NHTSA Complaint #10684328 — 2006 DODGE DAKOTA

HAVE HAD TO REPLACE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS BOTH SIDES OF VEHICLE PRIOR TO 65K MILES. LOWER FRONT CLIP/FRAME, FRAME MOUNTS AND LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT RUSTING AWAY (UNDER THE PAINT). FIRST NOTICED PROBLEM AROUND 36K MILES WITH SURFACE RUST APPEARING THRU PAINT. STEEL HAS DETERIORATED TO POINT WHERE CHUNKS ARE FALLING OFF (PAINT STILL ATTACHED), AND SOME OF THE STEEL HAS TURNED TO FLAKES/POWDER BENEATH THE PAINT. TO THIS DATE THIS IS THE ONLY AREA OF TRUCK FRAME AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. BRAKE LINES ARE SHOWING EXCESSIVE RUSTING AND WILL BE REPLACED SOON DUE TO CONCERN OF RUPTURING. HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED BRAKE LINES RUSTING LIKE THESE ARE. INQUIRED ABOUT RUSTING OF FRAME AND WAS TOLD IT IS COMMON ON CHRYSLER VEHICLES PAINTED SILVER. TRUCK IS WELL MAINTAINED AND KEPT CLEAN. MY OPINION IS IT'S A COMBINATION OF LOW QUALITY STEEL AND PAINT. I AM CONCERNED HOW MUCH THIS WILL COMPROMISE THE INTEGRITY OF VEHICLE SAFETY IN EVENT OF FRONT END COLLISION. *TR