2002 Dodge Dakota

THE "SECURITY LIGHT" ON DASH WAS FLASHING AND WHEN IT IS ON THE HEADLIGHTS GO OFF AND DASH LIGHTS GOES DARK AND TURN SIGNALS/BRAKE LIGHTS COMES ON. WHEN SECURITY LIGHT IS OFF THE HEADLIGHTS GOES ON THE DASH LIGHTS ARE ON AND TURN/BRAKES LIGHTS GOES OFF. THIS SECURITY LIGHT ( ON DASH) WILL FLASH ON AND OFF EVERY SECOND OR WILL GO ON SOLID - IF ON SOLID HEADLIGHTS, DASH LIGHTS WILL BE OFF - DOME LIGHT ON AND TURN/BRAKE LIGHTS ON. THIS WILL HAPPEN UNTIL VEHICLE IS WARMED UP TO 20 DEGREES AMBIENT TEMP. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE "TCM MODULE" ON THIS VEHICLE. IT DOES NOT EFFECT THE ENGINE OR DRIVE TRAIN ONLY THE LIGHTS ! YOU CAN BE DRIVING WHEN THIS HAPPENS ! PEOPLE WILL THING YOU ARE AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE OR CRAZY ! THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A "CHIP" IN THE KEYS ONLY A REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY THAT IS SEPARATE FROM THE IGNITION KEY...UPDATED 02-28-14 *BF. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SECURITY CAME ON AND THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF. THE VEHICLE DID NOT DIE, OR MISFIRE. UPDATED 04/01/14

THIS VEHICLE, 2002 DODGE DAKOTA, WAS DRIVEN DURING THE DAY FOR SOME MONTHS. IN OCTOBER, 2013 I STAYED OUT LATE AND AS I TURN THE HEAD LIGHTS ON, A FEW SECONDS AFTER ALL THE LIGHTS STARTED TO BLINK NON STOP, EVEN ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT FAR FROM HOME, I HAD TO TURN ALL THE LIGHTS OFF TO GET HOME. AN ADDITIONAL ALARM SYSTEM, EVS 11 MOPAR ELECTRONIC VEHICLE SECURITY SYSTEMS, WAS INSTALLED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS THE ALARM SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, I HAD THE ALARM SYSTEM REMOVED BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED. I EVENTUALLY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DODGE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BCM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AFTER A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS DONE. TO REPLACE THIS PART IS VERY EXPENSIVE. *TR

VEHICLE STARTS TO MISFIRE AT ANY RPM WILL NOT START,I AM A CERTIFIED TECH,COIL NEW,CRANK SENSOR NEW,VOLTAGE READING AT COIL 10.49V ON PCM SIDE GOOD BRIGHT PULSE AND CONSISTENT. IN 1977 DODGE WAS INFORMED NOT TO INSTALL ASD RELAY INSIDE COMPUTER HOUSING AND TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO REPLACEMENT. I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THEIR DEFIANCE TO DO SO. IT IS CAUSING A CONCERN ISSUE OF MULTIPLE NO START CONDITIONS WHERE OTHER TECHS WIND UP REPLACING THE COMPUTERS UNNECESSARILY,AND IN MOST CASES OVER HEAT ON HOT DAYS.AFTER REPLACING A VARIETY OF PARTS DUE TO LACK OF TESTING PROCEDURE INFORMATION AND ACCESS TO MALFUNCTIONING RELAY. THE COMPUTER IS ALL THAT IS LEFT. ALL OTHER EQUIPMENT IS IN NORMAL OPERATION.FUEL PRESSURE IS 45PSI AND GOOD FLOW.ALL GAUGES READ NORMAL AND NO COMPUTER CODES PRESENT.

