1999 Dodge Dakota

I HAVE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW, WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR AND SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A CLUNKING NOISE WHICH GOT LOUDER AND FASTER AS I ACCELERATED THE DEALER COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS. AFTER PICKING IT UP THE UMTEENTH TIME, THE NOISE WAS STILL THERE, I DROVE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP DEMANDING THEY FIGURE IT OUT. THEY PUT THERE QA TECH ON IT AND DISCOVERED IT WAS THE DRIVE SHAFT. THAT WAS REPLACED AND I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, THE TIRES PREMATURELY WEARING, BALL JOINTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. THEY WERE REPLACED IN DECEMBER 07 THE LAST TIME, LESS THAN A YEAR BEFORE THE LAST TIME, ALONG WITH NEW TIRES. IT IS NOW APRIL 11, 2008 AND I WAS JUST TOLD AFTER SERVICING THE VEHICLE THEY NEED REPLACED AGAIN AND THE TIRES ARE WEARING. THE AIR CONDITIONING FAILED SEVERAL TIMES, THE BRAKES AND ROTORS WEAR BI-ANNUALLY AND DON'T STOP PROPERLY, AFTER ABOUT 60,000 MILES, THE COMPUTER WENT ON THIS VEHICLE, LEAVING ME STRANDED MANY, MANY TIMES. IT WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS AND THEY COULDN'T DETECT THE PROBLEM, EVEN AFTER MY PERSONAL MECHANIC TOLD THEM WHAT IT WAS. I HAD TO HAVE THIS FIXED ON MY OWN BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP COULDN'T. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT STICKS AND IS DIFFICULT TO UNFASTENED, THE PAINT ON THIS VEHICLE IS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE FROM EVERYWHERE BUT THE SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. THE SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE ARE RIDICULOUS AND REALLY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. HOW MANY DEATHS ARE YOU WAITING FOR TO OCCUR BEFORE YOU MAKE THE MANUFACTURER ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR DEFECTS??? IS IT GOING TO TAKE A DEATH TO OCCUR AND CHRYSLER TO BE SUED FOR THEIR NEGLECT AND FAULTY EQUIPMENT????? *TR

MY UPPER BALL JOINTS HAVE FAILED ON MY 1999 DODGE DAKOTA EX CAB. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF MANY SIMILAR FAILURES FROM THIS YEAR/MAKE/MODEL. I HAVE READ THE RECALL ON CERTAIN MODELS OF DAKOTAS WITH THIS FAILURE. WILL MY VEHICLE BE COVERED BY THIS RECALL? I CAN SUPPLY ANY FURTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION THAT IS NEEDED IF NECESSARY. PLEASE ADVISE, MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY DISABLED DUE TO THIS. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO CRASH, BODILY HARM, OR OTHER INJURIES. THANKS. *JB

BALL JOINTS FOR THE 1998-2004 DODGE TRUCKS WERE FAULTY, I COULD NOT BELIEVE AFTER ALL THE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED THAT NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS FAULTY PARTS THAT COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. YOU COULD DO A SEARCH FOR FAULTY BALL JOINTS ON THE WEB AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE BALL JOINTS WEARING OUT AFTER SOMETIMES 20,000 MILES THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND DANGEROUS YOU GUYS SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR NOT HOLDING DODGE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THESE ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2000 MODEL YEAR. YET NO OTHER YEARS YET I AM SURE THAT THEY USED THAT SAME BALL JOINT FOR ALL OF THOSE MODEL YEARS.*AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND PERFORMED THE REPAIR. APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS LATER, SHE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. THERE IS RECALL # 04V596000 FOR THE UPPER BALL JOINTS FOR MODEL YEARS 2000-2003. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT HER VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 72,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN SAFETY RECALL # 04V59600 DUE TO THE VIN ,SPECIFICALLY FOR THE DODGE DURANGO. ON MARCH 16, 2007, WHILE DRIVING AT 0-5 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLUNKING SOUND NEAR THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE CLUNKING SOUND INCREASED, AND THE CONTACT NOTICED THE FRONT CONTROL ARM UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE BECOMING DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WOULD LIKE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER THE SAFETY RECALL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 87,000.*AK

THE FRONT END STARTED MAKING POPPING AND OTHER METALLIC SOUNDING NOISES AT SLOW SPEEDS. WHEN I RAISED IT UP AND LOOKED, THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE BALL JOINTS WERE IN TATTERS! I WENT TO REPLACE THEM AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY ARE A "DEALER ITEM" AND THAT DAIMLER-CHRYSLER ONLY PROVIDES A WHOLE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS WITH BALL JOINT FOR REPLACEMENT AS A WHOLE UNIT. WHILE I HAVE NEARLY 45 YEARS OF AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE BACKGROUND THIS IS A TRAVISTY OF THE N'TH DEGREE!. YOU PRODUCE A DEFECTIVE UNIT AND THEN SCREW THE POOR SLOB WHO BOUGHT ONE BY MAKING HIM PAY AN ARM AND A LEG TO REPLACE A WHOLE CONTROL ARM THAT ONLY HAS A BAD BALL JOINT ON THE END OF IT.

TL* - THE CONTACT STATES THAT ON 12/14/06, HE TOOK HIS 1999 JEEP DAKOTA SPORT IN FOR A TIRE ALIGNMENT BECAUSE HIS TIRES WERE WEARING UNEVENLY. THE MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT HE COULDN'T DO THE ALIGNMENT BECAUSE ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS UPPER AND LOWER HAD GONE BAD. THE CONTACT DID STATE THAT HE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE RECALL ON THE JEEP LIBERTY'S AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS VEHICLE BECAUSE HE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATES THAT HE DID CONTACT CHRYSLER CORPORATION ON 12/21/06 AND WAS TOLD HIS VEHICLE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND IT WAS HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE CHRYSLER REPRESENTATIVE THAT HE HAS ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 1 1/2 YEARS. THE REPRESENTATIVE TOOK HIS COMPLAINT AND GAVE HIM A REFERENCE # 15798865.