2002 Dodge Dakota

BOUGHT A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA NEW. TOOK IT BACK 3 TIMES FOR COLUMN MOUNTED SHIFTER PROBLEMS WITHIN DAYS OF IT JAMMING, COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF PARK,THEN IT WOULDN'T STAY IN PARK, MAKING A CRUNCHING SOUND WHEN YOU TRY TO SHIFT THREW THE GEARS. EACH TIME I TOOK IT BACK, ANOTHER PROBLEM CAME UP CAUSED BUY THE DEALERS NEGLECT DAMAGING THE TRUCK, I COMPLAINED TO CHRYSLER CORP AND THEY BLEW ME OFF AND TOLD ME I WAS A TROUBLED CUSTOMER AND THEY NEVER WOULD RETURN MY CALLS. I PARKED THE TRUCK IN THE GARAGE AND NEVER TRUSTED IT FOR ANY LONG TRIPS AND SUCH. GOT STUCK 250 MILES FROM HOME WHEN THE SHIFTER WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK, AND THEN NOT STAY IN PARK. NOW I WAS SENT A RECALL NOTICE OF THIS ISSUE ( RECALL G28 IGNITION/PARK SHIFT INTERLOCK SYSTEM) I TOOK THIS TRUCK TO GLENN E THOMAS DODGE IN LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA FOR THE RECALL AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THIS, I DID NOT EVEN GET OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY WHEN I NOTICED THE SHIFTER STILL DID NOT WORK CORRECT AND STILL WAS HAVING AN PROBLEM. I ASKED FOR THE SERVICE PERSONNEL TO LOOK AT THIS AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS NORMAL, IT CLEARLY WAS NOT ! THEY ATTEMPTED TO TAKE IT IN AGAIN, AND STILL IT DID THE SAME THING, THIS 3 TIME REPEAT REPAIR BEFORE I EVEN GOT OFF THE LOT. I GOT DISGUSTED AGAIN AND LEFT BUT WHEN I GOT DOWN THE STREET I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF CENTER AND NOT EVEN STRAIGHT ANYMORE. THIS TRUCK HAS ONLY 11,250 MILES ON IT AND IS LIKE MINT NEW CONDITION ( EXCEPT FOR THIS PROBLEM) NOT A SCRATCH, MARK OR DIRT ANYWHERE ON IT. I AM NOT TRUSTING THIS VEHICLE IT COULD GO INTO REVERSE AND KILL SOMEONE. THERE IS MORE I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS AND WOULD LIKE TO INFORM NHTSA OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS. ALSO WANT THIS FIXED OR FOR CHRYSLER TO TAKE IT BACK. *TR

THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM SINCE APPROXIMATELY 8,000 MILES ON THE NEW VEHICLE. SINGLE OWNER/REPORTING COMPLAINT. HEATER BLOWER FAN HAS STOPPED WORKING NUMEROUS TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE BLOWER FAN ITSELF. THE NEXT TIME THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR FAILED AND CONSUMER REPLACED PAYING OUT OF POCKET. A THIRD TIME THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR FAILED AND AGAIN THE CONSUMER REPLACED IT PAYING OUT OF POCKET. THE FAN NOW OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY AND IF YOU WIGGLE THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTING TO THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR THE FAN WILL COME ON AND OPERATE ON 3 OF THE 4 SPEEDS. CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE HARNESS CONNECTOR REVEALS THAT THE HARNESS CONNECTOR IS MELTED AS IS THE WIRING AT THE CONNECTOR. CONTACT WITH TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS REVEALS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN CONCERN AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS A REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE PART# 5017124AB. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND SHOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN GIVEN THAT THE HARNESS FAILURE CAN PREVENT THE HEATER FAN FROM FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND CAUSE IMMEDIATE VISIBILITY CONCERNS AS WELL AS POTENTIAL OVERHEATING OF THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT RESULTING IN A FIRE. DEALERS ADVISE THIS IS A FREQUENTLY SEEN CONCERN YET NO ASSISTANCE FROM MANUFACTURER IS AVAILABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK HEAD-ON BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. THE CONTACT'S AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE POLICE AND AMBULANCE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. TWO OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,000. UPDATED 03/04/09. *LJ UPDATED 03/06/09. *JB

