1996 DODGE DAKOTA Electrical System Problems

LIGHT SWITCH ON 1996 DODGE DAKATO,WIRES ON SWITCH WAS BURNING UP TOOK TO DODGE DEALER AND WAS ASK IF I TOWED ANYTHING MY ANSWER WAS YES HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THE SWITCH WAS NOT COMPATIBLE FOR TOWING WHICH CAUSE MY CONNECTION TO BURN.

Mileage: 78,000

OCTOBER 27, 2006 I TOOK 2 FRIENDS TO TOWN AND WHEN THE PERSON IN THE MIDDLE SEAT COULD NOT GET THE SEAT BELT TO RELEASE AFTER SEVERAL TRIES I CUT THE SEAT BELT TO GET HIM OUT. NOVEMBER 2, 2006 I WAS PICKING UP MY HUSBAND FROM THE DOCTORS OFFICE AND MY SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE AND AGAIN I HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT, SO I COULD GET OUT. ON A RECENT TRIP OF 2400 MILES THE OIL GAUGE WAS PASSED THE MIDDLE OF THE GAUGE WHICH NEAR THE (H) WHEN THIS STARTED HAPPENING THE DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT AND I HAD TO STOP AND LET THE MOTOR COMPLETELY COOL DOWN BEFORE THE LIGHTS WOULD WORK AGAIN IN THE DASH. ON THE WAY HOME FROM MICHIGAN THE ACCELORATOR PEDEL FELL OFF IN THE MOUNTAINS IN GEORGIA AND I HAD TO PUT THE PLASTIC HOLDERS ON VERY CAREFULLY SO I COULD GET TO THE NEXT TOWN AND THERE A AUTO PARTS STORE EMPLOYEE PUT A (C) CLAMP ON THE HOLDER TO SECURE THE PEDAL ENOUGH FOR ME TO MAKE IT HOME. I STILL HAD 400 MILES TO GO AND WAS VERY APPREHENSIVE ALL THE WAY HOME AND NOW WITH THE SEAT BELT FAILURES I AM VERY UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING THE TRUCK . WE ARE RETIRED AND CAN NOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE OR WE WOULD PUT THIS IN THE JUNK YARD. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD TRUCK UP UNTIL NOW AND WE HAVE NEVER ABUSED IT IN ANY WAY AND NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT.

Mileage: 127,554

MORE HISTORY ON MY 1996 DODGE TRUCK WITH ENGINE STALLING PROBLEMS. THE ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND THE TRUCK IS NOW RUNNING ROUGH. THE LAST DODGE DEALERSHIP IN MIAMI, OKLAHOMA COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THEY NOW TELL ME THAT THEY WOULD PREFER I NOT BRING MY TRUCK BACK TO THEM. DODGE CORP'S CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS RUDE, TELLING ME THAT HE TRUCK IS OUT OF WARRANTY NOW (EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM WHILE UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY CAN'T FIND/FIX THE PROBLEM); THE REP TELLS ME THAT IT'S OUR TOUGH LUCK NOW--VERY RUDE. WHEN I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH THE SUPERVISOR OR DISTRICT MANAGER FOR MY AREA, THE REP TOLD ME SHE HAD THE FINAL SAY, I DIDN'T HAVE A WARRANTY, AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO HELP ME LOCATE THE DISTRICT MANAGER FOR MY AREA. YOU HAVE MY EXTENSIVE HISTORY/COMPLAINTS ON FILE WITH THIS TRUCK (PEELING PAINT, FLAT BEARING IN OVERDRIVE, 4 BENT WHEELS, RECURRING ENGINE STALLS TO NAME ONLY A FEW OF THE MAJOR ISSUES). WHAT IS A CONSUMER TO DO NOW. DON'T TELL ME TO FIND AN ATTORNEY--TOO EXPENSIVE AND I WON'T END UP WITH ENOUGH MONEY TO FIX THE TRUCK THE WAY IT SHOULD BE FIXED. CAN'T SELL TO ANYONE FOR WHAT IT SHOULD BE WORTH DUE TO THESE ISSUES, AND WON'T SELL THIS WAY DUE TO MY CONSCIOUS. THIS TRUCK IS GOING TO KILL US ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.*AK

