1998 Dodge Dakota equipment problems

EQUIPMENT

NOISES IN FRONT END, UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ON A 1998 DODGE DAKOTA 4-WHEEL DRIVE DEFECTIVE. LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT 34,853 MILES. REPLACED LOWER JOINTS AGAIN AND UPPER BALL JOINTS AT 59,629 AT A COST OF $1123.55. LUCKILY IT WAS CAUGHT BEFORE ANY SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURRED. YOUR RECALL INDICATES YEAR 2000-2003 BUT PROBLEM WAS THERE PRIOR TO THAT.

NHTSA complaint #10102948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RELATED FAILURE, BUT A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT HAS GONE UNFIXED BY CHRYSLER CORPORATION, ACCORDING TO REPAIR SHOPS IN MY AREA. I HAVE A 1998 DODGE DAKOTA WITH 65,000 MILES. I'M THE 2ND OWNER. VIN# [XXX]. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE A/C EVAPORATOR. ACCORDING TO REPAIR SHOPS IN LOUISVILLE, KY. CHRYSLER HAS HAD A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THEIR EVAPORATORS FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS, SINCE CHANGING OVER TO THE 134 FREON. THE DEFECTIVE EVAPORATORS USUALLY WILL LAST TILL THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEN FAIL. ALL OEM REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED AND TEND TO NOT FAIL, ACCORDING TO THE SHOPS. THIS IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR, DUE TO DODGE PLACING THE EVAPORATOR UNDER THE DASH, WHICH HAS TO BE REMOVED TO REPAIR. I FEEL, BASED ON WHAT THE REPAIR SHOPS ARE TELLING ME, THAT DODGE SHOULD STAND BEHIND AT LEAST A PORTION OR THE COST TO REPLACE THESE EVAPORATORS. THE AVERAGE COST FOR A DODGE TRUCK IS $800.00. BELOW ARE 2 SHOPS WHICH I'VE SPOKEN: ROPPEL'S RADIATOR/AC 632 BAXTER AVE. LOUISVILLE, KY. 502-587-8648. *AK SE-CLIFFS TRUCK AC 4436 POPULAR LEVEL ROAD LOUISVILLE, KY. 502-458-5319 THANKS, FOR ANY HELP YOU MAY BE OF UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS.

NHTSA complaint #10088389 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA. I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW. 2 MONTHS AFTER 8/98 PURCHASE DATE, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THE BRAKES HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES, THE MAP SENSOR WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN. I RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE THE LOWER BALL JOINTS. THE SEAT BELTS COME OFF ENTIRELY TOO EASY. ALL OF THIS AND THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 39,000 MILES ON IT. I SENT ARBITRATION PAPERS TO CHRYSLER TWICE WITH NO RESPONSE.

NHTSA complaint #10045118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EQUIPMENT

1998 DODGE DAKOTA, UPPER ARM BALL JOINT DEFECT. A STORY ON CBS NEWS LAST NIGHT HAS PROMPTED ME TO SUBMIT THIS COMPLAINT. SEPTEMBER 2000, NOISE ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF TRUCK PROMPTED ME TO STOP AT A DODGE DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT, FOUND THE RIGHT UPPER ARM BALL JOINT WAS SO BAD THAT THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID I COULD HAVE LOST THE WHEEL ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE SPEED LIMIT CAUSING POTENTIALLY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE ARM WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY (34853 MILES). I RECENTLY PURCHASED 4 NEW TIRES FOR THE TRUCK AND ASKED THE DEALER TO DO A FRONT END ALIGNMENT (59423), HE TRIED AND SAID HE COULD NOT BECAUSE THE BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE. I HAD NO INDICATION AT THIS TIME THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BALL JOINTS UNTIL I TRIED TO GET AN ALIGNMENT TO PROTECT THE NEW TIRES, I GOT A SECOND OPINION WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. I WENT TO THE DODGE DEALER AND CONFIRMS THAT ALL 4 BALL JOINTS IN THE FRONT END WERE BAD, LOWER AND UPPER. DEALER SAID IT HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY, BUT I HAVE LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK AND IT IS MY THIRD BALL JOINT ON THE UPPER FRONT. THIS TIME THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM AND IT COST ME OVER $1100 TO FIX AS IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY WAS LUCKY SINCE THE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENTS, THE PROBLEM WAS CAUGHT IN TIME. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THE BALL JOINTS USED ON THE DODGE DAKOTA ARE DEFECTIVE AND DO NOT LAST, IN MY CASE THE REPLACED BALL JOINT IN SEPTEMBER 2000 LASTED LESS THAN 24,000 MILES UNDERSTAND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT IN PROGRESS, CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ON THIS, CHRYSLER/DAIMLER NEEDS TO STAND UP AND FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE THERE IS A TRAGEDY.

