NHTSA Complaint #10118766 — 2001 DODGE DAKOTA

MY TRUCK HAS 31000 MILES AND HAS BEEN HAVING MYSTERIOUS INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN AUG 2001. ORIGINALLY IT WAS LIMITED TO THE DOOR LOCKS LOCKING AND UNLOCKING BY THEMSELVES AT ALL TIMES - WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING, AND WHEN IT IS NOT. ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TAIL LIGHTS WORKING ERRATICALLY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AT LEAST TWO TIMES, AND BOTH TIMES THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT "DUPLICATE" THE PROBLEM, AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS UNTIL THIS MONTH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WENT COMPLETELY HAYWIRE - THE LIGHTS , LOCKS, WIPERS, DASH LIGHTS ALL QUIT WORKING, AND THE 4WD SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WOULD NOT GO INTO 4WD (ALL OF THIS CONVENIENTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD EXPIRED 4 MONTHS AGO). I TOOK THE TRUCK IN AND THEY SAID THE "CONTROL MODULE" WAS BAD AND THAT IT WOULD COST $500 TO FIX. WHEN I EXPLAINED THAT THIS IS JUST ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE WARRANTY PERIOD, AND THAT I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO WAY TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. MY PROBLEMS SEEM TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO SOME OF THE PROBELMS IN DEFECT INVESTIGATION #S 10072859, 10018654, AND 10106547. *AK