Tl* 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.
2006 Dodge Dakota steering problems
47 complaints (16% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 54,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 47
- of this car's complaints
- 16%
- typical mileage
- 54,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Column2
- Hydraulic power assist system1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Dodge Dakota steering problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2006 Dodge Dakota steering
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Steering wheel and steering shaft bolts
On march 9, 2006 odi upgraded preliminatry evaluation pe05-056 to engineerning analysis ea06-004 to investigate allegations of loose or missing steering shaft coupling bolts and steering column retaining bolts in model year (my) 2004 through 2006 dodge durango sport utility vehicles and my 2005 through 2006 dodge dakota pickup trucks.either condition could result in a loss of steering control.although odi identified some quality issues in the manufacturing processes for the dakota and durango vehicles, the data do not indicate that a safety defect trend is present in either population.the failure rates are low for each condition and trend analyses indicate that problems with the subject bolts were isolated to a few units affected by assembly error that were detected either pre-sale or occurred early in vehicle service.further use of agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted.the agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the sugject vehicles and will take furhter action inthe the future if warranted.for more information see the attached closing report.
EA06004
What 2006 Dodge Dakota owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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.
Tl* 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 the federal safety agency action number: ea06004 (steering); however, the manufacturer had two technical service bulletins. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.
Tl* 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.
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.
Tl* 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.
Tl* 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.
Tl* 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*lj updated 12/08/2017
Questions about the 2006 Dodge Dakota steering
Does the 2006 Dodge Dakota have steering problems?
Owners have filed 47 complaints about the steering of the 2006 Dodge Dakota, 16% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2006 Dodge Dakota steering problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 54,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Dodge Dakota steering?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Dodge Dakota have bad steering?
The Dodge Dakota model years with the most steering complaints are 2004 (74 complaints), 1999 (72 complaints) and 2000 (68 complaints).
Other 2006 Dodge Dakota problems
Airbags 126Transmission 36Electrical 30Suspension 25Brakes 24Engine 15Visibility 15Body 12Fuel system 9Lights 9Acceleration 5Seat belts 5Driver assistance 4Tires 3Locks 1Seats 1
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