NHTSA Complaint #10038954 — 2000 DODGE DAKOTA

POWER STEERING FAILS. LOSE CONTROL OF STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AFTER ABOUT 1.25 HOURS. FIRST OCCURANCE IN AUGUST 2002, THEN OCTOBER, 2002. DID NOT DRIVE ON HIGHWAY FOR EXTENDED PERIOD UNTIL AUGUST 2003 - FAILED AGAIN AND AGAIN ON MOUNTAIN ROADS, EXITS, STRAIGHTAWAYS WHILE PASSING, GENTLE CURVES. NOVEMBER 2002 DEALER REPLACES RACK AND PINION AND BUSHINGS AT 23,997 MILES. AUGUST 18, 2003, 31424 MILES, DEALER REPLACES COLUMN, INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND BOLT PER STARLINE. SEP 3, 2003, 31904 MILES, DEALER REPLACES ALL FOUR CONTROL ARMS - CANNOT REPLICATE PROBLEM AS THEY WILL NOT DRIVE THE REQUIRED MILES, I'M THEIR TEST DUMMY. THE KNOBS FOR AIR CONDITIONING ALSO BROKE AT THIS TIME - CHARGED TO FIX THIS. MANUFACTURER SAYS TO CONTACT DEALER, DEALER WON'T DRIVE NECESSARY MILES - I STILL HAVE TO CHECK THE SEP 3 REPAIR TO SEE IF IT REALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. EACH TIME THE ALIGNMENT IS OUT AND THEY WILL NOT FIX THIS AS PART OF THE WARRANTY ITEM ALTHOUGH I MAINTAIN MY VEHICLES' ALIGNMENT. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN RELINED AT 26K MILES BECAUSE THE DEALER SAID THEY WERE SHUDDERING - WHICH I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED UNTIL THEY REPAIRED THEM. SHOCKS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE REAR STRUTS REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE SWAY AND LOSS OF CONTROL WHEN CARRYING A LOAD, ANOTHER THING THEY CLAIM NOT TO REPLICATE.