2002 Dodge Dakota

MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN WHEN A SUDDEN GRINDING NOISE OCCURRED. UPON STRAIGHTENING THE WHEELS, IT STOPPED. WAS APPROX 3 MILES FROM MY MECHANIC SO I WENT THERE AND HAD HIM LOOK AT IT. HE FOUND THE LEFT SIDE HUB BEARING ASSEMBLY HAD COMPLETELY FAILED (BEARING EXPOSED AND BADLY DAMAGED). HE WAS UNABLE TO SEPARATE THE BRAKE ROTOR DISK FROM THE HUB AS IT WAS SO BADLY CORRODED THAT IT HAD BECOME ONE. UPON CHECKING THE RIGHT SIDE HUB ASSY, IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED AS WELL WITH THE BRAKE ROTOR DISK IN THE SAME CONDITION. BOTH SIDES WERE REPLACED AND A COMPLETE BRAKE JOB DONE TO MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 92000 MILES AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS LUCKY THAT I DID NOT LOOSE THE LEFT WHEEL BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE AS I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM WORK (50 MILES ONE WAY) WHICH IS ALL HIGHWAY DRIVING. *JB

DT: WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED THERE WAS ABNORMAL OPERATION OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HORN, AND LIGHTING SYSTEM. ALL OF THEM CAME ON AND OFF ALL BY THEMSELVES. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT TAKEN VEHICLE TO A DEALER BUT PLANNED TO DO SO. THE CONSUMER WAS REFERRED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, AND HE COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. NO CORRECTIONS OR REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS OCCURRED. THIS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN BRAKE PRESSURE WAS APPLIED. NHTSA RECALL 03V389000 WAS ISSUED BUT IT WAS FOR THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES ONLY-THE CONSUMER HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.*AK

DRIVING <30MIN AT 20-50MPH,TOWING A LIGHT TRAILER, WHILE TURNING INTO DRIVEWAY, DEPRESSED CLUTCH, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AND STAYED DOWN, DROVE 100 YARDS FURTHER, PARKED, OPENED HOOD. FLAMES WERE VISIBLE FROM UNDER FIREWALL BELOW BRAKE AND CLUTCH HYDRAULICS AND VISIBLE BEHIND LEFT FRONT TIRE. FLAME HEIGHTS WERE ~6 - 10 INCHES. MOVED OTHER VEHICLES FROM AREA AND EXTINGUISHED FIRE WITH DRY CHEMICAL EXTINGUISHER. CHRYSLER FOUND CLUTCH ASY HOSE MELTED, EVAP HOSE MELTED, AND FUEL LINE DAMAGED FROM FIRE. CHRYSLER REPLACED THE HYD CLUTCH ACY, REPLACED EVAP HOSES AND FLEX FUEL LINE. CHRYSLER DID AN INDEPENDENT SPECIAL INVESTIGATION AND CONCLUDED THEY HAD "NO MANUFACTURING RESPONSIBILITY". CHYSLER SUBMITTED BILL FOR $526.54 TO ALLSTATE. ALLSTATE PAYED CLAIM. OWNER'S OPINION IS THAT PLASTIC CLUTCH HYDRAULIC LINE FAILED, SPRAYING HYDRAULIC FLUID ON NEARBY EXHAUST, IGNITING FLUID AND PLASTIC PARTS AND OTHER FLAMMABLE MATERIALS. INVESTIGATOR PHOTOGRAPHED ALL CRITICAL AREAS BUT CHRYSLER DID NOT RETURN OLD PARTS. *NM

2002 DODGE DAKOTA RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS AND THE HUB NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*MR THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER. HOT SPOT ON THE FRONT ROTORS CAUSED PULSATION WHEN BRAKING. THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION MADE NOISE AND INTERMITTENT DELAYED SHIFTING. THE RIGHT FRONT HUB AND BEARING WERE REPLACED. THE RIGHT FRONT OUTER TIE ROD END WAS REPLACED. THE LEFT FRONT UPPER BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED. *NM

DT: HEADLIGHTS NOT FUNCTIONING. ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS NOT FUNCTIONING, THE WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE HIGH, LOW SELECTION FOR WIPERS DOES WORK. KEYLESS ENTRY DOES NOT WORK. CONTACT HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO COURTESY TIRE TWICE, THEN TO BBC DODGE THREE TIMES FOR ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS. THIS STARTED AROUND 11/26/04. WAS TOLD THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A LOOSE GROUND WIRE, SECOND TIME THEY THOUGHT IT WAS TIMER MODULE PART NO#TI-8035033 AND THIS MODULE WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES, PROBABLY FOUR TIMES AS CONSUMER IS TAKING CARE AGAIN TOMORROW. WHEN THE MODULE IS FIRST PUT IN EVERYTHING WORKS WELL FOR AWHILE OR UNTIL IT RAINS. CONSUMER STATES HE NOTICES THAT AFTER IT RAINS EVERYTHING LISTED ABOVE STOPS WORKING AGAIN. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO REPORT THIS SITUATION. *NM THE TRANSMISSION MADE A HARSH SOUND WHEN IT WAS PLACED INTO GEAR. *SC *JB

