2000 Dodge Dakota

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE DAKOTA. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE. ALSO THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WOULD NOT ACTIVATE. HE HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO-DATE. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING RECALL 01V153000 (AIR BAGS) FOR THE AIR BAGS AND WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS REPLACED. THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 151,360. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE QUADCAB 4.7 PIECE OF CRAP TRUCK THAT I BOUGHT NEW. IT HAS 59,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED SINCE NEW WITH THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. IN ADDITION, I HAVE REPLACED TWO OF THE COMPUTERS WHICH COST ME ABOUT $1800 COMBINED. FOR THE PAST YEAR OR SO IT HAS BEEN RUNNING LIKE CRAP. IT STALLS, THE IDLE SPEED FLUCTUATES DRASTICALLY. AT TIMES THE IDLE SPEED WILL GO FROM 500 TO 2500 RPMS FLUCTUATING UP AND DOWN WHEN SITTING AT A RED LIGHT. THE PEOPLE NEXT TO ME MUST WONDER WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY VEHICLE LUNGING THE WAY IT DOES. THE SECOND COMPUTER THAT WAS REPLACED WAS DONE IN AN EFFORT TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AND IT FAILED. IM AM TIRED OF SPENDING MONEY ON A VEHICLE WITH SO FEW MILES FOR A PROBLEM THAT MANY MANY OTHER DODGE OWNER HAVE EXPERIENCED. I FEEL LIKE I WAS DUPED. MY WIFE'S TOYOTA CAMRY JUST HIT 130,000 MILES AND WE HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. *TR

WHEN ON ANY INCLINE, GOING IN FORWARD OR REVERSE, ENGINE STARTS TO COAST FOR 5 SECONDS THEN SUDDENLY ACCELERATES BY ITSELF TO 1100 RPM'S. ON FLAT GROUND ENGINE IDLES AT 650 RPM BUT THE SECOND YOU TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR IT JUMPS UP TO 1100 RPM . IF YOU LET IT GO IT WILL CHANGE INTO 2ND GEAR AND THE VEHICLE WILL GO ABOUT 18 MPH WITHOUT HAVING YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS. YOU HAVE TO PRESS THE GRAKES VERY HARD TO GET IT TO STOP.. ON ICY PAVEMENT THE FRONT TIRES STOP BUT THE REAR TIRES ARE STILL TRYING TO GO DUE TO THE ENGINE SPEED. I HAVE MADE MANY TRIPS TO THE DEALER FOR THIS BUT ALL THEY EVER TELL ME IS THAT THEY ARE "CHECKING" WITH SOMEONE. AS OF THIS DATE THEY HAVE NEVER CALLED ME BACK. MY WIFE REFUSES TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE IS AFRAID IT WILL TAKE OFF BY ITSELF AND NOT STOP. *AK

THIS PROBLEM HAS TO DEAL WITH A ROUGH/LOW IDLE AND OFF IDLE HESITATION WHICH SOMETIMES RESULTS IN ENGINE STALLING IN TRAFFIC OR WHEN CROSSING HIGHWAYS. THE IN GEAR WARM IDLE IS AT A VERY ROUGH 500-600RPM. WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS TURNED ON THE IDLE JUMPS UP TO A FAIRLY SMOOTH 700 RPM, AND THE TRUCK RUNS FINE. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ALL CURRENT UPDATES AND RECALLS PERFORMED. THE DEALER HAS CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY AND IAC MOTOR UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE PROBLEM IS LESS EVIDENT IN COLD WEATHER OR WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED TWICE; ONCE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ONCE WHEN CROSSING THE HIGHWAY. THE ROUGH IDLE IS ALWAYS PRESENT (SOMETIMES WORSE THAN OTHERS), BUT THE STALLING IS VERY INTERMITENT. I AM AFFRAID THAT THIS WILL AT SOME POINT CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

AT APPROXIMATELY 7000 MILES I STARTED EXPERIENCING AN ENGINE RPM SURGE AFTER PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN GEAR AFTER A COLD START. ENGINE RPM WOULD INSTANTLY RISE TO 1400 - 1500 RPM WITHOUT ANY THROTTLE INPUT CAUSING THE TRUCK TO LUNGE FORWARD OR BACKWARD DEPENDING ON THE GEAR IT WAS IN. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE SINCE THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED ONCE THE ENGINE HAD BEEN STARTED AND HAD WENT THROUGH THIS CYCLE. I FINALLY GOT A SERVICE ADVISOR TO LISTEN AFTER LIVING WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR APPROXIMATELY 9 MONTHS. AT THAT TIME, THE IDLE AIR CONTROL MOTOR WAS CHANGED WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 6000 - 9000 MILES, THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURRED. THE DEALER AGAIN CHANGED THE IDLE CONTROL MOTOR WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER WAS THEN RAN THROUGH THE VEHICLE AND THE SPARK PLUGS WERE CHANGED WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK. ANY TIME I START THIS VEHICLE AFTER IT HAS SET OVER NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES UNDER 60 DEGREES THE ENGINE STARTS AND IDLES DOWN TO NORMAL IDLE OF APPROXIMATELY 600 -700 RPM. WHEN I PUT THE TRUCK IN GEAR, THE IDLE RPM DROPS TO APPROXIMATELY 400 AND WILL THEN SURGE TO 1200 - 1400 BEFORE IDLING BACK DOWN TO NORMAL. I AM STILL WORKING WITH THE DEALER TO GET THIS RESOLVED HOWEVER AM MAKING LITTLE PROGRESS SINCE THEY HAVE SO FAR NOT BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH THE VEHICLE LONG ENOUGH TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THEMSELVES. THE PROBLEM OCCURS FOR ME EVERY DAY I START THE VEHICLE AND THE WEATHER IS COOL. ON HOT DAYS, IT IS FINE. I AM STILL WORKING WITH THE DEALER AND WILL BE MEETING WITH THEM ON 8/21/2001. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.*AK

AT 35,000 MILES FRONT BRAKE ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. PRIOR TO THIS, ROTORS WERE TURNED AT 16,000 MILES AND 21,000 MILES. ALSO, IF CRUISE CONTROL IS SET BETWEEN 58-60MPH VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFT 3 GEARS AND WILL GO TO 4500 RPMS, AND THEN ACCELERATE SUDDENLY TO 65 MPH. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER TIMES, BUT HAS RECEIVED NO SATISFACTION. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK