2002 DODGE DAKOTA Steering Problems

THE CAR GOES INTO PARK, BUT PARK DOES NOT ENGAGE. I'M ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY. THE COLUMN SHOWS PARK BUT THE CAR CONTINUES TO ROLL. I SEE THAT 2002 DAKOTAS HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT MY VIN # DOESN'T SHOW A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GALEANA'S VAN DYKE DODGE (28400 VAN DYKE AVE, WARREN, MI 48093, (586) 573-4000) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER RECALL FOR THE GEAR SHIFTER, AND THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER AND THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.

RACK AND PINION SEAL BUSTED WHILE DRIVING AT SOME POINT RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID. *TR

THE SHIFTER WILL NOT MOVE FROM PARK POSITION. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER DUE TO THE RECALL FOR THAT SPECIFIC PROBLEM WITH THAT YEAR MODEL. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT IS VIN # RELATED PROBLEM (IT IS A SPECIFIC VIN NUMBERS THAT IT IS RELATED TO). I INFORMED THEM THAT I'M EXPERIENCING THE SAME EXACT SAME PROBLEM THAT ALL SITES, REPORTS AND BLOGS ARE TALKING ABOUT. THE FINAL ANSWER IS TO TAKE MY CAR TO BE DIAGNOSE, DEPENDING ON THE REPORT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. HOW IT IS DIFFERENT THIS PROBLEM FROM THE PROBLEM THAT I'M HAVING?! *TR

HAVE HAD STEERING KNUCKLES REPLACED TWICE ON MY TRUCK BECAUSE THE CALIPER BOLTS STRIP OUT AND CAUSE MY TRUCK DO DIVE LEFT OR RIGHT UPON BRAKING. ALSO CAUSED BY BRAKE PAD RAILS WEARING TOO MUCK AND NOT LETTING THE CALIPERS MOVE THE BRAKE PADS TO APPLY THE BRAKES. ALMOST CAUSED ACCIDENTS MULTIPLE TIMES BUT DEALER SAYS ITS NOT AN ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH BOTH FRONT TIRES LOCKED UP AND THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE BRAKES AND UPPER BALL JOINTS. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FRONT CALIPERS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOUR TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. *TR

PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTROL ARM BROKE FREE LETTING THE WHEEL COME FREE FROM THE VEHICLE..... *TR

LOWER U JOINT IN THE STEERING SHAFT BREAKS. MINE LUCKLY BROKE IN MY DRIVEWAY BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN BAD. THE PART IS UNAVAILBLE AFTERMARKET. DEALER IS BACK ORDERD FOR WEEKS. I HAD TO DRIVE OVER 2 HOURS AWAY TO GET THE SHAFT AT THE CLOSEST DEALER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT WAS EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE STEERING COMPONENT ON HER VEHICLE. HE STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE WEARING QUICKLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE CV JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFUSED TO SERVICE THE CV JOINTS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS OWNER ALREADY HAD IT REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 127,000.

BOUGHT A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA NEW. TOOK IT BACK 3 TIMES FOR COLUMN MOUNTED SHIFTER PROBLEMS WITHIN DAYS OF IT JAMMING, COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF PARK,THEN IT WOULDN'T STAY IN PARK, MAKING A CRUNCHING SOUND WHEN YOU TRY TO SHIFT THREW THE GEARS. EACH TIME I TOOK IT BACK, ANOTHER PROBLEM CAME UP CAUSED BUY THE DEALERS NEGLECT DAMAGING THE TRUCK, I COMPLAINED TO CHRYSLER CORP AND THEY BLEW ME OFF AND TOLD ME I WAS A TROUBLED CUSTOMER AND THEY NEVER WOULD RETURN MY CALLS. I PARKED THE TRUCK IN THE GARAGE AND NEVER TRUSTED IT FOR ANY LONG TRIPS AND SUCH. GOT STUCK 250 MILES FROM HOME WHEN THE SHIFTER WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK, AND THEN NOT STAY IN PARK. NOW I WAS SENT A RECALL NOTICE OF THIS ISSUE ( RECALL G28 IGNITION/PARK SHIFT INTERLOCK SYSTEM) I TOOK THIS TRUCK TO GLENN E THOMAS...

