2005 DODGE DAKOTA Electrical System Problems

*Incomplete Recall Status* ***Defect in transfer case*** Complaint of Manufacturer Defect in 2005 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4 3.7l v6. While driving at a speed of 30mph on a smooth paved highway and selector switch turned to 2 wheel drive mode; out of nowhere, the transfer case tried to engage 4 High which resulted in SVC 4X4 warning lamp illumination and a loud grinding/stuttering sound from under carriage as well as halting me to 10 mph without any help from me. after pulling over on the roadside and putting truck in park and turning the engine off, i waited a couple of minutes and SVC 4X4 indicator and 4High dash light had gone. I restarted the truck only to find that the SVC 4X4 Warning lamp immediately returned and now the 4lo illuminated dash light is constantly showing and truck is still showing in 2 wheel drive with selector switch...

VEHICLE GOES IN AND OUT OF 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND 4 WHEEL LO ON IT'S OWN, WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING OR NOT AND MOVING OR NOT. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I OPEN THE DOOR, NOT UNLOCK, JUST OPEN, AND YOU CAN HEAR THE TRANSFER CASE SHIFTING . SOMETIME "SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE" LIGHT COMES ON, OTHER TIMES JUST 4 WHEEL INDICATOR AND OTHER TIMES NO LIGHT AT ALL. THOUGH IT IS A 2005, I ONLY HAVE 80K ON IT. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOW

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE T80 HEATED SEATS IN MY 2005 DODGE DAKOTA I CALLED THE CHRYSLER REPRESENTATIVE SCHEDULE A REPAIR SERVICE WITH PERKINS DODGE COLORADO SPRINGS HE ORDERED THE SEATS I TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD A BURN HOLE IN IT AND HAD CAUGHT FIRE WHEN THE NEW SEATS ARRIVED AT PERKINS DODGE I TOOK MY TRUCK IN TO BE REPAIRED THEY TOLD ME THEY WILL NOT DO THE PASSENGER SEAT BECAUSE OF THE BURN HOLE HAS CUT OUT PIECES. I TOLD THEM I HAD TO REMOVE SOME OF THE BURNT MATERIAL TO PUT A SEAT COVER ON AND STILL UTILIZE THE SEAT. SEATS ARE STILL UNDER RECALL THEY ORDERED THEM KNOWING THAT THERE WAS A BURN HOLE I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WILL NOT PROCEED WITH THE REPAIR THE INFORMATION FOR THE CASE NUMBER AND REPRESENTATIVE I TALKED TO IS HERE.... MY NAME...

SEATS ALMOST CAUGHT FIRE. MELTED A HOLE IN SEATS

APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO FROM THIS COMPLAINT, WHILE DRIVING THE AFOREMENTIONED VEHICLE (2005 DODGE DAKOTA) DURING NORMAL, SUMMER TIME ROAD CONDITIONS, WRITER NOTICED THAT THE "SVC 4WD" WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES BEFORE TURNING OFF. LIGHT DIDN'T ILLUMINATE AGAIN UNTIL SUNDAY, 09/09/2018. WHEN UNLOCKING THE VEHICLE USING THE VEHICLE'S REMOTE UNLOCK ON THE KEY, WRITER NOTICED A SOUND THAT SOUNDED LIKE THE VEHICLE ENGAGING THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE MECHANISMS. WRITER STARTED THE VEHICLE, NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, AND THE SERVICE LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK, THE SERVICE LIGHT HAS INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED ON OCCASION, REMAINING ON FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THEN TURNS OFF. TODAY, 09/14/2018, WHEN LEAVING MY WORK FOR AN ERRAND, I NOTED THAT THE "SVC 4WD" LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. WRITER NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS...

ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ELECTRIC WINDOW A NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE WINDOW NOW DOES NOT WORK.

TRUCK TRIES TO ENGAGE INTO 4X4 MODE WHILE KNOB IS IN 2X4 SELECTION AND KEY IS NOT EVEN IN IGNITION. ALSO WHILE DRIVING TRUCK ENGAGES INTO 4X4 MODE WHILE KNOB IS IN 2X4 MODE. DODGE DEALER SAID THEY NO LONGER MAKE TIPM PART TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND NO OTHER PARTS COMPANY MAKE THIS PART.

