1997 DODGE DAKOTA Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH A KNOCKING AND PINGING SOUND WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACED DUE TO OIL SLUDGE. THE VEHICLE WAS PROPERLY MAINTAINED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 6/12/2006 -*NM

OUR 1997 DODGE DAKOTA TRUCK'S ENGINE FAILED THIS PAST FEBRUARY DUE TO THE LACK OF OIL PRESSURE. WE THEN HAD TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE MECHANIC. OUR MECHANIC TOLD US WE NEEDED TO GET A NEW ENGINE PUT IN SINCE OUR ENGINE WAS FULL OF SLUDGE AND HE SAID IT WAS DUE TO THE LACK OF CHANGING OUR OIL. MY WIFE AND I KNEW THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AT ALL SINCE WE ALWAYS HAD THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES AND WE COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. AFTER PAYING $5,000 FOR A NEW ENGINE, WE WERE OUTRAGED AND DID OUR OWN RESEARCH ONLINE ABOUT THE CHRYSLER ENGINES AND FOUND THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE CHRYSLER ENGINES EVERYWHERE. THE ONLY THING WE'VE NOTICED IN OUR RESEARCH IS THAT THE COMPLAINTS ARE STEMMING FROM THE SMALLER 2.7 LITER ENGINES, BUT WE...

CONSUMER WAS REPLACING UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS EVERY 35,000 MILES. ALSO, CONSUMER REPLACED THE IDLER ARM. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY WILL NOT WARRANTY THE SUSPENSION PARTS. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANIFOLD PLENUM GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL INTO THE INTAKE. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE GASKET HIMSELF. *JB

LOW OIL PRESSURE AT IDLE SPEEDS. ACCORDING TO DEALER, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 5.2L V8 ENGINE. FIX IS TO REPLACE THE OIL PUMP AND OIL SENDING UNITAT A COST OF OVER $800.00.*AK

POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED DURING COLD WEATHER. WAS SLUGGISH DURING SLOW IDLE. MOPAR MECHANIC SAID THAT COMPLETE REPLACEMENT WOULD COST OVER $1000 AND MAY STILL NOT SOLVE PROBLEM. *TT

TWO FREEZE PLUGS WERE NOT REPLACED IN THE BACK OF THE BLOCK, CHRYSLERS RESOLUTION WAS STOP LEAK, HOWEVER AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC PULLED THE TRANSMISSION TO REPLACE THE FREEZE PLUGS AND FOUND STOP LEAK ALL OVER THE FLY WHEEL AREA, EVEN THOUGH CHRYSLER STATED THAT THEY HAD REMEDIED THE PROBLEM.*JB

WHEN STARTING VEHICLE ENGINE LIFTERS WOULD TAP. HAD LIFTERS REPLACED TWICE . PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK

ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON SEVERAL OCCAISIONS. BRAKE LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATES. ABS PULSATION EVEN ON DRY ROADS. FRONT PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED AT APPRX. 40000 MILES. SERVICE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT "DODGE ROTORS DO NOT LAST VERY LONG." ENGINE RATTLE BEGAN ABOUT 30000 MILES. DIAGNOSED AS A HEAT SHIELD RATTELING. SUBSEQUENTLY DIAGNOSED AND A LOOSE TIMING CHAIN. *AK

ENGINE IS CAUSING A "PINGING" NOISE WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS PRESSED, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT PAN GASKET WAS SUCKING AIR AND CAUSING EXCESSIVE BURNING OF OIL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

CONSUMER STARTED HEARING A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM BRAKES, ALSO REAR SEAL OIL PAN WAS LEAKING OIL. *AK

ON APRIL 20,1999 REGULATOR,OIL PAN,IDLE AIR CONTROL AND WINDOW BELT FAILD.(ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT)YH

I HAVE TWO RECURRING PROBLEMS. 1) I HAD THE TRUCK IN 3 SEPARATE TIMES FOR RATTLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER, SO FAR, REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN AND FAN CLUTCH, BOTH UNDER WARRANTY. ONCE AGAIN, THE ENGINE IS MAKING THE SAME RATTLING NOISE. THIS NOISE STARTED AROUND 58,000 MILES. ALSO, MY ENGINE CURRENTLY HAS AN OIL LEAK. THE DEALER CLAIMS IT IS THE FRONT SEAL. THE DEALER BROKE THIS SEAL WHEN THE TIMING CHAIN WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE SEAL REPAIR. 2) I HAD THE TRUCK IN 3 TIMES FOR ANOTHER RATTLING NOISE IN THE A/C (INTERIOR). THE DEALER CLAIMED THE NOISE WAS NORMAL. THE FOURTH VISIT AND CONVERSATION WITH MANAGER PROVED THAT THE NOISE, IN FACT, WAS NOT NORMAL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE COMPRESSOR. AT THE CURRENT MILEAGE, THE A/C IS ONCE AGAIN MAKING THE SAME NOISE. IN SUMMARY, THE ENGINE IS PRODUCING...

LOOSE TIMING CHAIN. *AK

DON'T KNOW IF ANY PARTICULAR SPEED INVOLVED. SEE CHRYSLER'S TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 9/7/97 ISSUED JUNE 97 ENTITLED TIMING CHAIN NOISE. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE IS BACKFIRING/STALLING/VIBRATING, AND VEHICLE DIES OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO GET A NEW CLUTCH AND THIS IS THE THIRD TRANSMISSION THAT HAS BEEN REPLACED WITHIN VEHICLE. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE GEARS, AND DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK