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Dodge Dakota Problems. Please help!
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I have not had the A/C long enough to drip yet, I guess. Have not heard this sound. I does cool the truck down nicely the few times the A/C was used.
Still want to get the rear axle fluid changed as well. Also have to take the truck in for the front seatbelt anchor bolt recall notice. Bolts seem tight to me so no rush.
Only 4975 miles on it now.
Last fill up resulted in 16.75mpg.
Filled it up at 1.45 a gal as opposed to 1.63 a gal last time.
Bob
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Is this another item for the dealer to resolve?
9400k on the vechicle. Fog lights came with the vechicle.
Your dealer should replace them under warantee.
Thank You
(see my profile)
Went to Stratton Mountain and we saw a Dodge 4x4 dressed to kill, it was an eye catcher. As a matter of fact, we saw many Dodge pickups everywhere we visited. We returned to Florida and the heat index is 108. When we left Dorset I was wearing a jacket 54 degrees.
No question, Vermont is a great state. We shall return.
Just EXACTLY how did they determine that the wrong fluid was in the rear axle???
How in the world can anyone tell if the additive was added ot not?
Just EXACTLY what did they do... (just add some LSD additive or perhaps change ALL of the fluid.)
There has been some reports of noisy rear axles. Several theories abound.
Also, a TSB is available that speaks of the special (meshing tester) compound that is used at the factory where the differentials are asembled. Over time, this stuff mixes with the gear-oil and makes it milky-colored. DC claims that is DOES NOT AFFECT the performance of the gear oil in any way.
To answer your question more specifically;
If the LSD additive was NOT put in... there may me some clutch chatter around turns but the gears are totally unaffected. Said another way... the gears in the rear diff ARE NOT AFFECTED by the additive so lack thereof would not cause any harm to them. The additive is ONLY for the clutch pack (as you suggested).
I've never felt any heat from the thumbwheel, or anywhere on the instument pannel.
clutches may chatter around SHARP (Parking lot manuvers)turns. puttign in the additive will "fix" any clutch chatter after some sharp turns are made to distribute the additive.
It is unlikely that there is any measureable "damage" and you should not be concerned about future problems.
I am still skeptical about their claimed "fix" for your noise problem. Nontheless... you, as a customer, seem satisfied with the results of their efforts and that is all that really counts.
Good luck,
Bob
I'm going to have the dealer check it out when I go in for the seatbelt recall, but I wanted to maybe give them some ideas since dealers have a tendency to proclaim everything "normal".
Usually, grinding gears would indicate bad synchros. I don't know what he could have done in the four tries he had to fix it, other than park it out back then call you later to pick it up. Maybe he only changed the lube. The whining is a little more subjective. i.e. what may seem normal to some is obnoxious to others.
Change dealers !!
Jim H.
it is leaking at the front bell housing. I brought
it to the dealer and they claim it was over filled
by 1-1/2 qts. of transmission fluid which would have been done at my local garage for oil changes but so far they didn't fill any transmission fluid.
They were the ones who found the leak since its near the oil drain bolt. I wan't to know is this was BS from my Dodge dealer because that service was not covered under warranty. Or has anyone experienced this problem and what it really is.
Is it a bad gasket on the bell housing or a bad casting in the transmission or the the transmission itself. The dealer claims that this transmission is pressure sensitive but the day after that it was serviced by the dealer the transmission still leaks and the transmission fluid on the dip stick still shows at hot level actually a little bit above it but this always read this since I owned it. It may be true that this transmission is pressure sensitive but how does this still explain the bell housing area leak. Also when I did check the transmission level it was cold the engine.
I would appreciate any input.
Now that your dealer has looked at and logged the problem and the overfill condition has been resolved... NOW is the time to keep a close eye open for further leakage. At the first sign of leakage, your dealer is now "on the hook" to correct it whatever it takes. Since you logged the complainet BEFORE the warantee ran out... they are responsible for resolving any leakage in that area. (Know the law!)
Read your warantee documents CAREFULLY and be prepared to 'escalate' as needed to resolve the problem to your satisfaction.
It does seem strange that after all this time/milage it would decide to weep out unless you were running it exteamly hot. I'm assuming that is'nt the case. The dealer is probably assuming that it was overfilled when they saw the dipstick reading high, not knowing,as you do, that it has always read high. To the best of my knowledge, there are only two gaskets in that area. The front main seal and the front pump gasket. one of these may be bad. I would definatly take Bpeebles advice and keep close track of this and don't let the dealer try and jerk you around.
a 1/2 lean in the left front end. the dealer has replaced the left front
spring/shock assem a few months ago however that didnot correct
the problem.this past fri 8/31 dealer replaced both rear leaf springs and the left front
end is still lower then the right. the dealer called d/c tech line and they adv them
that the
tolarace for the industry is within 1/2 in from side to side. i don't
know where
else to look any suggestions? dealer and I looked at others on the
lot and they
seem to all sit the same way...what else could be causing this
lean? does any body else have this same lean? ******** i also noticed while looking
around under the front end that i have torn dust boot that cover the bushing on the
upper control arm. when i did my first oil chg months ago i noticed it looked different
from the right. sort of looked pinched or had a rib in the middle and was pushed in.
anyways showed dealer and they will order new upper control arm assem instead of
just a new boot. the bushings in this truck are nylon. is this good or bad?