I WAS PICKING UP MY BOYS FROM SCHOOL WHEN I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THEN I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM MY DRIVERS SIDE SEAT. I TURNED OFF THE HEAT TO THE SEAT. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK, THERE WAS A BURN MARK IN THE SEAT AND ON MY JACKET.

SEAT HEATER MALFUNCTION, CAUSING SMALL FIRE AND HOLE MELTED INTO THE SEAT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CONTINUOUS NOISE THAT PROGRESSED. ALSO, THE MOTOR FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A MANUFACTURER RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED NO REPAIR SOLUTION. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V313000 (AIR BAGS) AND THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO SCHEDULE THE REPAIR FOR MONTHS DUE TO THE MANUFACTURER NOT BEING ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS MAY BECOME AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RANDOMLY STALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

KEYS PARTLY SLIP OUT OF IGNITION CAUSING ELECTRICAL FAILURES. WHILE IN MOTION, IF YOU BUMP YOUR KEYS WITH YOUR KNEE OR HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, MULTIPLE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS APPEAR AND GAUGES, INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER, WILL GIVE INACCURATE OR NONEXISTENT READINGS. CRUISE CONTROL AND OTHER SYSTEMS MAY FAIL. VEHICLE MUST BE PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF TO CLEAR THE ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THIS FAILURE CAN OCCUR MULTIPLE TIMES IN ONE TRIP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS SERVICED UNDER AN AIR BAGS MANUFACTURERS RECALL BUT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK THE DEALER WHERE THE CLOCK SPRINGS IN THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

THE 4WD TRANSFER CASE MOTOR SOMETIMES OPERATES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS OFF, AFTER DOORS ARE UNLOCKED WITH THE KEY FOB. THE 4WD RANDOMLY & SPONTANEOUSLY ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITHOUT ANY 4WD-RELATED INDICATOR LIGHTS. THERE IS A MOMENT OF RESISTANCE - LIKE AN EXTREME HEADWIND, THEN A VIOLENT THUD IN THE DRIVETRAIN WHEN IT DISENGAGES. AT TIMES THERE IS A ROLLING PULSATION IN THE DRIVETRAIN, AS IF THE 4WD IS ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE OVER LONGER DISTANCES. ENGAGING 4WD UNEXPECTEDLY AT HIGHWAY SPEED COULD CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE DRIVETRAIN, LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, AND POTENTIALLY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. THIS COMPLAINT IS POSTED LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF TIMES ON INTERNET FORUMS AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V373000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 15V313000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN THE RUNNING AND OPERATIONAL POSITION, AKA DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED, BY SIMPLY PULLING IT OUT OF THE IGNITION, AND THE VEHICLE WILL REMAIN RUNNING, AND THEN THERE IS NO WAY TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS BEEN FAULTY SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. I AM AMAZED NO ONE HAS BEEN INJURED, AND EVEN MORE SURPRISED NO RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE.

I'M LEFT WITH A DILEMMA. I OWN A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4. THIS VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM WHERE THE TRANSMISSION ELECTRONICALLY SWITCHES FROM 2 WHEEL DRIVE TO 4 WHEEL DRIVE WITHOUT THE DRIVER'S CONSENT. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM ACROSS THE INTERNET WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. WE'VE KNOWN THE TRANSMISSION HAS HAD ISSUES FOR A WHILE, BUT (WARRANTY COMPANY) HAS A THEORY OF CAN'T REPLICATE IT, WON'T FIX IT .AND THAT IS WHAT OCCURRED. ON 3/23 WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH, THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO ELECTRONICALLY SHIFT INTO 4LO FROM 2WD, A SYSTEM THAT SHOULD ONLY FUNCTION UNDER 20MPH. IT FAILED TO ENGAGE, CAUSING GRINDING NOISES FROM THE TRANSAXLE CASE AND A SLOW STOP ON SIDE OF INTERSTATE. UPON LATER INSPECTION BY A IN NETWORK REPAIR FACILITY, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO PRODUCE A PCM CODE AND MECHANICALLY COULD NOT BE REPLICATED IN THE 2 HRS AT THE SHOP....

