Loud clunking noise while turning, stopping or even getting into truck diagnosis found lower right ball joints loose - recommended replacing. I have not done this yet - if you look at my history, I have had my local dodge dealer make the repairs to the front ball joints previously at 45,120 miles and 59,072 miles. Chrysler recalled 2000-2003 dodge dakotas stating that "excessive wear of the upper ball joint may cause the front wheel to separate from the vehicle and result in loss of control" in the same recall they also stated' " water may enter into the front suspension upper ball joints and cause corrosion and premature wear."
Dodge Dakota premature wear problems
172 of the 6,482 owner complaints about the Dodge Dakota describe rotors or pads wearing out early, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 172
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 29,000
Is there a fix? There are 7 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Ball joint 45Grinding brakes 7Overheating 6Harsh shifting 6ABS 5Brake failure 4Pulling 3Shudder 3
What owners say
Premature wear and failure of upper and lower ball joints. Truck was making popping noises when you turned the wheel or went over bumps. Took to local mechanic; mechanic stated that the ball joints were scary bad. Mechanic also stated that if I had not brought the vehicle in the front wheels could have broken off causing the vehicle to wreck.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge dakota. The steering wheel was difficult to turn when the contact was driving approximately 55 MPH. The vehicle continued with caution. The contact stated that the failure was contributed to the steering wheels intermediate shaft. The failure resulted in premature wear to the exhaust system. The part was ordered by an authorized dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure which there was no resolution. The failure mileage was 60,000.
I purchased the vehicle used with 39k miles I had it for a month and noticed vibrations when braking from 50 - 40 MPH. I figured the brake rotors were warped. After about a year of this I took the rotors off and into a parts store to have them checked, they were warped and too thin to turn (lathe). I bought new rotors and pads, cleaned and greased the caliper slide pins and reassembled the brakes. After this the braking vibration went away. Recently I was driving in heavy traffic and once I got to my exit I noticed smoke from the left front of the vehicle, also the brake pedal felt hard. I pulled over to find that the front brakes were smoking. I jacked up the front of the vehicle (wheels off the ground) and found that neither wheel/tire could be turned by hand. After the vehicle sat for approximately 5 hours to cool down the wheels could then be turned. Took vehicle to repair shop that confirmed the brake pad wear indicated that for the most part the pistons and slides seemed to be operating properly. I am an a.s.e. Certified master mechanic and have never seen brakes overheat like this and cause caliper lock up. Happen. I believe there is something inherently wrong with these vehicles.
I have had so many problems with this vehicle, I don't know where to begin. After purchasing this vehicle new, within the first year and several trips to the dealership for a clunking noise which got louder and faster as I accelerated the dealer couldn't figure out what it was. After picking it up the umteenth time, the noise was still there, I drove back to the dealership demanding they figure it out. They put there qa tech on it and discovered it was the drive shaft. That was replaced and I have had nothing but problems with the transmission slipping, the tires prematurely wearing, ball joints have been replaced several times. They were replaced in december 07 the last time, less than a year before the last time, along with new tires. It is now april 11, 2008 and I was just told after servicing the vehicle they need replaced again and the tires are wearing. The air conditioning failed several times, the brakes and rotors wear bi-annually and don't stop properly, after about 60,000 miles, the computer went on this vehicle, leaving me stranded many, many times. It was at the dealership several times for this and they couldn't detect the problem, even after my personal mechanic told them what it was. I had to have this fixed on my own because the dealership couldn't. The front passenger seat belt sticks and is difficult to unfastened, the paint on this vehicle is almost completely gone from everywhere but the sides of the vehicle. The serious safety issues with this vehicle are ridiculous and really need to be addressed by the manufacturer. How many deaths are you waiting for to occur before you make the manufacturer accountable for their defects??? Is it going to take a death to occur and chrysler to be sued for their neglect and faulty equipment?????
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 .
Brake vibration at 40,000 miles brake rotors rusted through to friction surface causing large pits and raised areas. Rotors replaced.
I had been noticing some major pulsating (to the point I thought I was loosing a tire) in the front end of my 05 dodge dakota when I stepped on the front brake so I had the brakes looked at by meineke muffler. They showed me how the dust boot on the calipers were deteriorating and that the rotors were turning blue from over-heating. They suggested I contact dodge to see if there were any recalls or if it was covered by my extended warranty. My truck has 24k miles on it. I contacted dodge regarding the warranty and they said that only the calipers would be covered even though the defective calipers caused the premature wearing of the rotors and brake pads. The brake pads still had at least 50% wear on them. My truck is currently at stevens dodge in milford ct. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since I brought it there and supposedly they are still waiting for the parts to come in. According to their service dept the parts are not on back order but they still aren't in. This truck is supposed to be able to tow up to 7,000 pounds but with the brakes failing after only 24k of normal driving (mostly highway miles) I can only imagine what might have happened if I towed things with it regularly.
