NHTSA Complaint #10178396 — 2000 DODGE DAKOTA

TRUCK STARTED TO PULL TO RIGHT UPON MID-LEVEL BRAKING. WAS TOLD BRAKES OK, TIE ROD ENDS BAD/REPLACED, NO CHANGE. THEN TOLD RACK & PINION BAD/REPLACED, SLIGHT CHANGE, STILL PULLS TO RIGHT, GETTING WORSE. NOW 3 MONTHS LATER AND AFTER $400.00 IN REPAIRS, I GO WITH A DIFFERENT SHOP, I WAS TOLD BRAKES CALIPER BOLTS ARE STRIPPING OUT. THIS CAUSES THE BRAKE SHOES TO MOVE WHEN BRAKING, BINDING, THEN PULLING THE STEERING WHEEL OUT OF HANDS. HAS ALSO CAUSED RIGHT TIE-ROD END TO GO BAD AGAIN. THE BIGGEST DANGER IS THAT UPON BRAKING THE STEERING WHEEL TURNS TO THE RIGHT AND I COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND A GOOD USED STEERING KNUCKLE AND ALL THE ONES FOUND HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FIX IS, IF CAUGHT SOON ENOUGH, HELI-COIL NEW THREADS OR REPLACING THE STEERING KNUCKLE ($415.00 PART ALONE). *JB