FROM ABOUT NOVEMBER 2010 UNTIL I DELIVERED THE TRUCK TO THORNTON ROAD CHRYSLER DODGE TO INSTALL RECALL P40, THE AIRBAG OFF AND SEAT BELT WARNINGS, WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER, CHIMED AND THE WARNING LIGHTS LIT UP. THORNTON ROAD CHRYSLER INSTALLED RECALL P40 AND RECALIBRATED FRONT SEAT SENSORS. AFTER I LEFT THE DEALER, BEFORE I WAS 100 YARDS FROM THE PARKING LOT, THE WARNING CHIME AND LIGHTS CAME ON AND THEY HAVE NOT GONE OUT SINCE. I AM TOO ANGRY TO CALL THE DEALER. *TR

VEHICLE WHILE ON HIGHWAY WOULD FLASH 4LO ON DASH OR ILLUMINATE SVC 4WD. VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WOULD ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE 4LO AS WELL. WHILE ENGAGING, VEHICLE WOULD LOSE ACCELERATION AND RPMS WOULD IMMEDIATELY INCREASE. THIS WOULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WITH VEHICLE OFF AND KEY REMOVED, TRANSFER CASE MOTOR WOULD TRY TO CHANGE TRANSFER CASE POSITION. NONE OF THESE SYMPTOMS OCCURRED WHILE 4WD WAS ENGAGED USING SELECTOR SWITCH. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. CODES RECORDED IN COMPUTER WERE FOR TRANSFER CASE POSITION SENSOR BEING OUT OF RANGE. (BOTH HIGH AND LOW VALUES WERE RECORDED SIMULTANEOUSLY) DEALER ORIGINALLY FOUND LEADS ON FCM CONNECTOR BETWEEN WIRING HARNESS AND PCB HAD CORRODED DUE TO FAULTY SEALANT AND WERE POSSIBLY SHORTING OUT. MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF FAULT. MANUFACTURER REPLACED FCM AT NO COST. AFTER FCM WAS REPLACED VEHICLE WOULD STILL EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO...

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHTS KEEP GOING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND THE AIRBAG INDICATOR NEXT TO THE SPEEDOMETER ALSO GOES ON AND OFF AT THE SAME TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE KEY FOB CONNECTION FAILED AND A NEW KEY FOB WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

I AM A TALL DRIVER STANDING 6'9" EVEN WITH THE SEAT ALL THE WAY DOWN AND ALL THE WAY BACK. AFTER INHERITING THE 2005 DODGE DAKOTA SXT QUAD CAB PICKUP TRUCK FROM MY STEP FATHER THAT PASTED AWAY IN OCTOBER OF 2013. I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND MY RIGHT KNEE HIT THE KEY WHILE IN THE ON POSITION KNOCKING INTO THE AUXILIARY POSITION TURNING THE TRUCK ALMOST COMPLETELY OFF. ALL THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON THE AC SHUT OFF TURNED OVER TO HEAT AND STARTED GETTING VERY HOT INSIDE THE TRUCK. WE WHEN TO THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER THEY HOOKED UP OF A MACHINE THAT GAVE THEM A CODE THAT SAID OUR COMPUTER WAS OUT OF FACTORY SPEC'S. THE GUY SAID IF WE WANTED IT TO BE LOOKED AT TO BE DIAGNOST.WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY $198.00 TO HAVE THEM SEP UP AN APPOINTMENT FOR US TO BRING IT...

I TURNED ON MY HEATED SEAT, AS I HAVE DONE SEVERAL TIMES THIS WINTER. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES, I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I REACHED AROUND THE BACK OF ME AS I WAS DRIVING BECAUSE A SPOT ON MY BACK WAS VERY HEATED. I ACTUALLY STUCK MY FINGER THROUGH A HOLE IN THE SEAT THAT HAD BURNED THROUGH BOTH THE SEAT AND MY COAT. (ALSO MY FINGER, AT THIS POINT.) I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE HEAT OFF AND WENT DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEIR SOLUTION WAS TO CONTACT CHRYSLER'S CUSTOMER CLAIMS RESOLUTION CENTER, WHO IN TURN INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND MY COAT ON MARCH 3, 2014. THE NEXT CONTACT I HAD WAS A LETTER DATED MARCH 10 THAT STATED, "THE INSPECTOR FOUND NO INDICATION OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT CAUSED OR CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT..." I SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED THEIR GENERAL OFFICE COUNSEL AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT BE DOING ANYTHING FURTHER...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EMITTED A SQUEAKING NOISE UPON ENTERING AND EXITING. THE NOISE WAS ALSO PRESENT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE HEAD WAS REBUILT AND THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND WAS WORKING WITH THE CONTACT TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

