11 of the 650 complaints about the 1997 Dodge Dakota are about the equipment — 2% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 83,917 miles.
11
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
EQUIPMENT
BALL JOINT FAILURE.........HAD TO REPLACE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS IN MARCH 2005, AND NOW IN DECEMBER 2007, I AM HAVING TO REPLACE UPPER BALL JOINTS AGAIN. BALL JOINTS IN 1997 DODGE DAKOTA ARE A DEFECTIVE DESIGN, AND WEAR OUT TOO QUICKLY.
NHTSA complaint #10210776 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
DURING 200, SQUEAK IN FRONT END BECAME LOUDER AND LOUDER. HAD TO HAVE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT. TRUCK HAD 95,000 MILES. 2 YEARS LATE SAME PROBLEM WITH SQUEAK IN FRONT END BECAME LOUDER AND LOUDER. NEEDED TO HAVE THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED AGAIN. ONLY ABOUT 10,000 MILES ON TRUCK THIS TIME.
NHTSA complaint #10196740 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
60,000 MILES TO AND FROM WORK NO ABUSE BALL JOINTS FAILED AND AC HAS LEAK IN DASH,TIMING CHAIN AND IDLER PULLEY MAKES NOISE. RADIATOR LEAKS TRANSMISSION FLUID PLASTIC TANKS ON RADIATOR.
NHTSA complaint #10104913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
MY 97 DODGE DAKOTA BRAKES FAILED AND I HAD TO SPEND OVER 1,000 TO REPAIR THEM. CAUSE I WAS TOLD WAS THE PISTONS SIEZED BECAUSE OF BAD PISTONS THAT CHRYSLER KNEW ABOUT.ALSO CLEAR COAT ON PAINT IS PEELING OFF LIKE A FL. ORANGE.
NHTSA complaint #10064234 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
1997 DODGE DAKOTA, VIN#[XXX]: DEFECTIVE BALL JOINTS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 8000 MILES. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS NEEDED @ 30,000MI, BUT NOT DONE UNTIL 55,668MI. 2ND SET WORE BEYOND .19" 8000MI LATER. LITHIA DODGE'S REMARKS: NOT LIFE THREATENING, JUST KEEP THEM GREASED.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #10045788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT HAVING TRANSMISSION FLUID PROBLEM. SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER HAD TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION FLUID EVERY YEAR. ALSO, AIR CONDITIONING PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR FAILED TO WORK AND VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING. MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL.
NHTSA complaint #10039770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM LEAKED WATER ONTO THE PASSENGER CABIN FLOOR BOARD. *JB *PH
NHTSA complaint #10022394 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER--TESTED BY DEALER BUT COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. DYE PLACED IN SYSTEM AND FREON REFILLED. IN ONE WEEK'S TIME, AC WAS WARM AGAIN. DEALER INSPECTED AGAIN AND REPLACED CONDENSOR, REFILLED FREON. SAME PROBLEM AGAIN IN ABOUT 10 DAYS TIME. PRESENTLY HAVING CHECKED AGAIN.
NHTSA complaint #735176 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
52000 MILES AND I HAVE REPLACED THESE ITEMS: BELT TENSIONER, A/C COMPRESSOR, 3 SETS OF FRONT TIRES (THE TIRES ARE WEARING ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE-THE TRUCK HAS BEEN ALIGNED EACH TIME THE TIRES WERE REPLACED), 2 SETS OF ROTORS, 2 BRAKE CALIPERS, 4 SETS OF BRAKE PADS, THE STEERING KNUCKLE THAT BROKE INTO THREE (3) PIECES WHILE THE TRUCK WAS GOING 65 MPH, AND NOW I HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP BECAUSE THE TRUCK JUMPS FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WHILE THE TRUCK IS IN MOTION. ALL OF THESE REPAIR COST HAVE BEEN PAID BY MYSELF. DEALER SAID THERE HAS BEEN NO OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE DODGE DAKOTA I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT21575R15 )
NHTSA complaint #716770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN A HEAD WIND ( USING FULL GAS PEDAL AT TIME THE CENTER A/C VENT SWITCHS TO DEFROST NOTHING YOU DO WILL RE SWITCH TO CENTER VENT (YOU CAN TURN OFF THE A/C SYSTEM, AND WHEN YOU TURN IT BACK ON, IT STILL IS IN DEFROST. NO CONTROL WILL RETURN A/C BACK TO CENTER VENT) UNTIL YOU LET OFF GAS PEDAL AND SLOW DOWN, WHEN THIS HAPPENS FRONT WINDSHIELD FOGS UP, BLINDING THE DRIVERS VIEW OF THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALERS HAD TO CHECK THE VACUUM SYSTEM AND FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH THE VACUUM SYSTEM, THIS IS A OFF AND ON PROBLEM IT WILL NOT DO IT ALL OF THE TIME, BUT WHEN IT STARTS THERE IS NO WARNING, I NEARLY HAD A ACCIDENT WHILE TRAVELING BACK FROM MIAMI TO TAMPA.
NHTSA complaint #707119 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED. MJS
NHTSA complaint #608032 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.