This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. When the contact placed the key in the ignition and started the engine, the key would come out and the steering wheel seized. The contact had to use excessive strength to turn the vehicle and the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to rick hendricks Dodge (1468 savannah hwy, charleston, SC 29407, (843) 352-6931) and the mechanics were unsure if a new steering column and/or new ignition switch was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Has developed loose steering. Problem exist whether moving or not. Though an accident has not happened yet, believe there is great potential for it to happen.
At about 62 K mi. Steering became stiff, especially in cold weather. Check power steering fluid and topped off. Problem seemed to disappear over time. However more recently at about 70K mi. Problem has returned with stiffer steering and then with looseness. Seemingly that I am overcompensating my turns. My power steering fluid is normal.
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The contact replaced the power steering pump, but the abnormal noise continued. Also, the steering wheel became tight and was unable to turn left and right. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the rack and pinion may need to be replaced. The vehicle was also inspected by a dealer (crossroads Jeep and Dodge in prince george, va, 1 (888) 704-5098), but the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA action number: EA06004 (steering); however, the manufacturer had two technical service bulletins. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. While driving 65 mph, the steering wheel began to lose steering power and seized without warning. The failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinon failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
- Nashville, TN, USA
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Power steering stops working causing loss of vehicle control. At the time I was driving approximately 20 mph in town. Had power steering fluid leak in the past which was fixed but issue still occurs. Today it happened thee times within 30 minutes of driving. I checked the steering fluid and it was full. This has been an ongoing issue with this vehicle since it was a few years old.
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. While the vehicle was undergoing routine maintenance, the contact was informed that the subframe of the vehicle was bent. The contact was also informed that the front passenger side axle was damaged. While driving 70 mph, there was an abnormal vibration in the steering wheel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 139,584.
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken in for an inspection and it was discovered that the front driver side tie rod was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. While driving various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the power steering assembly. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage and VIN were unavailable.
The steering gets hard to turn like it is going to lock up. I spray it with WD40. This happens every few days. The electrical has been screwed up forever. I turn the left turn signal on the the right one blinks and vise versa. Some times they both blink back and forth. I have talked to the local Dodge garage and all they say is that there is no recall. I wasnt notified by Dodge about the driver side airbag either. Looked up the VIN number after seeing a report on tv. That was 2 months ago and the Dodge garage just fixed the air bag on July 21 after I called them for the second time to see if the part was in. Updated 10/07/15 updated 12/08/2017
My truck has started having trouble with steering. It seems to happen at just about any speed, but is most noticeable once I get to ~45 mph. As a turn the wheel to the right or left of center, I feel like I have no power steering and really have to wrestle the wheel. When I come back to center, it feels like it's working again, and I end up cranking the steering wheel too hard because of how much power I needed to use to turn away from center.
With the truck at only 53,000 miles I will have had to replace the whole front end. The cost to me is $1085. This is obviously from defective parts! Dodge already has a recall on the front end of their full size trucks. Should it also, include the Dakotas? I have approached Chrysler about this & was denied compensation.
While driving my 2006 Dodge Dakota P/U truck started noticing noise while making any type of turning of the steering wheel. I took to my mechanics who put in some steering fluid. He told me this should help and if problem does return the problem is most likely the steering shaft that will have to be worked on & will be expensive to fix. It was fine for a couple of weeks but now the problem has returned & I'm making plans to take it back to my mechanic to fix the steering shaft. After reading numerous problem other owners are also facing concerning the steering there should be a recall for this.
In using signal lights, turn left signal on to turn and the right dash signal indicator as well as right signal light flash. If I move the tilt steering position up and then back down the lights function properly. This has happened several times. It sounds like something in the steering wheel is rubbing whenever one turns the wheel. The previous owner bought the truck new and it happened to him several times as well. Also the ball joints were all replaced by previous owner at less than 30,000 miles. Now at 55,000 miles the struts, shock absorbers, rear stabilizer links and quite possibly sway bar links front and rear need to be replaced.
We were driving down hwy I-5 in seattle Washington. My husbands knee bumped the key in the ignition and the vehicle turned off. This happened 3 times since we have had the vehicle. We have only had the vehicle for year.
I am experiencing "binding" while driving the vehicle at all speeds. Extra pressure is necessary to correct the situation; potentially, this corrective action could lead to the vehicle turning more than desired thusly causing an accident. The problem is erratic - usually ne problem - and can occur unexpectedly during all driving conditions. An independent mechanic has advised that the likely problem is the steering shaft where steering knuckles are located. He stated that the situation can sometimes be corrected by lubricating the components within the steering shaft with penetrating oil. This temporarily alleviated the problem but the problem is re-occurring. I understand that the next step is to dismantle the steering shaft which may lead to the replacement of parts. I live in Ohio with severe winter weather and road salt and suspect that there is a design flaw that allows corrosion to occur within the steering shaft.
Was traveling down a regular road when the power steering became very tight and then alternately a little while later became very loose causing over correction. About a month and a half later while traveling between Washington and Oregon the power steering went out completely in the vehicle. Had the pump and reservoir replaced as well as intake and outtake lines. Problem was not solved had to then replace rack and pinion, vehicle still leaking after this replacement as well. Vehicle has been to two different mechanics both of which cannot determine what the problem is causing the power steering to malfunction consistently.after replacing rack and pinion was also told that ball joints needed replacement.
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, he heard an abnormal noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the pinion nut on the rear differential needed to be replaced with a newly manufacturer pinion nut. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.
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- Charleston, SC, USA