I STARTED VEHICLE AND TURNED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE HEATED SEAT SWITCH PRIOR TO CLEANING THE SNOW AND ICE OFF WINDOWS AND HOOD AFTERWHICH I LET MY COWORKER CLEAN HIS VEHICLE OFF. I WENT BACK TO MY VEHICLE TO SMELL SOMETHING BURNING AND NOTICED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT SMOLDERING THROUGH THE CLOTH. I TURNED THE SWITCH BACK OFF AND WIPED THE AREA WITH SNOW THUS STOPPING THE IMPENDING FIRE. I WOULD ESTIMATE THE TIME RUNNING/WARMING UP; TO BE APPROXIMATELY 6 MINUTES. *TR

MARCH , 2011, AS I WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, SMOKE FILLED THE TRUCK . WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND I GOT OUT. THE SEAT BACK WAS SMOKING AND BURNING AND A HOLE WAS BURNED IN MY COAT. I REPORTED THIS IMMEDIAELY TO CHRYSLER. IT WAS INVESTIGATED AND CHRYSLER REPLACED THE ELEMENT AND PUT A NEW SEAT COVER ON THE SEAT BACK. I DID NOT ASK FOR REIMBERSMENT FOR THE COAT. ON 12/27/11, THE SAME SEAT , NOW THE BOTTOM, CAUGHT ON FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED CHRYSLER AGAIN, BOUGHT THE TRUCK FOR AN INSPECTION ALONG WITH MY NEW BURNT COAT. I RECEIVED A LETTER THIS TIME SAYING THAT THEY FOUND NO DEFECT. I ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY IT WAS NOT DEFECTIVE THIS TIME AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DECISION WAS FINAL AND NO EXPLANATION WAS NECESSARY. I DO NOT WANT HEATED SEATS AND TOLD THEM I DIDN'T...

DRIVERS SEAT SHORTED OUT AND OVERHEATED, CAUSING A 1 INCH SQUARE BURN ON THE SEAT, AND ALSO BURNED A HOLE IN MY JEANS. HEATED SEAT FUSE DID NOT BLOW. CONCERNED THAT A FIRE COULD HAVE STARTED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT OCCUPIED. *TR

2005 DODGE DAKOTA KEY WILL NOT TURN TO START VEHICLE. *NJ

I BOUGHT MY 2005 DODGE DAKOTA NEW. AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES GOING TO WORK AT NIGHT AND IN A SNOWSTORM MY HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED A COUPLE OF TIMES THEN STARTED TO INTERMITTANTLY GO OFF THEN BACK ON. ONLY MY FOG LIGHTS BELOW MY BUMPER WERE ON. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENTS. LATER I LOOKED AT ALL THE WIRING AND CONNECTORS AND FOUND NOTHING. THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS THEN CAME BACK. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND AT CERTAIN INSTANCES COULD BE DANGEROUS: FOG, WINDING ROADS, ETC. I SPOKE TO A DODGE MECHANIC AND HE INFORMS ME THAT THERE'S A KNOW PROBLEM WITH THE INTERIOR INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHT INTENSITY SWITCH (ITS PART OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSY). THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR THANKS BOB PAULDING

I BOUGHT A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA V6 4 X 4 LESS THAT THREE MONTHS AGO. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT. I BOUGHT A NEW PUMP AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR $172.00 & PUT IT IN. THE TRUCK IS STILL NOT WORKING. I BELIEVE THE NEW PUMP IS ALSO SHOT NOW. THE HOSES HAVE BEEN CLEANED OUT & THE RACK IS NOT LEAKING. THERE WAS ALWAYS FLUID IN THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR. NONE OF THE FLUID IS CIRCULATING. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD,RESTARTED, AND WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE UPGRADED.