1999 DODGE DAKOTA Suspension Problems

BRAKES CAME APART WHEN APPLIED, NO BRAKE. RATTLE ON ROTORS, PAD DAMAGE. BOLTS THAT GO THROUGH CALIPER STRIPPED THREADS FROM SPINDLE FREEING CALIPER TO BOUNCE ON ROTOR I HAVE REPLACED WITH USED PART ONCE HOPING FOR RECALL, BAD NEWS DUDE!!!

NOUSE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK EVERY TIME YOU HIT A BUMP. MECHANIC SAID ALL THE BALL JOINTS WERE BAD.HE SAID THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED ,THERE WAS NO PLACE TO GREASE THEM CAUSING THEM TO RUST AND WEAR OUT .BAD CHEAP WAY DODGE MAKES THERE VEHICLES. WHAT HAPPEN TO THE DAYS WHEN DODGE MADE GOOD SAFE CARS AND TRUCKS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS FOR THE FRONT SUSPENSION FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT PURCHASED A LOWER CONTROL ARM TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,000.

PULLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND STARTED DOWN STREET COULD NOT CONTROL VEHICLE. THE 1999 DODGE DAKOTA R/T STARTED SCREECHING. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKE TO SEE WHAT WAS PROBLEM AND THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BUT COULD NOT TURN THE VEHICLE'S WHEEL EXCEPT ON ONE SIDE. I GOT OUT OF VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL WAS TURNED TOWARDS THE RIGHT WHILE THE LEFT WHEEL WAS STRAIGHT. I LOOKED UNDERNEATH VEHICLE AND OBSERVED THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ON RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE WAS BROKE FROM THE FRAME OR WELD. THE CONTROL ARM WAS HANGING FROM THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE BROKEN AWAY FROM THE WELD. I ALSO HAVE PICS OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BREAK. *TR

I GOT THE '99 DAKOTA ABOUT 7 MONTHS AGO AND LIKED IT DROVE PRETTY GOOD EVEN THROUGH THE WEEK WHEN IT WAS ALL SINGLE DIGITS NO PROBLEM. THEN ONCE IT STARTED TO WARM UP INTO THE MID TO HIGH TEENS AND UP TO THEN 60S AND 70 IT WOULD SHAKE AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK. IT ALWAYS SEEMED TO START AT ABOUT 45 THEN ONCE THE ENGINE WARMED UP IT WOULD STOP. THAT STOPPED NOW THAT ITS IN THE 80S AND 90S. NOW I BARELY HAVE POWER STEERING AND LOOKING AT IT, IT SEEMS TO BE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT WHICH LOOKING AT ALL THE COMPLAINTS I'M SURPRISED YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED INTO IT FOR IT TO BE RECALLED BY NOW ALONG WITH THE TIE RODS, BALL JOINTS, ETC. THESE THINGS SEEM TO BE FALLING APART AT THE FRONT. I JUST HOPE NOBODY DIES BEFORE THIS IS FIXED. *JS

FAULTY WELD AT FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM[RT SIDE] CONTROL ARM WELD FAILED FROM INADEQUATE PENETRATION NEARLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF WHEEL AND CRASH. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY DAMAGE TO ANY OTHER PART OF VEHICLE TO CAUSE WELD FAILURE. *TR

PREMATURE BALL JOINT FAILURE RESULTING IN EXTENSIVE REPAIR COSTS, PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE RESULTING IN REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION, EXCESSIVE OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP CAUSING LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. *TR

CALIPER BOLTS SEPARATING FROM SPINDLE CAUSING CALIPER TO FALL ON TO BRAKE ROTOR. LOSS OF BRAKING TO WHEEL, DIFFICULTY STEERING VEHICLE. SPINDLE (STEERING KNUCKLE) HAD TO BE DRILLED OUT AND RE TAPPED AND THREADED. HELI COILS (9M) INSTALLED TO HOLD CALIPER BOLTS. NEW CALIPERS AND ROTORS INSTALLED. FURTHER INSPECTION DETERMINED THAT UPPER BALL JOINT FAILED. ALL BALL JOINTS WILL BE REPLACED SINCE THE UPPER ONES ARE NOT SERVICEABLE AND I DO NOT TRUST THE LOWER ONES. THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALLS FOR MODEL YEAR 1999 DAKOTA HOWEVER THERE ARE SEVERAL TSB'S #050399, 0200600 AND SEVERAL THOUSAND COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET. WHY HASN'T THIS SAFETY ISSUE BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA? *TR