NHTSA complaint #10043784 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #765165 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

AIR CONDITIONING HOSE LEADING TO ALUMINUM ASSEMBLY FAILED DUE TO CUT IN HOSE. MIDDLE PORTION OF HOSE RESTS DIRECTLY OVER ONE CORNER OF PLASTIC AIR FILTER COVER ASSEMBLY. AT THE CORNER OF AIR FILTER COVER THERE IS A SMALL VERTICAL SPLINE THAT IS PART OF THE MOLDED PASTIC LID COVER. THE THICKNESS OF THE SPLINE IS SIMILAR TO A COMMON PLASTIC PICNIC KNIFE BUT WITHOUT SERRATIONS. APPARENTLY OVER TIME DUE TO VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING, THE HOSE RUBBED AGAINST THIS PLASTIC SPLINE WEARING A 1/4 INCH SLIT/HOLE. WHEN THE HOSE FINALLY RUBBED THROUGH, THE REFRIGERANT DECOMPRESSED RAPIDLY. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY HAZARD AS ALL AUTOMOBLE AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERANT CONTAINS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF OIL. WHEN THE REFRIGERANT DECOMPRESES EXPLOSIVELY OR EXTREMELY RAPIDLY, IT CREATES A MIST THAT IS HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. TIRES. THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER TIRES (GOODYEAR P235/70 R16) HAVE PREMATURE WEAR AND THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKING. EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR HAS TAKEN PLACE TO VARYING DEGRESS ON ALL FOUR TIRES. TIRE WEAR WAS FIRST NOTICED AROUND 25,000 MILES, BUT DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF WEAR, I ESTIMATE IT STARTED AT 20,000 MILES. THESE TIRES ARE RATED FOR 40-45,000 MILES. I DO NOT THINK THE TIRES ARE AT FAULT. SINCE THE TRUCK VEERS TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKING, I SUSPECT THAT AN OUT-OF-ALIGNMENT CONDITION EXISTS. PREMATURE TIRE WEAR PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD IF THE TIRE FAILS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ALSO, AN OUT-OF-ALIGNMENT CONDITION SHOULD NOT EXIST BEFORE 20-25,000 MILES ON A NEW VECHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #748475 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

THIS IS THE 13TH SEPERATE DAKOTA THAT I KNOW OF THAT HAD EVAPORATOR FAILURE AT 38-41000 MILES FROM THE LOCAL CAAR AIRCONDITIONING REPAIR SHOP HE SEES HUNDREDS A YEAR FROM DODGE VEHICLES AT ABOUT THIS MILEAGE THIS HAS TO BE A INHERANT PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE FIXED AND RECALLED FOR PROPER FIXING. IVE OWNED MORE THAN TWO DOZEN CARS IN MY FAMILY INCLUDING 8 CHRYSLER CARS AND NEVER HAD SO MUCH AS ONE EVAPORATOR OR AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE UP TO OVER 100000 MILES JUST TOO MUCH OF A CO-INCIDENCE THAT THIS COULD BE HAPPING TO ALL OF US PLEASE INVESTIGATE THANKS.

NHTSA complaint #735818 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

VENT WAS NOT BLOWING OUT COOL AIR, TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY PLACED THE MODE DOOR AND THE DUCT. DEALER REPLACED IT AND IT BROKE AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #870195 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

TRAILER HITCHES

DODGE INCORRECTLY OR FALSELY ADVERTISED AND INFORMED PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS OF THE DAKOTA R/T THAT THE TOWING CAPACITY WAS 6400#. OVER ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE, THEY SENT A SIMPLE FORM LETTER STATING THAT THE SAFE CAPACITY WAS ACTUALLY 2000#. IN SPITE OF THIS, THEIR WEBSITE AND PRODUCT INFORMATION STILL INDICATES THE CAPACITY TO BE EITHER 6400# OR OVER 8000# DEPENDING ON THE SOURCE. WHILE CONTINUING TO DECEIVE NEW CUSTOMERS, THEY ALSO ARE STONEWALLING CURRENT OWNERS WHO ARE ATTEMPTING TO INDIVIDUALLY DEAL WITH DODGE REGARDING CORRECTIVE ACTION, BUYBACKS, ETC. I AM AWARE OF AT LEAST ONE REPORTED ACCIDENT IN NEW MEXICO ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE INCORRECT CRITICAL INFORMATION NOT BEING DISCLOSED TO OWNERS AND DEALT WITH BY DAIMLER CHRYSLER CORP.

NHTSA complaint #710071 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EQUIPMENT

TOW RATING ADVERTISED AT 6400LBS, REVISED TO 2000LBS, WILL NOT TOW MY BOAT

NHTSA complaint #709856 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

RADIO FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #544963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.