I will never buy another Dodge product
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Joined: Nov 2007
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I will never buy another Dodge product
In 2007 I bought a used 2005 Dodge Dakota. It had about 18,000 miles on it, it currently has 112,000. It was the first Dodge/Chrysler vehicle I have owned. In that span of time I have had more problems with it than any other vehicle I have ever owned.
Before it hit 50,000 miles I had to replace all 4 ball joints and both tie rods. I have since had to replace another tie rod. It took me 3 months to get new ball joints because Dodge wasn't making any new parts, nor had they released the patents to let aftermarket parts be produced. If Dodge isn't going to make spare parts for one of their vehicles, why wouldn't they let aftermarket parts be made? That's unconscionable to me. That made me have to drive in an unsafe vehicle for 3 months. I had to drive it for 3 months listening to the ball joints squeak because they were designed not to be lubed, yet I couldn't replace them, and hoping that they didn't fly apart on me. What moron thought it was a good idea to make ball joints that couldn't be lubed? It currently has MOOG ball joints in it. They've last longer than the oem parts.
Since then I have had a sway bar bracket break when I hit a pothole doing less than 35mph. Replaced both sway bar bushings. I have gone through 2 power steering pumps, both Dodge factory oem pumps. The first time it took me 3 weeks to get a new pump from Dodge. I'm currently on my third power steering pump, a non oem one fortunately. Had a power steering hose just pop off one morning. The idler pulley has gone out. I had a brake line break while going down the highway. I'm lucky I'm still alive after that one. I had the other brake line start to leak and had to replace that just last week. Rear differential went out with less than 90,000 miles on it. Pinion screw broke causing the rear end to lock up and the drive shaft to fall out. Luckily I was on a side road only doing about 40mph. I had just come off of a highway doing 65mph not 10 minutes before that. If it had done that on the highway it would've flipped my truck over, and I would likely be dead now. I've also had to replace the drive shaft. The shop ordered 6 used ones for me, all of those were damaged when they arrived. Apparently, according to the shop, Dodge drive shafts are weak. The CD player has stopped working. One of the tail lights, and the tag lights, stopped working because of a lose wire somewhere. When it rains it leaks under the dash into the floorboard. The blower motor resistor has gone out. The blower motor is also going out. It makes the same noise my computer fan made before it went out. The steering wheel has some play in it. Nothing any shop, including the dealership, has done has fixed it. Tie rods replaced, steering gear box checked, so on, and it still does it. I took it too the dealership as a last resort. Even they couldn't figure out what the problem with it is. Now it's started making a noise in the engine. Don't know what it is or how to explain it. Rack and pinion, according to my brake and tire shop, might have a problem with it. It makes a popping noise when you hit a bump. I'm sure I've forgotten a few things that have gone wrong with it. In the last 2 months I have put almost $2,000 into it and things are still wrong with it. I would dump the piece of junk but I still owe on it until December.
I have a 98 F-150. It has 190,000 miles on it and in that time the only things that have gone wrong with it are the alternator going out, vacuum leak, and a head gasket. That's it.
I've always heard what "work horses" Dodges are. That's why I bought one. I actually do like the Dakota. It's the perfect size to me. Not too big, not too small. I know the people that own our local Dodge dealership. It's a father and son. Dad drives a vette, son drives a Navigator, and son's wife drives a BMW. They don't even drive their own dealerships model of vehicle. That should tell you something.
After my experience with this Dakota I will never buy another Dodge. And I would recommend to anyone that asks me not to buy one. I'm going back to Fords after I get this piece of crap paid off.
Before it hit 50,000 miles I had to replace all 4 ball joints and both tie rods. I have since had to replace another tie rod. It took me 3 months to get new ball joints because Dodge wasn't making any new parts, nor had they released the patents to let aftermarket parts be produced. If Dodge isn't going to make spare parts for one of their vehicles, why wouldn't they let aftermarket parts be made? That's unconscionable to me. That made me have to drive in an unsafe vehicle for 3 months. I had to drive it for 3 months listening to the ball joints squeak because they were designed not to be lubed, yet I couldn't replace them, and hoping that they didn't fly apart on me. What moron thought it was a good idea to make ball joints that couldn't be lubed? It currently has MOOG ball joints in it. They've last longer than the oem parts.