THE DODGE DAKOTA, 1999 MODEL, HAS A RECALL GIVEN TO THE BALL JOINTS THAT WERE INSTALLED DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. I OWN THE DODGE DAKOTA, 1999 MODEL. ALSO MY BALL JOINTS HAVE GONE BAD LEADING TO UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. THESE ORIGINAL BALL JOINTS ALSO HAVE NO GREASE FITTINGS FOR REGULAR GREASING. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS REPLACING FAULTY PARTS GOING BAD ON MY DODGE DAKOTA. I WILL NOT CONTINUE. I EXPECT TO GET SOME KIND OF REPLY BACK ON HOW WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT TO REPLACE THE FAULTY BALL JOINTS ON MY DODGE DAKOTA. ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS A RECALL ON THEM. THANK YOU CHRISTOPHER PERRONE *TR

BALL JOINTS FAILED ON ALL FOUR WHEELS. LEFT FRONT BALL JOINT BROKE AND BURNED OUT THE BRAKES. BRAKES FAILED. *TR

BALL JOINTS FAILED ON VEHICLE. ONE BALL JOINT BROKE AND TOOK OUT THE BRAKES. WAS ON FREEWAY WHEN HEARD CLUNKING NOISE. GOT OFF FREEWAY AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALER SAID THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED DRIVING. *TR

FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION- ALL 4 BALL JOINTS WORN AND CAUSING THE SUSPENSION TO SHIFT WHEN DRIVING. WHEN THE SUSPENSION SHIFTED, IT WAS PULLING/PINCHING THE BRAKELINE CAUSING ERRACTIC BRAKE FUNCTION. *TR

THE FRONT END STARTED MAKING POPPING AND OTHER METALLIC SOUNDING NOISES AT SLOW SPEEDS. WHEN I RAISED IT UP AND LOOKED, THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE BALL JOINTS WERE IN TATTERS! I WENT TO REPLACE THEM AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY ARE A "DEALER ITEM" AND THAT DAIMLER-CHRYSLER ONLY PROVIDES A WHOLE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS WITH BALL JOINT FOR REPLACEMENT AS A WHOLE UNIT. WHILE I HAVE NEARLY 45 YEARS OF AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE BACKGROUND THIS IS A TRAVISTY OF THE N'TH DEGREE!. YOU PRODUCE A DEFECTIVE UNIT AND THEN SCREW THE POOR SLOB WHO BOUGHT ONE BY MAKING HIM PAY AN ARM AND A LEG TO REPLACE A WHOLE CONTROL ARM THAT ONLY HAS A BAD BALL JOINT ON THE END OF IT.

FAILED TRANSMISSION, FAILED UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS FAILED REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND CLEAR COAT DELAMANTING ON ALL PANELS OF TRUCK. *JB

VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO A MECHANIC FOR INTERMITTENT BRAKE NOISE. WHILE CHECKING VEHICLE BRAKES, MECHANIC NOTICED BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS NEARLY PULLED THROUGH SPINDLE. UPPER JOINTS WERE VISIBLY LOOSE WITH EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT (FACTORY SPEC IS .060"; MECHANIC FOUND .125"). VEHICLE HAD STEERED AND DRIVEN NORMALLY BUT COULD HAVE HAD MAJOR SUSPENSION FAILURE WITHOUT GIVING ANY SIGN TO OPERATOR THAT THERE IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ISSUE. VEHICLE HAS 'LOW' (65K) MILES FOR SEVEN YEAR OLD VEHICLE AND IS WELL MAINTAINED. FAILED JOINTS ARE NOT SERVICEABLE-SEALED FOR LIFE- A VERY SHORT LIFE, AND CANNOT BE LUBRICATED. DESIGN OF SUSPENSION COMPONENTS' IS POOR RESULTING IN WEAR THAT IS EXCESSIVE. NO WARNING THAT FAILURE IS IMMINENT CAUSING POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED. *NM

