We found the following complaints for DODGE DAKOTA (1996)
Read complaints for DODGE DAKOTA (1996)
When the steering wheel is tilted up or down the various lights on the instrument panel, such as,brake light/power steering light and air bag light light up.also, the windshield wipers/turn signal lights andbrake warning light quit workng. Dealer was notified about these problems. The problems have not been corrected.
No deployment of driver's air bag during a collision, resulting in some rib bruises.
The vehicle hit another car head-on at 30mph and the airbags did not deploy. Please describe.
During frontal impact at 45 mph, the driver's side air bag did not deploy. Cause unknown.
The airbag system was defective on 1996 dodge dakota.upon impact the airbag failed to deploy.*sc
Vehicle hit a stone wall head on and the driver's side air bag did not deploy.
Was going 50mpwhen vehicle started to hydroplane, hit an 18 wheeler. Tire blewout, and front end of truck hit ground. Ran into culbrecht at 50mph. Upon impact neither air bag deployed. Also,air conditioner did not work. Air bag light kept coming on.insurance inspector checked vehicle. Chrysler inspector informed owner not enough force for air bags to deploy. Driver sustained the followinginjuries, fractured nose/disorientation and bruises.
While at a stop a vehicle coming from the rear and traveling about 65 mph rear endedconsumer's vehicle, causing vehicle to go forward and slam into the vehicle in front. Upon impact,driver's airbag did not deploy, which did not protect consumer in crash.please provide further information.
During impact, the driver's side air bag did not deploy.please decribe.
No deployment of passenger's air bag during a collision.
During impact, the driver's side air bag did not deploy.please decribe.
Owner was involved in an direct frontal impact and there was no deployment of driver's side airbag. Owner was traveling at 40 mph at time of accident. The cause has not been determined.
The consumer has been experiencing problem with air bag sensor and t anti-lock brake system.whenconsumer appliedbrakes they locked upcausing vehicle to collide with othe r vehicles in an intersection. In addition, driver's side airbag failed to deploy.the manufacturer has been contacted.
Was pulling into intersection when another vehicle came around corner and hit dakota head-on. Upon impact withother vehicle,driver's side air bag failed to deploy. Vehicle had spun around, and was hit again by same vehicle.driver suffered a concussion and internal bleeding.was hospitalized.
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.
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.
Electrical system failed.nlm
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.
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 tosecure 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 affordto 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.
Engine stalls while driving at highway speeds. Dealer cannot determine the cause of the problem.later the consumer was told the battery wasbad, the transmission was blownout due to flat bearingalso, the check light engine kept flashing. The consumer made several attempts to find anadequate dealership to fix problems. The vehicle wobbled back and forth, the consumer later discovered the wheels were flawed. The gas tank level was not operational.
Fuel pump failed while driving at approximately 30 mph.the brakes faied completely at 16,000, 19,000 and 20,000 miles.also, the battery failed at 28,000 miles.
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.
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.consumer stated when he pulls into traffic tht vehicle hesitates to the point where it seems vehicle may stall.
Electrical wiring caught fire.
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.
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 wiringwhich shorted it out the wires an switch no wouldn't this be a safety hazard an dodge should remedy this.
Vehicle caught on fire due to an electrical short after parked for over an hour. Please describe details.tt
Vehicle caught on fire in driveway. Fire department indicated fire started in engine compartment, near an electrical junction or fuse recepticle.
Power windows failed to operate intermittently.dealer notified, and unwilling to assist becausevehiclewas out of its warranty and not covered under arecall.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.
Whenfan is on highwiring harnessheats up, renderingfan andhorn inoperable. Deaelr has been notified.
Electrical short in the dash,causing anelectrical short in the headlights, brake lights and the lights on the dash.
Intermittently while drivinginstrument panel goes out, and driver could not see the instrument panel in the dark.also, problems when reversinggears,which feltlike going "over a sack of potatoes".dealer is willing to pay half of the cost fortransmission.please provide further information.
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
At idle/park my 1996 dodge dakota 4x4 v8 5.2l slt will sputter and sometimes kill the engine. Now i'm not sure if that's a safety feature so the engine doesn't over flood itself, but i've replaced the iac valve, pcv valve, distributor rotor/cap, and spark plugs with no improvement. I recent had a problem where the conditions out we're somewhat icy and mid turn into a parking lot i took a blow to a fire hydrant because the vehicle killed itself, meaning loss of power steering and power brakes. I was fine, but my vehicles body took the damage. Luckily the airbag system didn't deploy but this issue has been brought up a lot with the 1995-1996 dakotas. And honestly i'm scared that the vehicle might do this whileon the free way. Also, of 3 o2 sensors that's just above the catalytic converter, all three have left the vehicles check engine light on and have tested faulty. I have yet to return to the exhaust systems shop to see if they can fix it due to it being under warranty, but my mechanic said that it mostly because there's an unneeded amount of extra power going to the o2 sensor which is causing it to fault. Anyhow, i appreciate anything that can be looked at into this, because i do live on a hilly suburb and i rather not take the fault of my vehicle failing and damaging state, neighbors or even my own property, let alone myself getting hurt.
Vehicle stalled anddidnot re-start. Vehicle stalled at least 3 times in the last 6 months.
The water pump failed.
When backing up there was a squeaking noise.the engine was not getting enough power, and was leaking antifreeze.the mechanic replaced the water pump and other parts.this stopped the squeaking.*scc
The fan clutch that is located in the radiator broke in half which almost cause an accident.please provide further information.
