1997 Dodge Dakota

PREMATURE WEAR AND FAILURE OF UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS. TRUCK WAS MAKING POPPING NOISES WHEN YOU TURNED THE WHEEL OR WENT OVER BUMPS. TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC; MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE SCARY BAD. MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT IF I HAD NOT BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN THE FRONT WHEELS COULD HAVE BROKEN OFF CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO WRECK. *JS

DUE TO POOR CHOICE OF MATERIALS (I ASSUME) THE FRONT HUB AND SPINDLE ASSEMBLY WEARS. LEAVING FRONT BRAKE SLIDER PINS UNATTACHED TO CALIPER MOUNTING PLATE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE FRONT CALIPER WOBBLES IN IT'S PLACE, POSSIBLY EJECTING THE SLIDEPINS BECAUSE THEY "WOBBLE" IN THE KNUCKLE HOLES DESIGNED TO RETAIN THEM. THIS CAUSES EXCESS WEAR ON THE FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY, INCREASED WEAR IN BRAKES, AND STRESS ON THE HUB BEARINGS. HAVING READ THE "ALLDATA" DATA BASE, THERE IS A REDESIGNED KNUCKLE WITH IMPROVED SLIDE PIN SUPPORTS. THERE ALSO IS A REPAIR KIT INVOLVING THE USAGE OF "HELI-COIL" INSERTS TO SECURE BRAKE PAD CARRIER TO SPINDLE ASSEMBLY. (SLIDE PINS) I FEEL TOTALLY UNSAFE WITH THIS ARRANGEMENT. I PREFER TO HAVE THE RE-DESIGNED SPINDLE ASSEMBLIES INSTALLED FOR FREE BY DEALER WITH UP-DATED PART NUMBERS. THE DEALER WANTS $1000 PER SIDE FOR THE REDESIGNED UNITS. I THINK THIS IS ABSURD. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL. THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES IN PLACE IS THE WHEEL, ITSELF!! *TR

THE BALL JOINTS ON MY 97 DODGE DAKOTA ARE WORN OUT. APPARENTLY THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND SUPPOSEDLY THERE IS A RECALL IN EFFECT FOR NEWER DAKOTAS AS THOUGH THE PROBLEM DIDN'T START UNTIL AFTER 1997. THIS IS A FAULTY PART FROM THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND ITS REPAIR (AMONGST THE MANY OTHER MANUFACTURING FAULT REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE) IS RUINING ME FINANCIALLY IN THIS ECONOMY. I SHOULD NOT BE HELD FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR A CAR MAKERS INEPT MANUFACTURING. *TR

