1998 DODGE DAKOTA Electrical System Problems

1 Safety recall found,Reprogram Pcm and inspect Catalytic Converter.I never got a recall notice in the mail just happen to go on line and find it.My engine light,Anti -brake light and emergency light stays on.My speedometer and odometer quit working.I took my truck to the Dodge dealership and they said the parts are discontinued and they cannot get them but they did do a inspection and said everything was ok.I still have the same problems and I am concerned about my safety and the safety of others involved while I am driving my truck.

The contact owns a 1998 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was restarted and operated as designed. During the failure, there were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal a clicking noise was present and the vehicle would not immediately stop. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 210,000.

Mileage: 210,000

MY TRUCK HAS A BAD PCM I HAVE IT REBUILT 3 TIMES AND THE SAME PROBLEM WILL START ONCE THEN WILL NOT START PUT A PCM IN FROM A 8CYL RUNS ALL DAY NOT WELL BECAUSE ITS FROM 8CYL EVERYTHING HAS BEEN REPLACED AND STILL WILL NOT START I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF THIS SAME THING ON LINE THIS IS MY FIRST DODGE ND IT WILL BE MY LAST AND ALL OF THIS IS FROM THE DODGE DEALER

Mileage: 119,974

THE TRUCK HAS A ELECTRICAL ISSUE THE LIGHTS GO OFF AND ON OUT OF NO WHERE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN VERY DARK TWO LANE ROAD AND LIGHTS GO OFF. THANK GOD NOBODY TRIED PASSING IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC PR WE WOULD BE DEAD I REPLACED LIGHT SWITCH A FEW MONTHS AGO AND IT WAS FINE UNTIL RECENTLY STARTED DOING SAME THING. *TR

Mileage: 170,000

FOR DODGE CARS AROUND 98 OR ONES THAT HAVE THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS, THEY STOP WORKING. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY WANT TO ACTUATE THE LOCK BUT IT WON'T LOCK OR UNLOCK. ALL OTHER FUNCTION REMAINS IN THE DOORS OPENING AND CLOSING. UPON MY QUEST OF TRYING TO FUX THE PROBLEM ON BOTH DOORS, I TOOK APART THE ELECTRONIC MOTOR HOUSING WHERE THE GEARS ARE. THERE IS A LITTLE BLUE PIECE UNDER ALL THE GEARS THAT HAS BROKEN AND APPEARS TO BE BROKEN FROM THE PRESSURE OF THE FRICTION SPRING BEHIND IT. THINKING THIS WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THE OTHER ONE, I TORE IT APART AND WAS THE SAME THING. THE TWO PARTS HAD BROKEN IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT. I HAVE A FEELING THIS IS DUE TO PRODUCT DEFECT AND NOT JUSE IN MY CASE.

HEAD LIGHTS FLICKER AND TURN OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHETHER DRIVING OR AT A STAND STILL. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS AND THE DODGE DURANGO. HAVE BEEN STOPPED TWICE BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE VEHICLE IS STOCK WITH NO AFTERMARKET ADDITIONS. *TR

Mileage: 170,000

MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 1998 DODGE DAKOTA, VIN [XXX]. WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, BEGINNING IN THE SECOND YEAR OF OUR LEASE. DURING THE PAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $9,000 ON VEHICLE REPAIRS INCLUDING A NEW TRANSMISSION, NEW ENGINE, NEW STARTER, NEW WHEEL BARING, NEW BRAKE CALIPER, NEW HEATER CORE AND NEW WATER PUMP. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ALTERNATOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND TWO O2 SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS BEEN REPAIRED FOUR TIMES. WHILE THESE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COSTLY AND INCONVENIENT, NONE OF THEM HAS POSED A SAFETY CONCERN PER SE. I AM WRITING NOW TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR MOST RECENT VEHICLE FAILURE WHICH MOST CERTAINLY IS A SAFETY ISSUE. ON NOVEMBER 18, 2004, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN HIS FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BROKE OFF FROM THE AXLE. THE TIRE FELL ON ITS SIDE AND THE TRUCK LANDED ON THE TIRE. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, AND THE TRUCK SKIDDED TO A STOP IN THE LEFT TURN LANE. MY HUSBAND HAD NO CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. WHEN WE TOOK THE TRUCK TO OUR MECHANIC, HE FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS NEAR THE BREAKING POINT AS WELL AND REPLACED THAT AXLE AS WELL. WE ARE STILL DRIVING ON THE TWO FRONT TIRES, BUT WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE SHOULD GET AN ALIGNMENT AND PROBABLY HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED AS WELL. WE UNDERSTAND THAT DODGE HAS RECALLED THE 2000-2003 DAKOTAS FOR THIS SAME DEFECT. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR VEHICLE SHOULD ALSO BE COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. *NM UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Mileage: 96,300

WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS GO OUT, MAKING IT HARD FOR CONSUMER TO SEE, AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

BATTERY EXPLODED, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CASE AND UNDERHOOD NOISE INSULATION. *SLC

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING DUE TO WIRING HARNESS BURNING OUT. DEALER DID NOT ALLOW CONSUMER TO DRIVE VEHICLE HOME DURING THE DAY TO AVOID AN AUTOMOBILE FIRE. *AK

HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING DUE TO WIRING HARNESS BURNING OUT. DEALER DID NOT ALLOW CONSUMER TO DRIVE VEHICLE HOME DURING THE DAY TO AVOID AN AUTOMOBILE FIRE. *AK

KNOCKING SOUND IN ENGINE, CASA DEALER REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOREMAN SAID THAT IT WAS IGNITION TIMING CAUSING THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE TO KNOCK AND COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DODGE DEALER FOR A SECOND OPINION AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF SERVICE BULLITENS OUT FOR THIS PROBLEM INDICATING THAT IT COULD BE AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET OR A COMPUTER FAILURE. THE DODGE DEALER ALSO INFORMED ME THAT A LOT OF THESE LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS WERE COMING IN WITH THIS PROBLEM. IF THE PROBLEM WILL NOT BE FIXED BY THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAKE THEM TAKE IT BACK AND PAY OFF THE FINANCE COMPANY SO THAT I WILL NOT OWE ANYTHING ON IT? THIS IS THE SECOND VEHICLE THAT I HAVE TRIED TO PURCHASE IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS THAT HAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM.*AK

ENGINE HAS INTERMITTENT STUMBLE/DETONATION PROBLEMS. COMPUTER FLASHED PER TSB. OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED PER ENGINE DATA READOUT. DISTRIBUTOR REINDEXED PER TECHNICIAN'S SEAT OF THE PANTS. STILL OCCURS, BUT SO INFREQUENTLY DEALERSHIP CAN'T DUPLICATE.

ENGINE HAS INTERMITTENT STUMBLE/DETONATION PROBLEMS. COMPUTER FLASHED PER TSB. OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED PER ENGINE DATA READOUT. DISTRIBUTOR REINDEXED PER TECHNICIAN'S SEAT OF THE PANTS. STILL OCCURS, BUT SO INFREQUENTLY DEALERSHIP CAN'T DUPLICATE.

THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 18 TIMES IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS WITH THE BRAKES. THE DEALER TELLS ME THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO OPERATE THAT WAY. THESE BRAKES ARE SO BAD I NO LONGER CALL THEM ANTI-LOCK BRAKES I CALL THEM ANTI-STOP BRAKES. DO I HAVE TO KILL SOMEONE IN AN ACCIDENT FOR THEM TO BE FIXED? ALL I KNOW IS I HAVE ORDERED A NEW TRUCK AND IT IS NOT A DODGE! I HESITATE TO EVEN RIDE IN ANY CHRYSLER PRODUCT!!!

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

POWER TRANSMISSION CONTROL FAILED. YH

BATTERY FAILED. YH

UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT. ALSO EXPERIENCES OIL LEAKS AND IGNITION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONING.

UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT. ALSO EXPERIENCES OIL LEAKS AND IGNITION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONING.