something they have been repairing at the cost of the customer for the past 10yrs or so. this needs investigated by someone who has the authority to make chrysler recall this dangerous life threatening defect.*ak

1998 dodge dakota xlt truck upper and lower ball joint failures. mileage: 40,000 v8 (318ci) engine highway driven bought new experienced intermittent front end shimmy from day one. total of 12 tires tried resulting in no improvement and marred rims from tires being mounted and over 18 balancing. *la

1998 dodge dakota has worn lower ball joints - manufacturer did not install grease fittings to allow for proper preventative maintenance.*ak

While driving at 25 mph, the driver heard a loud noise coming from the left rear of the vehicle. the consumer pulled over to investigate the noise and noticed that the left rear tire had blown out. *ak after going to several tire dealers they offered no suggestions but to replace the tire at the consumers expense. *cb *jb

Seen the cbs news about upper ball joints on dodge dakota on 12/18/03. had my left side ball joints replaced on 7/15/02 and my right side ball joints replaced on 8/5/03. pretty close to $500 to have replaced.*ak

Lower passenger side ball joint failure. *ak

Upper ball joint failure. *la

Lower driver's sider ball joint failure. *ak

When the vehicle was in reverse and the consumer applied the brakes, the brake pedal exceeded to the floor without warning. the dealer stated that the brake hose failed. *ak the brake line was positioned up against the moving suspension part that wore a hole in the brake line. *scc *jb

The upper and lower ball joints on both sides broke, causing the greasing fit to leak. consumer was concerned that the front end will collapse. *ak

The upper ball joints were replaced under warranty at approximately 30,000 miles. they were making a thumping noise when simultaneously turning a corner and going over a bump. the problem reappeared and the ball joints were replaced again approximately 25,000 miles later with aftermarket units. upon close examination of the oe units there was excessive play and the grease was hard. *la

While driving at 40-50 mph consumer heard a sound coming from the engine compartment. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the consumer that rack and pinion needed replacement. *ak

I have had numerous problems with my 1998 dodge dakota. i purchased it brand new. 2 months after 8/98 purchase date, the transmission went out. the brakes have had to be replaced several times, the map sensor went out while driving down the highway causing the vehicle to shut down. i recently had to replace the lower ball joints. the seat belts come off entirely too easy. all of this and the vehicle only has 39,000 miles on it. i sent arbitration papers to chrysler twice with no response. *la

During inspection it was determined that the upper and lower ball joints were warped and must be replaced. *ak

While driving anti lock brakes failed. brake pedal was hard to depress, resulting in extended stopping distance. *ak

While driving engine was making a loud pinging noise. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer said engine was not getting enough fuel. *ak

During a routine inspection mechanic informed the consumer that front ball joints were wearing out. *ak *mr

On two separate occasions upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced because of premature wear. *ak *nlm *ph

I have a 1998 2wd dodge dakota that has suffered from excessive front tire wear since new. the dealer could never seem to find a cause for this and the vehicle has cost me a fortune in replacement tires and front end alignments. with the vehicle out of warranty, an independent front end shop recently replaced the lower ball joints, inner tie rod ends and right-side upper control arm bushings. it is too early to tell if these repairs have corrected this long-standing (67,000 miles) problem, but because this truck has the same front suspension as the dodge durango currently under investigation, i am submitting this complaint.*ak

Failure of upper ball joints on my 1998 dodge dakota pickup truck at 49052 miles.ould get no satisfaction from dealer. *ak

I have had to replace the catalytic converter on my truck twice since it was bought in 1998 brand new from the dealership. the first time i took it in to the dealership i was told that the noise my truck was making was due to the suspension and not to worry about it. the truck was not even evaluated, i was just told that i was wrong, and it was not the catalytic converter and was sent on my way. when i went back after this incident 2 days later i requested to speak with the service manager and proceeded to tell him what had happened. they then put my truck on the lift and found it was the catalytic converter and fixed it. it then happened again and it¿s needed to be replaced. i know that the federal emissions law states that they have to cover it up to 80,000 miles for the catalytic converter, but my truck currently has 76,000 miles on it, thus i am getting close. i have heard many complaints about this with the dodge dakotas and i fear that this will continue to happen and will end up to cost a lot of money out of my pocket for a mistake on the part of dodge which they will not take responsibility for to try and correct the problem instead of it being ongoing. *la

1998 dodge dakota, upper arm ball joint defect. a story on cbs news last night has prompted me to submit this complaint. september 2000, noise on the right front side of truck prompted me to stop at a dodge dealer to check it out, found the right upper arm ball joint was so bad that the service manager said i could have lost the wheel on the highway at the speed limit causing potentially serious accident. the arm was replaced under warranty (34853 miles). i recently purchased 4 new tires for the truck and asked the dealer to do a front end alignment (59423), he tried and said he could not because the ball joints were defective. i had no indication at this time there was a problem with the ball joints until i tried to get an alignment to protect the new tires, i got a second opinion with the same response. i went to the dodge dealer and confirms that all 4 ball joints in the front end were bad, lower and upper. dealer said it happens occasionally, but i have less than 60,000 miles on the truck and it is my third ball joint on the upper front. this time there was no indication of a problem and it cost me over $1100 to fix as it was no longer under warranty was lucky since the there was no accidents, the problem was caught in time. there is no doubt in my mind that the ball joints used on the dodge dakota are defective and do not last, in my case the replaced ball joint in september 2000 lasted less than 24,000 miles understand there is a class action law suit in progress, can you provide any information on this, chrysler/daimler needs to stand up and fix the problem before there is a tragedy.*ak

Worn front wheel bearing & excessive wear on upper & lower ball joints.*ak

Front ball joint early failure on 1998 dakota. front upper ball joints are experincing early failures. same suspension components as durango.*ak

Transmission throttle valve adjustment...keeps the transmission from shifting at the proper time... wont downshift when gas pedal is pressed to the floor. also... shifter lever cable adjustment.... wrong gear shows up on console.*ak

Upper ball joint premature wear. *jb

While turn a corner in my 1998 dodge dakota i heard a bang. looked around under the truck i did not see anything broken. took truck to tire shop to have front tires rplaced and they told me that the ball joints need to be replaced. i have found out that there is an ongoing investigation by your staff intop the dodge durango (pe03032). the durango and dakaota have the same front ends underneath them. if there is a finding of defective parts in the durango is should also apply to the dakota.*ak

Brake rotor warpage after low miles. *ak

I own a 1998 dodge dakota sport with paint fading on the hood in several places. there was no damage to these areas that would cause a paint problem. i am very dissapointed that i am having this problem with a vehicle that is only 4 years old. i have searched for a possible recall since this appears to be a factory problem. i have found many other owners reporting simular problems but no recall at this time. i would like to know if dodge is planning on resolving this problem soon. *ak

Advised by authorized chrysler service to replace both left and right, upper and lower ball joints and left and right lower control arms for excessive wear at 46059 miles. cost $1478 plus tax. one mechanic said this is same premature problem experienced on ddodge durango.*ak

White spots were showing through the black paint on the vehicle. vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that vehicle was made with faulty primer. manufacturer was willing to pay half of the cost. *ak

A clicking noise in the steering column as i drive. a mechanic told me it was related to the air bag. he said it could malfunction in an accident or worse yet could cause an accident.*ak

In winter time transmission does not want to shift out of low gear when it should will eventually usually at about 1500 to 2000 rpm after gets really warm still will not shift properly. changed fluid myself with atf 3 or 4. have had at shops no one really knows what causes this they guess a lot. *nlm

The crankshaft position sensor failed. this caused the vehicle to lose power brakes and steering without warning. *ak

While driving, the air bag light illuminated on the dash board and stayed on. the air bag module was replaced but the problem resurfaced. the consumer saw recall 01v-153000 which was related to the air bag clockspring dealer they stated that the vehicle was not in the recall, but it has the same model and year. consumer had to pay for cost of repairs. *jb *cb

When the vehicle was left idling for several hours, the floor board over heated on the passenger side due to the exhaust system had become extremely hot. several items that were left on the floor melted, which included some portions of the seat belt. *jb

Nar 02/28/2003 mr the consumer has experienced problems with the steering system. *cb

The engine block cracked, which caused the vehicle to be inoperative. *jb

1998 dodge truck dakota. transfered to tis. *ph *jb

Passenger's side airbag had been removed, dealership did not inform consumer before the vehicle was purchased. *jb..*ak

The front 4 wheel drive cv shaft broke, which caused the vehicle to pull hard to the right. *jb

I had catalytic converter replace last summer because it was defective . i have an exhasust leak know and took it to the dealer and they said i have 3 broken exhaust manifold bolts. they said it would cost 65 to 75 dollars apiece to fix. i work for daimler chrysler at twinsburg stamping as a machine repairman. i have never heard of exhaust bolts just breaking.i beleive there is a problem here they ought to fix. there more people at work that had the same problem. thank you

Consumer state the vehicle would vibrate when applied the brakes at 35mph. dealer was notified and replaces the front rotors and pads. again at 10 miles will replace rotors and pads. please provide further information. ts

When turning to the left the steering wheel will lockup and no turn. heard popping noise and steering worked again. replaced rack and pinion

Headlights flickering, problems with sway bar links and upper control arms noticed inspection, if parts fail completely total loss of steering would occur.

