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 steering completely locked up and would not turn. Intermittently over the past 3 months the power steering would suddenly stop working and the car was extremely hard to steer and control. After twice replacing the rack and pinion and steering pump the situation seemed to improve. Then suddenly, traveling 70 mph on the freeway, the steering jerked right and when I turned it back to the left it completely locked up and I could not turn the wheels at all, they were locked straight causing us to immediately cross all lanes of the freeway as the road turned forcing us to the center divider.
As I start the truck, it kicks when I shift to drive and start to accelerate. I took it to a dealer near me when there was a recall for the rack and pinion and they did not find anything. The truck keeps doing the kick or jumps gears. Maybe the problem is in the cable or the shifter. It keeps doing this to this day and getting worse. Now I have to move the shifter to drive and put it back to park to start the truck. Also the ignition stays on sometimes when the key is removed and this drains the battery. The truck seems to use way to much gas for the driving I do. My job is less than five miles from my house and it uses a lot of gas about $10 every day for such a short distance.
The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Dakota. While driving at various speeds, the steering wheel seized without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
My father had taken this truck into the dealership multiple times for front end noises. He passed 3 months ago, and the truck became mine. Once I got it, I took it into the shop to have it looked over. They informed me the front suspension was ready to fall out of it at 66K miles. We had the front suspension fixed and it still makes suspicious noises. I believe there are probably more 08's out there that have this problem, so I think the 08 Dakota's should be included in the newest Dodge recall. The entire time my father owned this truck, he repeatedly took it to the dealership saying something was wrong with the suspension. I'm sure key Chrysler in new carlisle oh has records of these visits and his complaints. It's a shame he didn't live to see this recall, he would have felt vindicated. The 2008 Dodge Dakota should be included in this recall.
Crank position sensor failed causing total loss of engine power harsh downshift from transmision at speed and loss of power brakes and power stearing could get someone killed if it was in a intersection or on the highway replacement should be free + towing
My husband was driving his 08 Dodge Dakota less than 2 miles from our home. We live in a very rural area. He was not going more than 35-40 mph. He lost control of the vehicle due to an incredible amount of shaking in the front end of the truck. Luckily, he was close to a rarely used road and pulled over. It was unusable and had to be towed to the mechanic's shop. Both tie rods had broken along with other parts that were severely worn. We had just had a baby less than two weeks before and we had all ridden in the truck together days before this happened. Thank the good lord my husband did not wreck and the baby and myself were not with him. The Chrysler company needs to fix this problem!!! it was expensive to fix for a family with a new baby and very, very dangerous!!
While driving the outer tie rod failed and the vehicle was unusable, the dealer stated there was no warranty. The vehicle would have crashed if I had not been lucky and brought it to the side of the road quickly. Both tie rod ends were found to be defective as well as the sway bar mounts. In addition this vehicle has routinely had a turn signal problem, when you turn on the left signal the right signal illuminates about 25 percent of the time.
Repair shop said I needed new front brake pads & rotors, tie rods were about to fall off, said it was danger to drive. Chrysler dealer said it was out warranty.
Drove vehicle home last night just fine. Went to leave this morning and front right tire wouldn't roll. Upon inspection, tie rod is not attached. It just fell off. This is a commuter vehicle and has never been used off-road.
The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that power steering fluid leaked into the boot and caused it to rupture. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 48,000.
Our 2008 Dodge Dakota had two tie rods fail in two months. The truck was fresh out of warranty with approx 63,000 miles. First one tie rod broke, then within two months, the other. No warning, when first tie rod end was replaced, other tie rod was checked, looked ok. New tie rod ends were installed. Both presented dramatic safety issues. The tie rod broke and fell so that there was absolutely no control of the front wheels. By sheer luck, we were not driving 65 mph down the highway, but in a rural town setting, so we did not crash the truck. The mechanics on the second breakdown of the tie rod end told us something had to be wrong with the second one going. This doesn't just happen twice on one truck. Chrysler "customer service" offered to pay for the parts. Customer service representative did not understand english and we could not understand the representative, who spoke with a heavy accent, making it difficult, no, impossible to understand the representative. From the responses we got from our mechanics and Chrysler, it is obvious to us that this was not the first truck that came in with the very same problem. The tie rod ends failing is not the same as the heater or air conditioner quitting. It is a major safety issue, and we got no satisfaction and were treated as though it was some irritation that they were bothered with. We believe they know about the problem, and their (customer service) know about it and only wanted to get us off their back by giving us the lowest possible quality of customer service. Like most good customer service representatives, they would not commit any of their comments to writing, but, I am sure, recorded everything, where it may or may not be available.
Erratic power steering. Worse when cold. Never knew when the power steering would work. Vehicle would not recover from left turn requiring pulling the steering wheel to the right to keep under control.
Had the brakes checked on the vehicle during a routine oil change. Was informed that the tie rod end was loose and would have to be replaced, or else the possibility of losing steering control of the vehicle would be eminent. Was informed that the tie rod ends were designed for cars, and these same tie rod ends were also used in the trucks. I asked if the parts had been upgraded and was told no they had not been upgraded, and that the same parts would be used to replace the old worn ones. Why are parts designed for a car being used in a truck, especially in such a critical area? luckily, this was caught before a disaster happened.
I was driving East on a two lane road, as I heard a slight pop come from my driver side tire. Suddenly after that pop, their was a slip in the steering and I had noticed that my driver side tire started to lose massive control, thus jerking and locking up the truck in matters of seconds. Luckily drivers behind me were paying attention and swerved out of the way nearly missing the truck. I gained some control and pulled into a near by business. Parked I assessing the situation. It was found that the tie rod had fallen off the connection for know reason at all. The truck is only 3 years old and 51,000 miles, with regular maintenance.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- La Crescenta, CA, USA