NHTSA Complaint #737681 — 2000 DODGE DAKOTA

INITIAL PROBLEM (MILEAGE 17,803)WAS THAT THE TRUCK DID NOT WANT TO START, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. TRUCK FINALLY STARTED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE BEFORE MENTIONED DEALER. THEY CHECKED THE CODES: NO CRANK REFERENCE SIGNAL AT POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, REPLACED CRANK SENSOR AND RETESTED O.K. / (MILEAGE 18,809) CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FOR TWO DAYS, IDLE WAS ERRATIC INTERMITTENTLY, LIGHT WENT OUT. CAME BACK ON ONE DAY LATER WITH SAME ERRATIC IDL, TRUCK STALLED ONCE AT IDLE BUT STARTED RIGHT BACK UP. TOOK IT AGAIN TO SAME DEALER. THEY CHECKED THE CODES, SCANNED THE SENSORS AND FOUND AN OPEN CIRCUIT INSIDE THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE. THEY ORDERED AND REPLACED THE MODULE.(MILEAGE 19,341) SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON AGAIN, ERRATIC IDLE AT TIMES. RETURNED TO SAME DEALER WHO FOUND BAD GROUND CONNECTION IN THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. REPLACED THE MODULE AND IT RETESTED O.K. (MILEAGE APPROX 19, 370) WHILE DRIVING 40-45MPH VEHICLE JERKED STRONGLY AS IF ENGINE MOMENTARILY STALLED AND RESTARTED, IMMEDIATELY AFTER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE DROVE LIKE IT HAD A HEAVY LOAD IN THE BED. IDLE WAS ERRATIC AND WOULD STALL UNLESS SHIFTED INTO NUTRAL AND REVVED. THIS LASTED FOR APPROX 5 MILES. UPON STARTING UP AGAIN THE TRUCK WOULD RUN NORMALLY EXEPT THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD STILL BE ON. RETURNED AGAIN TO THE SAME DEALER: THAY FOUND THE BATTERY TO FAIL LOAD TEST AND REPLACED IT. THEY ALSO REPLACED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. IT WAS TEST DRIVEN FOR 70 MILES BY THE DEALER WITH NO RECURRENCE. (MILEAGE APPROX 19,430) SAME DAY AFTER PICKING UP THE TRUCK FROM THE DEALER AND APPROX 15 MILES AND AGAIN DRIVING 40-45 MPH THE TRUCK JERKED STRONGLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SAME SLUGGISH POWER AND ERRATIC IDLE AS BEFORE. THIS HAS ALL TRANSPIRED WITHIN A TWO MONTH PERIOD, THE DEALER SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN CONFERRING WITH "DETROIT". I CANNOT FIND ANY REFERENCE ON THE INTERNET AS TO A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, OR LIKEWISE ANY SERVICE BULLETINS. THANKS