NHTSA Complaint #10145243 — 1999 DODGE DAKOTA

VIN NUMBER: 1B7GG22YX XS206501; VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: DODGE DAKOTA 4X4 P/U CLUB CAB MODEL YEAR: 1999 A KNOCKING BEGAN IN THE FRONT END AND I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO FOUND BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS NEARLY READY TO FALL APART AND BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS WELL WORN. HE SAID DODGE HAD RECALLED NEWER MODEL YEARS BUT WAS REFUSING TO FIX THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE 1999 MODELS. THE MECHANIC SAID THE PROBLEM IN MY PICKUP WAS EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM IN SEVERAL 2000 - 2003 MODELS HE'D FIXED. I CALLED DODGE BUT THEY JUST SAID IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM. I ENTERED AN INCIDENT DATE BELOW BUT THERE REALLY WASN'T A SPECIFIC INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED. THE BALL JOINTS JUST DETERIORATED MUCH TOO QUICKLY. I'M NOW PAYING OVER $700 TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. *NM