Problems with 2003 Dodge Dakota EQUIPMENT

On june 5, 2006 the engine light came on in our 2003 dodge dakota (approx. 25,500 miles). we took it to the dodge dealership and they replaced a hose for the fuel line at a cost of approx. $250. on june 7, 2006 the engine light again came on and dodge said an o2 sensor needed to be replaced (at a cost to us of approx. $300). with in the next 3 weeks our dodge was in the shop 2 more times (for a total of 4 items in a month) due to the engine light coming on. the last time they told us the o2 sensor that was replaced was faulty and was the problem. this concerns me as the car was 5 weeks over the 3 year warranty so nothing was covered and the service we received at dodge was the worst i have ever received. *nm

The right front lower control arm ball joint separated causing my 2003 dodge dakota to run off the road and swerve to the right. the truck hit a parked car and both vehicles were totaled. there was no noise or indication of any problem prior to the incident. mileage was 31,600.*ak

I purchased a new 2003 dodge dakota 4.7l v-8 quad cub. at approximately 6,000 miles, i noticed a shudder in the truck when the brakes were applied. it became worse with mileage, and at 15,000 miles, the vehicle felt unsafe when stopping due to horrible shaking and shuddering. it also felt i had less stopping power and distance. i took it to the dealership, and they advised i had warped brake rotors. they replaced the rotors at my expense. approximately 3,000 miles later, the vehicle showed the same symptoms again. i took it back, same diagnosis. i asked the service representative why this continued to happen. she told me "dodge is using junk parts". i asked why they didn't put better parts on if they knew this and she said that was up to chrysler, not the service dealer. approximately 3,000 miles later i had to take my truck back again, for the same problem. again, when i asked why this continued to happen, i was advised "junk parts". i contacted dodge via their website explaining my problem and they advised me to use a different service dealership. even with the new rotors, my truck feels it has inadequate stopping power. after reviewing dodge dakota owners website, i saw that there are many other owners experiencing the same problem. please help dodge owners with this problem. dodge is clearly using inadequate brakes for their trucks, sacrificing on stopping ability and quality. dodge does not seem to care about the owners safety. please help dodge take accountability for their inadequate equipment. i would be happy to provide any other information or documentation to assist with resolving this issue.*ak

When the truck is started and put into drive it hesitates then shifts really hard. also when the truck is started and allowed to warm up for around three minutes it dies when it is put in reverse. when it does this none of the lights on the instrument panel come on. the truck just dies. i have had the truck into the dealership four times now. the first time i took it in, the dealership told me that they couldn't get the problem to replicate and told me to bring it back when it got worse. i am now on my forth attempt to get the problem fixed and they are continuing to tell me that they can't get the problem to replicate. so i went to the dealership and replicated the problem for them. that was on 10-27-03. it is now 11-06-03 and they called me today to tell me that they still can't get the truck to replicate. but they have hooked up a "co-pilot" which will read the trucks computer and hopefully catch the problem. i am having a really hard time believing that they can't replicate the problem. i have had the truck for three months now and the [xxx] thing has died every single time i have put it in reverse. i am positive that i am being bent over. i know that i will never buy another chrysler again. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I have a 2000 dakota -- rotors warped @11,000 dealer replaced -- rotors warped again 8 mounths later @24,000 dealer wouldnt replace, over 12k since they installed them,so i turned and new pads -- @38,000 warped again replaced roters and pads --@53,000 warped again turned and new pads --warrped again @71,000 but havent replced rotors till this weekend @76,000 . *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge dakota quad cab. whenever the brake pedal was applied, the brakes would pulsate, overheat, and lock up. the stopping distance would also increase. the dealer stated that wet conditions and high speed braking caused the rotors to warp. in addition, the vehicle idles high and roughly when approaching a stop sign or traffic light. when accelerating from a stop or merging into traffic, the vehicle would idle roughly. there was no throttle response for approximately 10 to 20 seconds, but then the vehicle would surge forward. the vehicle has been taken to a dealer approximately five times for these issues, but the failures still persist. all the sensors were replaced, but the failure is becoming worse. the dealer replaced the front rotors three times and the contact replaced them four times. the current mileage was 132,655 and failure mileage was 5,000. updated 11/06/08. *lj the rotors and brakes were replaced several times. the consumer was told the vehicle had a faulty master cylinder that was not letting the rear brakes ever work. the air conditioner was built to drain into the front passenger floor. the computer in the vehicle would not accept updates. the intermediate shaft was replaced. the wiper motor was replaced. updated 11/06/08. *jb