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 24, NEAR CLARKSVILLE, TN, AT 2015 HOURS, MY HEADLIGHTS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. AFTER A SPAN OF 15-20 SECONDS WITH NO LIGHTS, I HAD TO UNSAFELY PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AFTER WHICH MY HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER ON AND OFF, FOR SPANS OF 1-3 SECONDS. FROM THE TIME OF THE FIRST INCIDENT TO NOW, MY HEADLIGHTS, INTERNAL LIGHTS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AND TAIL LIGHTS ARE ALL INOPERABLE AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE DURING BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS, OR LIMITED VIABILITY DUE TO LIGHT. FROM MY RESEARCH THIS IS AN EXTREMELY FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH DODGE DAKOTA AND DODGE DURANGO OWNERS, WITH VEHICLES MADE BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 01' - 03'. I CONTACTED DODGE ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE, AND THEY WERE UNWILLING TO HELP OR FIX THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THEM IT WAS UNSAFE, AND THAT MY SITUATION WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I HONESTLY BELIEVE, IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN TO A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER, OR TO A DRIVER IN A SITUATION OF BAD WEATHER OR LATE AT NIGHT. IT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURIES OR TRAGIC LOSS OF LIFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUADCAB. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY ACCELERATE AT A VERY LOW SPEED. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY STRONG BURNING RUBBER SMELL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE BEFORE AND WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 73,000. UPDATED 11/19/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP. UPDATED 11/23/10. *JB UPDATED EVOQ 12/22/10*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AGAIN ON JULY 18,2011. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED WHILE UNDER THE 30 DAY WARRANTY, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. UPDATED 08/31/11 UPDATED 10/20/11,. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA SPORT. HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION LETTER FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER, 03V389000, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND NOTIFIED AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THERE NO RECALLS THAT WERE APPLICABLE TO HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. HE SPECULATED THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR IN THE MANUFACTURERS VIN DATABASE. THERE ARE NO FAILURES AT THIS TIME.

THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM SINCE APPROXIMATELY 8,000 MILES ON THE NEW VEHICLE. SINGLE OWNER/REPORTING COMPLAINT. HEATER BLOWER FAN HAS STOPPED WORKING NUMEROUS TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE BLOWER FAN ITSELF. THE NEXT TIME THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR FAILED AND CONSUMER REPLACED PAYING OUT OF POCKET. A THIRD TIME THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR FAILED AND AGAIN THE CONSUMER REPLACED IT PAYING OUT OF POCKET. THE FAN NOW OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY AND IF YOU WIGGLE THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTING TO THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR THE FAN WILL COME ON AND OPERATE ON 3 OF THE 4 SPEEDS. CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE HARNESS CONNECTOR REVEALS THAT THE HARNESS CONNECTOR IS MELTED AS IS THE WIRING AT THE CONNECTOR. CONTACT WITH TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS REVEALS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN CONCERN AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS A REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE PART# 5017124AB. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND SHOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN GIVEN THAT THE HARNESS FAILURE CAN PREVENT THE HEATER FAN FROM FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND CAUSE IMMEDIATE VISIBILITY CONCERNS AS WELL AS POTENTIAL OVERHEATING OF THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT RESULTING IN A FIRE. DEALERS ADVISE THIS IS A FREQUENTLY SEEN CONCERN YET NO ASSISTANCE FROM MANUFACTURER IS AVAILABLE. *TR

ON MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AT NIGHT BY FLICKERING A LOT THEN JUST SHUTTING OFF ALL THE WAY. THE FOLLOWING DAYS RANDOM THINGS WOULD START GOING OFF LIKE WINDSHIELD WIPERS GOING OFF, HORN HONKING, AND SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AT ALL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION LEAD ME TO THE CENTRAL TIMER MODULE (CTM) FAILING POSSIBLY DUE TO THE SAME DEFECT THAT LEAD TO A 2003 RECALL. WHY NOT 2002? I NOW CANNOT DRIVE AT NIGHT BECAUSE I HAD TO DISCONNECT IT RESULTING TO CERTAIN THINGS NOT BEING ABLE TO WORK RIGHT DUE TO THE ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OTHER MODEL YEARS BEING INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAUSE THIS PART IS WELL OVER $200 TO REPLACE. IT IS SUFFERING FROM THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS THAT THE RECALL FOR 2003 STATES. *TR