1998 DODGE DAKOTA Suspensionfront Problems

BALL JOINTS SEPERATED...COSTING ME OVER $1000 IN REPAIRS...AND NOW THEY HAVE FAILED AGAIN....ALSO CONTROL ARM BUSHING IS FAILING. *JB

I TOOK MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4 IN FOR A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND FOUND OUT THAT ALL FOUR FRONT BALL JOINTS WERE BAD. ONE SIDE WAS VERY LOOSE AND WAS ALMOST READY TO BREAK. I TALKED TO SEVERAL MECHANICS WHO SAID THIS IS EXPECTED FOR ANY DAKOTA OF THIS ERA. I FOUND OUT THAT THE 2000 AND ABOVE YEARS HAVE BEEN RECALLED. WHY AREN'T THE 98'S INCLUDED IN THIS, THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

HAD TO REPLACE RACK&PINION AFTER ONLY 35000 MILES

1998 DODGE DAKOTA HAS UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS FAILING.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SERVICE CENTER TO HAVE FRONT WHEEL ALIGNMENT DONE. THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED SEVER FRONT TIRE WEAR AND CONCLUDED THAT THE FRONT UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *NM

I HAVE A 1998 DAKOTA 4X4, MAKING SUSPICIOUS NOISES IN FRONT END. TOOK TO ALIGNMENT SHOP WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT ALL BALL JOINTS AND TIE RODS NEEDED REPLACEMENT BADLY, AS , ACCORDING TO SHOP OWNER, THE WEAR WAS SO EXTENSIVE THAT THE TRUCK WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. TRUCK WAS REPAIRED ON 12/01/ 2004. THIS TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN AN OFF-ROAD USED VEHICLE, HWY. MILES ONLY. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE SHOP OWNER THAT HE HAS RECENTLY BEEN RECEIVING SAME COMPLAINT AND NEED FOR REPAIR BY AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER OF DAKOTA AND DURANGO OWNERS. RECALL FOR 2000-2003 VEHICLES AS RELEASED BY THE MEDIA OCCURRED AFTER MY TRUCK WAS REPAIRED.*AK

SIR, I JUST READ ON THE INTERNET WHERE CHRYSLER IS RECALLING THE DODGE DAKOTA GOING ALONG WITH THE GOVERNMENTS RECOMMENDATION. I UNDERSTAND THEY ARE ONLY GOING BACK TO THE 2000 MODELS. WELL, I HAVE AN 1998 MODEL THAT'S GOING THROUGH THE SAME THINGS. THE BALL JOINTS HAVE GONE BAD THE STEERING HAS GONE BAD. THERE'S BEEN A BAD CRUNCHING COMING FROM THE FRONT-END FOR OVER A YEAR AND NO-ONE CAN FIND OUT WHAT'S MAKING IT. I'M GETTING SCARED TO DRIVE IT. I'VE ALREADY SPENT A LOAD OF MONEY ON THE FRONT-END OF THIS VEHICLE!!! I HAVE BEEN TO THE DODGE DEALERS NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NO BULLETINS ON THESE PROBLEMS BUT YOU CAN GO ON THE INTERNET AND CHECK ON COMPLAINTS FOR THE DAKOTA AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS ON THE FRONT-END EVER SINCE THEY CHANGED TO THE NEW BODY STYLE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS...

