2004 DODGE DAKOTA Steering Problems

1) NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, JUST REGULAR DRIVING 2) ITS VERY HARD TO STEER SOMETIMES, ITS LIKE STIFF-LOOSE-STIFF-LOOSE WHEN I TURN EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND GUYS ON DODGEFORUM.COM HAVE PINPOINTED THE PROBLEM BUT DEALERS WONT CHANGE THE PART, THEY WANT TO CHANGE THE POWER STEERING PUMP WHEN THE PROBLEM IS IN THE INTERMEDIATE ARM, ITS EXPENSIVE TO FIX AND WHY SHOULD WE PAY FOR A MANUFACTURER DEFECT? THE CONSEQUENCES UNFORTUNATELY CAN BE DEADLY. SOMETIMES ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER OR MAKE A QUICK TURN, IF SOMEONE CUTS YOU OFF AND YOU CANT TURN, WELL BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN. 3)I CANNOT GET THE PART (INTERMEDIATE ARM) BECAUSE THEY ARE ON BACKORDER, COINCIDENCE?? *TR

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I KEPT HEARING NOISES FROM THE BRAKES AND FRONT END. THIS WAS GOING INTO THE 2ND YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. MY DODGE DAKOTA HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST 15 TIMES FOR THE SAME THING. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE STEERING PARTS, SWAY BAR, BRAKES ROTORS, CALIBER AND STILL MAKE A A MOANING GROANING NOISE WHEN EVER I TURN OR GO OVER BUMPS. *TR

INTERMITTENT HARD STEERING. SEEMS LIKE THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING. HAD THE POWER STEERING UNIT REPLACED BUT THAT DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE HAVING SAME PROBLEM. SEEMS TO BE THE U-JOINTS ON THE STEERING SHAFT. HAVE TO REPLACE SHAFT. *TR

STEERING ERRATIC AND CHOPPY. STEERING WHEEL FAILS TO CENTER SMOOTHLY WHEN RELEASED. STEERING IS HARD AT TIMES. WHEEL STAYS IN TURNED DIRECTION UNLESS MANUALLY TURNED TO CORRECT. *TR

STEERING WHEEL WOULD STIFFEN AS IF THERE WERE NO POWER STEERING ABILITY. WHEN HE TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL, IT DOES NOT TURN BACK UNLESS HE DOES IT MANUALLY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT COULD LEAD TO THE STEERING WHEEL DISCONNECTING FROM THE RACK UNIT. I BELIEVE THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS THE LOWER STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. IF I SPRAY THE U JOINTS OF THE STEERING SHAFT WITH WD 40 OR PB BLASTER IT STEERS GREAT, BUT WEARS OFF WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT!! NOW TRUCK HAS 57,000 MILES. HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE HAD IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD STIFFEN AS IF THERE WERE NO POWER STEERING ABILITY. WHEN HE TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL, IT DOES NOT TURN BACK UNLESS HE DOES IT MANUALLY. THE FAILURE BEGAN APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK AGO. THE CONTACT FEELS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT COULD LEAD TO THE STEERING WHEEL DISCONNECTING FROM THE RACK UNIT. HE BELIEVES THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS THE LOWER STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 43,000.

IN REFERENCE TO ODI COMPLAINT 10224785... I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE ON MY VEHICLE TWICE. IT IS THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, THAT BEING 04' DAKOTA. I BELIEVE THE ISSUE IS KNOWN TO DODGE AS THEY HAVE A VERY SMALL NOTATION IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL IN REFERENCE TO THE STEERING SHAFT. AT PRESENT THIS FAILURE SEEMS TO OCCUR EVERY 2ND SPRING (AFTER SPRING THAW AND WET ROADS), AND IN MY OPINION IT'S DUE TO A LACK OF GREASE FITTINGS ON THE STEERING LINKAGE. AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE THESE "GREASE TIPS", HOWEVER THE STANDARD DODGE SUPPLIED PARTS DO NOT. IT IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE AS IT OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING AND SIMULATES THE FEELING OF COMPLETE POWER STEERING LOSS. PERSONALLY IT ALMOST RESULTED IN 2 ACCIDENTS, HOWEVER I WAS ABLE TO CORRECT MY VEHICLE BEFORE ANY ONCOMING TRAFFIC BECAME INVOLVED. AS I AM CANADIAN I HAVE FILED A REPORT WITH...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND DOES NOT ALLOW THE CONTACT TO TURN THE VEHICLE IN ANY DIRECTION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURS EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