1999 dodge dakota applied brake and vehicle pulled to the left**cw** 2nd car from document number 10195900 the consumer stated when the brakes are applied, the brake pads wear, and pressure was being placed on the lugs/slide bars. The consumer also stated that it was also quite possible the brakes could be delayed from engaging because the backing plates are not able to ride up and over the wear spot. The consumer stated when he attempted to apply the brakes a delay in braking occurred, followed by a slight shudder, then the wheel locked up. The vehicle didn't stop and consequently he rear ened another vehicle.
Rotors and front brake pads wear out prematurly. Rotor wear indicates the problem seems to be with the caliper primarily applying preassure from the piston side while the oposing side seems to bind. Rear brakes are still original while front have been replaced 3 times.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel antilock brake systems (ABS), the ABS electronic control unit (ecu) may cause a loss of front to rear brake balance, and the rear brakes could lock up prematurely during certain braking conditions.
- Risk
- This could result in a loss of vehicle control and cause a crash without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the ABS ecu. The recall is expected to begin during the week of july 17, 2006. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 06V038000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Some vehicles may have been built with inadequate clearance between the rear axle vent hose and the brake hose.
- Risk
- A puncture in the rear brake hose will result in a loss of braking force at the rear wheels.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear brake hose for evidence of wear. Worn brake hoses will be replaced. The rear vent hose will be shortened by 3 inches and a clip will be installed to assure clearance between the axle vent line and brake hose is maintained.
Recall number 00V198000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: pickup trucks built with 2.5l engines. Some vehicles may have been built with inadequate clearance between the left front brake tube and the power steering hose.
- Risk
- A puncture of the left front brake tube can result in a loss of braking force at the front wheels, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the brake tube and power steering hose for wear. If wear is evident, the brake tube and/or power steering hose will be replaced. A power steering standoff bracket will be installed on all vehicles to ensure that adequate clearance between the brake tube and power steering hose is maintained.
Recall number 00V193000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks (2 wheel drive only). The front brake hoses or anti-lock brake system (ABS) sensor wire may be abraded at the front wheels by contact with a front wheelhouse splash shield.
- Risk
- Prolonged brake hose contact can cause a partial loss of the braking system. Prolonged ABS sensor wire contact can cause a loss of ABS function.
- Remedy
- Dealers will trim the front wheelhouse splash shields and the brake hoses and ABS sensor wires will be inspected. If evidence of abrasion is found on any hose or ABS wire, they will be replaced.
Recall number 97V170000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist
- What is wrong
- The power brake booster vacuum hose could be improperly installed and not clamped to the brake booster vacuum nipple.
- Risk
- A disconnected vacuum hose can cause an increase in engine idle speed and loss of brake power assist during brake application without prior warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicles to insure that the brake booster vacuum hose connection is fully seated and clamped to the vacuum check valve nipple at the brake booster.
Recall number 95V199000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
- What is wrong
- Some of the ABS equipped vehicles were built with an undersized brake return check valve. In incidents where hard brake pedal effort is applied on low friction road surfaces, like rain covered streets, the valves may fail, causing the ABS to become inoperative. This creates excess brake pedal travel and may cause the ABS warning light to come on.
- Risk
- Lack of front wheel ABS could cause the front wheelbrakes to lock, increasing stopping distance which may result in an accident.
- Remedy
- Replace the return check valve with the correct valve.
Recall number 93V082000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- The right front brake hose may rub against the tire during a full lock left turn, which may eventually cause wear through of the brake hose on the right front side.
- Risk
- Wear through of the right front brake hose would causefluid loss from half of the split brake hydraulic system and increase stoppingdistance which could result in an accident.
- Remedy
- If clearance between the brake hose and tire on the right front is inadequate, replace brake hose with a modified version to ensure adequate clearance.
Recall number 91V200000 · Recall details
Questions about the Dodge Dakota premature wear
Which Dodge Dakota years have rotors or pads wearing out early problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (55 complaints), 2001 (33 complaints) and 2002 (20 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix rotors or pads wearing out early on the Dodge Dakota?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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