The check engine light keeps coming on .tt
The consumer received a letter in 1999 stating there was a recall on the exhaust outer manifold studs, and at that time there was nothing wrong with the manifold, however the vehicle had experienced a problem with the manifold studs.
A timing chain broke while driving, causing vehicle to be inoperative; believed this condition was due to manufacturer's defect. Vehicle only has 69,000 miles of wear and should be fixed at manufacturer'sexpense, not consumer's. Asking nhtsa to look into this matter .
Crank broke and broke block of the engine.
Timing chain has stretched 3 times. I first changed the timing chain on 24 march 2000, on the advice of 2 different dodge dealers. Chain stretched again and was changed on 20 sept. 2000. And has stretched and needs replacing again. Dodge did not tell the owners about tsb 09-07-97 stating that a tensioner for the timing chain needs to be installed the date of the tsb is 27 june 1997. If the timing chain brakes while you are driving the engine will stall and could cause internal damage to the engine. When i contacted chrysler they told mr if i needed the work done aaai had to pay for the cost of repairs. This is wrong because they knowingly build defective engines and failed to notify the owners and they knew that ther were parts missing that would cause this problem.
Driver side door falls off when opened. Dealer said metal fatigue. Timing belt is going bad for the third time.
Oil sending unit failed.
Engine stalls while driving at highway speeds. Dealer cannot determine the cause of the problem.later the consumer was told the battery wasbad, the transmission was blownout due to flat bearingalso, the check light engine kept flashing. The consumer made several attempts to find anadequate dealership to fix problems. The vehicle wobbled back and forth, the consumer later discovered the wheels were flawed. The gas tank level was not operational.
I have a 1996 dodge dakota pickuup truck that experienced engine failure at less than 60,000 miles.the cause for this engine failure was inadequate oiling because of sludge in the bottom of the oil pan.i bought the vehicle used from a car dealer with approximately 33,000 miles on it and have maintined it properly since that time.i and the mechanic i took it to believe that part of the reason for sludge accumulation in the oil pan is poor oil pan design.the way the drain plub is situated it doesn't allow for complete drainage of the oil during an oil change.this problem is probably aggravated by the fact that this vehicle is 4-wheel drive and the sludge gets resuspended with off-road use on steep terrain or rough roads.on conferring with an attorney, she suggested about the only legal recourse is if it occurred in a number of situations so i am looking for records of related incidents.my mechanic indicated he had one other similar case.although this did not cause a catastrophic failure, it could have if i hadn't caught the problem in time.
While driving, noticed oil indication light flashed on, consumer pulled vehicle over to check oil and to add more oil. Soon after, vehicle shutdown. Consumer added more oil. As a result of this, the engine needed to be replaced. Dealer and manufacturer have been contacted.consumer found that oil pump failed to send oil to engine.
Consumer experienced engine failure due to inadequate oiling because of sludge in the bottom of the oil pan, consumer was informed by mechanic that part of the reason for the sludge accumulating in the oil pan was due to a poor oil pan design, the way the drain plug is situated it does not allow for complete drainage of the oil during an oil change, which ultimately clogged the oil pump and caused the engine to fail.
5 times within the last 5 year vehicle will sputter and will die,check engine light will also come on at the same time and 4 times vehicle was towed to dealer who keeps telling consumer battery needs to be replaced. The 5th time dealer claims throttle housing needed to be cleaned but 2 months later defect has reoccured. Consumer states tireshave been rebalanced on numerouse occassions, during installation of the last set of tires, mechanic found that all four wheels/rims were bent, consumer was informed by dealership that numerous wheels had been replaced due to a manufacturer's defect, consumer also experienced transmission problems, also the id plate that is suppose to be located on the door jam has been missing since the date of purchase.
Vehicle stalls continuously.
Consumer claims that vehicle starts losing power at any time or any speed or eventually stall out completely. Due to this defect, consumer has taken vehicle to dealership about 10-15 times, cannot find problem.
Engine stalls, exhaust fumes/noise enter vehicle.
Engine had fire coming from it and spread throughout the rest of car.
Excessive engine vibration.
Serpentine belt squeals constantly,after replacing belt and checking other components including steering used w/belt,unknown noise has returned,please describe details.
Second failure on exhaust stud allowing exhaust gases to enter cab.
Oxygen sensor failed.
Oxygen sensor failed.
Recently purchased a 1996 dodge dakota pu.i'm having problems with the catalitic converter as though it's clogging up and or falling apart internally.has there been a recall on this vehicle and also what are all of the recalls issued on the 1996 dodge dakota, so that i can get all of them fixed, even if it is at my expense.
1996 dodge dakota slt, 5.2l, 4dr ( 99,000 mi) failed ca emission test on 7/8/06.suspected reason for the high emission was failure of the catalytic converter.daimler chrysler corp. (dcc) will not replace this converter at their expense even though they have a recall on some 1.5 million 1996 - 2001 vehicles for failed converters.no letter was received from them and when contacted, they say the vehicle is noton the list for recall. I believe this vehicle should be on the list.
The air conditioner compressor has failed--i feel that this must be a defective part for this to breakdown at the age of the vehicle and mileage.i have not heard of an air compressor breaking down at such low milage and age of vehicle.
Driver's and passenger's power windows failed to go up or down.windows, radio, defroster and windshield wipers failed simultaneously.
While changing the tire jack broke, and vehicle fell off the axle.also, bumper was damaged while towing. Cause unknown.please give any further details.