BALL JOINT FAILURES: TRUCK FAILED STATE INSPECTION DUE TO DEFECTIVE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS OR BALL JOINT AND LOWER CONTROL ARM. ANOTHER BALL JOINT HAD BEEN REPLACED THE PREVIOUS YEAR. ALL DEFECTS OCCURRED AT ABOUT 50,000 MILES. THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM WITH DODGE DAKOTA AND CHRYSLER WILL NOT PAY FOR REPAIRS. PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON DOZENS OF INTERNET SITES, BLOGS, ETC AND ALL MECHANICS AND STATE INSPECTORS ALL NOD KNOWINGLY ABOUT THE DODGE PICKUP. THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE AND FAILURE OF BALL JOINTS IS NOT A PROBLEM IN ALMOST ANY CAR EXCEPT CHRYSLER PRODUCTS. HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS SAFETY ISSUE WHICH CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND CRASHES AND AT UNDER 50,000 MILES. IT IS TIME NHTSA FORCES DODGE TO RECALL AND REIMBURSE ALL COSTS TO THOSE ALREADY HAVING PAID FOR SUCH REPAIRS. THIS SHOULD BE APPLICABLE FOR ANY YEAR VEHICLE UP TO AT LEAST 100,000. I HAVE OWNED OVER A DOZEN VEHICLES AND MOST DRIVEN OVER 100,000 AND ONE AT 145,000 AND ONE 200,000 AND HAVE NEVER REPLACE BUT ONE BALL JOINT ON A 1970 CUTLASS. ONLY ONE HIGH MILEAGE VEHICLE WITH CV JOINTS BUT MAYBE NO BALL JOINTS HAD TO HAVE A CV JOINT REPLACED. THIS DOES NOT SPEAK WELL OF CHRYSLER/DODGE. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 50,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO BOG DOWN WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES IT WOULD ONLY GO ABOUT 5 MPH WHILE REVING ABOUT 3500 RPM. PAID FOR TOW TO DODGE DEALER IN HAMPTON VA FOR ANALYSIS AND REPAIR. TOW OPERATOR REMARKED ALMOST ALL DODGE DAKOTAS TOWED FOR TRANNY WORK ENDED UP COSTING $2300-$2900 FOR A REPLACEMENT. I WAS LUCKY AND ONLY HAD TO REPLACE ALL PRESSURE REGULATING VALVES FOR ABOUT $670 (FUNNY HOW THEY ALL WENT BAD AT THE SAME TIME BUT I WOULD NOT ARGUE THE POINT SINCE THE PARTS WERE CHEAP COMPARED TO DOING IT OVER IN A FEW MONTHS). DEALER INDICATED THIS WAS A YEARS OLD PROBLEM WHICH WAS COMMON TO REPLACE THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND THAT MY $600 REPAIR WAS NOT GUARANTEED TO PREVENT TOTAL FAILURE. DODGE HAS NOT AGREED TO ANY RECALL TO FIX BUT SHOULD DO THIS. THEREFORE, I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER DODGE OR CHRYSLER OF ANY SORT. UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ALSO FAILED AT UNDER 50,000 MILES AND NO REPAIR RECALL ON THIS LONG STANDING PROBLEM AS WELL. SUBJECT ON ANOTHER COMPLAINT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHIFTS OUT OF GEAR WHEN THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE FEATURE IS ACTIVATED. THE FAILURE BEGAN SINCE THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. HE CALLED THE DEALER, BUT BECAME ILL AND WAS UNABLE TO RETURN THE VEHICLE FOR REPAIR BEFORE THE THIRTY DAY WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE RECEIVED A NEW STATE INSPECTION IN SPITE OF THE BRAKE AND BALL JOINT ISSUES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE FEATURE DISENGAGES WHILE DRIVING AND THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE COMPLETELY WORN, MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE WHEEL HUB WAS REPLACED AND THERE WAS NO BRAKE LINING ON THE REAR AXLE. THE BRAKE CABLES WERE REPLACED AS WELL. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND PURCHASE DATE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 116,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

I BOUGHT A 1997 DODGE DAKOTA PICK/UP THAT HAD 52,303 MILES SHOWING ON THE SPEEDOMETER, THE DEALER SAID AND SHOWED ME A "SAFETY CHECK" SEAL ON THE WINDSHIELD AND TOLD ME THEY SAFETY CHECK ALL THEIR USED CARS AND TRUCKS, AFTER FINALLY PUTTING 1,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK I NOTICED IT WAS GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO STEER AND CONTROL, I ALSO STARTED HEARING A LOUD NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHEN TURNING. I FINALLY TOOK THE TRUCK TO A GARAGE AND ASKED TO CHECK THE FRONT END, THE DEALER HAD SUPPOSEDLY ALIGNED THE FRONT END AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. TO MY SURPRISE AND THE MECHANICS, WHEN HE JACKED UP THE VEHICLE AND WENT TO CHECK THE BALL JOINTS, THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL STARTED TO FALL OFF, THE BALL JOINT WAS SO WORN OUT. THIS VEHICLE HAS 53,324 MILES ON IT AT PRESENT, THESE ARE ACTUAL MILES, THERE IS ONLY 3 TITLES BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS VEHICLE, THE ORIGINAL BUYER (NEW), THE DEALER AND MY SELF. APPARENTLY THE DEALER KNEW THE FRONT END BALL JOINTS WERE WORN OUT, A TRUE SAFETY CHECK AND THE SUPPOSEDLY FRONT END ALIGNMENT THEY CLAIM THEY DID WOULD HAVE SHOWN THAT. ALSO THE SAFETY CHECK THEY CLAIM THEY DO, SHOULD HAVE SHOWN THE BALL JOINTS WERE WORN OUT. IF WE HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL FELL OFF, I DREAD THINKING HOW MANY CARS WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE WRECK. THE COST OF REPLACING ALL 4 BALL JOINTS COST ME $237.00, I AM POSITIVE A DEALER WOULD HAVE PAID LESS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO GUARANTEEING THAT IT WAS A SAFE VEHICLE. IN HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THE DODGE TRUCKS HAVE A HISTORY OF BALL JOINT FAILURE, ESPECIALLY OLDER MODELS. *JB