I AM REPORTING THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING. MY METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED 2004 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB EXHIBITED INTERMITTENT BINDING OF THE STEERING MAKING THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED MY SUSPENSION THAT IT WAS THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT THAT WAS BINDING DUE TO ?RUST? AND REPLACED THE COMPONENT AT A COST TO ME OF $310.00 PARTS AND LABOR. THIS COMPONENT HAD SURFACE RUST ONLY ON A SEALED NON-GREASY FITTING AND SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED WITH A VEHICLE LESS THAN 4 YEARS OLD WITH ONLY 58,000 MILES OF USE. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER DIRECTLY TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THEY INDICATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

I AM LOOKING FOR ALL PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO SPEAK TO MY ATTORNEY ABOUT PROBLEMS THEY ARE HAVING WITH THEIR 04 DAKOTA'S. I HAVE HAD CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END, WHIRLING NOISE AT IDLING GETS LOUDER WHEN BLINKER ON, WINDOWS MAKE CLUNKING NOISE WHILE ROLLING UP OR DOWN, SEVER E SHAKING WHILE BRAKING ( WARPED ROTORS), TRANSMISSION LEAKING, AND THE LIST GOES ON. I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF LEMON LAW AND IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO BE ABLE TO FIND AN ATTORNEY. THIS ONE IS EXCELLENT.*JB

DT: CONTACT STATED WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES A NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEN MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT HAND TURN. HE CONTACTED THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE CONNECTOR PART TWICE. WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BRAKE DID NOT HEAR THE NOISE. *AK UPDATED 12/7/2005. THE DEALER REPLACED THE UPPER SHAFT PER THE STAR HOTLINE AND THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM IS MORE PREVALENT IN WARM/HOT WEATHER. *NM

DT: 2004 DODGE, DAKOTA. THE CONSUMER STATED STEERING HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AND IT WAS STILL DEFECTIVE. THE IDLER ARMS WERE REPLACED ONCE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT A MONTH AFTER PURCHASE THE VEHICLE MADE A CLICKING NOISE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. SHE REPEATEDLY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND HAD THE IDLER ARMS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WOULD CLICK WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED, IT WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES AND PROBLEM RECURRED. THE CONSUMER FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. ALSO, POWER STEERING PUMP, THE RADIO, AND THE KNEE PANEL HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. IN ADDITION, THE REAR SHOCKS AND SPRINGS/ THE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR/DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT/THE CLOCK DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE, ROOF JOINT MOLDING WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW WITH 800 MILES ON IT.*AK

RECALL CAMPAIGN : THE VEHICLE'S BALL JOINTS FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION 04V-596. *NM THE VEHICLE' S BALL JOINTS, RACK AND PINION STEERING AND OUTER TIRE RODS ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. *NM

2004 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4X4, PURCHASED 8/16/04. CURRENTLY 2,200 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF OWNERSHIP, THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED RATTLING OR CLUNKING NOISES IN THE FRONT END WHEN TRAVELING OVER BUMPS. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, AND PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKING. TIRE WEAR (ALTHOUGH VERY SLIGHT @ 2,200 MILES IN NOT SYMMETRICAL BETWEEN LH FRONT TO RH FRONT TIRE). I WILL BE TAKING THE TRUCK INTO THE DEALERSHIP @ 3,000 MILES TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE FRONT END, AS WELL AS THE ALIGNMENT.