1996 Dodge Dakota

5 TIMES WITHIN THE LAST 5 YEAR VEHICLE WILL SPUTTER AND WILL DIE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL ALSO COME ON AT THE SAME TIME AND 4 TIMES VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHO KEEPS TELLING CONSUMER BATTERY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE 5TH TIME DEALER CLAIMS THROTTLE HOUSING NEEDED TO BE CLEANED BUT 2 MONTHS LATER DEFECT HAS REOCCURED.*AK CONSUMER STATES TIRESHAVE BEEN REBALANCED ON NUMEROUSE OCCASSIONS, DURING INSTALLATION OF THE LAST SET OF TIRES, MECHANIC FOUND THAT ALL FOUR WHEELS/RIMS WERE BENT, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY DEALERSHIP THAT NUMEROUS WHEELS HAD BEEN REPLACED DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, CONSUMER ALSO EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, ALSO THE ID PLATE THAT IS SUPPOSE TO BE LOCATED ON THE DOOR JAM HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE THE DATE OF PURCHASE.*JB

I HAVE A 1996 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUUP TRUCK THAT EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE AT LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. THE CAUSE FOR THIS ENGINE FAILURE WAS INADEQUATE OILING BECAUSE OF SLUDGE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE OIL PAN. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED FROM A CAR DEALER WITH APPROXIMATELY 33,000 MILES ON IT AND HAVE MAINTINED IT PROPERLY SINCE THAT TIME. I AND THE MECHANIC I TOOK IT TO BELIEVE THAT PART OF THE REASON FOR SLUDGE ACCUMULATION IN THE OIL PAN IS POOR OIL PAN DESIGN. THE WAY THE DRAIN PLUB IS SITUATED IT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR COMPLETE DRAINAGE OF THE OIL DURING AN OIL CHANGE. THIS PROBLEM IS PROBABLY AGGRAVATED BY THE FACT THAT THIS VEHICLE IS 4-WHEEL DRIVE AND THE SLUDGE GETS RESUSPENDED WITH OFF-ROAD USE ON STEEP TERRAIN OR ROUGH ROADS. ON CONFERRING WITH AN ATTORNEY, SHE SUGGESTED ABOUT THE ONLY LEGAL RECOURSE IS IF IT OCCURRED IN A NUMBER OF SITUATIONS SO I AM LOOKING FOR RECORDS OF RELATED INCIDENTS. MY MECHANIC INDICATED HE HAD ONE OTHER SIMILAR CASE. ALTHOUGH THIS DID NOT CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, IT COULD HAVE IF I HADN'T CAUGHT THE PROBLEM IN TIME.*AK

TIMING CHAIN HAS STRETCHED 3 TIMES. I FIRST CHANGED THE TIMING CHAIN ON 24 MARCH 2000, ON THE ADVICE OF 2 DIFFERENT DODGE DEALERS. CHAIN STRETCHED AGAIN AND WAS CHANGED ON 20 SEPT. 2000. AND HAS STRETCHED AND NEEDS REPLACING AGAIN. DODGE DID NOT TELL THE OWNERS ABOUT TSB 09-07-97 STATING THAT A TENSIONER FOR THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDS TO BE INSTALLED THE DATE OF THE TSB IS 27 JUNE 1997. IF THE TIMING CHAIN BRAKES WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING THE ENGINE WILL STALL AND COULD CAUSE INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. WHEN I CONTACTED CHRYSLER THEY TOLD MR IF I NEEDED THE WORK DONE AAAI HAD TO PAY FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. THIS IS WRONG BECAUSE THEY KNOWINGLY BUILD DEFECTIVE ENGINES AND FAILED TO NOTIFY THE OWNERS AND THEY KNEW THAT THER WERE PARTS MISSING THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. *AK