5 times within the last 5 year vehicle will sputter and will die,check engine light will also come on at the same time and 4 times vehicle was towed to dealer who keeps telling consumer battery needs to be replaced. The 5th time dealer claims throttle housing needed to be cleaned but 2 months later defect has reoccured. Consumer states tireshave been rebalanced on numerouse occassions, during installation of the last set of tires, mechanic found that all four wheels/rims were bent, consumer was informed by dealership that numerous wheels had been replaced due to a manufacturer's defect, consumer also experienced transmission problems, also the id plate that is suppose to be located on the door jam has been missing since the date of purchase.
Light switch on/off burned out causing lighting failures.
The headlights go out going down the road.
While driving vehicle smelled of wire burning and the headlights went out. This was due to the headlight switch burning. Owner has replaced switch.
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 wiringwhich shorted it out the wires an switch no wouldn't this be a safety hazard an dodge should remedy this.
When the steering wheel is tilted up or down the various lights on the instrument panel, such as,brake light/power steering light and air bag light light up.also, the windshield wipers/turn signal lights andbrake warning light quit workng. Dealer was notified about these problems. The problems have not been corrected.
Turn signal defective.
Engine stalls while driving at highway speeds. Dealer cannot determine the cause of the problem.later the consumer was told the battery wasbad, the transmission was blownout due to flat bearingalso, the check light engine kept flashing. The consumer made several attempts to find anadequate dealership to fix problems. The vehicle wobbled back and forth, the consumer later discovered the wheels were flawed. The gas tank level was not operational.
Poor location of the air cleaner intake, causing venturi effect to suck up water when going through puddles, resulting in engine failure/noises.
Fuel pump failed.
Fuel pump failed while driving at approximately 30 mph.the brakes faied completely at 16,000, 19,000 and 20,000 miles.also, the battery failed at 28,000 miles.
While driving, suddenly check engine light came on, vehicle stopped on freeway without warning, complete malfunction of fuel pump/fuel system.
Less than 30 days after pruchase, attempted to put vehicle in 4-wheel drive for the first time and it would not go engage.the next day vehicle stalled and would not restart.
Fuel pump failure, causing intermittent stalling.
The vehicle keeps running out of gas even when the tank says it is fuel and stalls in traffic. Please desribe.
The fuel tank gauge does not accurately read level of gasoline and fluctuates continually. *mjs
Gas comes back out of the filler neck, when a pumping process is attempted.tt
The fuel tank gauge does not accurately read level of gasoline and fluctuates continually. *mjs
Electrical short in the dash,causing anelectrical short in the headlights, brake lights and the lights on the dash.
Locks ondriver'sside and passenger side get stuck. This problem started a year ago.consumer cannot not get out of vehicle unless there is another person to help from the outside.latches were rusted.dealer contacted.*ml
In freezing weather interior door seals freeze.during periods of freezing rain, sleet or wet heavy snow, moisture will enter into door seals and freeze doors shut, preventing driver fromgetting out of truck.
The door latch mechanisms have rusted, consumer could not open the passenger door due to problem. *mjs
Consumer's inside door latches will not lock if not pushed down.passsenger side is far more rusted.dealerwill look atdoors & fix themfor $200. Vehicle4 years old shouldn't be rusted.
Internal connector for passengers door locking mechanism failed causing sticking.
Both the driver's door and passenger's door unable to be opened from outside.passenger door was fixed by dealership.driver's door was fixed by mechanic.truck currently at dealership as both doors need to be fixed again.the drivers door will not close tightly unless you lock the door from the inside.the passenger door will not open from the outside.
The door latch mechanisms have rusted, consumer could not open the passenger door due to problem. *mjs
Corrosion/rust developed inside the inner locking mechanism under door panel. Door panel had to be removed on several occasions in order to oil the inner locking mechanism on either side. Dealer/manufacturer were not contact.
Failure of the passenger's side door latch lock module actuator,the passenger side door latch module is rusted,causing thepassenger's side door to open when driving, consumer has contacted thedealer and the part has been replaced.
Two service department employees at local dealership acknowledged they also had experienced this problem with chrysler motors products.
Parking brake fell apart. Mjs
On two separate occasionsparking brakedisengaged by itself while vehicle was parked.consumerdrovevehicle to the dealer for inspection, andmechanic was not able to duplicate the problem.the consumer also had a 1995 dakota that had the same problem.the 1995 dakota was totaled after when the parking brake failed and the vehicle rolled down the driveway and into the consumer's barn.
Vehicle rolled away suddenly while in park position with emergency parking brake on and engine turned off, causing the vehicle to run into another vehicle. Delaer cannot duplicate or determine defect.
Dear david,thank you for your recent email to daimlerchrysler motors regarding your996 dodge dakota. I'm sorry to hear about the recurring problem you've experienced with your parking brake.daimlerchrysler original mopar parts are designed with the highest standards in mind.we have every confidence in the quality of our parts.though mopar products are built to last, we do acknowledge that, as with all man-made materials, they are susceptible to wear, and may require replacement earlier than what may be perceived as normal.our sincerest apologies for the problems you have experienced.reference number: 12386546reply link: http://www.chrysler.com/wccsapp/wccs/brand_forms/us/reply.jsp?trk_id=kmm1465401c0km&sincerely, bryan dilleysenior staff representative daimlerchrysler customer assistance center original message follows:------------------------category: recall informationbrief description:------------------i bought a 1996 dakota 4wd in 1998 from a private owner. The parking brake was broken. The local dealer replaced it. My 100-pound wife just broke it again. So, what is up with this?comments:---------the first time i had it replaced the dealer tossed out the broken brake actuator rather than returning it to me. An inspector from chrysler motors stopped by my house to see what happened. In that incident i was almost run over by the truck when the brake failed. He said there was nothing he could do without the brake actuator to inspect. A parking brake is not something that should ever fail in the life of a vehicle. Why is this one breaking so often?first name: davidlast name: wagner.
Speedometer/odomoter will stop working intermittently.sometimes a sharp rap above the assembly will make it work. This was repaired by dealer under warranty approximately 3 times about 4 or 5 years ago and has started occurring again.i think this is a major saftey hazard in that i do not know the speed i'm traveling when this occurs.
Speedometer inoperative.
Odometer not working properly.nlm
Transmission sticks in park.
Transmission overdrive failure.
Whenvehicle is in park it will jump out of park and into reverse. Also, whenvehicle is parked on a down hill incline vehicle will roll forward, cause unknown.
Transmission is locked in 3rd gear.previous timescould cutvehicle off for 1 minute,itstarted it back up, and it would be fine.a normal trasmission starts off in 1st gear which vehicle starting off slowly and goes through gears, working its way up to speed. Once vehicle locks, it will move very slow. Dealer has many things, but remedy has not been found forproblem.problems has been in existence since 1996 for this vehicle.
Engine stalls while driving at highway speeds. Dealer cannot determine the cause of the problem.later the consumer was told the battery wasbad, the transmission was blownout due to flat bearingalso, the check light engine kept flashing. The consumer made several attempts to find anadequate dealership to fix problems. The vehicle wobbled back and forth, the consumer later discovered the wheels were flawed. The gas tank level was not operational.
While driving, the transmission locked up.
Transmission engaged in park on hill, however rolled backwards.
Transmission prematurely failed at 63,000 miles due to a defectiveinternal part.
Driver's side seatbelt will not latch on acceleration or turning; also,transmission failure.
5 times within the last 5 year vehicle will sputter and will die,check engine light will also come on at the same time and 4 times vehicle was towed to dealer who keeps telling consumer battery needs to be replaced. The 5th time dealer claims throttle housing needed to be cleaned but 2 months later defect has reoccured. Consumer states tireshave been rebalanced on numerouse occassions, during installation of the last set of tires, mechanic found that all four wheels/rims were bent, consumer was informed by dealership that numerous wheels had been replaced due to a manufacturer's defect, consumer also experienced transmission problems, also the id plate that is suppose to be located on the door jam has been missing since the date of purchase.
Intermittently while drivinginstrument panel goes out, and driver could not see the instrument panel in the dark.also, problems when reversinggears,which feltlike going "over a sack of potatoes".dealer is willing to pay half of the cost fortransmission.please provide further information.
Transmission - excessive rumble noise from purchase (5/8/1999). Dealer said no problem found several times, later after several requests, confirmed problem, replaced (they said) the transmission.within a year, truck began to have shifting trouble @ 28,000 miles, transmission had lost it's fluid.dealer gave us a gallon of fluid to keep it "topped off" - later replaced a transmission seal.truck has consistently shifted from overdrive to 2nd gear on hills or moderate inclines, instead of 3rd gear, causing engine to race (red line) and cruise control to disengage.similar problem happens when accelerating, truck will downshift from o.d. -or- 3rd gear, engine races, making simple passing on highway virutally impossible.problem has persisted from original purchase (by us) and recently gotten worse.
Repair done with new kit available because of defect, waiting for recall. No safety defect.
Transmission cooler leaks.*aw
Vehicle indicated that the truck was in park.but after owner got out fromvehicle while the truck was still running, it jumped into reverse and hit owners boat. Dealer has not seen.
Whenvehicle is in park it will jump out of park and into reverse. Also, whenvehicle is parked on a down hill incline vehicle will roll forward, cause unknown.
Vehicle was placed inpark position on a slight incline,upon exitingfor a brief second, vehicle rolled backwards, injuring the consumer. Also,after the incident vehicle was still in the park position.consumer has contacteddealer. *ml
While this vehicle was parked it slipped out of gear and started rolling backwards.while trying to stop the vehicle, it ran over consumer's legsandleft knee.vehiclewas stopped by running into another vehicle. Dealer was contacted.
While driving the rear axle snapped and the wheel fell off. The highway was wet, and the truck was spinning and flipped over and landed on the roof upside down. The defective part was the axle. The dealer could not duplicate the problem.
Transmission housing leak.
Consumer wasdriving approximately 55-60 mph when all of a suddenrear end of truck started to bounce up and down and shaking for a block. The universal joint broke, and sounded like going upand down. Consumer had to coast through traffic, nearly causing numerous accidents.consumer wastold by dealer that driveshaft failed, anddealership replaced the whole driveshaft assembly. Consumer continued to drive after replacement of driveshaft,and vehicle continued tovibrate. After chrysler in ga. Stated that one of the hubs on the left rear axlewas not straight,consumer took vehicle to tire dealer, and they said there was a badly bent rim. Put vehicle onthe balance machine and there was a walp.went back to dealerwhere evehicle was purchased and they refused to fix it becausethe 36,000 mile factory warrantyexpired. Also,they did not acknowledge thedefects.
