2000 Dodge Dakota

DT: THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH. IT STRUCK A TREE. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE PASSENGER WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT. HOWEVER, HE SUSTAINED FACIAL INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE. A MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE AIRBAG SENSOR FUNCTIONED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT BY THE COMPUTER CODES. HE STATED THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE IMPACT. THIS DETERMINATION WAS MADE BASED ON THE DATA COLLECTED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

THE 2000 4 WD DODGE DAKOTA WITH THE 4.7 ENGINE THAT WE OWN AND BOUGHT NEW (LAST TIME...) HAD AN OIL PUMP FAILURE AT 60K MILES. THE DEALER HAD THE VEHICLE FOR A WEEK TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM CITING SLUDGE BUILD UP AND LACK OF MAINTENANCE AS THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE AND THE REASON FOR THE LONGER THAN QUOTED REPAIR TIME. ORIGINALLY THE QUOTE WAS FOR 6-8 HOURS PLUS THE COST OF THE PUMP WHICH ALSO CAME IN HIGHER THAN QUOTED, WE ENDED UP PAYING MORE THAN TWICE THE QUOTED HOURS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PUMP. THE "SLUDGE" BUILD UP PROBLEM BOTHERS ME BECAUSE IT IS REPORTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM IN THE 4.7 MAGNUM ENGINE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE PICK UP TUBE OF THE PUMP WAS BLOCKED WITH SLUDGE, HENCE THE OIL PUMP FAILURE. WELL THAT IN IT SELF IS ALL UNDERSTANDABLE HOWEVER, WHY DOES IT MAKE SLUDGE...? THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE WHILE CHANGING THE OIL I HAPPENED TO HAVE DISCOVERED A SLIMY SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE OIL FILL SPOUT ON THE ENGINE, ASKED THE SERVICE FOLKS AT THE DEALER ABOUT THIS CONDITION AND THE REPLY WAS YES, THIS IS A KNOWN CONDITION, COME IN FOR THE RETROFIT TO CURE THIS "MOISTURE" PROBLEM IN THE 4.7 ENGINE. THE SERVICE DEPT DID INDEED INSTALL THIS BAFFLE AND CAP AND I ASKED THEN IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CONDITION. NO WAS THE REPLY. SO, MY CONTENTION IS THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED OIL SPOUT SLUDGE PROBLEM WENT HAND IN HAND WITH THE SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. I FEEL THAT THE OIL PUMP FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE GIVEN TO MILES ON THIS, A WELL MAINTAINED ENGINE AND I WOULD LIKE FOR CHRYSLER TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR FULLY AND TO INVESTIGATE THE RELIABILITY AND FAILURE TREND IN THIS ENGINE AND SLUDGE MAKING TENDENCIES LEADING TO THESE FAILURE. RAD. *NM

THERE HAS BEEN A FAILURE OF THE OIL PUMP IN MY 2000 DODGE DAKOTA SLE WITH THE 3.8 LITER ENGINE.... 60K MILES, OUT OF WARRANTY...!! 60000 MILES !! THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT CLAIMS THAT IT WAS DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD UP OF THE PICK UP TUBE OF THE OIL PUMP. I CHANGED THE OIL OFTEN AND USE A GOOD QUALITY SYNTHETIC OIL... NO WAY "SLUDGE" COULD BE BUILT UP DUE TO THE OIL. I HAVE SEEN OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS ENGINE HAVING BEEN KNOWN TO MAKE SLUDGE ON THE INTERNET... GREAT...!! IN A RELATED MATTER, I HAD THE OIL FILLER TUBE REPLACED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AS IT WAS SLUDGE UP... THE SERVICE FELLOW REPLACED A BAFFLE AND CAP ON THE FILLER TUBE.. THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF SLUDGE BUILD UP ON THE INSIDE OF THE TUBE ASSEMBLY. ARE THE TWO RELATED..? I WOULD LIKE FOR DODGE TO PAY FOR THE OIL PUMP REPLACEMENT IF THEY KNEW BEFORE HAND THAT THIS ENGINE INDEED MAKES SLUDGE. *JB

ON MY 2000 DODGE DAKOTA MY STEERING KNUCKLE SNAPPED PAST THE TIE ROD ON THE WHEEL PART OF THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE IF THE VEHICLE (FRONT) THIS PART IS APPROXIMATELY A 1 INCH BY ONE INCH OF SOLID STEEL. THIS RESULTED IN A CRASH WITH A PARKED MANATEE COUNTY PATROL CAR. I BELIEVE THIS PART SHOULD NOT HAVE SNAPPED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. THE INVESTIGATING POLICE OFFIER AGREED. I WAS NOT ISSUED ANY TRAFFIC VIOLATION AFTER THE OFFICER SAW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I ALSO BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED . I PLAN TO BE FOLLOWING UP ON THIS WITH A PHONE CALL TO YOUR AGENY. I WONDER HOW MANY TICKING TIME BOMBS ARE OUT THERE? I AM AWARE OF THE RECALL OF UPPER BALL JOINTS FALLING OFF AND I AM WONDERING IF MAYBE DEFECTIVE STEEL IS THE CAUSE. *NM

I READ IN TODAY'S PAPER ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION OF 2004-05 DAKOTAS AND DURANGOS WITH THE INVESTIGATION INTO STEERING LOOSENESS AND PROBLEMS - OUR 2000 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB HAD TO HAVE THE SHAFT REPLACED DUE TO A BROKEN CONNECTION - IT HAD LOOSENED FOR A LONG TIME UNTIL IT AFFECTED OUR DRIVING. THE DEALER REPAIRED IT TO THE TUNE OF $ 250 AND ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER MY MINISTER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HER DODGE DURANGO ALSO 2000 - THE MECHANIC EVEN SAID "DO YOU KNOW A MRS. KSIONZYK FROM YOUR TOWN - I JUST REPLACED THE SAME THING ON HER DAKOTA" I DON'T THINK THIS IS A COINCIDENCE - THIS IS A VERY SMALL DEALER AND COMMUNITY. *JB

DT: 2000 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONSUMER HAD AN INDICATION THAT IT LOOKED LIKE A FAULTY CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT UNLESS THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ON THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. SPOKE TO A MECHANIC, HE SAID THAT EVEN THOUGH THE WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ON NOW THAT THE AIRBAG WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND GO REFERENCE NUMBER 14124132. THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS BEGAN AT NOON ON OCTOBER 4, 2005. . THE STEREO WAS COMPLETELY OUT. THIS OCCURRED WHEN ACTIVATING THE TILT ON STEERING WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL HAS RADIO CONTROLS THAT GO THROUGH VIA THE CLOCKSPRING. *AK