'01 Quad 4.7L 2X4
I have a 2000 Quad Cab 2wd w/4.7 and automatic.
The rear end of my Quad Cab has developed a growl/whine. I think it is in the rear end/limited slip maybe. It is under warranty. Anyone else had this issue? Anything to tell the dealership to look for?
Also, upon cold start my 4.7 likes to almost stall or will stall, then when you start it back up it is fine. I am sure this is a minor thing, but I am concerned about the rear end as I tow often, though usually never over 3000 lbs. 3.55 LS rear end
Thanks,
Erich
some dealers will try not to cover the rearend because the owners did not use synthertic like the manual says. they tried that on me when i had the problem but luckily i had asked my dealer when i got the truck about it because i have the heavy duty towing package and he stated that the package comes with synth in the rear already. NOT! so when my rear went bad the new dealer said that dodge will not cover the problem because i didnt do what the manual said. luckily my old dealer remembered our conversation and actually fessed up on his misinformation and dodge covered it for me including a total of 5 rebuilds and 1 new rear and they decided to just buy back my truck because they never could get everything fixed and the different noises that came with all the rebuilds out. the new one is great so far.
sorry so long. just be careful and everyone put syth fluid in your rear.
robert
KarenS "Dodge Dakota Owners: Events" Sep 24, 2001 8:16am
Tim
I had a chance to drive both trucks back to back and the difference was that pronounced.
In my opinion, if you can afford it, put good aftermarket shocks on your Dakota.
Edelbrock has a shock for the quad, but only with the 5.2 and 5.9.
Anybody find a set? I would love a set fo billsteins but they don't make them.
Any help would be great.
Blue
The only difference in the Quad cab is the weight distribution so the shock valving is a little different. Otherwise they are the same.
I've had my 01 4x4 SLT+ for about 4 months now. I have always dreamed of getting a V8 4x4 pickup. I really don't drive the truck that much due to a company car (only 4-5k each year), so I fully expected this to last me for at LEAST 10 yrs maybe double that.
To celebrate my four month anniversary with my Dak, I thought I would put it in for its FOURTH trip to the service dept to fix it. The first three times involved an evaporative/emissions issue that clicked on the engine light. Well, yesterday I went out to go make an errand and the drivers power window didn't work. I push the lock button a couple of times and it starts working again. On the trip back, it just stopped altogether (luckily it was up).
I know. This is small stuff. But you know, this will make 7 days that I have been "truckless" while the service people do their thing. Seven days in 4 months and 1500 miles. Is this NORMAL in a brand new 22k dollar vehicle?
Here's my confession. I came into this purchase with a chip on my shoulder. For the last 15 yrs I have owned no vehicle engineered outside Japan. They were not perfect but I pretty much just turned the key and went. Change the oil and service'm (not as much as called for) and go. Never had an engine light come on. I didn't trust American engineered vehicles but wanted to do the "buy American" thing. Heck, this Dakota is a neat package, and I thought, a good bargain. The Tundra was 4-5k more for an equal truck. V8, fully assesorized.....
I'm really frustrated right now. Instead of getting in my dream truck now, every time I crank it up, I look to make sure all the lights come on that should. Then go off again. Test all the power buttons to make sure they are still working. See if the transmission makes that funny sound...........
I know this problem will be fixed on Monday with no dramas. But again, is this Normal? Is the QC on all domestic autos this poor?
If you are still reading, thanks for letting me vent.
Travis
My truck is equipped with manual windows (didn't want all the power stuff) and on the first day of ownership, the drivers side rear window would not roll up easily. I was already home at the time after picking the truck up. I finally got the window up after a struggle, about ten minutes before a thunderstorm came in.
It was fixed under warranty with "little problem".
Little problem = There was a miscommunication somehow with the dealer, as I was told they needed to order the replacement window regulator part. After waiting a few months, I inquired about this, and was told the part was in stock all that time. Well, the guy who made the mistake was no longer employed there. This kind of irritated me due to the length of time involved. Once a compentent person got involved, it was replaced at my next service interval, along with an oil & filter change at no charge.
The only other glitch was a one time problem with the engine which turned the MIL on. The engine would idle erratically and would lose power at 2500 rpm. By the time I got to the dealer, the light was out and this problem was never repeated.
This happened on the way to work one morning, it sat in the parking lot all day, and when the truck was restarted after work, no problem. Still scratching my head about that one. This problem did not leave me stranded.