Consumer states that vehicle wonders all over the road. took to dealer and dealer replaced the tie rods, ball joints, upper control arm. consumer states six months later problem reoccured. please provide any further information. *mr

While traveling on the highway without prior warning the right control arm bolt became loose. the dealership is aware of the problem. nlm consumer compalined of a noise on numerous occasions before the incident occured.*jb

Consumer having problems with seat belt equipment not staying latched. dealer and the manufacturer has been notified. feel free to provide any further information. *mr

Vehicle was parked and running and without prior warning, vehicle shifted into reverse and went backward into the street. dealership was aware of problem.*ak.*jb

When engaging turn signal there was no signal light, and there was a loud gear grinding noise. when disengaging signal noise stopped. cause is unknown. please provide any further information.*ak

Consumer ran a stop sign at 30 to 35 mph, t-boned another vehicle, full frontal inpact, and none airbags deployed. please provide any further information.*ak

While driving headlights go out, making it hard for consumer to see, and could cause an accident. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak

While driving can hear a humming sound. took vehicle to dealer, and they stated it was rack and pinion steering. please provide any further information.*ak

While driving through water the throttle sensor and vehicle starts to runs roughly. took to dealer and dealer indicated to replace sensors. nlm

Consumer stated the front wheel bearings keeps wearing out. when applying the brakes the vehicle vibrates. also when making a sharp left turn the front wheel feels as though it skips. the dealer has been contacted. nlm

Consumer states while traveling 30 mph, she turned the heat on, and without any indication both front air bags deployed and caused injury. dealer has been contacted. *nlm *yd

Constantly replacing brakes and rotors on front of vehicle. grooves are wearing into brakes. dealer contacted. *ak *yh

While driving 20mph apllied brakes, rubber came off brakes and foot slipped on gas, and accelerated vehicle, hitting another vehicle. airbags didnot deploy. dealer contacted.*ak *slc

When leaving steering wheel set in a certain position and vehicle turned off. consumer returned after six hours and steering wheel was locked up. consumer felt unsafe because vehicle will take off in that position. *ak *yh

All 4 ball joints in front of vehicle have failed. advised to not drive vehicle

I've got a 1998 dodge dakota and just had the ball joints replaced. the vehicle only had about 65000 miles or so when i noticed the problem and i finally had them replaced at about 73000 miles. i emailed dodge about it and they gave me no worthwhile answers except i didn't qualify for any recalls or reimbursement. i know ball joints shouldn't go out this soon and wanted to send this information to you because i saw where you are looking into this matter. if you need any other information please feel free to contact me. thanks, gregory thomas. *ak

Loud rear axle noise....brought to dealer.........replaced pinion and carrier bearings in axle.......cause was because maufacturer changed tow capacity on rt's after owners manual was published....i bought used truck at 40,000 miles and has no idea it could only tow 2,000 lbs vrs owners manual said 6,000...an 8cyl truck and can't toe boat.....how week for dodoge!*ak

Upper ball joints prematurely worn out due to lubrication being washed out (same problem as detailed in nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000, but my vehicle is a 1998 model and this campaign is for 2000 and newer).*ak

While brakes are applied at any speed there is vibration in steering column. there is also a noise coming from steering column during acceleration. dealership has made no determination as to a cause for this problem. please provide any additional information / attachments.*ak

At 32,000 miles consumer had both front lower ball joints replaced. presently, problem has reoccurred. informed that both lower ball joint needed to be replaced again. dealer was contacted / not cover under a recall. feel free to provide any further information concerning this matter.*ak

Front lower joint had worn out. could not get a wheel alignment because lower ball joint had worn out. contacted dealer, and dealer had to replace ball joint. *ak *yd

When driving and windshield wipers were needed wipers stopped working, causing poor driver's visibility. consumer has contacted dealer; mechanic noted a temporary solution to problem by tapping on wiper motor.*ak

While traveling at about 75 mph front hood will come up. also has happened at lower speeds. had not contacted dealer.*ak *jb

Owner's manual stated 87 or higher octane should be used. when putting a meduim grade gas in vehicle overdrive stopped working/torque converter would not lock up, and caused rpms to increase. rmps went up too high for truck. consumer took vehicle to dealer ,and they didn't want to do anything. please provide any further information.*ak

Vehicle was experiencing the same problem as mentioned in recall 01v153000982 but, this vehicle was not part of recall due to vin. please provide further details.*ak

While driving 35 mph track bar broke off the frame. consumer could not control vehicle. contacted dealer, and dealer got 3 estimates. *ak consumer was informed by a welder that manufacturer did not properly weld bracket to frame the track support bar supports the entire steering assembly.*jb

Rear brake line rubber flex tube casing rubbed against transmission. this caused brake fluid to leak out from hole that was created. had taken vehicle to dealership, and mechanic has inspected the problem, but had no resolution. *ak

At 9500 miles the speed control sensor malfucntioned, causing speedometer to operate erratically. dealership repaired this problem under warranty. then, with approximately 61,000 miles on vehicle, speed control sensor has malfunctioned again. *ak consumer states that when the sensor malfunctions, the abs and brake light silluminate, the abs does not work, the speedometer works erratically along with all other instrument gauges, vehicle also stalls out as soon as the consumer lets up on the gas or have it in neutral. *slc

Consumer's shoulder belt on driver side wasn't retracting once it has been pulled to secure occupant. dealer has been contacted, and there was only a 36,000 mile warranty for seat belts. no recall has been initiated.*ak

Consumer was on third clutch fan. vehicle only has 46,000 miles. first clutch fan went out at 26,000, and second went out at another 19-20,000 miles apart. dealer couldn't explain if there was a defect with the parts. *ak

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision with a chevrolet, celebrity at 40 mph. upon impact, both air bags did not deploy. dealer / manufacturer were not notified at this time. please feel free to provide us with any further information concerning this matter. *ak

While vehicle was parked a 10 year old was able to change gears without applying brakes, causing vehicle to hit a tree. please give any further details*ak

Rearend has failed twice , first at 20,000 miles and again at 25,000 later due to bearing and ring/ pinion failure. please provide further information.*ak

While driving stepped on brakes pedal but brakes would not activate. would have to step harder to make brakes work. but, at times could not stop, and once rear ended another vehicle that stopped. currently, there was manufacturer's recall 891. *ak

Lower control arm broke from vehicle because it was not welded to vehicle. manufacturer has been notified.*ak

While traveling up a hill noticed vehicle not gaining power. also, while on highway vehicle will not travel over 45 mph. technician stated catalytic converter needed to be replaced. *ak the consumer was stranded and was unable to get to work due to the catalytic convertor failure. *yh

Driveshaft disconnected while traveling at highway speed of 75 mph, causing damages to transmisson and engine block. dealer / manufacturer notified, and informed consumer that vehicle was out of its warranty, and nothing would be done. consumer complained not about warranty, but damage of driveshaft at less then 19,000 miles of wear. asking for nhtsa to look into this matter. feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak

Consumer was involved in a collision in which driver's and passenger's air bags did not deploy, cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak

A few months ago consumer was having problems with brakes. consumer took vehicle into dealership, and dealer serviced brakes on 23rd of february, 2001. consumer had an accident, and brakes did not work as good as they should have worked. *ak consumer states there were 3 fatalaties and 1 injury. *slc

Goodyear invecta gl tire p215/75r15 dot m6hfd8er098 experienced tread separation, prior to blowout, consumer stated vehicle started pulling to the right. *slc

Consumer took vechicle in for a recall on rear brakes hose and reposition axle hose, while driving at 30 mph consuimer ran into a rock, and none of the airbags deployed.*ak

Headlights stopped without prior warning due to wiring harness burning out. dealer did not allow consumer to drive vehicle home during the day to avoid an automobile fire. *ak

