NHTSA Complaint #10071222 — 1999 DODGE DAKOTA

EVERY TIME I USED THE LIGHTER THE FUSE WOULD BLOW, MY RADIO WOULD FAIL AND I WOULD HAVE TROUBLES WITH MY WIPERS. I CHECKED ALL FUSES AND DIDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT AND ONCE IN A WHILE IF I CLICK MY HIGH BEAMS ON AND OFF THE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS WILL EVENTUALLY COME BACK ON. I WAS IN NORTHERN MAINE AND I LOST MY POWER STEERING. I HAD TO WALK THROUGH THE WOODS TO A CABIN I COULD SEE HAD ITS HOUSE LIGHT ON AND KNOCK ON THE DOOR FOR HELP. ONCE MY TRUCK WAS FREED FROM BEING STUCK I HAD TO DRIVE 3 MILES BACK TO THE MOUNTAIN W/NO POWER STEERING. WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER THEY SHOWED ME THAT THERE WAS SOME LONG SILVER ROD LIKE THING, WHICH HAD JUST BROKEN IN HALF!! I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS STILL COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. A WHILE LATER, MY BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $800. I SAID I JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY AT THAT TIME. LEE DODGE OF WESTBROOK MAINE CALLED AND SAID THEY COULD FIX THE PROBLEM FOR $150! I HAD AN ACCIDENT ABOUT JANUARY 2001 AND MY AIRBAG DID NOT GO OFF. I WAS RUN OFF THE ROAD IN A SNOWSTORM AND HIT A TREE. THIS PAST JUNE MY TRUCK WENT IN TO BE INSPECTED AND I WAS TOLD MY UPPER CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED!! EVEN I KNEW THAT AT 44K OR SO MILES IT WAS FAR TOO SOON FOR ME TO NEED THOSE PARTS REPLACED. I LIVE ON A FIXED INCOME BECAUSE I AM DISABLED. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY TRUCK MY PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WOULD NO LONGER CLOSE CORRECTLY, MY HOOD WOULD NO LONGER OPEN AND THE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM BECAME MUCH WORSE. BEFORE I HAD THE CHANCE TO HAVE THE CAR LOOKED AT, I HAD AN ACCIDENT. I HAD PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVE AND MY BOYFRIEND PULLED OUT AFTER ME IN MY BROTHER?S CAR. WHEN HE PULLED OUT OF A DRIVE, I WENT TO PULL UP ALONG SIDE HIM, MY TIRES WERE SPINNING ON PILES OF WET LEAVES, MY WHEEL WOULD NOT RESPOND, MY GAS AND MY BRAKE WOULD NOT RESPOND. I HAD BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR NOT EITHER GAS OR BRAKE... THE TRUCK THEN THRUST FORWARD AND HIT MY BROTHER?S CAR!