2 flat tires in 2 months, but I cannot blame Dodge for that. My luck I guess.
Overall, I am very pleased with the truck.
It stinks that a brand new vehicle would have ANY problems, but stuff happens. The truck is under warranty, so be patient with the service department. Some vehicles have a few bugs at the start.
I am curious as to your evaporative/emissions issue, What did it turn out to be? Why did it take them 3 attempts to fix?
Good luck,
Bob
1. 1 MOnth into ownership, intermittent wiper switch fails, wipers do their thing regardless of setting.
2. THree visits for a check engine light, finally a camshaft pos. sensor goes out and that is replaced, no more check engine light.
3. One broken clip on the airbox, not a functional issue but hey I paid 22K here so I want it right.
4. First of MANY issues with the warping rotors and drums. To date, FOUR complete replacements of rotors and drums and finally the pads and shoes replaced with different sets to help dissipate heat buildup. Jury still out on whether this is the solution or not.
5. Lumpy erratic idle and stalling on cold start. SEVERAL trips to get this one figured out. Finally a re program of PCM fixes this but for how long?
6. AIS motor replaced after truck would NOT hold idle in drive when at full operating temp.
7. Erratic, harsh and plain old screwy shifting from the oh-so-wonderful 45RFE......last time I was told by tech "transmission functioning as designed".....fine.....when it blows, I will rememember that comment and hope he can handle a size 13 you know where.
8. Creaking in front end during slow turns with brakes applied, seems ok now after pads and rotors were replaced.
9. Clunk in steering column going over bumpy fields or gravel roads....have yet to address this with dealer.
So, I hear ya....kinda makes you wonder who is in charge at DC quality control?
If I had it to do over again, no, I would not buy a Dakota. I can only imagine what crap will come my way when the warranty runs out.
This just sounds like lunacy. What I have to ask: did you or did you not just go out and ROMP on each set of those new brakes to see if they would do the same thing? I only have 9k on my Quad now, but I live in Montgomery County, PA, and nearly all of my driving is short trips, lots of stop-and-go. My brakes are damn near PERFECT yet. I have the 5-speed and I don't drive really fast, and I actually believe in looking more than 2 feet in front of your vehicle to anticipate stopping situations so I don't have to hammer on my brakes all the time. I'm sure downshifting helps quite a bit as well.
Like I said, I don't want to accuse you of anything, but if you managed to burn through 4 sets of new brakes in a negligible amount of miles, then there has to be some other factor besides craftmanship involved.
I live in Butler Co PA and there are lots of hills here.
No, I don't romp on the brakes just to see if I can screw them up. I've been around cars/trucks far too long to know better.
If you think this is lunacy, I could not even begin to type out my feelings on this. Edmunds would probably ban me for sure. Still, if you think I am full of it, go to dodgedakotas.com and do a search on brake rotors. I'll bet a cup of coffee or beer of your choice you'll find over 100 posts there on the same issue. So unless I have been cloned over 100 times, there must be something wrong besides my driving.
At any rate, how is it possible to go thru three company lease cars in 5 years (one Ford Taurus, 2 Intrepids) with each getting over 90K before I turned them in and NO brake problems. This includes driving in the Rockies to the Appilacians (sp?), certianly more hilly than around here.
Two final thoughts.
I have 21K on the truck now.
I also look several dozens of feet ahead of me when I drive. I have learned since living in this state that red lights mean very little to other drivers!
Who here has a 2000/2001 dakota, what is your mileage, and when did you first need rotor/drum work?
Mopar67 - like I said, I didn't want to accuse you of anything, but driving style and actual usage always plays a part in the life of wear components. But if there is a problem with the parts, which it appears there may be, it only compounds the matter.
It sounds like the moral of the story is that if you're over 12k miles and you need brake work, you have to bite the bullet and buy aftermarket, since it seems like the Mopar parts are garbage. I guess I'll find out eventually...
Only good thing I can say is the dealer worked with me all the way on this and were it not for them, they DC would be buying the truck back.
I would be lying my you know what off if I said that each and every time I stop its a nice slow easy stop. From time to time I have to hit them hard or else rear end someone who always seems to wait until the last minute to pull out.
Now back to romping the brakes, you missed your projection by about 20 years! Long ago, when Ronnie and Nancy occupied the Oval Office, I drove just like that on my Dodge Dart (with the swiss cheese sheet metal) and I can honestly tell you (cross my heart and hope to die) that I NEVER once had brake issues on that car. Not one iota.
So when I drive my Dakota like a regular joe and have this kind of crap, it totally pisses me off and has pretty much taken away any excitement I once had owning a new vehicle.
Good luck to others and if you have never had brake problems on your Dakota, my prayers are that you never will.
Footnote: The service manager told me in confidence that they see way more full size rams and Jeep Grand Cherokees than they do Dakotas for brake problems. Makes sense at least on the ram as DC went to 13 inch rotors on the 2002 model.