Engine experiences rough and low idle, and stalling, dealer has replaced throttle body, manifold gaskets, and valve body, however stalling still exists, dealer stated the combination of stopping, shifting, and the turning of the steering wheel causes the engine to stall, there was also an oil pan leak and coolant leak, purge solenoid was also noisy. reverse lights had a defective switch and the headlights had a defective switch. exhaust was noisy and the exhaust bolts were broken. moldings were leaking, dealer had to also replace carpet. brakes locked up, dealer found they were full of brake dust, front rotors gouged, dealer replaced brakes and rotors. steering gear box and power steering gear assembly both leaked. transmission experienced many problems, a defective leaking pressure line, vibration in driveline, vehicle would slam in reverse when going from drive, differential was replaced due to a humming noise, and the gear shift broke. new tires (no size or brand) due to vibration in front end. *slc

While vehicle is being driven steering wheel pulls extremely to the right or the left, also, after vehicle is in park vehicle jerks forward,cause unknown. please give any further details.*ak

Consume r was traveling about 60mph on highway and heard a noise. vehicle was going left to right. he was able to pull over to the shoulders . three out of four tire tread had separated from vehicle. tires were goodyear. *ak

Goodyear wrangler tires hydroplaned on vehicle. this has caused vehicle to slide into a ditch at 30mph in wet weather. dealer has not seen vehicle. *ak

Vent was not blowing out cool air, took to dealer and they placed the mode door and the duct. dealer replaced it and it broke again.*ak

Tie rods on both ends are worn out with about 48,000 miles which may cause the tie rods to break. please provide further information.*ak

While driving at 35 mph and coming to a stop sign, consumer tried to stop and there were no brakes, almost hit a dump truck, consumer stopped with emergency brake. *ak

While driving about 40 mph another vehicle tried to make a left turn, ending on head first collision where no air bag deployed. *ak

While driving a drunken driver hit consumer on driver's side, and none of the airbags deployed. *ak

Front airbags deployed for no reason or impact. first time air bags deployed while going over railroad tracks at a slow pace. second time vehicle was going over a dip in the road and air bags deployed. dealer replaced airbags the first time it happened. but, after the second time, dealer wanted consumer to contact the insurance company.*ak

Vehicle was involved in a frontalcollision at 70 mph, and airbags did not deploy, resulting in minor injuries. vehicle has been totaled. dealer has been notified. *ak *ml

Brake line which runs against the vent hose for the rear differential has caused a hole through the brake line, resulting in loss of brakes.*ak

Right front caliper has never been used. there was never any pulling from that side. mechanic found caliper to be worn out completely. dealer didn't seem too concerned when consumer made contact. *ak

Due to an electrical overload relay light switch burned out and melted, causing the lights to go out. there is a recall for dodge ram 1995 on this problem. but the 1998 dakota is not included in the recall although it has same part. dealer is ordered parts to fix vehicle at consumer's expense. recall 99v024000. *ak

Recall 97v170 000/abs brakes: abs brakes would not operate when applied. dealer notified, and informed consumer that vehicle was not covered under recall due to vin. owner repaired vehicle himself by manually adjusting the brakes. neither chrysler nor dealer provided help. *ak *ml

Exhaust leakage due to a broken manifold bolt; dealer notified. manifold stud replaced at no cost to owner. *ak *ml

While traveling at highway speed of 60-65 mph both air bags deployed for no reason. vehicle did not hit or bump anything. condition almost caused a collision. dealer notified. *ak

While driving on a state route, traveling about 40mph another vehicle pulled out in front of consumer. consumer applied brakes and hit vehicle in front.upon impact, driver's side airbag didn't deploy. contacted the dealer . *ak

The seat belt on the passenger's side does not lock. the belt would not restraint the occupant in the event of a crash. the seat belt was replaced, but belt seems to be doing the same thing. please provide any further information. *ak

On the interstate while driving 70mph another vehicle just pulled out in front of consumer's vehicle. consumer slammed on the brakes and front end shook violently. also, steering wheel oscilated the brake pedal which had a severe pulse. contacted the dealer and manufacturer. *ak

When making sharp right turns on an incline there would be loud popping noises. a constant problem. have taken vehicle to dealer & mechanic could not duplicate the problem. would have control of vehicle. *ak

The driver seatbelt would not retract which could result in injury if an accident occured. dealer replaced driver seatbelt on two occasions. *yc

When running the a/c and stopping at a red light, then attempting to restart, and car just quits. *ak

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and the airbags did not deploy. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak

While driving. vehicle cuts off. also while idling, giving vehicle gas or stopping at intersections, vehicle also cuts off. *ak

Rack and pinion steering failed, and vehicle is leaking power steering fluid. dealer said that they needed fluid. they put fluid in and it leaked out into the driveway. consumer was unable to steer the car/ no injuries and no collision, the truck had to be towed. *ak

While driving at approximately 70 mph transmission locked up, causing loss of control, and resutling in an accident. *ak

When driving the vehicle would stay in only one gear. transmission completely failed. dealer contacted. repairwork done to remedy problem. problem still exists. provided further information. *ak

Vehicle experiencing ongoing / intermittent problem with abs failure and abs light coming on at the same time; would like to know if this will be a safety problem, causing a danger to driver or passenger whenever this occurs. vehicle was inspected by dealer shop, and nothing could be found; can nhtsa provide addtional information on this matter. *ak

While driving at any speed side mirrors are so large and placed so high on doors that it creates a severe blind spot when cornering with vehicle. consumer had encountered near misses with pedestrians in crosswalks and smaller vehicles. *ak

The bolt that had been securing the shoulder anchor of the seat belt to the frame worked its way loose allowing the anchor to disengage from the frame. manufacturer will be contacted. *ak *ml

While driving at any speed ther eis a loud noise and leakage in the transmission, and vehicle stalls and jerks. problem has been going on for a year. also, when applying the brakes, they go straight to the floorboard. dealer can't determine the problem. *ak

Recall 97v170000, the abs braking system recall which was not modified to this vehicle. problem with abs system, such as pedal goes to to floor and feels spongy. dealer had to bleed out the air in the lines of the abs system. no parts have been replaced. please provide further information. *ak

Under wet conditions brakes did not engage/became inoperative, causing a loss of brakes and twice resulting in an accident. *ak

While driving with cruise control engaged and going up a hill, vehicle goes past 3rd gear into 2nd gear, races up to over 5000 rpm which resulted in a collision. took vehicle to dealer and they adjusted the speed control linkage, but problem reoccurred causing loss of control. speed control linkage adjusted again, problem has not reoccurred since. *ak *ml

Ongoing problem with vehicle having following defective3 parts parts: 1. engine accelerates at high rmp when vehicle is started. 2. rear end makes unnecessary noise when driving. 3. when consumer applied brake, could hear air leaking. 4. front tire wearing uneven. and 5. replaced catalyic converter system. *ak

Front and the rear tires are prematurely wearing or feathering, causing the vehicle to veer to the right. cause unknown. please give any further details, add all vehicle vin#. *ak

Ongoing problem with the design of the windshield /door support with the mirror assembly which causes blind spot to consumer whenever making a turn. dealer/ manufacturer contacted, but no response. *ak

While driving in wet conditions vehicle sways left to right. problem is intermittent. consumer is very concerned for safety. *ak

Consumer was involved in 50 mph frontal collision in which the driver's or passenger's air bags did not deploy. cause unknown. *ak

Motor mounts rusted . the dealer has replaced the motor mounts. *ak

Driving on bumpy road conditions, the car in front made a sudden stop, consumer applied foot to the brake pedal, but had no braking power and the pedal went to the floor. consumer avoided hitting the vehicle and hit a pole. *ak

Consumer was involved in a 40 mph rear end collision in which the driver's or passenger's air bags did not deploy. please give any further details. *ak

Going up hill when vehicle died out for no reason. towed to dealer & 1st time, nothing found. 2nd time it happened, was told torque convertor needed changing. 3rd time, was told transmission was in bad shape along with torque convertor & both needed replacing. *ak

While driving at about 25mph, a car ran a stop sign and the truck broadsided the car. the driver and passenger side air bag didn't deploy in the truck. *ak *tt

Everytime the vehicle is put into reverse the gears grind and make a loud noise. dealer can't fix problem. *ak

While driving engine shuts down, causing the vehicle to stall. please provide details. ak

When applying the brakes to avoid a vehicle collision the passenger's seat belt did not retract. *ak

Consumer was nearly involved in a collision in which the passenger's seat belt did not retract. please give any further details. *ak

Pulled vehicle from garage & left in park. closed garage door. turned & vehicle had jumped out of gear into reverse & rolled backwards, hitting center post of garage, resulting in a collision. vehicle sustained extensive damage. was to go to arbitration but was canceled. *ak.

Going 50mph, hit brakes to avoid hitting deer & vehicle swerved. brakes locked up & went down embankment. front end hit ditch & then flipped over, front to rear. air bags did not deploy upon impact. vehicle totaled. *ak

When at a complete stop, placing shifter into reverse, a loud grinding noise will occur due to a design flaw.

Driver & passenger side exterior power mirrors' surfaces seem to be made of a soft plastic, which gets microscopic surface scratches. these are not noticeable until a low sun angle from rear of truck appears. then the mirrors glint with a million points of light, making them useless. *ak

Engine failed.

Coolant system failed. vehicle overheats and leaks radiator fluid.

The catalytic converter on my dakota keeps falling apart. i have taken it back to the dealer for replacement 4 or 5 times now (the first time was not long after i had bought the vehicle). each time they put a new converter on, it falls apart within a years time. i asked them about it and they blame it on faulty manufacturing of the converter. i know other dakota owners that have the same problem and are given the same story (just faulty manufacturing). i e-mailed dodge, but they directed me to the dealer. is anyone being held accountable for this? my vehicle is no longer under warranty, i am a single parent and can not afford to pay for a new converter when this new one falls apart. i see that there have been other complaints is anything being done??? my brakes also make a terrible noise when it is cold and/or rains or if it is foggy. the dealer said "oh, its just moisture" but there is really nothing wrong with your brakes. when it is raining, it seems that the brakes don't work as they should and the anti-lock does not seem to work intermittently. one other problem is the engine races after the truck has sat overnight or while i am at work, and it takes awhile before it idles at the normal rpm. i was told by the dealer, don't worry about it, it is just the cold air solenoid. what has nhtsa concluded in regard to the catalytic converter? or are you the wrong contact? dt

Battery exploded, causing damage to the case and underhood noise insulation. *slc

Left front ball joint failed.

While performing a brake inspection on this vehicle i found that the disc brake pads that are used on this vehicle include what they are calling a "shim" that gets glued onto both the inboard and outboard shoes which as near as i can tell acts as some sort of cushion between the phenolic (plastic) brake caliper piston and the brake pad in order to keep the brake pad rivet heads from coming in contact with the phenolic (plastic) caliper piston and causing the caliper piston to wear prematurely or even crack. this "shim" is made of ferrous metal and is only about a 32nd of an inch thick. with the combination of heat,stress and salt that is used on michigan roadways this ferrous metal "shim" is entirely inadequate for the intended purpose and has completely rusted away in less than four years causing the caliper piston to crack. a cracked caliper piston is a very dangerous situation and can lead to complete brake failure. if this part were made of stainless steel rather than ferrous metal it would greatly reduce the corrosion of this part and insure the safety of all concerned. this is a problem that needs to be addressed by the nhtsa in the very near future as even the aftermarket brake pads include the same type of shim.*ak

The tires have been replaced twice due to wear on the outside edge of the front tires. had the front end aligned each time and the mechanic stated minor adjustment. the problem seems to be the camber, the last mechanic i talked to (8/29/202) stated that has had several dogde dekotas in with the same problem and the dealers state that there is no problem.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

I have had to redo the front disc brake rotors and calipers twice and they need replacing a third time due to warping of the rotors. the dealer says this is caused by improper torquing of the wheel nuts when replacing the wheel. i got the manufacturers recommended torque setting and made sure the bolts were hand torqued to that poundage since they claimed "torque sticks" seems to be in question. the rotors still continue to warp. the brakes function but the front brake pedal trembles when applying brakes and the warping accelerates the failure of the calipers. other local mechanics have told me they see this problem on dakota trucks on a regular basis. ts

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Involved in a collision with a tractor-trailer. i hit the trailer and the air bags did not deploy.*ak

The front braking system is extremely undersized. the rotors warp quickly due to overheating. materials used are very cheap. the right side caliper pins have both stipped out their threads requiring me to install oversized self-tapping caliper pins. the dodge dealer i took it to called me a liar and said that i stripped out the pin threads. i completed the repairs myself and installed aftermarket rotors and pads. dodge refused to do anything about the problem. *ak

I have had to have the catalytic converter on my 1998 dakota 3 times since i buy the truck. each time the dealership said that they were going to look into the cause of the problem. and each time they would say "we didn't get a chance to look at what might have caused the problem but, if it happens again we will". well, it happened again on 3/09/02. now they refuse to cover the cost of the replacement of the converter. they say this is due to the fact that the emissions warrenty has run out. i find this ridiculous, due to the fact that it is an ongoing problem. i have also learn that contrary to what the dealership and chrysler claim, i'm not the only one that has this ongoing problem. *ak

Tire blewout,looks to be tire separated was cause.*ak (dot number: w2hh awb tiresize: p225/75r15)

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

This model was recalled due to the rear brakes failing in such a way. i believe that it should be recalled again but for the front brakes. the brake line was rubbing against the axle causing it to eventually break. in the area i was traveling i could have been seriously injured if truck was at a higher speed. of course the dealer feels no remorse and does not care about the safety of it's customer's. it's funny how they are wanting to speak with you while you purchase it, but afterwards they no nothing about the truck and it was not their fault. i'm still waiting for the part and it is 9-18-01. seems the part is hard to find.*ak

Whine at 45 mph, complained at first service, replaced rack and pinion ger kit + some bearings, etc. noise still there. replaced again at 35964// replaced again on vacation out of town @ 40k due to being advised it was possible too dangerous to continue driving it. whine still there... replaced again at 52k + bearing axle shafts... whine is still there... concern that a deeper more internal part (never replaces) is causing all this wear & eventually will cause an accident on the road.

I have recently noticed my catalytic converter making ticking noise again, my extended warranty has just recently expired too. this part had been replaced at 22000 miles. now just less than 2 years later i am running into the same delema. i have spoke to several auto mechanics and they all say that this must be a defected part. when i notified my dodge dealer, he stated because the warranty had expired, i will have the burden of paying all the cost. yet again this is the second time in a truck that was purchased brand new less than 4 years ago. i feel that after reading other complaints and talking to several other dodge ownershaving the same problem, that the part is a defect. above all, dodge doesn't seem to stand behind their product. they were rude and would not budge to satisfy their customers. in fact my service advisor even went on to tell me that i probably hit a bump that made the catalytic converter go out. come on now this is a 4x4, you mean to tell me that if i hit a speedbump my engine will drop? "dodge tough" ? yeah right! they certainly lost my business in the future. please check on this defected part, there has got to be justice for the consumer. bad word of mouth is the worst advertisement dodge and i got a big mouth guys!*ak

The first ball joint on the right side had to be replaced at just over 36000 miles. it was covered under the warrantee. the 2nd. ball joint failed at apr 62000 miles. i contacted chrysler but they said it was my responsibility. i find it hard to believe that with just 62000 mi. i've had to replace 2 ball joints. it seems to me that the 1998 dodge dakota has a problem and that they are the one's that should be responsible not me.. what would have happened if these ball joints would have failed doing 70 on i-75. i guess chrysler wants to wait until someone gets killed before they will fix the problem. thanks for listening.

Air conditioning hose leading to aluminum assembly failed due to cut in hose. middle portion of hose rests directly over one corner of plastic air filter cover assembly. at the corner of air filter cover there is a small vertical spline that is part of the molded pastic lid cover. the thickness of the spline is similar to a common plastic picnic knife but without serrations. apparently over time due to vibration while driving, the hose rubbed against this plastic spline wearing a 1/4 inch slit/hole. when the hose finally rubbed through, the refrigerant decompressed rapidly. i consider this a safety hazard as all automoble air conditioning refrigerant contains a certain amount of oil. when the refrigerant decompreses explosively or extremely rapidly, it creates a mist that is highly flammable. tires. the original manufacturer tires (goodyear p235/70 r16) have premature wear and the vehicle pulls to the right when braking. excessive tire wear has taken place to varying degress on all four tires. tire wear was first noticed around 25,000 miles, but due to the amount of wear, i estimate it started at 20,000 miles. these tires are rated for 40-45,000 miles. i do not think the tires are at fault. since the truck veers to the right when braking, i suspect that an out-of-alignment condition exists. premature tire wear presents a safety hazard if the tire fails at highway speeds. also, an out-of-alignment condition should not exist before 20-25,000 miles on a new vechicle.*ak

