Problems with 2002 Dodge Dakota SUSPENSION

There has been no failure of my front end yet, however i have noticed a rattle in the front. i have not notified my dealer yet. i dont believe the ball joints are under warranty. just wanted to express my concern.*ak

The consumer believes that the scope of the ball joint recall should be expanded. the ball joints on the consumer's vehicle failed yet the vehicle was not covered under the consumers 100k miles limited warranty. the vehicle's transmission also failed. *bf *nm *sc the consumer stated that the vehicle transmission stalls and gets stuck in low gear when the engine is cold. *tc

Recall campaign: 2002 dodge dakota have upper ball joints problems. *bf recall campaign: the consumer received a recall on his vehicle dealing with the upper ball joints. the dealer told the consumer that the lower ball joints were bad but not included in the recall. the consumer requested information on why only to replace the upper ball joints if the lower ball joints were still bad and what recourse he has other than contacting chrysler. *tc

Told by four people at work that they had problem with there ball joint and had to replace them on dodge dakotas truck, ask dodge dealer they said they go bad because of michigan roads, i ask him what about the other 49 states. *jb

1. after driving vehicle several miles, audible "groan" comes from front suspension of vehicle during turns. no problem with steering, no excessive play, but makes that moaning sound. suspect ball joints. this is an ongoing problem.*ak 2. at 46,000 (approx) had to replace 1 rotor, 1 drum on brakes for excessive vibration during stops. problem cleared for about 18,000 miles, now doing same thing again. suspect dodge's supplier of rotor and drums is not very good.

The driver and passenger side wheel bearings failed. *nm drivers side heated up so much that it blew the tire and the rim off the hub while the vehicle was in motion. due to the damage the wheel bearing hub, rotor, brake and tire had to be replaced. one week later the passengers side failed. *tc *jb

Front end vibration and creeking. dealer states both upper front ball joints worn and need replacing. old parts available.*ak

Premature ball joint failure in 2002 dodge dakota 4x4. ball joints where making clunking sound and were bad at 35000 but dealer refused to fix. now when i returned at 79000 and they are really really bad and unsafe they admit that they are bad and that they know dodge has a problem with the ball joints but still refused to fix under warranty.*ak

Bought 2002 dodge dakota club cab slt+ in june of 2002. within 6,000 miles, began to hear an occasional 'scrunch' sound when turning sharp (like into parking spaces) - more pronounced when hitting a bump while turning sharp (on my street, there's a slight - less than 2 inch - dropoff from the road to my driveway). gradually got more and more noticeable, and took less and less to cause the sound, until i took it in at about 24,000 miles. both sides, both ball joints were replaced. truck drove great for a while, then at about 30,000 or so, started all over again. same thing. truck now has 48,000 miles, and is in the shop again for the same service.*ak

There is a clicking noise when the vehicle is making turns, causing the suspension to become loose and maintain proper control. vehicle was taken to dealer for front ball joint repairs for the fourth time.*ak

The tire retail store was unable to perform a front end alignment after replacing the front tires because 3 of the ball joints were defective, and the fourth wore out. *ak the consumer stated that his vehicle has no lift and no oversized tires. the defective tires have 20 to 25% of the tread still on them showing indication of faulty ball joints. *tc

While attempting to get the front end aligned on my 2002 dodge dakota it was discovered the upper ball joints have failed and separated. the vehicle had less than 30,000 miles. the mechanice states it is a defect of the parts. *ak

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

The upper and lower ball joints continued to wear prematurely. please provide additional informtion. *jb

Upper and lower ball joint failure, both sides. replacement estimated at $1100.00.*ak

Reported a popping sound on the right front of vehicle to dealership appro. one year ago, informed nothing was wrong. upon a personal inspection during a routine oil change i noted that the right upper control arm ball joint had prematurely failed. *ak(current vechicle mileage 16,000) purchased replacement control arm and installed per manufactuers instructions. i have saved the old part. my concern in this matter is, if these same parts are used on both dodge dakotas and dodge durangos and this part is prone to premature failure, what will be the end result?

