2003 Dodge Dakota

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I OWN A 2003 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB SLT. AND I HAVE RUN INTO A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRUCK THAT PEOPLE I KNOW SAY THEY HAD VERY SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME MAKE OF VEHICLE. TO START WITH MY TRUCK ONLY HAS ABOUT 62,184 MILES ON IT, FOR A 2003 MODEL TRUCK, THAT IS CONSIDERED LOW MILEAGE. THE PROBLEMS I HAVE RUN INTO IS AS FOLLOWS: BOTH FRONT WHEEL HUB BEARING SETS HAVE PREMATURELY FAILED, IN PARTICULAR, THE RIGHT FRONT HUB TRIED TO LOCK UP ON ME AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE TRUCK, I HAVE SINCE REPLACED THAT HUB BUT STILL NEED TO REPLACE THE LEFT FRONT BEFORE IT LOCKS UP:SECOND IS THAT THE STEERING AND SUSPENSION SYSTEM HAS NO PROVISIONS FOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, I.E. NO GREASE ZIRCS FOR THE BALL JOINTS, TIE RODS,UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, WHEEL BEARINGS, ETC...CAUSING RAPID WEAR AND FAILURE:THIRD BIG ISSUE, I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED ALL FOUR BRAKE ROTORS DUE TO WARPAGE. THE BRAKE CALIPERS WERE BUILT WITH SOME TYPE OF COMPOSITE PLASTIC PISTONS THAT DISTORT DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILD UP IN THE BRAKES. WHICH IN TURN CAUSES UNEVEN PAD CONTACT, THAT THEN CAUSES EXCESSIVE HEAT, ACCELERATED PAD WEAR, BRAKE FADE, ROTOR WARPAGE, AND AN AWFUL "SQUEAL" WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY BRAND NEW BRAKE PADS ARE ACTUALLY CRACKED NOW BECAUSE OF A COMBINATION OF THE CALIPERS AND THE HUBS GOING BAD: FOURTH ISSUE IS THAT THE TRANSMISSION CAUSES THE ENGINE TO OVER "REV" IN THE HIGHWAY PASSING GEAR ESPECIALLY WITH THE OVER DRIVE AND CRUISE CONTROL ON. WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND YOU GIVE IT A LITTLE MORE GAS TO GET AROUND SOMEBODY, THE ENGINE RPM'S SHOULDN'T GO UP TO SOMETIMES AROUND 7000, THAT IN TURN COULD CAUSE PREMATURE ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH DAIMLER-CHRYSLER ABOUT THESE CONCERNS BUT THEY JUST KEEP GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND AND NOT ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS. I STILL HAVE THE OLD PARTS ALSO.

ON OCTOBER 20, 2005 I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD-CAB 4WD PICKUP BACK FROM VISITING A FRIEND WHEN I SUSTAINED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TRANSFER CASE. THIS RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DODGE DEALER AND REPAIRED. DEALER CLAIMED CASE WAS STRUCK BY SOMETHING (IMPLYING ABUSE) WHICH IS UNSUPPORTED BY ANY PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. THE DEALER'S POSITION PREVENTED REPAIRS BEING MADE UNDER WARRANTY. INVESTIGATION BY AN INDEPENDENT SHOP IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE DAMAGE TO BE THE COUPLING BETWEEN THE FRONT DRIVESHAFT AND THE TRANSFER CASE. DAIMLERCHRYSLER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACTUAL CAUSE AND ADHERES TO THE DEALER'S (ERRONEOUS) POSITION. *NM

