2001 DODGE DAKOTA Suspensionfront Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING LOT, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIE ROD BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME, WHERE THE TIE ROD AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 169,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA HAS HAD UPPER FRONT BALL JOINTS REPLACED DUE TO POPPING IN FRONT END, THE POPPING IS STILL THERE. FRONT ROTORS HAVE BEEN CHANGED BECAUSE OF BEING WARPED CAUSING VIBRATION IN STEERING AND ROUGH BRAKING. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING AND HUB HAS WENT OUT CAUSING LOUD SQUEEKING NOISE WHEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD THERE IS A CONSTANT SQUEEKING NOISE NOW FROM FRONT END. THE BLOWER FAN HAS STOPPED WORKING DUE TO WIRING PROBLEMS. THE REAR END HAS A POPPING NOISE WHEN PUTTING IN PARK DODGE HOUSE SAYS THATS NORMAL (I HAVE NEVER HAD A TRUCK DO THAT BEFORE) AND U JOINTS ARE GOOD, AND I REPORTED IT TO THEM WHEN MY WARRANTY WAS GOOD AND NOW MY WARRANTY IS OUT AND I HAVE ALL THESE REPAIRS THAT I CANNOT AFFORD !!

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE, DAKOTA, QUAD CAB, 4X4. SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRENTY EXPIRED(36000MI.), I DEVELOPED A POPING NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHEN TURNING OVER BUMPS. SENSE THEN IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. I HAD IT INSPECTED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS OK, JUST TYPICAL TRUCK NOISE DUE TO BUMPS. AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE BALLJOINTS, I HAD IT RE-INSPECTED (MANY MILES LATER) ONLY TO FIND THAT I AM LUCKY THAT A WHEEL HAS NOT CAME OFF (BAD JOINTS). ALSO, IF THE TRUCK SETS OVERNIGHT (OR 1 OR MORE DAYS)WHEN YOU FIRST CRANK THE TRUCK AND PUT IN GEAR(REVERSE) THE TRANSMITION WILL SLIP. TOOK TO THE DEALER WHILE STILL UNDER WARRENTY THEY SAID IT WAS TYPICAL THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER WOULD DRAIN DOWN AND THAT YOU HAD TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL FOR A FEW SECONDS TO LET THE CONVERTER FILL BEFORE PUTTING IN GEAR. I STILL...

I HAVE A 2001 DAKOTA 2 WHEEL DRIVE WITH A BAD FRONT SUSPENSION. IT ONLY 54000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD THE BUSHING REPLACED THREE TIMES AND NOW THEY TELL ME I NEED UPPER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS, AND A R/F HUB BEARING. UPPER BALL JOINTS ARE VERY LOOSE. I WAS WONDERING WHY I AM ALWAYS FIXING THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO GET THIS PROBLEM SOLVED. I HEARD THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DAKOTA'S, BUT NOT THE TWO WHEEL DRIVE. COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO/ THANKS, STEPHEN. *AK

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4 X 4. THE FRONT SUSPENSION HAS BEEN MAKING A LOUD POPPING NOISE WHEN I GO OVER BUMPS OR MAKE TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A DODGE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY CONTINUE TO SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. WELL NOW MY TRUCK IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST AT 50000 MILES. I HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR SHOCKS AND THERE STILL IS A PROBLEM WITH POPPING AND CLUNKING. NOW I HAVE RESORTED TO TAKING IT TO FIRESTONE/MASTER CARE AND WITHIN MINUTES OF BEING ON THE HOIST THE TECHNICIAN WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE BALL JOINTS WERE SHOT. HE SAID THIS IS THE FIRST THING HE LOOKED AT BECAUSE HE HAS HAD MORE THAN HIS FAIR SHARE OF DAKOTAS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. DODGE HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM ON THERE HANDS AND NEEDS TO ADDRESS IT...

I OWN A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA AND NOTICED A LOUD CLUNKING SOUND FROM MY WHEEL WHEN I TURN THE WHEEL AT A HARD ANGLE AND IT IS WORSE WHEN IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE. THE VECHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY SO IT HAS NOT BEEN IN TO GET REPAIRED. I HAVE SAW SEVERAL REPORTS WHERE SIMILAR NOISE RESULTED IN A LOST WHEEL ON THE VECHICLE. DODGE SHOULD RECALL THIS BALL JOINT PROBLEM AND MAKE MY VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE. I DRIVE MY VEHICLE FOR WORK SALES PURPOSES AND PUT ON VERY MANY MILES PER YEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS NOISE HAPPENS MOST OF THE TIME AND WHEN COLD OR IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE WORSE WHEN THE WHEEL IS TURNED HARD.

