The contact owns a 2001 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a wobble coming from the front passenger’s side tire. The contact was able to pull over and had the vehicle towed to a local mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ball joints needed to be replaced however, the vehicle was not repaired. There was no warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 300,000.
2001 Dodge Dakota: ball joint or control arm failure
208 of the 678 complaints about the 2001 Dodge Dakota describe ball joint or control arm failure.
- owner complaints
- 208
- of this car's complaints
- 31%
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 47,408
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for this area of the car. See below
Ball joint or control arm failure by model year
What owners say
Front cv axle(hub and bearing) failure while driving. The intermediate axle also needs replacing due to severe rust from cv axle. The upper upper ball joint has been replaced twice. The front headlights do not provide adequete visability at night.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge dakota. The contact stated that he was informed that the upper ball joint was worn. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the upper ball joints need to be replaced to repair the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,647.
I started noticing a "lurch or lateral shift" of the front end during tight left and right turns at low speed (35 MPH or less). Driving at highway speeds on straight roads did not indicate any problems. Recently, during a brake system inspection, significant "slop / free movement" at the upper ball joint & wheel knuckle assembly connection was noted (> 0.5"). I researched the problem and discovered the federal safety agency issued recall for "upper ball joint failures on 2000-2003 dodge dakotas" as well as the dodge issued tsb for the same defect. I took my 2001 dakota in to a dodge dealer for the recall repair. The dodge dealer and chrysler both conveniently took the position that my VIN was not part of this recall, therefore they were not responsible for making the repair. My vehicle has the same failure mode described in the federal safety agency recall and the dodge issued tsb. The federal safety agency should force dodge to expand the scope of VIN's covered by the recall to include all 2000-2003 dakotas that experience premature ball joint failures. A safety related suspension component should not fail at 50,000 miles. To arbitrarily exclude some vehicle VIN's from the recall even though they have the same defects is dishonest and not in the best interest of the traveling public. I urge the federal safety agency to force dodge/chrysler to repair this defect on all 2000-2003 dakotas.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge dakota. The contact stated that while reversing out of a parking lot, he heard a loud noise and was unable to move the vehicle. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the front passenger side tie rod broke. The vehicle was towed home, where the tie rod and lower ball joints were replaced. The vehicle was not taken to an authorized dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 169,000 and the current mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge dakota. The contact stated that the passenger side upper ball joints arm separated from the wheel. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic shop where the contact was awaiting repairs. The dealer was contacted who offered no assistance. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge dakota. The contact stated that he previously had repairs performed on the vehicle under the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension, front control arm, upper ball joint). He was experiencing an abnormally loud squeaking and clanking sound while he was driving various speeds. The contact stated that the identical failure recurred after the recall repairs were made. The failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 94,000.
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 have a 2001 dakota quad cab 4x4 purchased new and the inside of the front rotors wear out extremely fast. They become damaged on the inside of the rotor appearing extremely rusted and as if maybe they overheated on the inside. 64,000 and this has happened 2 times. Dealers deny this is common , my brother has a 2002 (purchased new) and has had the same problem. Ball joints failed on both trucks , steering rack and rear differential leaks on both .
Ball joint problem on 4x2 dodge dakota. Popping grating sound and lack of control in the upper ball joint assemblies. These use the same upper ball joint assy. As the 4x4 units that have been recalled. These cause the same problems and dangerous safety issues.
I bought a 2001 dodge dakota 4wd a month ago. I have had to replace the lower ball joints, catalytic converter, timing chain, water pump and now the transfer case has gone bad. The truck only has 55000 miles on it. I have only made one payment on the truck and have paid the repair shop over $1500 in repair costs. They only time that I have got to drive the truck is to the repair shop except when I bought it. This is ridiculous, a truck with low miles like this should not have this many problems. The dealer said that they would look at it this time put they couldn't make any promises. We paid for everything else to get fixed and I refuse to pay for anything else. I paid $10,000 for a truck that I can't even drive, I'm actually scared to drive it because who knows what will happen next. Apparently dodges are pieces of crap to put it politely.
I would like to know why only the upper ball joints on the 2000-2004 dakotas is covered in the recall as the lower ball joint are the same design where there is no way to grease up the lower ball joints and it would lead to the same problem as the upper ball joints?
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel drive (4x4), if moisture leaks into the front suspension upper ball joint, evacuation of the lubricant and corrosion of the joint may cause the joint to wear over an extended period of time. This could cause a clunking noise in the front suspension, which may not always be heard by the vehicle occupants.
- Risk
- Excessive wear in the upper ball joint may allow it to separate, which could result in loss of control of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front suspension upper ball joints. This safety improvement campaign began on december 21, 2004. Owners can contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 04V596000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2001 Dodge Dakota ball joint
Is ball joint or control arm failure a common problem on the 2001 Dodge Dakota?
208 of 678 owner complaints about the 2001 Dodge Dakota (31%) mention ball joint or control arm failure. The model year with the most reports is 1999.
How much does it cost to fix ball joint or control arm failure on the 2001 Dodge Dakota?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 12 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2001 Dodge Dakota?
There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2001 Dodge Dakota
Premature wear 33Headlights 26Airbag light 19Wipers 19Grinding brakes 18ABS 17Check engine light 16Harsh shifting 15Stalling 15Adaptive cruise 13Knocking 13No deployment 11Fire or smoke 11Door locks 10Pulling 10Won't shift 10Tire blowout 10Engine failure 9Brake failure 7Jerking 7Overheating 7Slipping 7Steering noise 7Power steering loss 6Warning lights 6
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