Engine check light came on while we were on a trip to palm coast, fl on thursday, april 26, 2001. the oil pressure dropped from normal to 0. we pulled off at the next exit. the truck was still running, however we called chrysler and they said they would tow it to the nearest dodge dealership. we told them to take it tallahassee as we were in madison. after one week being in the shop they told us the engine was blown due to non-maintenance (oil changes). we did not understand that because we had the oil changed. it was not every 3000 miles but it was sufficient. they told us that the oil had never been changed in this truck. this is totally untrue. we gave them receipts where it was changed and they said the inspector from chrysler had to check it out. we had to pay russell dodge over $200.00 to break it down just for an inspection. the inspector for chrysler came after 3 days and said it was not covered under warranty. so my husband works for prestige infiniti dealership in tallahassee and we had it towed to their garage to look at. they told us the engine was gone and they had never seen anything like it. we are going to have to replace the engine. we believe there is a defect in the 6 cylinder 1998 dodge truck engines, because we can prove that the oil was changed, therefore something in the engine was not working and caused a back up of oil or something was not functioning properly. the funny thing is that when we called to get a replacement engine, the person we ordered it from said they had sold 17 engines for 1998 dodge 6 cyclinders in the last month. now come on 17 in a month, what is wrong with this picture???? a 1998 is only 3 years old and our engine had 42,000 miles on it. should not an engine last more than 42,000 miles without being totalled???? i think there is definitely something wrong here. also the chrysler corporation will not send us a copy of their inspection report do they have something to hide. *ak

A cracked fifth gear left me coasting in neutral at 55 mph on a six lane limited access highway, desperately trying to reach the safety of the shoulder in late evening traffic. *ak

I have had a master cylinder go bad and upon replacement i have discovered that i am not getting brake fluid to the rear brakes. both rear sides are not recieving fluid. problem seems to be occuring at the front near the master cylinder. the is a metal block that recieves fluid from the master cylinder and the distributes it to the abs system then to the wheels. fluid is leaving the master cylinder and going to this block but is not leaving it to go to the rear brakes.*ak

We traded our 1999 kia sportage for a 1998 dodge dakota truck 10-12-2000, at the central kia subaru dealership in plano texas. we have had nothing but problems with this truck and we have spent over $800.00 since we have had the truck. we contacted the kia dealership ph#972-422-5300, when we started having problems they told us that dodge was responsible for any repairs etc. the truck is still under warranty we had driven the truck for one month when the problems started. the truck is a lemon and we are stuck with truck payments and we are in debt over the repairs we had to pay for out of our own pockets. this is not right and surely is not fair to us. we took the truck to bledsoe dodge, inc.ph#214-296-9800 @ marvin d. love freeway dallas texas mr. jim hurst spoke with us about the leaking brake fluid etc. and he told us that dodge is not responsible for the repairs because we bought the truck from the kia dealership. so we had to pay $200.00 to mr. jim hurst at the dodge dealership for brake repairs. we need some justice with this matter and you are the only people that we believe can help us with this matter. we need our money back that we have been out of because no one wants to take any responsibility for this lemon we have been stuck with. please help us? sincerely yours mr.& mrs r.d.leismer. *ak

We traded our 1999 kia sportage for a 1998 dodge dakota truck 10-12-2000, at the central kia subaru dealership in plano texas. we have had nothing but problems with this truck and we have spent over $800.00 since we have had the truck. we contacted the kia dealership ph#972-422-5300, when we started having problems they told us that dodge was responsible for any repairs etc. the truck is still under warranty we had driven the truck for one month when the problems started. the truck is a lemon and we are stuck with truck payments and we are in debt over the repairs we had to pay for out of our own pockets. this is not right and surely is not fair to us. we took the truck to bledsoe dodge, inc.ph#214-296-9800 @ marvin d. love freeway dallas texas mr. jim hurst spoke with us about the leaking brake fluid etc. and he told us that dodge is not responsible for the repairs because we bought the truck from the kia dealership. so we had to pay $200.00 to mr. jim hurst at the dodge dealership for brake repairs. we need some justice with this matter and you are the only people that we believe can help us with this matter. we need our money back that we have been out of because no one wants to take any responsibility for this lemon we have been stuck with. please help us? sincerely yours mr.& mrs r.d.leismer. *ak

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak

Rotors (front discs) warp extemely quickly because of cylinder seal. seal is allowing brake pads to remain in contact with rotors. braking at high speed causes the front end to vibrate and is very difficult. rotors turned and pads replaced at 36000, and is needed again at 59000. this vibration is also causing the front end to get out of alignment very quickly. in 59000 it has required 4 major alignments and is now in need of 5th. *ak

This tire blew out on the freeway with no warning at freeway speed,the tire destroyed the aluminium rim, i sent what was left of the tire to pirelli, they claim that their examination indicates no manufacturing defects, but that the "tire suffered an impact to the wheel at the 6:00 clock position the impact was severe enough to cause complete deflection of the tire down to the well smearing the interliner rubber on the well of the wheel." i did not have an impact, the tire blew out without warning. i have retained the tire and rim. i have 2 other tires on my vehicle and i am concerned that there may be a defect in the tire. *ak (dot number: ckhfgbc356 tiresize: 215/75r15)

This is the 13th seperate dakota that i know of that had evaporator failure at 38-41000 miles from the local caar airconditioning repair shop he sees hundreds a year from dodge vehicles at about this mileage this has to be a inherant problem that should be fixed and recalled for proper fixing. ive owned more than two dozen cars in my family including 8 chrysler cars and never had so much as one evaporator or air conditioner failure up to over 100000 miles just too much of a co-incidence that this could be happing to all of us please investigate thanks. *ak

This going to be the fith cataletic converter i have had replaced.*ak

Have had an ongoing problem with hesitation upon acceleration esp. uphill. dealer finally (after warranty was up and we have had it in for the same problem at least three times now within the warranty period) found that there was an airleak some where. also performed a tune up. straps on back of console are both broke, scratch legs when sitting in back seat. ran out of gas twice on 1/8 of a tank, then ran out at 1/4 tank. they replace the "sending unit"? at a cost of 170.00 approx. (no longer under warranty by 3000 miles)

This trruck has been a lemon from beginning and chrysler service center told me to get a lawyer and they do not care help me!! i have only drive my truck 1/2 the time that i have had it, because it always has broken down. *ak

Loose clunking eminating from the steering wheel and brake pedal. this occurs when turning, accelerating and applying the breaks. appears to be a loose fitting in the steering wheel colom or the mid shaft. getting worse all the time. only 21k on this truck. also, truck slides all over the road when surface is damp or wet. this happens even at low speeds. antilock system does not appear to work. truck also burns up tires after 15k miles. engine miss-fires and utilizes way to much fuel. aprox. 12 mpg. overall, my two main concerns are the steering and brakes. problem. this is most certainly an unsafe vehicle which should be looked into before someone looses their life. the time is now, not later. i have been in contact with several owners of this year and model. they too report the same sittuation with respect to the steering and brake system.*ak

No summary

Tire blowout- the tires have less than 8000 miles on them firestone firehawk p2257015 these are not on the list yet but i am concerned about them. is anybody doing anything about this tire? can i get them replaced at a lower cost, if they are not on the list? i do not want these tires on my truck.( dot number: hyuujba489 tire size: p2257015 )

Knocking sound in engine, casa dealer refused to do anything to figure out what the problem was. the service department foreman said that it was ignition timing causing the vehicle's engine to knock and could do nothing about it. i then took the vehicle to the dodge dealer for a second opinion and the service department said that there are two types of service bullitens out for this problem indicating that it could be an intake manifold gasket or a computer failure. the dodge dealer also informed me that a lot of these light duty trucks were coming in with this problem. if the problem will not be fixed by the dealer that i purchased the vehicle from is there any way to make them take it back and pay off the finance company so that i will not owe anything on it? this is the second vehicle that i have tried to purchase in the past two months that has a mechanical problem.*ak

Vehicle was moving at approximately 35 mph when it was impacted by a mid size gm auto traveling at approximately the same speed. impact damage to the vehicle extended from the front grill area to the left side ending at the driver door. extensive engine compartment and front driveline damage occured. neither air bag deployed.

The truck was in the driveway to the house with the engine running and in the "parked" position. nobody was in the truck and it automatically ran into the garage and ran into the house. it damaged the house, lawnmower, power wheel car and radiator. the truck was then turned off with the transmission still in the "parked" position.