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT AXLE, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

FRONT END PROBLEMS ARE NUMEROUS ON THIS VEHICLE. ALL BALL JOINTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, SWAY LINKS REPLACED, SWAY BAR BUSHINGS REPLACED, POWER STEERING RACK REPLACED, TIE RODS REPLACED... AND THIS IS ALL BETWEEN 24-60K MILES!! NOW IT IS MAKING ANOTHER FRONT END NOISE THAT THE DEALER CAN'T FIGURE OUT.*AK

THERE IS TERRIBLE NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA QUADCAB. DEALER GREASED BUSHINGS BUT NOISE IS BACK AND WORSE THAN EVER!!!!!!!!!!!*AK

APPROX 30,000 MILES ROTORS WARPED, DURING STOPPING STEARING WHEEL VIBRATED SO BAD IT WAS HARD TO HANG ON TO IT, THE DEALER TURNED THEM. AT 60,000 ROTORS WARPED AGAIN, HAD THEM REPLACED. AT 70,000 MILES THE FRONT END STARTED MAKING A CREAKING NOISE WHENEVER GOING OVER A SMALL BUMP AND PULLED TO ONE SIDE. HAD IT INSPECTED AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDED TO BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS EXTREMELY WARN AND COULD FAIL AT ANY TIME. UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED, 4 SWAY BAR BUSHINGS REPLACED. THE DAKOTA AND DURANGO FRONT END COMPONENTS NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED FOR EARLY FAILURE BEFORE THERE IS AN ACCIDENT AND/OR DEATH.*AK

FRONT BRAKES CLUNK WHEN APPLIED,DEALER REPLACED ROTORS. TRANSMISSION WON'T SHIFT PROPERLY,DEALER ORDERED AND REPLACED NEW VALVE BODY. LOWER ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED,BECAUSE OF VALVE TAPPING. A/C HAS BAD ODOR WHEN ON. FRONT END SQUEAKED AROUND BOOTS FRONT END HAS BAD KNOCKING SOUND. 2 GOODYEAR TIRES SLOW LEAK. PROBLEMS STARTED AT 1,254 MILES, AND KEEP GOING AT 26,000 MILES. *AK

BALL JOINTS ON MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP ARE ALREADY BAD AFTER 46K MILES. I HEARD MANY COMPLANTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM FROM OTHER OWNERS.*JB

2001 DAKOTA QUAD CAB HAS A LOUD KNOCK IN FRONT SUSPENSION. THREE DEALERS UNABLE TO FIX. THE TRUCK HAS HAD MANY FRONT END PARTS REPLACED AND THE FRAME WELDED. FOR A TOTAL OF 10 TIMES TO THE DEALERS WITHIN A 6 MONTH PEROID. STILL UNBLE TO FIX. I AM NOW CONCERNED ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE AND SAFTEY OF VEHICLE. CHYRSLER HAS OFFERED NO SOLUTION AND VERY UNCOOPERATIVE WITH PROBLEM.

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN DRIVING, ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE HAS JERKED TO THE LEFT IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO TAKE CONTROL AWAY FROM THE DRIVER, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TIRES HAD NEVER BEEN BALANCED, A FRONT END MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER STATES THAT NOW THE FRONT TIRES JUMP OR CUP DURING SHARP TURNS TO THE LEFT, THE REAR END WAS ALSO REPLACED. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING AND COMING TO A STOP VEHICLE WILL START TO FAIL, AND WILL NOT PULL. HAD TO SHUT VEHICLE DOWN AND RESTART. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FRONT END WAS SLIGHTLY OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE MOTOR HAS A PROBLEM WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPS FOR A MOMENT AT A LIGHT OR SIGN, IT WILL SHUDDER AND CHOKE . *YH

WHILE DRIVING, FRONT END OF VEHICLE PULLS SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT, DEALER CAN NOT IDENTIFY CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK CONTROL ARM WAS REPLACED. CALIPERS WERE REPLACED. DEALER FOUND AIR LEAK WITH THE GAS TANK AND REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, THIS WAS CAUSING THE ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. *SLC