Tl* the contact owns a 2006 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the abs brake warning light remained illuminated. when driving over a bump, the vehicle made a loud knocking sound. the contact was a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the upper and lower ball joints had become loose and needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
2005 dodge dakota front end was making a rattling noise. took it to my mechanic and he said the lower ball joint is bad. what gives with all of these problems with the front end of these dakotas without any recalls. jeep had a recall on the same problem. *tr
1999 dodge dakota had ball joints and tie rod ends replaced. now the consumer has a problem with the brake line and wants to know about any recall information for this vehicle. *nj the consumer was informed the brake line looked a little worn. within a week after the ball joints and tie rods were replaced the brakes went out. the consumer returned to his mechanic and had the brake line replaced. *jb
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota extended cab. the contact stated that the vehicle began to exhibit and unusual squeaking from the front end of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic facility for routine maintenance where the contact was informed that the front suspension lower ball joints and stabilizer bar could collapse at any time without warning and would need to be repaired. the manufacturer was called and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. no other assistance was offered. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 72,908.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge dakota. the contact stated the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility for an alignment when the contact was informed that the lower ball joints were severely worn to the point where they were unable to perform an alignment. the lower ball joints were causing the tires to wear unevenly. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000 and the current mileage was approximately 97,700.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. while driving at an unknown speed, the contact would sporadically hear a loud squeaking noise. he took the vehicle to the dealer for a routine alignment and tire rotation. upon inspection, a technician stated that the lower ball joints had severe wear and movement, and needed to be replaced. he also stated that the rubber grommets supporting the tie rods failed and created a metal to metal condition, which created a squeaking noise. the components have not been replaced. the failure mileage was 125,000 and current mileage was 128,000. updated 09/10/08 *bf the upper ball joints were replaced as well. updated 09/16/08. *jb
Premature failure of lower ball joints on 2005 dodge dakota 4wd pu. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge dakota. while driving 2 mph, the contact heard a banging noise coming from the passenger side front tire. he stated that the steering was difficult to turn. upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the passenger side front lower ball joints were disengaged. the mechanic stated that the cause of the failure was due to the lower ball joints not being lubed. in addition, the lower ball joints were rubbing against the upper ball joints. the mechanic replaced the front lower and upper ball joints. there had been no further occurrences. the failure mileage was 65,689 and current mileage was 66,471.
I own a 2003 dodge dakota (pickup) purchased new (i am the original owner). the lower ball joints were replaced by the dealer at 23,000 miles (under warranty). they are now bad again at 78,000 miles (no warranty now, this bill was on me)! the upper ball joints were also replaced twice (those are under an official nhtsa recall). my complaint is about the lower ball joints. these parts should not wear out this often, and i feel this is a bad design! this is a safety issue (in my opinion) and also a big expense for the owners of these vehicles. i feel the lower ball joints should also be an official nhtsa recall!!! *tr
To whom it may concern, i own a 2003 dodge dakota quad cab slt. and i have run into a lot of problems with this truck that people i know say they had very similar problems with the same make of vehicle. to start with my truck only has about 62,184 miles on it, for a 2003 model truck, that is considered low mileage. the problems i have run into is as follows: both front wheel hub bearing sets have prematurely failed, in particular, the right front hub tried to lock up on me and almost caused me to loose control of the truck, i have since replaced that hub but still need to replace the left front before it locks up:second is that the steering and suspension system has no provisions for preventative maintenance, i.e. no grease zircs for the ball joints, tie rods,upper and lower control arm bushings, wheel bearings, etc...causing rapid wear and failure:third big issue, i have already replaced all four brake rotors due to warpage. the brake calipers were built with some type of composite plastic pistons that distort due to excessive heat build up in the brakes. which in turn causes uneven pad contact, ...