Since then I have had a sway bar bracket break when I hit a pothole doing less than 35mph. Replaced both sway bar bushings. I have gone through 2 power steering pumps, both Dodge factory oem pumps. The first time it took me 3 weeks to get a new pump from Dodge. I'm currently on my third power steering pump, a non oem one fortunately. Had a power steering hose just pop off one morning. The idler pulley has gone out. I had a brake line break while going down the highway. I'm lucky I'm still alive after that one. I had the other brake line start to leak and had to replace that just last week. Rear differential went out with less than 90,000 miles on it. Pinion screw broke causing the rear end to lock up and the drive shaft to fall out. Luckily I was on a side road only doing about 40mph. I had just come off of a highway doing 65mph not 10 minutes before that. If it had done that on the highway it would've flipped my truck over, and I would likely be dead now. I've also had to replace the drive shaft. The shop ordered 6 used ones for me, all of those were damaged when they arrived. Apparently, according to the shop, Dodge drive shafts are weak. The CD player has stopped working. One of the tail lights, and the tag lights, stopped working because of a lose wire somewhere. When it rains it leaks under the dash into the floorboard. The blower motor resistor has gone out. The blower motor is also going out. It makes the same noise my computer fan made before it went out. The steering wheel has some play in it. Nothing any shop, including the dealership, has done has fixed it. Tie rods replaced, steering gear box checked, so on, and it still does it. I took it too the dealership as a last resort. Even they couldn't figure out what the problem with it is. Now it's started making a noise in the engine. Don't know what it is or how to explain it. Rack and pinion, according to my brake and tire shop, might have a problem with it. It makes a popping noise when you hit a bump. I'm sure I've forgotten a few things that have gone wrong with it. In the last 2 months I have put almost $2,000 into it and things are still wrong with it. I would dump the piece of junk but I still owe on it until December.
I have a 98 F-150. It has 190,000 miles on it and in that time the only things that have gone wrong with it are the alternator going out, vacuum leak, and a head gasket. That's it.
I've always heard what "work horses" Dodges are. That's why I bought one. I actually do like the Dakota. It's the perfect size to me. Not too big, not too small. I know the people that own our local Dodge dealership. It's a father and son. Dad drives a vette, son drives a Navigator, and son's wife drives a BMW. They don't even drive their own dealerships model of vehicle. That should tell you something.
After my experience with this Dakota I will never buy another Dodge. And I would recommend to anyone that asks me not to buy one. I'm going back to Fords after I get this piece of crap paid off.
sounds like another Monday truck. Sorry for the problems. seems like there are some real lemons out there. good luck with the ford. the last f150 i had was a lemon like your dodge and I said the same thing about fords. I didnt even wait for that piece of crap to be paid off, i just dumped it and took a loss. Luckily I got a decent Dakota.
i dont understand how u can have that many problems.. i beat the living hell out of my truck on a daily basis. shift at 5 grand and burn out at every light do 90 down the freeway fly through corners and my mechanic said it has the balljoints of a new truck... go figure...
ofcourse mine was built on a wednesday.
ofcourse mine was built on a wednesday.
Guest
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my only issue has been rear end C-clips... other than an aftermarket endlink breaking.
Good luck with the ford. if its anything like the fords my family has had, you will feel the same as you do about your dodge.
This is my 5th chrysler product. all have been great vehicles. My chevy, pontiac and ford were all nightmares. The ford was a self made nightmare I guess.
Good luck with the ford. if its anything like the fords my family has had, you will feel the same as you do about your dodge.
This is my 5th chrysler product. all have been great vehicles. My chevy, pontiac and ford were all nightmares. The ford was a self made nightmare I guess.
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Champion
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,739
Likes: 8
From: ct.
I beat my dak on a daily basis also, run a 125 shot of nitrous threw the motor, but the ball joints are terrible, wed, truck built in mexico. would definitely get another, had a ford, only issue was the bed rotting out before the warrenty was up, factory bed protector was keeping water fron draining out when water got between the bed and protector
King Jackass
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,610
Likes: 5
From: Aurora, CO
I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune. That sucks. Well, personally, I have seen amazing longevity with the Tacoma. My father-in-law has had three of them, and ran em' till 150,000-180,000....no issues. I suppose there are regular maintanence like every vehicle. But in the previous two (and in the current one), he has not had any complaints or failures.