I WAS CAUGHT IN AN ICE STORM IN MY 2003, DODGE DAKOTA, 4X4 QUAD CAB. THE TRUCK WENT INTO A SLIGHT SPIN AND BUMPED A SMALL CURB THEN SLID UP OVER THE CURB. I WAS ONLY TRAVELING AT APPROX. 5 MPH WHEN I BUMPED THE CURB. THE AXLE SHEARED OFF AND BROKE THE HUB, ROTOR, WHEEL, TIRE, AND BENT THE AXLE HOUSING. THE TRUCK WAS RENDERED UNDRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO A DODGE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. I CALLED DAIMLERCHRYSLER AND ASKED FOR THE PARTS TO BE TESTED FOR DEFECTIVENESS. I HAD SEEN SEVERAL WEB SITES DEVOTED TO AXLES PUT INTO DODGE TRUCKS THAT WERE KNOWN TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER TO BE DEFECTIVE DUE TO POOR HEAT TREATING. I WAS TREATED VERY RUDELY AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT ADDRESSED. SINCE THE ACCIDENT, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL MECHANICS AND MACHINISTS LOOK AT THIS AXLE AND ALL SAY THAT IT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BROKEN UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES IT WAS SUBJECTED TO. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE, FEARING THAT THE REST OF THE AXLES ARE ALSO DEFECTIVE. I AM GETTING NO SATISFACTION IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM AND MY OWN INSURANCE HAD TO PAY THE $3,000. DAMAGE CAUSED BY A 5 MPH BUMP. *NM

TRUCK SHIFTS OUT OF GEAR WHEN STOP AND IS LEFT RUNNING. 1)EVENTS LEADING TO THE FAILURE: STOP TO GET SOME INFORMATION ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STORE, STOP THE TRUCK SHIFT THE TRUCK INTO PARK, OPEN THE DOOR GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK, CLOSE THE DOOR, AS I WAS WAKING TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE TUCK AND I WAS APPROXIMATELY 5? FEET AWAY FROM THE DOOR OF THE TRUCK STARTED TO MOVE IN REVERSE. I QUICKLY CHASE THE TRUCK BACK, OPEN THE DOOR JUMP INTO THE TRUCK (WHILE THE TRUCK WAS MOVING) APPLY THE BRAKES AND STOP THE TUCK. THE SHIFT INDICATOR IT SHOWED THAT HE TRUCK WAS IN PARK. 2) FAILURES AND CONSEQUENCES: IF THE TRUCK START TO MOVE WHILE YOU GETTING OUT OF THE TRUCK THE OPEN DOOR CAN PUSH YOU DOWN AND KILL YOU. IF SOME ONE IS BEHIND THE VEHICLE THE PERSON KILL OR THE OBJECT/PROPERTY DAMAGE. 3)WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT FAILURE: TRUCK WILL BE TAKING TO THE DODGE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR ANALYSIS AND CORRECT FAILURE. *NM

I HAVE THIS 2003 DAKOTA TRUCK WITH 22,000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION SLIP AT FIRST STARTUP AND IT IS RANDOM MAYBE TWICE A MONTH. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN IN THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND THEIR POSITION IS THEY NEED SEE IT SLIP BEFORE THEY CAN FIX IT. 2003 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 5-SPD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 5-45RFE 4.7L MAGNUM V8 AIR CONDITIONING HEAVY DUTY SERVICE GROUP

I HAVE A LIGHT KNOCKING IN MY ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY STATED THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE, BUT UNABLE TO INDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN. THEY HAD IT FOR 3 DAYS, AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THEY SAY ALL DODGE ENGINES MAKE THAT NOISE. UNKNOWN TO THEM, I HAVE 2 AND MY OTHER DOES NOT MAKE THE SAME NOISE. IT HAS OCCASIONALLY STALLED BOTH BACKING UP AND GOING FORWARD. THERE IS A PULLING TO THE RIGHT EVEN AFTER HAVING IT ALIGNED AND BALANCED. IT DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AND WON'T STAY IN CRUISE CONTROL WHILE CLIMBING A HILL. ALSO MY OIL HOSE WAS LOOSE CAUSING A RATTLING UNDER THE HOOD. THE LIGHT SHOWING YOU THE GEAR YOUR IN DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. OVER ALL THE WORSE VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED WITH A HEFTY TAG.