Mileage: 34,000

HEADLIGHT SWITCH AN WIRING HARNESS SHORTED OUT. TOOK TO DEALER AN HAD REPAIRED, MECHANIC SAID ALL 1995 AN 1996 DAKATAS AN RAMS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING, DO TO TO TOWING IT PUT TO MUCH OF AN OVER LOAD ON THE WIRING WHICH SHORTED IT OUT THE WIRES AN SWITCH NO WOULDN'T THIS BE A SAFETY HAZARD AN DODGE SHOULD REMEDY THIS. *AK

ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK LATER THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE BATTERY WAS BAD, THE TRANSMISSION WAS BLOWN OUT DUE TO FLAT BEARING ALSO, THE CHECK LIGHT ENGINE KEPT FLASHING. THE CONSUMER MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO FIND AN ADEQUATE DEALERSHIP TO FIX PROBLEMS. *CB THE VEHICLE WOBBLED BACK AND FORTH, THE CONSUMER LATER DISCOVERED THE WHEELS WERE FLAWED. THE GAS TANK LEVEL WAS NOT OPERATIONAL. *JB

POWER WINDOWS FAILED TO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND UNWILLING TO ASSIST BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY AND NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. *AK CONSUMER STATES WIRE IN COLUM IGNITION SWITCH WAS BROKEN, THIS WIRE WAS HOT TO THE FUSE BLOCK AND POWERED, AIRBAG,BLOWER FAN, WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS. *JB

WHEN FAN IS ON HIGH WIRING HARNESS HEATS UP, RENDERING FAN AND HORN INOPERABLE. DEAELR HAS BEEN NOTIFIED*AK. *JB

FUEL PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. *AK THE BRAKES FAIED COMPLETELY AT 16,000, 19,000 AND 20,000 MILES. ALSO, THE BATTERY FAILED AT 28,000 MILES. *YH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED. NLM

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING INSTRUMENT PANEL GOES OUT, AND DRIVER COULD NOT SEE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IN THE DARK. ALSO, PROBLEMS WHEN REVERSING GEARS, WHICH FELT LIKE GOING "OVER A SACK OF POTATOES". DEALER IS WILLING TO PAY HALF OF THE COST FOR TRANSMISSION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ALL DASH LIGHTS AND ALARM BUZZERS COME ON WHEN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS PULLED OUT THIS CONDITION LASTS UNTIL TRUCK IS WARMED UP AND ONLY OCCURS AT TEMPERATURES FREEZING OR BELOW

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN DRIVEWAY. FIRE DEPARTMENT INDICATED FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, NEAR AN ELECTRICAL JUNCTION OR FUSE RECEPTICLE. *AK

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. FIRE DEPARTMENT INDICATED FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, RIGHT FRONT JUST BEHIND THE BATTERY AND NEAR AN ELECTRICAL JUNCTION OR FUSE RECEPTOCLE. *AK

ELECTRICAL: VEHICLE PARKED UNDER CAR PORT, HEARD A NOISE LIKE A GAS EXPLOSION, WENT OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES.SEEM LIKE FIRE STARTED AT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE BED.

WHEN PULLING OFF AFTER APPROACHING A STOP THE TRUCK STALLS, THIS INCIDENT ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL CRASHES, THE TRUCK HAS BEEN TO DEALER (15) TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, DEALER STATES THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH COMPUTER. NO SOLUTION HAS BEEN FOUND. *AK CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE PULLS INTO TRAFFIC THT VEHICLE HESITATES TO THE POINT WHERE IT SEEMS VEHICLE MAY STALL.*JB

ELECTRICAL WIRING CAUGHT FIRE.

ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE DASH, CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE HEADLIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH.

ENGINE COMPUTER MODULEERRATIC, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TOMISS ACCELERATE, THROUGH GEARS AND WHILE PASSING, ENGINE LAGS AND MISSES DURING ACCELERATION THROUGH ALL FEARS ALSO HILE PASSING, ENGINE RUNS SMOOTH DURING STEADY CRUISE, ENGINE ANALYZER SHOWS NO MALFUNCTIONING AFTER ROAD TESTING WITH DEALER.*JB

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AFTER PARKED FOR OVER AN HOUR. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT