NHTSA Complaint #10043687 — 2001 DODGE DAKOTA

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP. LAST YEAR IT STARTED MAKING A SQUEAKY NOISE (LIKE AN OLD CAR CREAKING) IN THE FRONT END. I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO DEALMAKER DODGE HERE IN WATERTOWN, NY. THE FIRST TIME TAKING IT IN THEY STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS FROM LOOSE BOLTS IN THE FRONT END AND THAT THEY JUST TIGHTENED THEM UP. THE NOISE PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE. I TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS POSSIBLY THE SWAY BARS. THEN THE OCT. 10, 2003 I WAS DRIVING AND WHEN I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, SOMETHING POPPED IN THE FRONT END, THE FRONT END DROPPED DOWN AND I LOST STEERING OF THE TRUCK. THIS WAS EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE TRUCK VERY SLOWLY OVER TO DEALMAKER DODGE AND THEY LOOKED AT IT (NEVER TEST DROVE IT, JUST LOOKED AT IT). THEY STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED BUT THAT MAYBE THE SWAY BARS GAVE WAY. TIM (SERVICE MGR) STATED THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO ORDER BUSHINGS AND A PART FOR THE STEERING BOX AND THAT UNTIL THEY CAME IN THE TRUCK WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE. UNFORTUNATELY, I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE - WE PARKED THE TRUCK IN OUR DRIVEWAY UNTIL THE PARTS CAME IN. WE ASKED WHY THIS HAPPENED TO A FAIRLY NEW TRUCK AND TIM (SERVICE MGR) COULD NOT ANSWER US, HE DID NOT KNOW. WE TOOK THE TRUCK IN ONCE THE PARTS ARRIVED AND HAD IT WORKED ON. WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP, I ASKED TIM (SERVICE MGR) WHAT DID THEY DO TO THE TRUCK (REPAIRS)? HE STATED HE DID NOT KNOW BUT THAT HIS WARRANTY GIRL WAS OUT OF THE OFFICE AND THAT THEY WOULD MAIL ME A COPY OF THE PAPERWORK. UPON RECEIPT OF THIS PAPERWORK, IT NOTED THAT BOTH SWAY BAR BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE COUPLING. THE NOISE SEEMS TO BE GONE IN THE FRONT END, HOWEVER, WHEN I GO OVER BUMPS OR ROUGH ROAD, IT STILL MAKES A POPPING NOISE IN THE FRONT END. AFTER WATCHING THE CBS EVENING NEWS TONIGHT WITH REGARD THE FRONT END SAFETY ISSUES ABOUT DAKOTAS, I AM NOW VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND THE LIFE OF PASSENGERS WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. *LA