1. preparing to drive from california to north carolina ib 2002 dodge dakota quad cab 2wd. having tires replaced and front end alignment. front end ball joint and assy needed to be replaced due to extreme wear. mechanic stated i was lucky the wheels didn't fall off. had front end ball assy replaced.*ak

Upper ball joints of a 2002 dodge dakota quad cab 4x4 needing replaced with only 15,153 miles on truck. *nm

Noise in front end pickup moves side to side. *ak

dodge dakota had several problems at low miles, notice scrunch sound in front suspension whenever consumer pulled into the driveway. *bf *tc

2002 dodge dakota pickup truck exhibits premature wear on upper ball joints resulting in loud popping noise during turns and front in rattle on uneven pavement.*ak

Upon turning the steering wheel, i would hear "popping" coming from the front suspension. brought it in for inspection. mechanic diagnosed the problem as bad ball joints. replaced both upper and lower ball joints (left and right). the condition of the upper ball joints indicated that they were ready to pop out of the socket.

Due to the worn front upper ball joints, the consumer would hear a clunking noise when driving. the dealership is aware of the problem, but did not resolve. please provide more information. *nm

Worn ball joints and related suspension noise. *ak

I purchased my 2002 dodge dakota quadcab 4x4 new from the dealer. and at about 40,000 miles i notice suspension noise from the front. it was intermittent at first then as i approached 50,000 miles the noise became a metallic chatter at all times. i had the parts replaced by a local shop after the dealer failed to honor my appointment times. the mechanic said that the upper ball joints were out and that they had to be replaced. he also commented that he has never seen a ball joint wear out in just 50,000 miles. he gave me the old parts showed the play in the joint and the absence of grease in the boot. he claimed that the design must be defective to wear out that early and completely. i use the car for work and lose money when it is not operative. my main concern was safety and reliability since i am required to work in all weather conditions with my contract to the local utility, pg&e. now i am at 65,000 miles and they are giong out again. it is under warranty with the local shop but is it fair for this business to deal with a manufacturing problem? the date of repair was 8/23/04 but the problem was first noticed 4/5/04 and worsened to i felt i couldn't safely drive the vehicle anymore. now the early signs are starting again 10,000 miles after repair. *ak

Premature failure on left upper ball joint for 2002 dodge dakota quad cab 4x4, 36,990 miles. popping sounds coming from front left, so i took it to the dealer for evaluation. i was charged for the ball joint check and deductable on extended warranty.*ak

The right front tire came off while driving at 75 mph on the highway. vehicle went into the median and stopped. vehicle was towed. it was discovered that ball joints were defective, and caught on fire.*ak

I have a 2002 dodge dakota quad cab--with 49000 on it and it needs lower ball joints! is there any type of recall or course of action i can take ? these ball-joints should not need to be replaced at 49000. *jb

I have had clunking and squeaking noises coming from the front end of my 2002 dodge dakota quad cab since about 18,000 miles. i have mentioned it to the dealer and they say they do not know what it is. after viewing the internet i have realized that there is many problems with the upper and lower ball joints. i will soon be returing to the dealer with the info to try to get it fixed. *ak

Brought 2002 dakota to dealer cause of popping noises coming from front end especially when turning. dealer said no problem found. truck still makes noises. heard that there may be a problem with ball joints. *jb

Recall campaign#04v596000: the vehicle's ball joints failed prior to recall notification. *nm the ball joints had worn out. the consumer reqested reimbursement. *sc *jb

I had loss of control of my vehicle this morning which i believe is a direct result of my steering/ball joint / rack and pinion failure. it's at the dealer now being looked over thoroughly. the dealer just replaced the intermittent steering shaft last week.*ak

Front end of truck would make noise when hitting bumps the steering wheel would shake violently. oth ball joints on the passenger side were defective. the upper had nearly 1/4" of up and down travel and the bottom was completely broken. it is amazing that the wheel didn't fall off completely. replaced both passenger side ball joints. had to purchase them from an aftermarket vendor do to chrysler having them on national backorder. the only part that they had available was a complete a arm assembly at a price of $250 each versus the $50 for the ball joint itself. i find it somewhat strange that 2wd versions of the dakota and durango are not being covered under the recently announce recall. having managed auto parts stores for several years, are customer complaints and sales are just as high on the 2wd parts as the 4wd.*ak