1999 DODGE DAKOTA HAS PROBLEMS WITH BALL JOINTS AND TIE RODS.*MR THE FRONT END OF THE VEHCILE WAS LOOSE AND WOBBLING AS A RESULT. *NM

THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS OF THE CONSUMER'S 1999 DODGE DAKOTA WORE PREMATURELY. *NM *NM

DODGE DAKOTA 1999 NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE BALL JOINT AND STEERING MECHANISMS. *BF THERE WERE ALSO PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR END, TRANSMISSION, ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHTS, POOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE WHICH CONSISTED OF HESITATION AND LOSS OF POWER ESPECIALLY WHEN UNDER A LOAD-GOING UP AND HILL AND SEEMED TO GET WORSE AS THE GAS LEVEL IN THE TANK LOWERED, HARD ABRUPT SHIFTING WHEN IN REVERSE AND PARK TO REVERSE, LOUD RUBBING WHICH WAS INTERMITTENT WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS AND WHEN STOPPING, THE FRONT WOULD SHAKE, THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT WAS NOT VISIBLE ON THE DASH WHEN ACTIVATED AND WOULD ONLY SHOW WHEN THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE WAS ACTIVATED, AND THERE WAS A WOBBLE, FLEXING AND OR VIBRATION THAT WOULD BE PRESENT WHEN BRAKING ALONG WITH A LOOSE FEELING OR WOBBLE WHEN TURNING THE FRONT WHEELS. *SC *JB

VEHICLE ENCOUNTERED FAILURE OF RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT WHICH RESULTED IN FAILURE OF WHEEL BEARING AND BRAKE ROTOR. *BF THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE BALL JOINT HAD FAILED AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF THE WHEEL BEARING. THE CONSUMER DOES BELIEVE THAT THE TECHNICIANS ACCOUNT OF THE FAILURES WAS ACCURATE. *NM

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED "A" FRAME AND UPPER BALL JOINT PROBLEMS. THE MANUFACTURER REIMBURSED THE CONSUMER FOR THE PARTS BUT NOT THE LABOR. *NM *SC *JB

OWNER OF 1999 DODGE DAKOTA REPORTING DEFECTIVE BALL JOINTS IN DAKOTA AND DURANGO. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED ON HIS VEHICLE AS WELL AS THE CONTROL ARMS AND TIE RODS AT A LOW MILEAGE. *JB

DODGE DEALER ADVISED ME THAT UPPER BALL JOINTS ON MY 1999 DODGE DAKOTA 4WD WERE DRY AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE TRUCK HAD 18562 MILES. HAVING ALREADY SEEN THE CBS SPECIAL , I KNEW THERE WOULD EVENTUALLY BE A RECALL. THE RECALL IS FOR 2000-2003. MY 1999 HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. IT NOW HAS 23505 MILES, WITH THE SAME DRY BALL JOINTS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT.*JB

TO DATE, I HAVE REPLACED THE FOLLOWING: 1) UPPER BALL JOINTS - BOTH SIDES 2) LOWER BALL JOINTS - BOTH SIDES 3) CALIPERS - BOTH SIDES (FRONT) 4) WATER PUMP 5) WHEEL HUBS - BOTH SIDES (FRONT) 6) CATALYTIC CONVERTER 7) HEADLAMP SWITCH. *JB NOW, I HAVE THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: 1) HEADLAMP SWITCH (AGAIN) 2) TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT BETWEEN GEARS 3) UPPER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. *JB

THE VEHICLE'S UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 43,826 MILES. *BF