No summary

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Steering coupler wears, front brakes and rotors wear excessively, serious ball joint wear even though greased regularely,(greased every 2,000 miles)

Pre mature ball joint wear, even though serviced and greased regularly, which if not checked very often, could result in complete loss of vehicle control and injuries. *ak

Vehicle required ur & ll control arms replaced at 27,500 miles for failed ball joints, now at 66,500 miles ul balljoint has failed. 2wd, virtually all highway miles, no heavy usage, although no accident has occurred this a potentially hazardous condition. in addition to the 3 failures of ball joints on my vehicle my fathers 1997 dodge dakota required a control arm replacement for the same problem @ ~13000, miles. frankly, i believe this may warrant a recall, or at least extended coverage of replacement parts by daimler-chrysler. *ak

Air bags did not deploy in front end collision. *ak

Vehicle purchased aug. 24, 1999. receipt of certified letter from national dispute center-dallas, texas. sign this lemon disclosure paper not signed when you bought truck. dealer signed contract with chrysler to disclose to next buyer they were purchasing a laundered lemon. the dealer, finance officer, nor the salesman disclosed this information to me at any time. if i didn't receive form from texas, it would still be covered up. numerous transmission failures - hauled in twice with nothing showing at the dealership. i worry each time i get behind the wheel. who will get maimed or killed? dealer committed fraud by failure to disclose. please help. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak

I have gone thru 3 sets of tires for the front rh side of my vehicle. i have done 3 alignments on my truck already. i took the truck into a 2nd dealer to check out the front end 2 weeks ago and the conclusion was that i needed a 4th alignment for this truck. this truck has 60,000 miles on it, mainly commuting back and forth to work. i am going to be traveling 4,000 miles next month and am very leery of taking this vehicle. what are my options. i have never had a vehicle in my 15 years of driving need 4 alignments in 2 years. *ak( dot number: tire size: p21575s15 )

This problem occurs at the frequency of every 6000. miles without exception. no safety defect listed within the summary. *ak

Engine knock,poor gas mileage, rough idling, stalling,transmission clunk when shifting.worst truck i've ever owned!!!

When making a sharp turn left or right turn on an incline such as a ditch there is a loud popping noise from the rear suspension. *ak

Nothing but problems poor customer service should replace vehicle. no safety defect listed within summary. *ak

1. front crank seal leaking at first oil change, dealer finally replaced. 2. leaking front right shock absorber noticed at first oil change. dealer replaced both at owners request. 3. there is a loud popping sound coming from the front steering components when the vehicile is in motion and you turn the steering wheel lock to lock. the sound is made when turning left or right. 4. water leak through back slider window resulted in two new carpet/pad assemblies to installed. dealer finally fixed after 4th visit and threat of filing for lemon law protection. 5. drivers side air bag failed to deploy at 25 mph in a front end collision.

This happened 1 day after an oil change. a qualified mechanic should have noticed this. no safety defect mentioned in the summary. *amk

I have had the brakes replaced twice so far it is pulling to the right again , so i will be in to have them replace the brakes for the third time, i was told bye the dealer personel, that they are aware of my type of truck haveing troubles with the front axle brakes, refering to the heavy duty models with dana 60 axles , i was told that the v10 and the deisle 4x4 trucks have the same troubles , im worried that once my warrenty expires i will be left with a truck that pulls to the right, i love the truck , but now im not sure what to do , it seems to be needing replacement every 7 to 10,000 miles.they also said they noticed a slight leak of power steering fluid , but i was told that was normal , (my thought) was it was leaking because the truck is pulling to the right and im turning the wheel to the left to compinsate , and to me that puts preshure on the power steering thats not normal , but im not the macanic , please note the dealership is nice and freindly, i think i just got a bad front brake set up on my truck. *ak

Truck bucked violently and stalled immediately after getting discount gas, stalled thereafter shifting from reverse to drive and while waiting at stop signs/red lights . dealer said it needed tune-up, problem not solved. different dealer fixed gasket on intake manifold that was drawing oil into engine. soon after transmission would hesitate before shifting, then rev high (from 2,000 rpm to 4,000) suddenly, then shift to next gear. first dealer claimed pinion bearings were worn, problem was not with transmission. problem continued day after pinion bearings replaced, dealer pressed to look at transmission. diagnosed clutch failure. day after repair rattling sound was heard from exhaust, returned to dealer. bolt had sheared off into exhaust manifold from heat shield, dealer claimed it was from snow packing on shield. copy of letter to daimler-chrysler being sent to nhtsa. *ak

Squealing noise while driving- coming from transfer case area. *ak

Engine has intermittent stumble/detonation problems. computer flashed per tsb. oxygen sensor replaced per engine data readout. distributor reindexed per technician's seat of the pants. still occurs, but so infrequently dealership can't duplicate.

Clunk felt in steering column, felt in wheel and pedals when turning. coupler replaced per tsb19-012-97, only marginally better. now at 24,000 miles it's back as bad as ever. *ak

Clunk in front suspension, felt in driver floorboard when turning on uneven pavement. been to dealer 3+ times, can't fix. manufacturer's representative says normal, but i think it feels loose. *ak

Truck has only 46000 miles on it. highway use, very little 4-wd usage. i find it suspicious that the ball joints wore out so quickly, and the parts are nationally backordered for 1 month. *ak

This the second catalytic converter, the first @ 11000 miles and now @ 17000 miles. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

This truck has ruined two sets of rotors in under 22k miles!

Tranmission ongoing, popping in rear ongoing, tires bald in 5,000 miles. someone is going to get killed pulling out in traffic and having the transmission not work properly( dot number: tire size: p215 75r15 )

Center console keeps breaking after a few months of use while raising and lowering it. *ak

Trans. shifts very hard/popping noise from steering..dealer can't fix..??!!

Fuel pump failed w/o warning on freeway in traffic, almost causing accident tailgate opened while going down highway pulling trailer, crushed when taking turn, has happened three times before

Overhauled 10000 miles replaced assy. 13000 miles same problem dana assy. 355 style

No summary

Problem only occurs when driving freeway speeds over bumps or holes in the road. the truck comes down and pulls to the right then compensates by pulling to the left. i feel this is a hazard due to sometimes it is so severe i feel like my truck will end up in another lane. i have taken it to dodge in oakland, ca. three times and they have looked at the front and rear suspension, stabilizing bar, shocks, and tell me this is the best my truck is going to get. i have made a complaint to the corp office and i am suposed to hear from the regional manager for a test drive with him. i am afraid that i won't be able to reproduce the problem since it does not happen on all bumps or holes in the road. i also feel this is a hazard since i never know when it will react to a road surface. i have many people who tell me this is not normal behavior of a new truck on a highway.

This vehicle has been in the shop 18 times in less than 2 years. the biggest problem is with the brakes. the dealer tells me they are supposed to operate that way. these brakes are so bad i no longer call them anti-lock brakes i call them anti-stop brakes. do i have to kill someone in an accident for them to be fixed? all i know is i have ordered a new truck and it is not a dodge! i hesitate to even ride in any chrysler product!!!

No summary.

Passenger seatbelt will not lock passenger in place in the event of accident. dealership has acknowledged the problem, replaced the belt one time. problem still exists. currently waiting for a second replacement. rear brakes only wore out and required replacement. 5,000 miles prior they had been checked by the dealership and reported to be "line new". front brakes are still fine at 48,000 miles.

Electric windows failed. i tried to replace the circuit breaker, but it was so hot it burned my fingers. the circuit breaker stayed hot as long as the ignition was on. i had to remove the circuit breaker and drive with the windows partially open for 2 days. after 2 days, the windows began to work as normal. dealer says there is nothing broken.

1. noise when releasing the clutch began during a vacation trip in june 1999, with approximately 15,500 miles on the odometer. over the past 3 months the noise has become worse. the problem is being repaired by the dealer who sold me the truck. they said it was a bearing in the clutch assembly. even though the warranty for the clutch is only 1 year the dealership is fixing it for me at no charge. 2. the original cab isolators had to be replaced due to the truck making a loud clunking noise whenever i turned a corner or entered/exited a driveway. after the first replacement the clunking still occurred so the truck went back in the shop where the dealer "shaved" the isolators. that didn't help so the truck went back a third time and another set of cab isolators were installed and the clunking sound did not occur again. to get this repair right required 3 trips to the dealership and a total of 14 days in the shop. 3. a leak of transmission fluid was detected during an oil and filter change on a vacation tr

Sure wish that the manufacturer would notify the owners of such vehicles when there is a service bulletin out so we can make the decision as to if it applies to our vehicle or not...the aircraft manufacturers do it that way...i know..i work for the boeing aircraft company

Seat hinge tore flesh off my cousins left index finger to the bone. he needed to get 7 stitches

Dodge incorrectly or falsely advertised and informed prospective purchasers of the dakota r/t that the towing capacity was 6400#. over one year after purchase, they sent a simple form letter stating that the safe capacity was actually 2000#. in spite of this, their website and product information still indicates the capacity to be either 6400# or over 8000# depending on the source. while continuing to deceive new customers, they also are stonewalling current owners who are attempting to individually deal with dodge regarding corrective action, buybacks, etc. i am aware of at least one reported accident in new mexico attributable to the incorrect critical information not being disclosed to owners and dealt with by daimler chrysler corp.

