I just got my 05 club cab V8 back from the dealership again. Like alot of you, I started having problems with the brakes. The dealer replaced the rear drums and resurfaced the front discs. Last week, they had to put in new ABS sensors. Well, while driving the truck home today from the dealership, the passenger airbag light went on even though I never deactivated the airbag. The dealer says I have to bring it in again for some re-programming. So far, I have only 1400 miles on this truck and it has been in the shop 5 times for warranty work. I do like the truck when it is working properly, but I have never had a new vehicle with so many recurrent problems. I have too much $$$ invested in it now to get rid of it, but I might have to do that eventually if i keep getting aggravated by having to make frequent trips to the dealership. My trade-in was a 2002 Ford F-150, and I never had to take it in for any warranty work of any kind. It was more truck than I needed, so I thought the Dakota would be a good compromise. I put 48,000 miles on the F-150 trouble-free.

 

Sorry to hear about that. I've had a few probs with the lights coming on when I first got it and I had to have the brakes done like you said. Occasionally, when I would hit the brakes, for one reason or another, all of my lights would come on in the dash. After shutting of the truck once or twice, I never had that problem again, unless I had to hit my brakes again.

I haven't had a problem with my truck since, but....

 

i have had the same brake vibration as many of you. my local dealer told me they wouldnt replace anything until there was a recall. so naturally i am off to another dealer and will be writing a letter to good old DC.

 

Nightrider2005; Don't take no for an answer. If you stand your ground they are likely to fix it. Read some of the other posts. There may not be a reacall due to the fact that it poses no potential safety issues(yet), but there is certainly a TSB. Someone even posted a copy of it...If you get a chance , take a look

 

Well like many of us we are all in the same boat.....3 weeks after I purchased my Dakota I started having vibration issues with the brakes and when going over 60mph. Also the transmission issues are too much to write down but when I brought it to the dealer they tried to change brakes, rotars, and axles...however all new parts they ordered were more defective than what was on my truck...they also stated that they didn't find no problems with transmission.....Well I brought the vehicle to several independent mechanics and long and behold all said the same thing....vehicle is unsafe to drive over 45mph and also in bad whether. There are more problems with this brand new truck than you would see in a truck that was 10 years old...ha...well I decided to take this issue further and fight under the lemon law....It's been 11months now and still in the process, however the manufacturer is buying my vehicle back (hopefully), I'll believe this when it happens but I'm hoping this will happen in the next couple of weeks. Good luck to you all, CALL A LEMON LAW LAWYER...it will be worth it in the end.

 

I certainly can identify with neverdakotagain....even though my dealership worked on the brakes, I still have a vibration, especiall at highway speeds. I took my truck in again yesterday for the 7th time and they did a road force balance on all four tires. It didn't make any difference. My truck feels like an old car in some respects, and I now have only just under 1500 miles on it. I work in Alaska for 6 months out of the year, and I do drive my vehicle to Denali National Park where I work. So, I put lots of miles on my trucks and therefore buy a new vehicle every 2-3 years. I have been doing this for 24 years and, I can say with absolute honesty that, this Dakota that I have is the most trouble-plagued vehicle that I have ever owned. I would never buy a Dakota again, and I'm going to try to dump it off as a trade this summer while in Alaska....if it makes it that far!!

P.S. I forgot to mention that the heated seats go on without being turned on, and I am in Scottsdale, Arizona where the temperatures are presently in the mid 80s. Yes, the truck has to go back in for warranty work again for the 8th time!