WHILE TURNING/DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

FRONT TIRES WERE WEARING UNEVENLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF UNEVEN WEAR OF THE TIRES. UPON INSPECTION OF THE TIRES DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS/TIE RODS, AND DRAG LINK WERE WORN OUT, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *NM

COMPUTER CONTROLS, LOUD SPARK KNOCK UNDER MODERATE ACCELERATION, UPDATED OSFTWARE ON PCM EXHAUST/EMISSION, LOUD POPPING SOUNDS (BAD CONVERTER) SUSPENSION, LOUD POPPING FROM RIGHT FRONT SIDE UPON SHIFTING, BRAKING, EXITING AND ENTERING VEHICLE, REPL RIGHT UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS, ALIGNMENT

I HAVE EXPERIENCED CLANKING AND FRONT END JUMPING WHEN MAKING TURNS IN THE FRONT END OF MY 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. THIS WAS PRESENTED, WHICH WAS ADRESSED BY ROTATING AND BALANCING THE FRONT AND BACK TIRES COME TO FIND OUT IT WAS MY UPPER BALL JOINTS IN MY SUSPENSION !!!!!!!! DUE TO THE MILAGE PUT ON MY FRONT TIRES, ABNORMAL WEAR HAS OCCURED DUE TO THE SUSPENSION. I MUST ALSO REPLACE THE DAMAGED TIRES CAUSED BY A DODGE DEFECT!!!!!!! I AM ALSO SUSPECTING EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR IN THE FRONT END DUE TO THIS.

IN SEPTEMBER OF 2003 THE RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION BEGAN MAKING CREAKING SOUNDS ANYTIME THE TRUCK WENT OVER A BUMP. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED FULLY TO THE LEFT, THE RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION MAKE A LOUD CLUNCH SOUND JUST PRIOR TO HITTING THE WHEEL TURN STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS LOOKED AT BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND HE DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ON THE RIGHT FRONT WERE FAILING. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE LEFT UPPER BALL JOINT ALSO HAD SOME MOVEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN LOOKED AT BY THE LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY DETERMINED THAT ONLY THE RIGHT SIDE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS NEEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND REPAIRS WERE MADE. TWO WEEKS LATER I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SHOWED THEM THE MOVEMENT ON THE LEFT SIDE. THAT SIDE WAS THEN REPLACED.

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A BALL JOINT PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE RUBBER BUSHINGS WORE OUT. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE LOWER BUSHINGS WERE GONE AND THAT THE UPPER ONES WERE FAILING. THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS. THERE WAS A SCREECHING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND THE LEFT PLATE RUBBING THE ROTOR. *SC *JB

WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT OR HITTING A BUMP THERE'S A LITTLE BUMP IN STEERING. CONSUMER CAN PULL IN AND OUT ON FRONT WHEELS WITH BARE HANDS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

TIRE CENTER INDICATES THAT TOW END THROWS ALIGNMENT OUT AND WEARS THE TIRE TREAD OUT. THE CONSUMER HAS GONE THROUGH 4 SETS OF TIRES IN 40,000 MILES. TIRE TECHNICIAN SAYS PROBLEM IS INHERENT WITH DAKOTA TRUCKS.*AK

VEHICLE BEEN EXPERIENCING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH VIBRATION. ALSO, WHENEVER VEHICLE RUNS OVER A ROUGH SURFACE OR A BUMP, IT CAUSES ERRATIC OPERATION OF POWER STEERING. DEALER NOTIFIED AND CORRECTION STILL UNRESOLVED. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK

THE MANUFACTURER SENT OF A CHANGE THAT DROPPED TOW RATING FROM 6400LBS TO 2000LBS ON THE R/T MODELS. THEY GIVE NO REASON FOR THE CHANGE. THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION. *AK

DAIMLER CHRYSLER ADVERTISED AND SOLD THE DAKOTA R/T VEHICLES AS HAVING A 6400 LB. TOWING CAPACITY. THEY HAVE NOW DOWNGRADED THIS TOWING CAPACITY TO 2000 LBS. MANY OF THESE VEHICLES ARE BEING USED TO TOW CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN 2000 LBS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD. *AK