Problems with 1999 Dodge Dakota SUSPENSION

I have a 1999 dodge dakota with bad ball joints. the problem occurred with only 52,000 miles on the truck. it is driven on paved roads 98% of the time and never off road. this is a safety problem. the truck was built without a way to grease the joints.. a major error. something needs to be done.

While driving at any speed, the consumer can feel a wobble and hear a rattling sound coming from the front of the vehicle. also the front tires began to wear out unevenly. a dealer examined the vehicle and found that all of the ball joints were worn. *nm vehicle has been in and out for repairs for ball joints, and vehicle only had 20,000 miles. *la

Front suspension, ball joints.*jb

There was a loud noise coming from the front passenger side wheel. the dealership indicated the problem was caused by the rubber booth on the control arm which had disintegrated. *jb

63000miles and upper ball joint dry and squeaking. found urethane seal deteriorated allowing water/salt intrusion and purging of grease. why not detected in vehicle testing???*ak will repair myself with prepped aftermarket components thank you very much

Had to replace defective ball joints at approximately 48,000 miles

While driving, the consumer heard popping sounds coming from the wheel area. during an inspection, the mechanic found that the upper ball joints were severely worn. *ak *sc *jb

1999 dodge dakota p/u left upper ball joint failed at 34000 miles. on removal and inspection the part contained lube which had broken down and solidified.the ball and socket were badly worn almost to the point of separation. this is a sealed and lifetime lubed part with no provisions for relube.

Engine pings over 30 mph, speed control sensor had to be replaced, suspension (sway bar, rack bushings, and control arm) need to be replaced to the tune of $700.00. *jb

Complaint received via e-mail." a month after purchase (10/25-02) i had a ball joint failure on the passenger side, it literally fell apart. i contacted dodge several times and took it to dodge for a diagnostics test and they said the ball joint was bad but would not fix it. they said that the warranty only covered the drive chain and o well. i had a mechanic fix it - not dodge. here it is a year later and the other ball joint is starting to fall apart. the upper radius arm bushings are too close to the engine and heat causes the bushing to dry rot allowing space, the ball joints cannot handle the movement and collapse. the 1999 dodge trucks are not in the recall, why ? this model came out in 1997 i believe that all of them have this problem and it is a defect. one month ago i went to tate dodge and asked the mechanic if he knew of any other trucks with this problem or if they had to do a lot of front end repairs, he lied. he said i don't know anything and i haven't heard of one yet. a week later the recall came out. i notified dodge of my problems back in 2002, i bet a lot of accidents would have been nullified if they had listened." *jb

Upper right ball joint failed. vehicle had 65684 miles.*ak

While driving consumer heard a squeaking noise from the front end of the vehicle. consumer took the vehicle to the dealership to have serviced. the dealership indicated that the upper driver side control arm bushing was going out. the dealership replaces the parts, problem reaccured 1000 miles later on the both lower control arm bushing. consumer feels theirs a defect in this part. please provide more information. ts

All four ball joints were replaced. however, the problem recurred. contacted dodge, and was not willing to assist the consumer with fixing the vehicle. *ak...mechanic notified consumer that one of the upper ball joints was defective to the point the wheel was in danger of breaking off at the ball joint. *ak

Left rear spring is loose, causing consumerto have problems with axle. could cause an accident. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak

Upper ball joints failed at 28,000,front bearings and hub assembly failed 47,000.now surging in cruise control. *ak

Both upper and lower ball joints was ng when i went for inspection. i couldn't believe i was driving this vehicle like this. i now think they are getting bad again....*jb

1999 dodge dakota upper ball joints failed. *ak

The early wear out of the ball joints on my 1999 dodge dakota. it was noticed three years after i bought the 4x4 truck when i had new tires put on it. the sears mechanic said he could not align the tires because the ball joints were so bad they needed relplaced. i took it to the dodge dealer to have the seat belt recall fixed and he told me the same thing and it was not covered under the warranty at that time. there was a time when the steering locked up in a parking lot doing a full right turn. i took it to the dealer and he couldn't find anything wrong. so i thought i'd file a complaint because this is long over due. thank you ..... dan. *ak

Had ball joints replaced once already and thy need to be replaced agian. first time on my extended warranty, this time will be at my expense. if this is an example of new vehicle manufacturing to have to replace safety components every 2 years. i would rather go back to the older vehicles. there are no grease fittings on the new stile ball joints.

Upper and lower ball joints,tierod ends on both sides went out on my 1999 dodge dakoda. had then repalced twice already and cost alot of money. *ak

2 lower ball joints, 2 upper ball joints and 2 inner tie rods all replaced at 48,600 miles in 2/02. new recall only covers 2000-2004 dakotas when it is obvious that the 1999 model should also be covered. reimbursement from chrysler for parts/labor/alignment at $806 for defective parts should be expected. *nm

consumer noticed that the rear axel seal leaked and was dripping fluid onto the rear brakes. this problem was repaired twice, problem recurred. also, ball joints wore out excessively on both sides, upper and lower.*ak

I owned a 1999 dodge dakota club cab since 09-99. it was bought new. .before my warranty expired on sept-2000, there was a popping noise from my front end, which was attributed to the ball joints. not only that, but every time i filled it up, gas would start pouring out from the tank. i took it to the the dealership maroone dodge in pembroke pines, fl), and was told that it was probably because i put too much gas in it. after the warranty expired, the problem got worst, and i was told that i needed to replace the fuel pump gasket, and the ball joints. i asked why i haven't been told that before my warranty expired, but the service advisor that attended me wasn't working there anymore. i complained to chrysler, trying to service my truck since i had complained from before the warranty had expired, but they never got back to me. i was just in this chat room, and saw that plenty of people have had the same problem with the ball joints, i don't know about the fuel leaking all over from the tank.

My 1999 dodge dakota needed ball joints and numerous other front end and steering components at only 30000 miles. in my opinion, this was due to a lack of lubrication because there are no grease fittings on my truck's ball joints. if i had not caught this in time, i could have been killed when my wheels fell off. i am concerned that as my truck ages, this problem will reoccur because the replacement parts used were identical to the original part that failed. i have met numerous other dodge dakota owners who have had similar problems. please help us.*ak

Replaced ball joints twice in my 99 dakota 1 time with dodge part should i have to pay for them again come on have them call the early one back to or should i not replace them and sell the truck to some person with out the knowledge i know it's a hard but please stick up for the little guy or girl the dodge boys new about this for years but i think they but hope it just wash away please help us. *jb

Front ball joints went bad on my 1999 dodge dakota. it was caught because my tires which were 6 months old were wearing on a slant.*ak

Consumer states vehicle pulls to the left at all times. dealer found excessive play in ball joints and had to replace them, also performed a front end alignment. *tt

I own a 1999 dodge dakota 4wd sport and i have had to replace both upper ball joints twice. i started having problems late 2001 early 2002, i took it to ansted motors in ansted wv and was informed the upper ball joints were bad. i contacted the chrysler corporation and was informed that my truck was no longer under warranty, so the best they could do was help pay for labor and that i needed to take it to a certain dealership, located in south charleston wv. because the truck was not safe, i had the ball joints replaced in 2002 at what is now joe holland chrysler. this lasted for about six months and i started having problems again in mid 2002, i took the truck to sears at the crossroads mall in beckley wv and was told the ball joints were bad, i had the ball joints replaced for a second time. i recently discovered a recall on dodge durango and dakota, but for the years 2000 through 2003, with the same problems that i have experienced. i have not received a recall notice.

Premature failure of ball join during inspection by dealer. *ak

Vehicle failed inspection 2 years in a row because upper and lower ball joints were worn out. consumer had an appointment at dealer to find out the cause.

All four ball joints prematurely need replacement., excessive play. the dealer stated that the ball joints have 60 thousands of an inch play from the factory. i had an independent front end specialist inspect my brakes and doing so he found the ball joints in the front end no good (excessive play). he said that this is a known problem throughout the industry and dodge has not corrected this problem.*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

I have had to prematurely repair/replace the ball joints on my vehicle. i have noted an inordinately large number of repairs related to this issue when researching the repair process online and with my dealer. because of the potential for injury or loss of life, i have had to severely limit my usage of the vehicle until i can afford the large amount of money required to repair this issue. this problem was first noted in 2001, when the vehicle was only 2 years old. since then, i have driven the vehicle only when absolutely necessary, and it has caused unjust disruption in my personal and professional life. i am requesting that the nhtsa follow through with contacting daimler/chrysler on my behalf so that i may receive financial compensation for the repair. total cost of repair is $492. *nm

Upper ball joint wore out on a 2 year old vehicle ,replacement parts not aveilable. *ak

I own a 1999 dodge dakota.( same suspension as durango).i was advised by my mechanic that the upper control arms, lower ball joints and the idler arm were severly warn and needed to be replaced. while diassembling all joints did come apart. at the time the vehicle had 73,778 miles on it. 99 percent of these miles are highway miles, and i was surprised and irritated that they had worn out so soon, also god only knows what would have happened if i had not caught it prior to the ball joint separating. *ak

Upper ball joints are prematurely wearing which has caused a problem with steering control. also, vehicle has developed a very loud noise, cause unknown. *ak

Consumer noticed that the tires were wearing out faster than normal. vehicle was taken to the dealer, who examined it and found that the upper and lower ball joints needed replacement.*ak

When making sharp turn a popping noise was coming from the steering wheel. took vehicle to mechanic who determined that ball joints needed to be replaced.*ak the reports were made when the vehicle had relatively low miles. visual inspection of the ball joints indicated they needed to be replaced. the consumer received a quote to replace the upper ball joint but they have not been repaired yet. the lower ball joint also needs to be replaced. the consumer also heard a rattling noise under the vehicle. the technician determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced due to excessive wear. while driving 40 mph or higher the consumer complained of wind noise. the technician replaced the right front door weather strip. *nm

After only 38,000 miles, my dodge dealer in 2001 advised me my ball joints were defective and needed repair on my 1999 dodge dakota 4x4. out of warrenty by only 2000 miles and only about a year old, they advised me to keep the paper work and parts, if there ever was a recall.*ak

This will be my seventh time to the garage at 40000 mile i can't seem to get any response from the manufacturer. i feel that they need to know about all the problems that i had with their product. can you help? thank you. rlg ohio p.s i have 7 different problems..no safety defect. *ak

Why is the 1999 dodge dakota not included in the ball joint recall. my 1999 dodge dakota had a bad upper ball joint at less than 60,000. *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

Lower ball joint had to be replaced. other one was worn, it will need to be replaced also.*ak

Front ball joints broke which may have caused a crash at 50,000 miles. dealer cannot determine the cause. please provide further information.*ak

Right front ball joint were falling out. left front ball joint in disrepair.dealer notified on 4/10/00.mileage5536 .catalytic converter replacedat20445. thermostat housing replaced at 13478.

I have had to replace the shocks three times within the first year and two other times since. the bolts kept breaking off of them, upper and lower ball joints, inner and outer tie rods and the steering box. i have spent aprx $5,000.00 taking care of these problems and they are still not correct.

Continuous abs problems. some times the abs brakes will apply without touching the brake pedal, most of the time the abs won't work at all, abs sensors are continuously needing replacement,all 4 front end ball joints worn out, noisy rear end, only 50,000 miles. *jb

Left front control arm defective before 30,000 miles. now at 115,000 miles both right and left upper and lower ball joints are bad. dodge fixed this to replace all control arms with new. $1800.oo repair. is this going to be a recall like the other durango's? *la

I have had my upper and lower ball joints replaced a few times under warrenty along with the intermediate steering shaft ! always replaced with the same factory part prone to failure !at $100.00 deductable per incident along with the cost of a front end alignment after each repair (not covered) - and now my extended warrenty is up and it will cost me more for the privledge to own this useless truck !

Vehcile wanders left to right on dry road. front end vibrates intermitently. consumer has been waiting for the district representative to call but no contact.*ak engine valve failed five times. steering failed three times. rear oil seal is leaking. *yh