I noticed loud cracking-popping noises coming from the front suspension when turning or traveling over rough pavement. i took the vehicle to the dealership for service. i told them about the noises from the suspension. they checked the vehicle and said that i was in danger of losing a wheel if i hit a pot hole. they wanted over $1000.00 to replace the upper ball joints. i declined. i replaced the upper ball joints myself. i know i was over the 36000 mi. warranty. i thought it was an excessive ammount of money to replace 2 ball joints that cost $50.00 each. i did not keep the old parts. one of the ball joints fell apart as i was removing it.*ak

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

Ball joints and u-joints are in need of replacement after only 26 months of ownership and 60,000 miles put on the truck. *ak

Vehicle was taken to the dealer for a routine inspection, and mechanic determined that both upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to worn out parts. *ak

After approximately 1 year and about 15,000 miles i took my 2002 dodge dakota slt quad cab 4.7l v8 4x2 in to the dealer for a "clunking" noise in the steering. the dealer stated that the upper ball joints were worn and replaced the parts under warranty. on 4 july 2004, after having the truck for about 2 years and 32,000 miles, while going over a speed bump at approximately 10 miles per hour, a lound crash was heard followed by a griding noise. it turns out that the upper ball joint on the passenger side just snapped and the steering arm slammed in to the rim of the wheel scraping the edge of it barely missing the tire by 1-1.5 inches. the vehicle is now having that same "clunking" noise when going over bumps and it can be felt in the steering.*ak

Upper ball joints are failing. *nm

Dodge dakota 02 with just 50000 miles has noise in front end, thud in front end on bumps and turns, camber seems to change at times when veiwed while parked, called dodge at 1-800-992-1997, got a runaround from customer service, if i take truck to dodge and pay for a diognostic on ball joints they may help with repairs. this has to be extremly poor quality parts for this many vehilcles to have proplems.*ak

While driving at any speed and when brake were depressed pedal pulsated. vehicle was serviced, and technician turned the rotors at 34, 000 miles. *ak vehicle has a problem with the ball joint in the past, which concerned the consumer. *la

Upon inspection of road wander complaint, vehicle was found to have a bad upper ball joint, and excessive wear on all other ball joints for mileage noted.*ak

Problems with front suspension and brakes on 2002 dodge dakota. *mr the front suspension squeaked and was unable to be duplicated, the brakes were noisy upon application and was also unable to be duplicated, noise would come from the shock absorber when stopping and when going over bumps, noise was coming from the left front upper ball joints on left turns and when going over bumps, the left caliper made a sticking sound and the wheel bearing was replaced, the drive belt made sounds, and the brakes pulsated. *sc *jb

While driving, noticed that the check engine light was on and the oil pressure gauge was incorrect. notified dealer of this issue and also an issue with grinding noise when turning left or right. the dealer has replaced the upper and lower ball joints on the front and even admitted that they have seen a high failure rate for this. also they replaced the vacuum tube harness under the gas tank. the oil pressure gauge sensor was loose and was corrected. *jb

Upper ball joints were loose, one to the point of coming apart. there was no noticeable failure of the part leading up to the point when i discovered the problem. when i went to rotate my tires i bumped the right front and heard an audible "click" while it was on the jackstand. i have since replaced both upper joints as the vehicle was unsafe to drive. *mr

While driving 50 mph the front passenger side tire and rotor separated from the vehicle. as a result, the vehicle rolled over four times. the driver sustained broken ribs. *ak sc

The dealer's technician noticed that the right upper ball joint had excessive play. *nm *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

While driving at 45 mph consumer heard a loud noise coming from the front end. vehicle was taken to dealer and mechanic determined there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. then, an independent repair shop indicated that ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak

While driving at approximately 40 mph heard noises coming from the front. had no difficulty with the driving. took vehicle to dealership, and mechanic determined that the right side lower ball joints needed to be replaced. did not need to replace ball joints on the left. had previously filed complaint #12187283. *ak *nm