1999 Dodge Dakota

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAITED FOR APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE AFTER PERFORMING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE STALLING OF THE VEHICLE OCCURRED AT LEAST SIX TIMES EVEN THOUGH ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

I OWN A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA V-8 MAGNUM 5.2L, IT ONLY HAS 138,000 MILES ON IT. WHEN I BOUGHT IT IT ONLY HAD 76,600 MILES. IN THAT LITTLE TIME I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS TWICE, AND THE RACK AND PINION, AND THE WATER PUMP, THE THERMOSTAT, THE POWER STEERING PUMP, THE TIE RODS, AND THERE IS SO MUCH MORE WRONG. WHY AM HAVING TO REPLACE THESE THINGS TWICE IN SUCH LITTLE MILEAGE? AFTER READING UP ON IT THROUGH THE INTERNET I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE PROBLEMS, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS, WHY IS THERE A RECALL ON THE 2000, & 1998 BUT NOT 1999? I AM OUT SO MUCH MONEY AND HAVE ALMOST WRECKED MY TRUCK TWICE BECAUSE OF THESE PROBLEMS, ONCE WITH 6 KIDS IN THE CAR WITH ME AND AGAIN WITH MY 3 KIDS. THIS NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION BEFORE SEVERAL PEOPLE GET HURT OR WORSE, DIE!!! *TR

INTAKE MANIFOLD PAN GASKET WAS LEAKING. THIS PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED DURING AN INSPECTION BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, CONFIRMED AND REPAIRED BY A DODGE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THIS PROBLEM COULD RESULT IN DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE DAKOTA WAS RUNNING WELL. REPAIR COST $664.72. DODGE WAS AWARE OF THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM, AND ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN THE YEAR I PURCHASED THE TRUCK. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS CONSIDERED DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE, DODGE DID NOT NOTIFY ME AND SUGGEST THAT I HAVE THE VEHICLE TESTED WHILE STILL ON WARRANTY. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. DODGE HAS DECLINED TO ASSIST IN THE COST OF REPAIR. *TR

I HAD BOUGHT MY 1999 DODGE DAKOTA IN 2001, LESS THAN 1 YEAR OF PURCHASING THIS TRUCK, I LOST OIL PRESSURE, RETURNED THE TRUCK TO DEALER WHERE THEY TRIED TO REPLACE MY MOTOR WITH A MOTOR THAT HAD MORE MILES, THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. THEN ANOTHER YEAR LATER, GEARS IN MY TRANSMISSION WERE SPENT WHERE I HAD TO PAY A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. TRUCK HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A YEAR, CAUSE OF ENGINE KNOCKING AGAIN, WITH NO OIL PRESSURE, ALSO REPLACED THE OIL PUMP, STILL NO PRESSURE. NEW CONVERTER WAS PUT IN, STILL GOOD!! BRAKES AND ROTORS ARE ANOTHER BIG COMPLAINT OF MINE, WHEN I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY REPLACE THESE PARTS, LIKE EVERY 6 MONTHS, CAN YOU TELL ME WHY? I USED TO LOVE DODGE, BUT THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN A 1 BIG HEADACHE, EVEN PARKED, CAUSE I KNOW IT IS GOING TO BE COSTLY TO REPAIR IT AGAIN. *JB

THIS WEB SITE UNDER VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE THE CORRECT CHOICES FOR A 98 DODGE DAKOTA 2 DOOR CLUB CAB TRUCK - MANUFACTURER CHRYSLER 2 ISSUE 1 - DESIGN FLAW IN THE BALL JOINTS OF THE DADGE DAKOTA TRUCKS A) WE REPLACED THEM APRIL 2003 COST TO US $1107.89 B) TV SPECIAL AIRED ABOUT DEFECTS DEC 2003 AND DEC 2004 C) LOOKING FOR REIMBERSMENT - OLD PART NOT AVAILABLE 2 - CATALYTIC CONVERTER A) HAVING OUR THIRD CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED - KNOWN DEFECT BUT CHRYSLER WILL NOT COVER THE COST. REPLACEMENT SCHEDULED FOR 3/28/06. *JB

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

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