Continued spark knock. has been in shop 4 different times. dealer not sure how to fix it.

While driving to work, both the abs and brake lights came on. took the truck straight to a dealer and they found "no codes" in the computer. have taken the truck to another dealer and they can't find anything wrong. both dealers claimed to have throughly checked the brake system and found nothing wrong and it was not dangerous. i called chyrsler customer care and reported the problem. they told me "if it happens again, take it to the dealer". it is a daily occurance. if i were to take the truck to a dealer every time the lights came on, i would never be able to get to work. i checked the brakes the other day while the lights were on, and the abs system does not work!! the tires locked up without much effort. i was also told by the second dealers service manager, "even if the abs pump is not working properly, you still have old fashioned non-abs brakes". i am sorry, but that is the wrong answer.

Tow rating advertised at 6400lbs, revised to 2000lbs, will not tow my boat

Towing issue

Dakota r/t towing issue---chrysler corp. has lowered the tow rating on the dakota r/t models from 6400 lbs. to 2000 lbs.. at first they told me is was the speed rating of the tires. when i asked why they do not just change the tires they told me it was in the lowered suspension that could cause frame failure. i believe it is time for chrysler to offically say what the problem is. i also have a 1997 dakota work truck and i bought the 1998 dakota r/t to use as a tow vehicle for my classic car. chrysler has offered to buy back the truck but i would lose about $3500 in costs and interest. i am not interested in losing any money on this truck because chrysler made a mistake. like i said earlier it is time for chrysler to offically say what the problem is. any help in this matter would be appreciated. charlie hines

Manufacturer has reduced rated towing capacity from 6400# to 2000# without stating a reason or offering an explanation. i need to know why the reduction has been made. will towing 4000# now cause a failure/accident?

Truck is being sold without stating towing has changed. dodge is only offering a buy back of the truck, however the truck has been devalued and could be damaged if owner tries to tow more then 2000 pounds. advertised it would pull 6400 pounds.

This is my complaint. dodge has issued an addendum for the r/t towing compacity weight. since they sold the vehicle to me stating that it could tow up to 6400 pds; i would like to know what component(s) are failing to make them issue these addendums. are the people who haven't received this addendum in danger on the highway if there towing a trailing. i can't get any answers from chrysler. maybe you people can.

Michael bogner was going at about a speed of 35 to 45 mph when he lost control of his truck and hit a parked car. his airbag did not deploy and because of it he suffered neck and shoulder injuries. we contacted chrysler corp. to let them know. they sent out an agent, and he claims that the airbag didn't deploy because he hit an object. he went further to say that the airbag "may" have gone off if he hit a brick wall. right now my michael and i are waiting on the report. we were promised it three weeks ago and we still not have recieved it. we both feel like something is being kept from us and would appreciate it greatly if you were to look into it.

Truck was idling in park on level ground when it shifted itsel into reverse and hit a tree. i was loading items in the truck at the time of the mishap, but could not run fast enough to open the door and stop it.

Oversized outside mirrors are mounted so high that they create a serious blind spot for shorter drivers. this causes problems rounding corners, at intersections, and at night when the eyelevel mirror reflects following headlights. possible souutions: lower the mounting position of the mirrors; raise the seating position.

The recent news of a lowered hauling capacity on the r/t , from 6400lbs. to 2000lbs. i use my truck to haul and when i bought the truck i told it could haul my 5000lb. trailer and car. this effects me because i do not have another vehicle to haul with, and now i am being told that i can't use my truck for what i need it for. so basically i am told i have a $24000 truck in my yard that i can't use for the reasoins i bought it for. *ak

Letter from daimler chrysler informing me that my dodge dakota r/t, one of 7,000 made, that it can only tow 2,000 lbs. they marketing the truck at 6,800 lbs and have offered to refund $300 for tow package $0 for hd service group. the will not tell me what is wrong with my truck. some owns have been offered a buy back. chrysler is spose to contact me soon for a deal but, i can't find out what is wrong with my 1998 sport truck of the year that can now only tow as much as a ford ranger. then it was rated highest in its class for towing capacity.

Diamlerchrysler has revised the towing rating for all 1998 and later dodge dakota r/t trucks from 65oo pounds to 2000 pounds saying that the rear suspension can deteriorate and have a catastrophic failure . they do not intend to repair the defect and have only issued a warning to owners not to tow more than 2000 pounds . this is not satisfactory as the truck was advertised marketed and sold as being capable to tow 6500 pounds and will ultimately result in death and/or injury to a party . *ak

Dealership service department contacted numerous occasions over past 7+ months with either no response or extremely slow response. tansmission/brakes/shocks/tires, and seat belts, not repaired to date. *ak( dot number: tire size: 235 75r15 )

Both lower ball joints completely worn out at less than 22000 miles. the front end of the truck rattled severely whenever driving over an surface that was less than perfectly smooth, and at any speed. this truck has not been driven offroad except very occasionally, and even then was done so with great care. *ak

Atf leaking onto catalytic converter -smoldering/smoke from under truck. leaks appear to be from transmission tail shaft /driveshaft yoke and fling atf onto converter 3 repairs no success a this time - repairing dealer not selling. dealer i believe this to be a fire hazard, poor shift quality due to loss of fluid. *ak

Loud clunking noise while depressing accelerator-in manual trans. grinds going into reverse. cupholder defective this is my first new vehicle, and my last chrylser product, i am not happy with my dodge!!

Have not been informed of recall campaign 98v208000, regarding frame bolts. no mention of defect under recall. *ak

Passenger seat belts failed to engage catch mechanism when pulled sharply. *ak

It appears there was a fuel return line separation that came loose to cause fumes to be ignited by the catalyic converter. *ak

Windshield has manufacture defects. optical distortions appear in multiple, if not the entire windsheild. dealer discribed them as normal and that every other windshield in the dakota and durango line have similar problems...er character. i was asked to get use to the distortion, but cannot. my problem with visability through the windshield has caused misjudgements in sign legibility, distance/physical appearance and sometimes resulted in eyestrain leading to headaches.

This concern regarding the power train - automatic transmission also includes the operation of the cruise control! the original defect manifested itself by extreme "power-downshifts" on moderate upgrades, while running on cruise control (all further mention of "power-downshifts" are while the cruise is engaged). they were extremely rough, to the point that i was concerned about not only the damage to the powertrain, but to also losing control of the vehicle if it would happen to occur at the "wrong time." they even occured while running "at speed" on the interstate highway. the extreme of these downshifts is indicated by the fact that at 65 mph the transmission would be forced down to 2nd gear, thereby "red-lining" the engine on the tach. first visit brought little if any improvement, and only after an adjustment was made at the last minute from "under the hood." after this adjustment (or because of problems surfacing from the "power-downshifts") the transmission began to have intermittant "rough shifts" around 30mph. a 2nd visit brought adjustment to the "tranmission throttle pressure" which has almost entirely eliminated the "power-downshifts" (they have only occured twice in the past 2000+ miles. however, the transmission is now suffering much greater problems in shifting. not only does it give the occasional "herky-jerky" shift, but it now also seems to occasionally "slip" on shifts. the vehicle is scheduled to return to the dealership for "pressure testing" at a later date.

Excessive brake wear reported at 7k mi. and told no problem found. at 13.6k rotor ruined and outer brake pad worn to metal with loud squealing with brake application.

No summary provided by consumer

The vehicle has been making a preignition"knocking noise" coming from under the hood since the day i purchased it.i have had it in numerous times and they can not correct it.the dealer has told me this is an emissions knock and will not damage the engine as they can't fix it yet.i am under the impression that any preignition is not good and will eventually damage the engine.it knocks considerably at first start up when it is cold and quiets down when it warms up.

This truck jumps around in the rear end when it is empty. does not seem to be safe in bad weather.

Premature wear of (goodyear all season p/215 75r15) tires. *tt

Door lock failed.