1. The power steering high- pressure hose has an o-ring inside of the fitting that connects to the gearbox. The o-ring completely failed while driving causing difficult steering, which was very unexpected. Refilling the resevoir resulted in a high pressure spray of hydraulic fluid covering the entire engine compartment and lasting less than two miles with no turns.2. The clutch does not disengage when the clutch pedal is pressed to the floor, there is plenty of fluid in the resevoir, and there is resistance when pressing the pedal. To down shift, i had to stop the engine, put the transmission in 1st gear push in the clutch, then start the engine. There is just enough clutch to keep the vehicle from moving if the brake is on. There were no previous warnings or indications that this failure was pending.
Consumer wasdriving approximately 55-60 mph when all of a suddenrear end of truck started to bounce up and down and shaking for a block. The universal joint broke, and sounded like going upand down. Consumer had to coast through traffic, nearly causing numerous accidents.consumer wastold by dealer that driveshaft failed, anddealership replaced the whole driveshaft assembly. Consumer continued to drive after replacement of driveshaft,and vehicle continued tovibrate. After chrysler in ga. Stated that one of the hubs on the left rear axlewas not straight,consumer took vehicle to tire dealer, and they said there was a badly bent rim. Put vehicle onthe balance machine and there was a walp.went back to dealerwhere evehicle was purchased and they refused to fix it becausethe 36,000 mile factory warrantyexpired. Also,they did not acknowledge thedefects.
Consumer wasdriving approximately 55-60 mph when all of a suddenrear end of truck started to bounce up and down and shaking for a block. The universal joint broke, and sounded like going upand down. Consumer had to coast through traffic, nearly causing numerous accidents.consumer wastold by dealer that driveshaft failed, anddealership replaced the whole driveshaft assembly. Consumer continued to drive after replacement of driveshaft,and vehicle continued tovibrate. After chrysler in ga. Stated that one of the hubs on the left rear axlewas not straight,consumer took vehicle to tire dealer, and they said there was a badly bent rim. Put vehicle onthe balance machine and there was a walp.went back to dealerwhere evehicle was purchased and they refused to fix it becausethe 36,000 mile factory warrantyexpired. Also,they did not acknowledge thedefects.
Sudden failure of u-joint caused loss of power and control.bent drive shaft resulted from failure.
Front u-joint fell out, causing damage to other components.
Transmission failed.nlm
When truck in park, the transmission slips out of gear . Please describe.
Less than 30 days after pruchase, attempted to put vehicle in 4-wheel drive for the first time and it would not go engage.the next day vehicle stalled and would not restart.
The contact owns a 1996 dodge dakota. The contact stated that the seat belt buckle was fractured. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was not provided. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.
The contact owns a 1996 dodge dakota. He stated that the front seat belts have fallen apart.he also stated that he was unable to release the seat belt and was forced to crawl out.the dealer stated that there were recalls; however, there were no recalls for the seat belts.they offered to replace the seat belts; but he would have to pay for the labor. The seat belts have not been replaced.the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 160,000.the vin appears to be invalid.
Driver's side seat belt willnot hold together whenpressure put on, it will lock.seatbelt willnot hold together.
Plastic covers came off of driver's side seat belt assembly. Then seat belt would not release because assembly had broken. The assembly had to be pried apart with a screwdriver so that i could get out of the seat belt. *nlm
The front seat belts are inoperable.the buckles on the belts do not snap.
-the contact stated that his 1996 dodge dakota has had 2 replacement of the driver side seat belt latch.the contact stated that the latch is made of plastic and the springs continue to fall from it.he stated that he has to replace this again and felt that this was a defective product used on this vehicle.the failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 66,000.
Driver's side seatbelt will not latch on acceleration or turning; also,transmission failure.
The driver's side seat belt would not release from belt buckle after pressing the red release button.
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 tosecure 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 affordto 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.
Faulty seat belt buckles, the entire assembly on all three buckles in the front seat has completely broken.
Front passenger's side seat belt buckle comes undone while in use.occupant transported unrestrained, to be replaced by dealer, parts on back order.
Driver seatbelt stuck in the retractor will not pull out, dealer refused to fix it.tt
Dt*:the contact stated while driving at 15 mph the bolt that holds the back of the driver seat fractured causing the seat to fall backwards.although the dealership and manufacturer were alerted, no inspections have been made.
While driving 40 mph the driver seat back fell back. No injuries. Nlm
Driver's seat bracket broke, causing seat to move backwards when applying accelerator . Dealer replaced complete bracket.
Back of seats do not latch and unlatch properly this is creating a danger if there was a crash or sudden stop.
The front seatback latches did not work properly.the driver's latch does not lock allowing the seatback to move forward during sudden turns.the passenger seatback was permanently locked not allowing for seat back to be adjusted.as a result, consumer can not add or remove passengers from extended cab on passenger's side. *nlm
Lower bolt that hold seatback broke, causing seat to tip backwardswhich could have resulted in loss of vehicle control.
The rider's side seat back is locked in place and will not fold forward. This hampers getting people or materials out of the back seat of this extended cab pickup. It is also a safety hazard as a person in the back could not easily escape in the event of an accident. There are 57 other people that have requested replacement parts which are not being provided.*la
Seat locking latch behind both driver and passenger seats does not function.seats will not lock into place.
While driving driver's seat recliner bolt broke, causing the driver's seat back to fall backwards. Driver lose control of the vehicle temporarily. *mr
At idle/park my 1996 dodge dakota 4x4 v8 5.2l slt will sputter and sometimes kill the engine. Now i'm not sure if that's a safety feature so the engine doesn't over flood itself, but i've replaced the iac valve, pcv valve, distributor rotor/cap, and spark plugs with no improvement. I recent had a problem where the conditions out we're somewhat icy and mid turn into a parking lot i took a blow to a fire hydrant because the vehicle killed itself, meaning loss of power steering and power brakes. I was fine, but my vehicles body took the damage. Luckily the airbag system didn't deploy but this issue has been brought up a lot with the 1995-1996 dakotas. And honestly i'm scared that the vehicle might do this whileon the free way. Also, of 3 o2 sensors that's just above the catalytic converter, all three have left the vehicles check engine light on and have tested faulty. I have yet to return to the exhaust systems shop to see if they can fix it due to it being under warranty, but my mechanic said that it mostly because there's an unneeded amount of extra power going to the o2 sensor which is causing it to fault. Anyhow, i appreciate anything that can be looked at into this, because i do live on a hilly suburb and i rather not take the fault of my vehicle failing and damaging state, neighbors or even my own property, let alone myself getting hurt.
The consumer has been experiencing problem with air bag sensor and t anti-lock brake system.whenconsumer appliedbrakes they locked upcausing vehicle to collide with othe r vehicles in an intersection. In addition, driver's side airbag failed to deploy.the manufacturer has been contacted.
Semi wet road surface; w/rear abs brakes resulted in vehicle not stopping and driver skidded into another vehicle.
Anti-lock brake system light keeps coming off & on. In shop (3) times, still not fixed, check engine light comes on.
Abs light keeps coming on. Whenever brakesare applied, the pedal continues to the floor. The vehicle takes awhile to stop. Does not happen all the time, intermittent. Hasextended stopping distance. Taking vehicle to dealer to check.
The abs system is not working well.please describe.tt
Antilock brakes lock up, causing accident.
Abs brakes lock up at any speed on snow and ice.
The rear anti-lock braking system and braking system malfunctioned intermittently. Had to use emergency parking brake.dealer cannot determine problem.
When the brakes are applied they pulsate,causing excessive brake wear. The dealer will be notified.
When the brakes are applied the front brakes lock up, causing the vehicle to go into a skid. The dealer hasrepaired the brakes 6 times prior to the owner taking the vehicle to a private mechanic.
When the steering wheel is tilted up or down the various lights on the instrument panel, such as,brake light/power steering light and air bag light light up.also, the windshield wipers/turn signal lights andbrake warning light quit workng. Dealer was notified about these problems. The problems have not been corrected.
Dt:the contact states the fuse in the relay switch was missing from anti lock brakes. He contacted the dealership and the manufacturer, and they could notdeterminewhy the fuse was missing.
Fuel pump failed while driving at approximately 30 mph.the brakes faied completely at 16,000, 19,000 and 20,000 miles.also, the battery failed at 28,000 miles.
While driving the abs panel light stayed on, dealer replaced 2 sensors.dealer cannot determine problem. Dealer replaced speed sensor, jumper wire, wiring harness, fuse, and dealer cut off plugs and soldered wires together, abs light still illuminates.
Abs and the brake lights would intermittently come on whiledriving.dealer notified, and unwilling to assist because it was not cover under a recall, and vehiclewas out of warranty.
Purchase the truck new there is no abs sensor light install .tt
When applying the brakes the vehicle makes a loud squeaking noise. Brake loss occurs when on a decline. Dealer replaced the hubs on rear wheel problem still exists.
This truck was bought new.steering sector was loose, and tightened.transmission burned out.now front brakes are shot.cruise control does not engage or disengage (intermittently) when steering wheel is in full down tilt position.smell of burning rubber since new when used for extended periods at highway speeds.now it has severe grooving on inside of both front brake rotors.brake inspection at 31,044 miles, all okay.at 44,388 problem was discovered.back drum brakes are 25% used.documented with service records.
The brakes grab when in use.
Front hub bolted to wheel- 7 bolts attaching brakes, stripped out. 2nd time it happened had brakes & bolts replaced. Brakes would lock up calipers on disc brakes.
While applying the braking system the vehicle moves to left, causing loss ofcontrol.dealer claimesit a rotor problem.cause unknown.please provide further information.
Brake rotors will lock up while driving makingit hard for consumer to stop. Cause unknown. Dealer notified.
A bolt in the steering column was missing,causing a lot of play in the steering wheel.please describe.
When the steering wheel is tilted up or down the various lights on the instrument panel, such as,brake light/power steering light and air bag light light up.also, the windshield wipers/turn signal lights andbrake warning light quit workng. Dealer was notified about these problems. The problems have not been corrected.
On two ocassionsthe steering gear boxcome apart.please describe .
This truck was bought new.steering sector was loose, and tightened.transmission burned out.now front brakes are shot.cruise control does not engage or disengage (intermittently) when steering wheel is in full down tilt position.smell of burning rubber since new when used for extended periods at highway speeds.now it has severe grooving on inside of both front brake rotors.brake inspection at 31,044 miles, all okay.at 44,388 problem was discovered.back drum brakes are 25% used.documented with service records.
1. The power steering high- pressure hose has an o-ring inside of the fitting that connects to the gearbox. The o-ring completely failed while driving causing difficult steering, which was very unexpected. Refilling the resevoir resulted in a high pressure spray of hydraulic fluid covering the entire engine compartment and lasting less than two miles with no turns.2. The clutch does not disengage when the clutch pedal is pressed to the floor, there is plenty of fluid in the resevoir, and there is resistance when pressing the pedal. To down shift, i had to stop the engine, put the transmission in 1st gear push in the clutch, then start the engine. There is just enough clutch to keep the vehicle from moving if the brake is on. There were no previous warnings or indications that this failure was pending.
