NHTSA Complaint #10029059 — 1995 DODGE DAKOTA

THE SHEET METAL ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR IS TEARING IN TWO PLACES: AT THE DOOR LATCH AND AT THE LOWER HINGE. THE PROBLEM STARTED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WHEN IT WAS NOTED THAT THE DRIVER'S DOOR BECAME NOTICEABLY MORE DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. IT FELT AS IF HINGE WAS STICKING. I TRIED LUBRICATING IT. IT DIDN'T HELP. I ALSO NOTED THAT THE LATCH WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. SOMETIMES WHEN CLOSING THE DOOR, THE LATCH WOULD CLOSE WITHOUT LATCHING THE DOOR SHUT. I INSPECTED THE LATCH AND SAW THAT THE PLASTIC COVERING THE HOOKING MECHANISM WAS CHEWED UP. (THE LATCH POST ON THE DOORFRAME WAS NOT LOOSE OR OUT OF ALIGNMENT, IT WAS ALSO CHEWED UP.) I OBSERVED THAT THERE IS A ONE-INCH TEAR IN THE SHEET METAL BELOW THE INBOARD SCREW THAT ATTACHES THE LATCH TO THE DOOR. A SIMILAR TEAR IS NOTED AT THE LOWER EDGE OF THE LOWER HINGE. I HAVE REPLACED THE LATCH LAST WEEK. THE NEW LATCH IS SHOWING PREMATURE WEAR. THE DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. IT HAS OPENED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.*AK