1998 DODGE DAKOTA XLT TRUCK UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURES. MILEAGE: 40,000 V8 (318CI) ENGINE HIGHWAY DRIVEN BOUGHT NEW EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT FRONT END SHIMMY FROM DAY ONE. TOTAL OF 12 TIRES TRIED RESULTING IN NO IMPROVEMENT AND MARRED RIMS FROM TIRES BEING MOUNTED AND OVER 18 BALANCING. *LA

WORN FRONT WHEEL BEARING & EXCESSIVE WEAR ON UPPER & LOWER BALL JOINTS.*AK

THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE DUE TO WEAR ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE FRONT TIRES. HAD THE FRONT END ALIGNED EACH TIME AND THE MECHANIC STATED MINOR ADJUSTMENT. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE THE CAMBER, THE LAST MECHANIC I TALKED TO (8/29/202) STATED THAT HAS HAD SEVERAL DOGDE DEKOTAS IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE DEALERS STATE THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

IN 1999 STEERING WAS TIGHT/ HARD TO TURN, AND DIFFICULT TO STEER. CONSUMER TOOKVEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED RACK AND PINION. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE NEEDS ANOTHER RACK AND PINION. *AK CONSUMER STATES HE THOUGHT HE SAW WHERE THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING STEERING ON HIS VEHICLE. BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACED, HOWEVER SHOP COULD NOT GET THE PIN OUT TO MAKE REPAIRS. FRONT END NEEDED ALIGNMENT, IT WAS OUT OF SPECS. *SLC

ROTORS (FRONT DISCS) WARP EXTEMELY QUICKLY BECAUSE OF CYLINDER SEAL. SEAL IS ALLOWING BRAKE PADS TO REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH ROTORS. BRAKING AT HIGH SPEED CAUSES THE FRONT END TO VIBRATE AND IS VERY DIFFICULT. ROTORS TURNED AND PADS REPLACED AT 36000, AND IS NEEDED AGAIN AT 59000. THIS VIBRATION IS ALSO CAUSING THE FRONT END TO GET OUT OF ALIGNMENT VERY QUICKLY. IN 59000 IT HAS REQUIRED 4 MAJOR ALIGNMENTS AND IS NOW IN NEED OF 5TH. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN STEERING WHEEL PULLS EXTREMELY TO THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT, ALSO, AFTER VEHICLE IS IN PARK VEHICLE JERKS FORWARD,CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NO SUMMARY

VEHICLE REQUIRED UR & LL CONTROL ARMS REPLACED AT 27,500 MILES FOR FAILED BALL JOINTS, NOW AT 66,500 MILES UL BALLJOINT HAS FAILED. 2WD, VIRTUALLY ALL HIGHWAY MILES, NO HEAVY USAGE, ALTHOUGH NO ACCIDENT HAS OCCURRED THIS A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITION. IN ADDITION TO THE 3 FAILURES OF BALL JOINTS ON MY VEHICLE MY FATHERS 1997 DODGE DAKOTA REQUIRED A CONTROL ARM REPLACEMENT FOR THE SAME PROBLEM @ ~13000, MILES. FRANKLY, I BELIEVE THIS MAY WARRANT A RECALL, OR AT LEAST EXTENDED COVERAGE OF REPLACEMENT PARTS BY DAIMLER-CHRYSLER. *AK

I HAVE GONE THRU 3 SETS OF TIRES FOR THE FRONT RH SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. I HAVE DONE 3 ALIGNMENTS ON MY TRUCK ALREADY. I TOOK THE TRUCK INTO A 2ND DEALER TO CHECK OUT THE FRONT END 2 WEEKS AGO AND THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT I NEEDED A 4TH ALIGNMENT FOR THIS TRUCK. THIS TRUCK HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT, MAINLY COMMUTING BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. I AM GOING TO BE TRAVELING 4,000 MILES NEXT MONTH AND AM VERY LEERY OF TAKING THIS VEHICLE. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE IN MY 15 YEARS OF DRIVING NEED 4 ALIGNMENTS IN 2 YEARS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P21575S15 )

CLUNK IN FRONT SUSPENSION, FELT IN DRIVER FLOORBOARD WHEN TURNING ON UNEVEN PAVEMENT. BEEN TO DEALER 3+ TIMES, CAN'T FIX. MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE SAYS NORMAL, BUT I THINK IT FEELS LOOSE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS VEHICLE SWAYS LEFT TO RIGHT. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY. *AK