2002 DODGE DAKOTA, LESS THAN 60,000 MILES, CORRODED POWER STEERING FLUID TUBING, CAUSING FLUID LOSS AND LACK OF NORMAL STEERING CONTROL. REPAIR PART NOT AVAILABLE FOR MORE THAN 5 WEEKS. HAS THERE BEEN A LOT OF POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILURES FOR THESE AND SIMILAR VEHICLES? I HAVE PARKED THE VEHICLE UNTIL REPAIRS ARE COMPLETED. I'VE OWNED 13 VEHICLES SINCE 1971 AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED. IS THERE AN UNANNOUNCED VOLUNTARY RECALL BY CHRYSLER FOR THIS? IT SEEMS ODD THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE, LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN ACKNOWLEDGED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE CLEANING OUT THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE DRIVE GEAR SHIFT WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT OWNS THREE OTHER DODGE DAKOTA'S AND NONE OF THEM HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000. UPDATED 01-11-08. *KB THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THERE PARTS BROKEN IN THE STEERING COLUMN. UPDATED 12//12/07

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AFTER 2,000 MILES OF OWNERSHIP. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION. THE DEALER WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, STATING IT WAS A WEAR ITEM. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT AND FIXED BEFORE OFFERING THE VEHICLE FOR SALE, BUT THEY CLAIM OTHERWISE. I WAS FORCED TO REPLACE BOTH SETS OF BALL JOINTS ON MY OWN. SINCE THEN, DC HAS RECALLED THE UPPER JOINTS. THE UPPER JOINTS CREATED A SITUATION CAUSING THE LOWER JOINTS TO FAIL ALSO AND SHOULD BE COVERED IN THEIR RECALL. THEY ALSO DO NOT SPECIFY COVERING THE ALIGNMENT NEEDED AFTER JOINTS ARE REPLACED. THE RECALL SHOULD BE REISSUED COVERING UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ALONG WITH ALIGNMENT TO REMEDY THE SITUATION IN THIS RECALL FAILURE. *JB

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S UPPER BALL JOINT, LOWER CONTROL ARM, AND STEERING.*MR *CB

2002 DODGE DAKOTA FRONT END FAILURE.*MR WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS MANEUVERING A CURVE THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE VEHICLE HIT A GUARD RAIL. THE TRUCK SUSTAINED SOME FRONT BUMPER DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT. THE CONSUMER STILL HEARS A POPPING NOISE WHEN MAKING SHARP TURNS. THE CONSUMER PLANS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR A SECOND OPINION. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT SINCE DODGE IS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR SUSPENSION THAT THE DEALER NEEDS TO LOOK AT THE BALL JOINT, TIE RODS, RACK AND PINION. *NM

WHILE DRIVING/TURNING OR BRAKING FRONT UPPER BALL JOINTS MADE A POPPING NOISE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE BY THE DEALERSHIP, THEY NOTICED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED.*AK ADDITIONALLY THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND AUGUST 2003, THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING GEAR BOX. *NM

THE TRUCK HAS HAD SEVER PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATION AND STALLING. IT ALSO MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF PROBLEMS WITH AT LEAT 15 DAYS TOTAL IN THE SHOP.

AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY WHEN AN ACCIDENT OCCURED AT 43 MPH. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHEN MY SON HIT THE BRAKES TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT.*AK

2002 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB V8 CURRENTLY WITH 45, 000 MILES. FIRST NOTICED STEERING PROBLEMS AT 18,000 MILES. THE TRUCK MAKES NOISE OVER BUMPS AND WHEN TURNING. BROUGHT TRUCK IN FOR SEAT REPAIR AND TO CHECK STEERING AT 35,000 MILES. MECHANIC PERFORMED FRONT END ALIGNMENT. PROBLEMS STILL PERSISTED. ALSO, THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED AT 18,000 MILES AND CAUSED A PULSATING FEEL IN THE PEDAL. THE TRUCK NOW FEELS AS IF IT WILL FALL APART OVER BUMPS AND FEELS AS IF I WILL LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WARRANTY IS NOW EXPIRED BUT I NEED THIS PROBLEM FIXED. I HAVE READ OF MANY COMPLAINTS IN DODGE TRUCKS AS WELL AS THEIR CARS OF PREMATURE STEERING FAILURE. *LA

HEARD AND FELT A CLUNKING SOUND IN STEERING WHEN VEHICLE HIT A BUMP/ BALL JOINTS AND ARMS REPLACED. *MR THE CONSUMER FELT AND HEARD A CLUNKING SOUND IN THE STEERING WHEN A BUMP WAS HIT OR TURNING A CORNER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE UPPER BALL JOINTS AND A ARM UNDER WARRANTY. *SCC *JB