2004 Dodge Dakota

WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON 4/22/06. I WAS DRIVING 55 MPH AND A DELIVERY TRUCK PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I HIT THE TRUCK ON HIS DRIVER SIDE AND SMASHED MY HOLE FRONT END IN. TRUCK WAS ALMOST TOTALED. MY AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. IF IT WASN'T FOR THE SEAT BELT MY INJURIES COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE THEN WHIP LASH. MY TRUCK IS IN THE PROCESS NOW OF BEING FIXED. NO ONE IS GIVING ME ANSWERS TO WHY THE BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. I CALLED THE DODGE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. NEVER HEARD A THING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS NOT TO HAVE THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY. MY MAIN WORRY IS THAT WHEN MY TRUCK IS FIXED AND IF I EVER HAVE ANOTHER ACCIDENT WILL THE AIR BAGS WORK? PLEASE HELP! *JB

THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY 2004 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB ACCELERATES GOING DOWN HILL. I'VE HAD IT TO THE DEALER WHO INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND SIMILARLY EQUIPPED DURANGOS. THEY TELL ME THAT THERE IS NO FIX. I, THEN, CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM A NICE LADY WHO TOLD ME THAT DODGE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND REFERRED ME TO ANOTHER DODGE DEALERSHIP. I CONTACTED THEM. THEY SUGGESTED THAT I GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER AND FIND OUT IF THEY HAD CONTACTED DEALER SUPPORT. THEY DID AND WERE TOLD THAT DODGE IS INDEED AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT ISN'T GOING TO FIX IT. I CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND RECEIVED AN APOLOGY, BUT NO INDICATION THAT THEY WILL DO ANYTHING TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AROUND A CURVE AT 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND DOWN INTO A DITCH. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER, GRILL, AND DRIVER SIDE TURN SIGNAL. THERE WAS PRIOR BRAKING. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING A SEATBELT, BUT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES WHEN HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL. A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THERE HAS BEEN NO INSPECTION TO THE AIRBAGS.

I AM LOOKING FOR ALL PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO SPEAK TO MY ATTORNEY ABOUT PROBLEMS THEY ARE HAVING WITH THEIR 04 DAKOTA'S. I HAVE HAD CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END, WHIRLING NOISE AT IDLING GETS LOUDER WHEN BLINKER ON, WINDOWS MAKE CLUNKING NOISE WHILE ROLLING UP OR DOWN, SEVER E SHAKING WHILE BRAKING ( WARPED ROTORS), TRANSMISSION LEAKING, AND THE LIST GOES ON. I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF LEMON LAW AND IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO BE ABLE TO FIND AN ATTORNEY. THIS ONE IS EXCELLENT.*JB

I HAVE A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA 4 DOOR CAB 2 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK. THE BRAKES FAILED AT LESS THAN 12,000 MILES. THEY WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER AND FAILED AGAIN LESS THAN 8,000 MILES LATER. I HAD TO PAY FOR THAT FAILURE. THE SYMPTOMS WERE SHIMMY/SHAKE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. I HAD NOT MADE ANY PANIC STOPS AND MOST OF THE DRIVING HAD BEEN ON INTERSTATE OR STATE HIGHWAYS. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATED WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES A NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEN MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT HAND TURN. HE CONTACTED THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE CONNECTOR PART TWICE. WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BRAKE DID NOT HEAR THE NOISE. *AK UPDATED 12/7/2005. THE DEALER REPLACED THE UPPER SHAFT PER THE STAR HOTLINE AND THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM IS MORE PREVALENT IN WARM/HOT WEATHER. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS A SHIMMY/VIBRATION IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE SEPARATE TIMES FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR. THE RACK AND PINION, FRONT SHOCKS AND ALL FOUR TIRES HAD BEEN CHANGED. THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. THE CONSUMER HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. *AK (12/05/05) THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS WITH NO RESULTS. *SC

HERE'S WHAT I SUBMITTED TO THE DODGE WEBSITE: LAST NIGHT I RETURNED FROM MY DODGE DEALERSHIP AFTER HAVING NEW BRAKE PADS AND NEW ROTORS INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE IS DRIVING FINE AND THE BRAKES ARE OPERATING PERFECTLY. THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER, WES, WAS HELPFUL AND PROFESSIONAL. HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK SPENDING $900 ON NEW ROTORS SHOULD BE REQUIRED AFTER TWO YEARS OF OPERATION AND LESS THAN 50,000 MILES. I AM METICULOUS ABOUT MAINTENANCE AND TIRE ROTATION. I DO NOT RIDE THE TRUCK HARD AND ALL OF MY DRIVING IS COUNTRY, NOT CITY, MILEAGE. EVEN YOUR DODGE PERSONNEL COULD NOT GIVE ME ANY REASON WHY THIS WOULD HAPPEN SO SOON. I AM NOT A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, BUT I BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH EITHER THE DESIGN OF THE BRAKES OR THE MATERIALS OR COMPONENTS USED IN THE BRAKE DESIGN. I BOUGHT A NEW '91 DODGE DAYTONA AND SAID I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER DODGE DUE TO PROBLEMS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS. IN 2003, I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE DODGE ANOTHER SHOT AND BOUGHT A NEW LOADED, DAKOTA TRUCK. REST ASSURED, THIS WILL BE THE LAST DODGE VEHICLE I EVER OWN. SINCERELY, WILLIAM WILSON. *JB