2002 DODGE DAKOTA, LESS THAN 60,000 MILES, CORRODED POWER STEERING FLUID TUBING, CAUSING FLUID LOSS AND LACK OF NORMAL STEERING CONTROL. REPAIR PART NOT AVAILABLE FOR MORE THAN 5 WEEKS. HAS THERE BEEN A LOT OF POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILURES FOR THESE AND SIMILAR VEHICLES? I HAVE PARKED THE VEHICLE UNTIL REPAIRS ARE COMPLETED. I'VE OWNED 13 VEHICLES SINCE 1971 AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED. IS THERE AN UNANNOUNCED VOLUNTARY RECALL BY CHRYSLER FOR THIS? IT SEEMS ODD THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE, LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN ACKNOWLEDGED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN WAS INOPERATIVE. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE DAMAGES BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THERE WERE NO RECALLS PERTAINING TO THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WAS NOT WORKING DUE TO THE HORN FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

BOUGHT TRUCK NEW IN 2002. SINCE THEN, THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT CALIPER HAS SEIZED UP AND LOCKED THAT BRAKE 4 TIMES. THE CALIPER SQUEEZES THE PAD AGAINST THE ROTOR CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO PULL HARD LEFT, THEN THE ROTOR OVERHEATS AND SMOKES. I PULL OVER BEFORE A FIRE STARTS. HAVE REPLACED CALIPERS, PADS, HOSES, BUT SYMPTOMS STILL PERSIST. I HAVE TO STOP AND WAIT UNTIL THE BRAKES COOL DOWN (ABOUT AN HOUR) BEFORE THEY FUNCTION NORMALLY. ONCE I GET TO A REPAIR SHOP, THE BRAKES FUNCTION NORMALLY AND THEY TELL ME EVERYTHING IS FINE. I LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THIS IS HAPPENING TO. ON ONE SITE ALONE (HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/DODGE/DAKOTA/2002/BRAKES/BRAKE_CYLINDER_LOCK-UP.SHTML) THERE ARE 15 OTHERS WHO ARE DEALING WITH BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

ON MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AT NIGHT BY FLICKERING A LOT THEN JUST SHUTTING OFF ALL THE WAY. THE FOLLOWING DAYS RANDOM THINGS WOULD START GOING OFF LIKE WINDSHIELD WIPERS GOING OFF, HORN HONKING, AND SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AT ALL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION LEAD ME TO THE CENTRAL TIMER MODULE (CTM) FAILING POSSIBLY DUE TO THE SAME DEFECT THAT LEAD TO A 2003 RECALL. WHY NOT 2002? I NOW CANNOT DRIVE AT NIGHT BECAUSE I HAD TO DISCONNECT IT RESULTING TO CERTAIN THINGS NOT BEING ABLE TO WORK RIGHT DUE TO THE ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OTHER MODEL YEARS BEING INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAUSE THIS PART IS WELL OVER $200 TO REPLACE. IT IS SUFFERING FROM THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS THAT THE RECALL FOR 2003 STATES. *TR

DRIVER SIDE POWER SEAT HAS ABOUT HALF AN INCH FREE TRAVEL FORWARD AND BACKWARD. THIS GIVES YOU THE FEELING WHEN YOU PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL THE SEAT MAY GO ALL THE WAY BACK AND PREVENT THE ABILITY TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND POSSIBLY CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO ANOTHER AUTOMOBILE AND POSSIBLY SEVERE BODILY INJURY TO ALL PEOPLE INVOLVED. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY MANUFACTURER AT NO CHARGE. I PURCHASED THE TRUCK NEW AND IT NOW HAS A TOTAL OF 54,412 MILES ON IT. *TR