Truck will quit running at idle because of sensor failure. yh

Power steering o-rings failed. mjs

Fuel pump failed. yh

Engine failed. yh

When accelerating the transmission fails to fully engage and the vehicle does not proceed forward as expected. *yc

Front brake disks failed. yh

Front brake pads experiencing ( squealing ) noises. *yc

Bought the vehicle new it had 295 miles on it from dealer assured me it was not a demo power train control module failed after a few days everything died as i was entering traffic dealer repaired after 4 days fuel gage not reading properly dealer repaired engine has slight miss dealer checked twice regapped plugs so they say no improvement rear end is starting to whine fluid checked at oil change am concerned if this truck is ok [email protected]

Rear right window leaks water. yh

Engine--check engine light came on and stays on.

Tires. bridgestone.

Electrical system.

Intrument cluster--speedometer, gas tank gauge.

Transmission failed. yh

Power transmission control failed. yh

Drive shaft rubber sleeve failed. yh

Leaky parking brake cable gromet and rear window caused floor mats to be replaced. yh

Serpintime belt worn out. yh

Battery failed. yh

The right rear tire (good year p215/75r-15) blewout. yh

Consumer had limited slip differential installed at 1,000 miles however new unit is very noisy at speeds of 40-45 mph. nlm

Windshield pump failed. yh

Rotors failed. yh

Engine fan failed.

Headlight knob came off.

Transmission failed twice. *yc

Rack & pinion experiencing failure, when driving over 40 mph vehicle experience noise, since date of purchase. *yc

Gas gauge failed.

Fuel line plastic hose connecting clamp failed. *yc

The driver and passenger air bags deployed when the heater was turned on. scc

While driving, consumer turned the heat on and both the driver and passenger air bags deployed, the driver was injured, there was no accident and the dealership can not determine the cause, the dealer is unwilling to assist consumer in repairs or medical bills. *slc

The transmission has been overhauled two times, the consumer feels this is excessive and that the first repair should have lasted longer that 40,000 miles. *mjs

The a-arm/bushing failed causing an accident, the front end always felt unstable and after numerous repairs the problem seemed to get worse not better. nlm

The brakes failed and were replaced often. nlm

There is play in the steering wheel which contains the rack and pinion steering, first starting at a half inch, dealer could not find problem, play is up to one inch and a quarter. *cj

The gear shift knob broke and came off in consumers hand. *mjs

The differential unit has been in service on several occasions due to noise, replaced unit and components on several occasions, however the differential unit continues to make noise, dealership is now refusing to continue to replaced parts in the differential unit. *mjs

When tires were being rotated at 5,000 miles, four wheel studs broke off during nut removal. *cj

The vehicle experienced failure of the recall (00v-193) component prior to recall notification, resulting in vehicle collision due to loss of braking ability. *mjs

A wheel chair slid back and hit the tail gate, causing it to open with the consumer's property falling onto the road, consumer feels this is a safety issue considering there was no damage to the gate or to the latch of the door and there was less than 600 pounds of unrestrained material, which according to the owners manual is a safe amount of weight. *slc

Recall 00v193 wasn't thoroughly completed with the recall letter consumer received, customer dissatisfied. *slc

Fan clutch engaged when engine temperature is cold or warm resulting in a loud roaring blower noise as the car is accelerated from a stop. if the engine is revved up and down in neutral prior to putting it in drive, the problem is temporarity avoided, but it returns to this condition until the engine is finally driven for about 10 miles or more.

Vehicle has experienced continued grinding and brake fading, brake fading has resulting in three separate accident incidents, severl repair attempts however, vehicle continues to experience problems with system. *mjs

The 4-wheel drive tansfer case has a defect with the output shaft bearing which causes the shaft to become disconnected from the transmission drive gears. nlm

No deployment of the driver and passenger side air bag when vehicle left the roadway and struck a utility pole (passenger went forward striking right temple of her head on the rearview resulting in fatal injury to passenger). nlm

Rotors were out of place and wobbling causing the front brakes to fail. yh

Transmission malfunctioned due to clutch failure. yh

Vehicle is pinging numerious times broken the manifold bolts. yh

Right rear brake line is rubbing on the frame due to poor location causing the line to wear. nlm

Front passenger shoulder seat belt does not restrain and lock up when vehicle stops.

Transmission box failed.

Console failed.

Radio failed.

Driver's and passenger's side doors both broke while shutting the door.

Rear window broke while driving over a bridge.

The post that are to the left and right of the windshield are too wide obstructing the driver field of vision.

Upper ball joints wore out. also experiences oil leaks and ignition system malfunctioning.

No failure described.

Upper ball joints wore out. also experiences oil leaks and ignition system malfunctioning.

Reverse gear grinds badly. the teeth are being worn each time the vehicle is put into reverse.

Vehicle would shut off, total electrical shutdown, at any given speed. multiple brake failures. no cause determined for either problem.

The front center cupholders on the 40-20-40 seats are very low in design, when you put a hot drink in them and make a turn the drinks in them (cup and all) will fall out, if hot drinks are in them it will burn your leg while driving but worse it distracts you and could cause an accident.

Parking brake was improperly installed outside of rear springs by factory; resulting in rubbing against rear wheel and causing thumping sound in front left engine compartment.

Steering wheel column and mid shaft was replaced per tsb 971121191297. the noise and feeling never completely ended. the knock is still noticeable during stopping and turning, regardless of speed. it also seems to be more apparent during turning and breaking.

Loud noises coming from drivetrain. dealer does not know how to fix it.

High seat backs in the vehicle cause the drivers view to be obstructed.

Transmission tailshaft/seal failed resulting in leakage.

Engine continually backfiring, unable to rectify.

Fuel pump failed.

Clutch failure.

Please provide list of dealers in oahu, hawaii that deactivate air bags.

Engine backfires when decelerating.

Transmission failure.also, engine check light came on.

Seat belt on driver's side locks when pulling ubruptly on the belt. passenger's side will not lock no matter how hard consumer pulls.

Seat belts failed.

Seat belts failed to restrain properly during collision.

An extra wheel stud found in brake system caused brakes to engage at 25 miles an hour, resulting in an accident/injury.

Transmission not shifting properly.

Rearend replaced on vehicle has had three rear ends replaced on vehicle however noise is still heard when driving 40-45 mph.

While driving vehicle suddenly lost power and gas was leaking due to disconnected fuel line quick connect fitting. *ak

In 1999 steering was tight/ hard to turn, and difficult to steer. consumer tookvehicle to dealer, and they replaced rack and pinion. currently, vehicle needs another rack and pinion. *ak consumer states he thought he saw where there was a recall regarding steering on his vehicle. ball joints need replaced, however shop could not get the pin out to make repairs. front end needed alignment, it was out of specs. *slc

The mainfold bolts broke flush with the manifolds. 1998 4 cylinder dakotas are known for this defect. chrysler will not pay for any part of this problem. they claim ignorance and basically told me i was stupid for not buying an extended waranty. i talked to and showed the truck to other mchanics and they said, "this shoudl not have happend to this truck." chrysler also told me when i called to take it to a chrysler/dodge dealer to get the work done for any consideration of helpingh to cover expenses. i did that and got an outrageous bill fro 1806.99. i called the damler corp. back and josh told ne too bad. i also have been doing research and it is my understanding that even though it has been recorde in 4 cylinder dakotas you cna ssume the ame problem exists in the same make and model and year trucks. i am outraged. i have had nothing but problems with my 1998 dodge dakota truck. to date the catalletic converter, drive column, gear box, dome light switch and ball jpint have been replaced. all were covered except the ball joint. they told me it just passed at the lower end of their standard using some sort of tool. that's a crock. also, i had to take it to 3 dealer sto get a water leak fixed. i had over 3 inches of water in my truck at one time. they finally found it and had to rip out the entire interior and clean it becasue4 it stank. how do i know that isn't going to rust in the future becasuse of the leaks. now, the manifold studs have broken. i also had to get a car rental at the cost of 600 plus dollars. what can i do and how do i get daimler to own up to their poor quality/defective products? *ak

Front wheel wells have a large gap between were the inner fender ends and the frame starts, causing water and snow to be able to enter engine compartment (potential safety hazard).

Since the 8th of june 99, i have had a continuious sound of engine knock, i understand the owners manual says you'll have a faint engine knock noise. what i have continues at all speeds and is worst at higher speeds. example is on the highway with the radio and a/c on you can here the engine knock. vehicle has less then 11,000 miles on it. every time the vehicle goes in for a check the service manager, technicians and upper management says yes there is a problem, but comes time for the work they are unable to find the problem, then they tell me there is nothing wrong. as i leave the dealership the problem still exsist, excesive engine knock and exshaust sounds. i don't drive the vehicle that much due to the excessive engine noise. the engine noise tells me that of a problem does exsists, which could lead to the destruction of the engine.