2002 Dodge Dakota

WE HAVE A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA AND A 2007 DODGE CALIBER THAT BOTH HAVE SEVERE FRONT END PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLES BOTH SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN HITTING A BUMP OR APPLYING THE BRAKES. WE'VE TRIED TO GET THIS FIXED BUT CHRYSLER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. A MECHANIC TOLD US ITS OUR ROTORS BUT WE'VE HAD THEM TURNED AND HAVE HAD THE ROTORS ON THE TRUCK REPLACED TWICE. IT AFFECTS THE BRAKING SPEED AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE BRAKING AND WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. I KNOW OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, IS IT GOING TO TAKE SOMEONE GETTING INJURED OR KILLED TO FIX IT? *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA 55 MILES PER HOUR I WAS THROWN TO THE LEFT PUSHED ON BRAKE PEDAL AND THE TRUCK SHOT RIGHT WHEN I GOT OUT THE FRONT ROTORS WERE RED HOT AND SMOKING TRUCK WOULD NOT MOVE HAD IT TOWED HOME WHERE IT STILL SITS I THANK GOD I WAS NOT KILLED OR HURT OR KILLED SOME ONE ELSE COME TO FIND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TRUCK AND TO TRY AND REPAIR IT THAT IT WILL ONLY RETURN. *TR

SINCE I'VE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE, ABOUT SIX MONTHS INTO DRIVING IT, I BEGAN EXPERIENCING FRONT END PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTROL ARMS & BALL JOINTS. I'VE HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALER(BIG VALLEY DODGE) AT LEAST 10 TIMES(@75.00 A VISIT) FOR THEM TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS/CONTROL ARM. NOW IT'S NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND WILL COST $1500.00-$2500.00 FROM DIFFERENT QUOTES I RECEIVED. I CAN NO LONGER ENJOYABLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE. AND I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE IT ON THE FREEWAY AS THE WHOLE FRONT-END SHAKES THE ENTIRE TRUCK ABOVE 50MPH. PLEASE HELP ME. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE TRUCK OTHERWISE. I JUST WANT DODGE TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND FIX THEIR PROBLEM. THEY MADE A RECALL FOR THE 4X4, WHY NOT THE 2X4 WITH A VERY SIMILAR ISSUE. PLEASE HELP! THIS IS NOT FAIR. OUT OF ALL THE NEW TRUCKS I COULD HAVE BOUGHT, I HAD TO BUY THE ONE WITH A PROBLEM THE MANUFACTURE REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE, EVERYONE I'VE TALKED TO WITH THE SAME TRUCK FROM SIMILAR YEARS (2000-2003) SAYS THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP! ALSO, FRONT TIRES BECOME EXCESSIVELY WORN ON THE OUTSIDE TO WHERE I HAVE TO REPLACE AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR WHEN I DRIVE 10000-12000 MILES A YEAR(RIDICULOUS). PLEASE HELP! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT WOULD SPORADICALLY HEAR A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A ROUTINE ALIGNMENT AND TIRE ROTATION. UPON INSPECTION, A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS HAD SEVERE WEAR AND MOVEMENT, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE RUBBER GROMMETS SUPPORTING THE TIE RODS FAILED AND CREATED A METAL TO METAL CONDITION, WHICH CREATED A SQUEAKING NOISE. THE COMPONENTS HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128,000. UPDATED 09/10/08 *BF THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED AS WELL. UPDATED 09/16/08. *JB

2002 DODGE DAKOTA UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE. IT SEEMS THAT THE RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #04V596000 ONLY COVERED FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE (4X4) VEHICLES BUT THE SAME PROBLEM EXIST ON TWO-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES ALSO. MY VEHICLE HAS 84,000 MILES AND BOTH BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACING. THE REPLACEMENT PART IS THE SAME ON BOTH TWO OR FOUR WHEEL DRIVES. *TR

THE BALL JOINTS ON THE DAKOTA SERIES P/U ARE A CHRONIC PROBLEM. I BOUGHT AN '02 DAKOTA 4X4 WITH 70K AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED NOISE AND A LOOSE FEELING FROM THE FRONT END. I VERIFIED THE BALL JOINT RECALL HAD BEEN COMPLETED. WHEN I WENT TO HAVE IT ALIGNED, I LEARNED THAT ALL FOUR OF MY BALL JOINTS ARE BAD, INCLUDING THE TOP TWO THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED ALREADY. WHILE RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I CAME ACROSS THIS SITE, HTTP://WWW.DODGEDAKOTAS.COM/BOARDS/DEA/140-1.HTML, WHICH IS A DAKOTA FORUM, WITH NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS EXACTLY THE SAME AS MINE. DODGE NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS FAILURE TO USE QUALITY COMPONENTS. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT BE SPENDING $600 EVERY YEAR TO KEEP THEIR VEHICLES ALIGNED ON THE ROAD. *NM

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ALARMING FAILURES WITH MY DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB. IT IS A 2002 V6 AUTO TRANSMISSION PW PL. I HAVE HAD THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE RECALL, MY TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED (TWICE), MY FRONT HUBS & SPINDLES COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED AND COULD HAVE KILLED MY FAMILY, MY WATER PUMP HAS FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE DRIVER SIDE TAILLIGHT SEEMS TO FAIL OFTEN, THE VACUUM HOSES HAVE ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE CHEAP RUBBER USED BY THE MANUFACTURER FAIL BY CRACKING AND CAUSING ALL SORTS OF LEAKS CAUSING ENGINE LIGHTS, LOUD NOISES UNDER THE HOOD, AND HORRIBLE GAS MILEAGE. I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO BE PROACTIVE IN MY MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD THE MAJOR REPAIRS DONE PROFESSIONALLY. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW A 2002 VEHICLE CAN HAVE SO MANY POTENTIALLY FATAL PROBLEMS AND BE IGNORED. I HAVE SEARCHED HIGH AND LOW FOR QUALITY BULLETINS BUT CANNOT FIND ANYTHING. MY GAS MILEAGE IS NOW DOWN TO 14 MPG AND THE TRUCK IS FALLING APART. *JB

2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB BOTH UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS FAILED ON BOTH SIDES. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HEARD A NOISE EVERY TIME SHE WENT OVER BUMP. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL GARAGE, THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. FINALLY, AFTER NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE THE NOISE ANY LONGER, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER ESTABLISHMENT WHERE THEY DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM. *JB

AS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA OWNER, I HAVE HAD THE UPPER BALL JOINTS REPLACE ONCE OUT OF MY OWN POCKET AND ONCE AT THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE RECEIVED MY REFUND. MY CHIEF COMPLAINT IS THE FACT THAT WHEN THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED MY UPPER BALL JOINTS THEY FAILED TO INFORM ME THAT MY LOWER BALL JOINTS ALSO HAD EXCESSIVE/UNACCEPTABLE MOVEMENT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE MY ROTORS AND BRAKES FOR THE THIRD TIME AND I ONLY HAVE 72,000 MILES. I DON'T DO ANY OFF-ROADING EITHER. I BELIEVE THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS CAUSED MY LOWER BALL JOINTS TO GO BAD AS WELL IN ADDITION TO CAUSING THE REPLACEMENT OF MY ROTORS AND BRAKES. *NM