Problems with 2002 Dodge Dakota FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

I had just filled the gas tank in my 2002 dodge dakota pickup truck and was driving north at 70 mph on interstate 93 in new hampshire this past friday when the straps holding the fuel tank in place under the truck broke and the gas tank literally fell off the truck. i pulled over and saw that the tank was being suspended only by the hoses connecting the tank to the fuel filler opening. i called a tow truck which loaded the truck onto its tilt body. by the time we had gone 10 miles to a garage, the gas tank had completely separated from the hoses and had fallen to the floor of the tow truck bed, sloshing gas everywhere. thankfully, we were able to unload the dakota without setting off the fuel, but this could have been a huge accident. the two straps holding the fuel tank in place were made out of metal and had rusted through. it seems to me that this is an unacceptable design flaw. my vehicle could have lost its gas tank at full speed. the gas could have ignited, blown up me and my truck and caused collateral damage to other vehicles on the road. *tr

2002 dodge dakota consumer is concerned about brake line *cn the consumer stated the vehicle was manufactured with inferior materials. the gas tank straps broke and the transmission and brake lines had rusted and were leaking. the repair shop replaced the brake line and brake hose. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the vehicle exhibited a loud dragging noise. he then discovered that one of the straps that held the fuel tank was completely corroded. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who replaced the one fuel strap. the manufacturer was then contacted and they advised him that they were unaware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. updated 06/07/11*lj

Fuel mileage 02 dakota 4x4 3.9 lv-6 gets 15 mpg. i had a 96 and 99 dakota 4x4's ordered new as well with same engine, tires, and drive train ratio as the 02 that got 21 mpg. i know of a 99 jeep grand cherokee with 4.0 l with same tires and drive train ratio gets 21 mpg. why doesn't the 02 get better? *jb

I have had several alarming failures with my dodge dakota quad cab. it is a 2002 v6 auto transmission pw pl. i have had the ball joints replaced because of the recall, my transmission has failed (twice), my front hubs & spindles completely disintegrated and could have killed my family, my water pump has failed and had to be replaced, the driver side taillight seems to fail often, the vacuum hoses have all had to be replaced because of the cheap rubber used by the manufacturer fail by cracking and causing all sorts of leaks causing engine lights, loud noises under the hood, and horrible gas mileage. i have done everything possible to be proactive in my maintenance of the vehicle. i have had the major repairs done professionally. i do not understand how a 2002 vehicle can have so many potentially fatal problems and be ignored. i have searched high and low for quality bulletins but cannot find anything. my gas mileage is now down to 14 mpg and the truck is falling apart. *jb

While driving at 40 mph with 46,500 kilometers a strong fuel odor had been noticed gas gauge drop from just under three quarters to below half .complaint about fuel system and really bad gas mileage. and carbon residue on exhaust seem to have been ignored by dealer. *nm

My 2002 dodge dakota sxt club cab has been in for service on 2/14/05, 2/23/05, 3/12/05, 3/26/05 and 4/9/05 for misfiring. it has had 3 fuel injectors 2, 3, and 4 replaced because they were leaking, and all the spark plugs replaced every time it has gone into service. to date, 4/18/05, the vehicle was still misfiring. on each occasion, the engine light came on, and each time, the dealership stated it was the same problem. i have had the dealership at my expense to flush the fuel injector system, and have had service automatic transmission. i have also had the dealership , under warranty, to replace a failing master cylinder on 1/26/05. i anticipate i will be back at the dealership sometime this weekend, as i am sure the engine light will come on again.*ak

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

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.

Since the purchase of my vehicle in april 02 i have had a problem with the acceleration when starting to move the vehicle. basically when pressing on the gas pedal there is a dead spot (hesitation).if the vehicle accelerator is in the dead spot and the clutch is released this causes an unsafe condition. *nlm

There is a hesitation (dead spot) while depressing the accelorator pedal,when trying to start rolling from a stop. the rpms actually fall before they rise. this ,while letting out the clutch is unsafe ,causing the vehicle to stall when the power is needed the most. have taken the vehicle 9 times and each time they say ; 1)it will get better with time 2)this is an inherant problem with the 6 cylinder & manual 3)cant duplicate (it happens every time i try to move) you actually have to play with the gas pedal in order to get past the hesitation area

Fuel pump failed at 41,000 miles. *ak

In oct.2002 my truck shut off while driving down the road. in the past the truck had shut off in reverse or when i was at a dead stop and then press the gas, but this time i had to drive with my foot on the gas and the brake at the same time and then put it in neutral at a stop to keep the gas going. i had also had a problem with my blinkers. you turn the left one on and occasionally the right one will blink to-like "hazard lights". my dash board would also light up while driving or even when i come to a stop at a light. i put it off until the driving down the road. the dealership said it was a computer problem and the truck had been doing it since day 1, they couldn't find the problem to the blinkers. also the a/c condesation line had a crack in it and was leaking into my passenger side floor-that was a second trip. now my truck is haveing the same shut-off problem starting just like it did last time-so now i am looking into the "lemon law", it seems to apply so far.*ak