The shifter lever came loose from its mounting. Either the roll pin worked up and out of position or the roll pin was not installed correctly at assembly. The transmission would not go easily into the " park " position allowing the truck to roll backwards on the driveway. Also, the transmission would not shift into " drive " . The problem on my truck has been fixed.
2001 Dodge Dakota: stuck in gear or won't shift
10 of the 678 complaints about the 2001 Dodge Dakota describe stuck in gear or won't shift.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 44,095
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 11 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Stuck in gear or won't shift by model year
What owners say
My vehicle was recalled but the day I was going to bring it in the transmission stopped working and the motor is no more good. The truck would not shift gears good and it was going on for a while. My father changed the head gaskets but it did not help.
Dt: while driving he noticed he had a hard down shift from 2nd gear to 3rd gear. The next day it would not shift from 2nd to 3rd. Gear.
40,000 miles transmission problems. Would not shift correctly from first to second. 45,000 miles iginition problems. Short in the ignition, car would do nothing. Not start, no lights, nothing. 50,000 miles and the ball joints went out. I was told by two different mechanics at the dodge dealership that this was a problem with dakota's and durangos and that the ball joints used on those two cars were very weak and not strong enough to handle the vehicle.
Front brakes clunk when applied,dealer replaced rotors. Transmission won't shift properly,dealer ordered and replaced new valve body. Lower engine needed to be replaced,because of valve tapping. A/c has bad odor when on. Front end squeaked around boots front end has bad knocking sound. 2 goodyear tires slow leak. Problems started at 1,254 miles, and keep going at 26,000 miles.
When stop and in neutral. It's very hard to put it in first gear and the car gets stuck in the middle of the road. It just wont shift into first gear you can be there for about 5 minutes trying to put it in first gear, and this causes a traffic jam behind me. I'm not sure if its the gear box or the clutch, but its very frustrating. This is a 2001 truck and I don't think it should be having a problem yet. Maybe there's another 2001 dodge dakota with the same problem like this.
Transmission will not shift to second gear under full throttle. This problem has occurred since purchase date and occurs every time.
Auto transmission would not shift properly on acceleartion. Required transducer and solenoid governor valve replacement twice within one year. First time it ws covered under warranty, one year and 17,901 miles later, replacement was required and not covered under dodge warranty.
When the vehicle takes off from a dead stop the vehicle does not want to move. The transmission slips and right after that the "check engine light comes on. The vehicle does not shift properly and the vehicle runs at a high RPM until the vehicle is shut off. The problem then corrects itself temporarily. I have had this truck serviced at frederick dodge 4 times. First it was diagnosed as being low on transmission fluid(claimed it was not topped off at delivery) and it was causing rear sensor on trans to shut down transmission. Second time brought in for same problem, told that rear sensor is bad, that was replaced, third time, same problem, told that software for TCM needed to be updated. Fourth time, TCM and transmission being replaced. Truck is still in shop. Totally fed up. Truck has less 9500 miles on it. *ts *jb ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12-12-02 cut over to artemis***763038
I was driving in rush hour traffic. Traffic had stopped and when it started moving again, the vehicle would not go into gear. There was no grinding. There was nothing. It was like there were no gears there at all.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Part Description: Seal
- 56045489A$
- Powertrain control module initialization
- 45RFE/545RFE trans - delayed engagement due to cooler return filter replacement
- Powertrain control module initialization
- Subject regarding revision in diagnostic procedures and labor operation times for re transmissions
- Some vehicles may exhibit a harsh 2-3, 4-5, and 5-4 upshifts causing a powertrain clunk or shudder when...
- Advance service information regarding drbiii update version 52.3 - software code error affecting 2001...
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
- What is wrong
- On certain van and pickup trucks equipped with automatic transmissions, the ignition/park shift interlock system may become inoperative. This can allow the shifter to be moved out of the "park" position with the ignition key removed (or in the "lock" position). This can also allow the ignition key to be removed when the shifter has not been placed in the "park" position.
- Risk
- Either of these conditions could allow the vehicle to roll away causing a crash without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the gearshift blocker and bracket assembly free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during january 2008. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 07V555000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with 4-wheel drive. The electric shift transfer case may not fully engage into gear when the operator moves the transfer case selector switch.
- Risk
- This could cause the transfer case to end up in the neutral position unexpectedly and allow the vehicle to roll away if the parking brake is not applied.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the transfer case control module. Owner notification began april 9, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 01V077000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2001 Dodge Dakota won't shift
Is stuck in gear or won't shift a common problem on the 2001 Dodge Dakota?
10 of 678 owner complaints about the 2001 Dodge Dakota (1%) mention stuck in gear or won't shift. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2001 Dodge Dakota?
There are 2 recalls and 11 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2001 Dodge Dakota
Ball joint 208Premature 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 10Tire blowout 10Engine failure 9Brake failure 7Jerking 7Overheating 7Slipping 7Steering noise 7Power steering loss 6Warning lights 6
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