NHTSA Complaint #10439682 — 2007 DODGE DAKOTA

2007 DODGE DAKOTA WITH 63700 MILES HAD TIE ROD END FAILURE CAUSING STEERING AND CONTROL PROBLEMS. HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEED THERE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A SERIOUS AND POSSIBLY DEADLY EVENT. I HAD THE PROBLEM REPAIRED AND CONTACTED DODGE ABOUT THIS. DODGE COVERED ALL EXPENSES ($265.00) AT 65500 MILES I TOOK THE TRUCK IN FOR INSPECTION BECAUSE IT WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE MECHANIC FOUND A NAIL IN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WHICH CAUSED THE PULLING PROBLEM BUT FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES WERE NOTICEABLY WORN. I THEN TOOK THE TRUCK TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER WHERE THEIR INSPECTION CONFIRMED THE PREVIOUS FINDINGS. AT BOTH INSPECTIONS I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIE ROD END FAILURE AND THE BALL JOINT PROBLEM HAD MOST LIKELY OCCURRED BECAUSE THESE JOINTS HAD NO GREASE FITTINGS FOR LUBRICATION. I CALLED DODGE TO SEE IF THEY WOULD REPAIR THE BALL JOINT ISSUE AND THEY REFUSED. I THINK THAT HAD THESE JOINTS COME WITH GREASE FITTINGS THESE ISSUES (TIE ROD ENDS AND BALL JOINTS) WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM AT 60000+ MILES UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. QUOTE FOR REPAIRS AT DOSAGE DEALER $1451.00. *TR