DAIMLERCHRYSLER MOTOR CORPORATION P.O. BOX 21-8004 AUBURN HILLS, MI 48321-8004 ATTENTION: QUALITY ASSURANCE MY DODGE PRESENTLY HAS 49,200 MILES. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED AT RECOMMENDED AND REQUIRED INTERVALS AT MANAHAWKIN DODGE APPROXIMATELY EVERY 3,000 MILES. EARLY INTO MY OWNERSHIP I HAD INTERMITTENT TROUBLE WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER AND THEY TRIED TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM. THEY DID A RECHARGE OF THE SYSTEM AND CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD AT 28998 MILES THAT THE "PULSING" WHEN MY BRAKES WERE APPLIED WAS DUE TO "HOT SPOTS" ON MY FRONT ROTORS. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN TO A RELATIVELY NEW TRUCK THAT IS USED AS A PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE I WAS TOLD THEY REALLY "DID NOT KNOW BUT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE OTHERS." IT IS NOTED THAT I NEVER HAD TO REPLACE ROTORS ON MY PREVIOUS NISSANS. THAT ENDED UP COSTING ME $393. I BEGAN HEARING A NOISE IN THE TRANSMISSION AND INTERMITTENT DELAYED SHIFTING INTO GEAR RESULTING IN THE TRANSMISSION BEING SERVICED WHICH INCLUDED CHANGING FILTERS, LUBRICANT, ETC. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT MY UPPER BALL JOINT WAS WORN AND REPLACED ONE SIDE ONLY. THIS I SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR SOME DODGE VEHICLES AND I HAVE SINCE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM DAIMLERCHRYSLER REGARDING AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE PART. TODAY I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD PLAY IN THE RIGHT FRONT BALL BEARING AND THE HUB NEEDED A TOTAL REPLACEMENT. ALONG WITH THAT A STRUT HAD TO BE REPLACED AND AN ALIGNMENT ONCE IT WAS COMPLETED. WHEN I ASKED HOW AXLE BEARING COULD GO BAD WITH THIS LOW A MILEAGE I WAS TOLD THAT THE HUB IS SEALED AND NO WAY TO LUBRICATE AND THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE BAD. IN ADDITION, I HAVE A NOISY LEFT LEAF SPRING THAT NEEDS A PART. THE COST FOR THE FRONT HUB IS OVER $600. I RARELY GET OVER 16 MILES PER GALLON EVEN I THE BEST DRIVING CONDITIONS. SINCERELY, CHARLES W. STAUFFER CC: NHTSA NJ DIVISION CONSUMER AFFAIRS FILE

MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA SXT CLUB CAB HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE ON 2/14/05, 2/23/05, 3/12/05, 3/26/05 AND 4/9/05 FOR MISFIRING. IT HAS HAD 3 FUEL INJECTORS 2, 3, AND 4 REPLACED BECAUSE THEY WERE LEAKING, AND ALL THE SPARK PLUGS REPLACED EVERY TIME IT HAS GONE INTO SERVICE. TO DATE, 4/18/05, THE VEHICLE WAS STILL MISFIRING. ON EACH OCCASION, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND EACH TIME, THE DEALERSHIP STATED IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD THE DEALERSHIP AT MY EXPENSE TO FLUSH THE FUEL INJECTOR SYSTEM, AND HAVE HAD SERVICE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE DEALERSHIP , UNDER WARRANTY, TO REPLACE A FAILING MASTER CYLINDER ON 1/26/05. I ANTICIPATE I WILL BE BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP SOMETIME THIS WEEKEND, AS I AM SURE THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON AGAIN.*AK

TOOK DAKOTA TO DEALER FOR FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL SERVICE (FLUID CHANGE). DEALER CALLED AND SAID REAR DIFFERENTIAL (LIMITED SLPI) FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPAIRED. A PIN SLIPPED OUT OF POSITION AND THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS SLOWLY DESTRUCTING ITSELF. I ASKED WHY THIS HAPPENED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS PAOBABLY DUE TO ABUSE. SINCE I DON'T TOW, TAKE IT OFF ROAD OR OVERLOAD IT THIS EXPLANATION DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE. ALMOST ALL OF THE MILAGE IS HIGHWAY.