Power steering reservoir hose failed.
At idling, steering was stiff until accelerator was pressed due to a totalled failure of the steering pump.
At idling, steering was stiff until accelerator was pressed due to a totalled failure of the steering pump.
Frame cracked in half behind the suspension on passenger side.
The weld on the lower, driver's side, door hinge completely separated.in my attempt to get it repaired, the local welders and body shop guys told me that this was a common failure on the dakotas and they knew exactly how to repair it.the failure of that hinge makes it dificult to get out of the vehicle-i bent the front quarter panel where the door meets it when it failed.
Drivers side door hinge broke 11/20/ 2010 paint off hood and top . They were painted three times whileunder warranty. 1996 model with 69,000 miles.
When vehicle is driven 70 mph and above a strong whistling noise can be heard inside the vehicle.
Water leaking into cab.
I have a 96 dodge dakota that frame is rusting out. It has rusted out where the emergency brake cable hooks up so now no emergency brakes. Tubular frame is rusted out in about 3 places, a bumper bracket rusted out. I have tried twice to paint frame with out any success. Body is not rusting at all.i am also a volunteer fire fighter. Called dodge and they said there is nothing they are doing to fix or recall this problems done research and mine is not the only one this is been happening to. Included a youtube video of one that they took the body off of http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=96+dodge+dakota+frame+problems+youtube&view=detail&mid=4094674f6964c6f203f74094674f6964c6f203f7&form=vire
Bushings onfront right ofvehicle were becoming worn.consumer tookvehicle intodealership, who examined it and determined that there was a crack located on lower right front wheel well area ofvehicle. Dealership informed consumer thatvehiclewas unsafe to drive.please provide any additional information/attachments.
At idle/park my 1996 dodge dakota 4x4 v8 5.2l slt will sputter and sometimes kill the engine. Now i'm not sure if that's a safety feature so the engine doesn't over flood itself, but i've replaced the iac valve, pcv valve, distributor rotor/cap, and spark plugs with no improvement. I recent had a problem where the conditions out we're somewhat icy and mid turn into a parking lot i took a blow to a fire hydrant because the vehicle killed itself, meaning loss of power steering and power brakes. I was fine, but my vehicles body took the damage. Luckily the airbag system didn't deploy but this issue has been brought up a lot with the 1995-1996 dakotas. And honestly i'm scared that the vehicle might do this whileon the free way. Also, of 3 o2 sensors that's just above the catalytic converter, all three have left the vehicles check engine light on and have tested faulty. I have yet to return to the exhaust systems shop to see if they can fix it due to it being under warranty, but my mechanic said that it mostly because there's an unneeded amount of extra power going to the o2 sensor which is causing it to fault. Anyhow, i appreciate anything that can be looked at into this, because i do live on a hilly suburb and i rather not take the fault of my vehicle failing and damaging state, neighbors or even my own property, let alone myself getting hurt.
While changing the tire jack broke, and vehicle fell off the axle.also, bumper was damaged while towing. Cause unknown.please give any further details.
Improper sealing of door caused wind noise at speeds in excess of 65 mph.
Driver side door falls off when opened. Dealer said metal fatigue. Timing belt is going bad for the third time.
Locking mechanism for passenger side door malfunctioned.unable to close door.
Driver's side door hinge came off body of truck. There was only one hinge ondrivers side door.consumer has yet to contact dealer.please provide any further information.
Door hinges seized and caused the hinges to be replaced on the first failure.the second failure resulted in having to replace the entire drivers door and hinges.while attempting to rotate tires, all 6 wheel studs broke on the drivers side left rear wheel.i completed the wheel stud replacement my self.
Welds onbottom hinge of drivers door have broken. Door is hanging by top hinge only.
The lower hinge that holds the driver's side door in place has rusted through inside of the door section,and the hinge is cracked where it attaches to the frame.dealer is aware of the problem. The problem has not been corrected at this time.
Paint on hood and top of truck have been peeling off.also, the hinge on the drivers door has broken off of the metal.in hearing from others this is not an isolated incident on either issue listed above.
Frame is cracking at the back of the engine which could cause total loss of suspension.please give any further details.
Front end alignment failed.
The bushings on the vehicle was loose.
One side of vehicle was 13 inches longer than other side, causing vehicle to run out of balance.
Vehicle out of alignment resulting in pulling.
Weld splitting at right lower control arm. Dealer said not under warranty even though the weld should be the strongest part.i was aslo told they had seen one or two other trucks with this problem.this also caused right front brake pad/rotor to freeze up as in metal to metal with no warning requiring me to replace rotorand pads.
1996 dodge dakota pickup front ball joint failures. Both ball joints have failed during inspections.
The consumer took the vehicle to a tire shop to have the tires rotated and to get a front end alignment.the technician determined that the upper ball joints were wearing prematurely.
1996 dodge dakota pickup front ball joint failures. Both ball joints have failed during inspections.
There is a knocking sound in the front end of the vehicle, very noticeable when going over a bump. Mechanicrfeplaced shock absorbers.
Shocks failed.nlm
Bushings onfront right ofvehicle were becoming worn.consumer tookvehicle intodealership, who examined it and determined that there was a crack located on lower right front wheel well area ofvehicle. Dealership informed consumer thatvehiclewas unsafe to drive.please provide any additional information/attachments.
Consumer wasdriving approximately 55-60 mph when all of a suddenrear end of truck started to bounce up and down and shaking for a block. The universal joint broke, and sounded like going upand down. Consumer had to coast through traffic, nearly causing numerous accidents.consumer wastold by dealer that driveshaft failed, anddealership replaced the whole driveshaft assembly. Consumer continued to drive after replacement of driveshaft,and vehicle continued tovibrate. After chrysler in ga. Stated that one of the hubs on the left rear axlewas not straight,consumer took vehicle to tire dealer, and they said there was a badly bent rim. Put vehicle onthe balance machine and there was a walp.went back to dealerwhere evehicle was purchased and they refused to fix it becausethe 36,000 mile factory warrantyexpired. Also,they did not acknowledge thedefects.
Truck leans sharply when braking.
Vehicle delivered with a warped wheel.
Was going 50mpwhen vehicle started to hydroplane, hit an 18 wheeler. Tire blewout, and front end of truck hit ground. Ran into culbrecht at 50mph. Upon impact neither air bag deployed. Also,air conditioner did not work. Air bag light kept coming on.insurance inspector checked vehicle. Chrysler inspector informed owner not enough force for air bags to deploy. Driver sustained the followinginjuries, fractured nose/disorientation and bruises.
Two goodyear tires blew out. *dh
I lost control with the first tire separation and ran over two signs ending up in a ditch. (dot number: w2hfat5287tiresize: p215/75r15)
This tire was the replacement for the first firestone tire that blew out. Tire shows signs of tread to sidewall separation & driver stated that sidewall of tire "bubbled out" along the entire sidewall of tire approximately 4-5 inches.( dot number: vdw81xl tire size: 265/75r16 )
Anti-lock brake system light keeps coming off & on. In shop (3) times, still not fixed, check engine light comes on.
Cruise control will not disengage when applying the brakes or switching it off.after applying brakes to slow down for a curve, the cruise control would engage itself as soon as the brakes were released.
The contact owns a 1996 dodge dakota. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was a rapid increase in engine rpms. The contact shut the vehicle off but the failure continued when he restarted the engine. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Cruise control sticks when trying to disengage.dealer has been contacted.
Speed control can not be disengage manually at the steering column, must depress brake to disengage.*mjs
Whenvehicle is in park it will jump out of park and into reverse. Also, whenvehicle is parked on a down hill incline vehicle will roll forward, cause unknown.
Cruise control will not disengage when manually trying to disengage. Driver has to slam on the brakes. Consumer says this is unsafe.if someone would pull out in front of consumer,it could result in a terrible accident.
This truck was bought new.steering sector was loose, and tightened.transmission burned out.now front brakes are shot.cruise control does not engage or disengage (intermittently) when steering wheel is in full down tilt position.smell of burning rubber since new when used for extended periods at highway speeds.now it has severe grooving on inside of both front brake rotors.brake inspection at 31,044 miles, all okay.at 44,388 problem was discovered.back drum brakes are 25% used.documented with service records.
When driving sometimes vehicle surges and loses power at all speeds at various times.
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 tosecure 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 affordto 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.
Vehicle idles high, lunges.tt
Driver's and passenger's power windows failed to go up or down.windows, radio, defroster and windshield wipers failed simultaneously.
Heater coreis leaking fluid intopassenger's compartment.the heater core started leaking at 35,000 miles.
When switch failed, the smell of melted plastic filled the cab of the truck.when i removed the componet the back of the switch had melted.i have yet to replace the blower motor resistor, because i can't find it.the fuse in the fuses and the relay didn't blow.
Power windows failed to operate intermittently.dealer notified, and unwilling to assist becausevehiclewas out of its warranty and not covered under arecall.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.
Driver's and passenger's power windows failed to go up or down.windows, radio, defroster and windshield wipers failed simultaneously.
Drivers electric outside mirror creates blind spot for driver, due to its size and location.
Molding around window failed three times, causing loud noise while driving.
When the steering wheel is tilted up or down the various lights on the instrument panel, such as,brake light/power steering light and air bag light light up.also, the windshield wipers/turn signal lights andbrake warning light quit workng. Dealer was notified about these problems. The problems have not been corrected.
Driver's and passenger's power windows failed to go up or down.windows, radio, defroster and windshield wipers failed simultaneously.
Tire came off vehicle striking another vehicle. (ohio state police report)
5 times within the last 5 year vehicle will sputter and will die,check engine light will also come on at the same time and 4 times vehicle was towed to dealer who keeps telling consumer battery needs to be replaced. The 5th time dealer claims throttle housing needed to be cleaned but 2 months later defect has reoccured. Consumer states tireshave been rebalanced on numerouse occassions, during installation of the last set of tires, mechanic found that all four wheels/rims were bent, consumer was informed by dealership that numerous wheels had been replaced due to a manufacturer's defect, consumer also experienced transmission problems, also the id plate that is suppose to be located on the door jam has been missing since the date of purchase.
Engine stalls while driving at highway speeds. Dealer cannot determine the cause of the problem.later the consumer was told the battery wasbad, the transmission was blownout due to flat bearingalso, the check light engine kept flashing. The consumer made several attempts to find anadequate dealership to fix problems. The vehicle wobbled back and forth, the consumer later discovered the wheels were flawed. The gas tank level was not operational.
Front hub bolted to wheel- 7 bolts attaching brakes, stripped out. 2nd time it happened had brakes & bolts replaced. Brakes would lock up calipers on disc brakes.
Driving at approximately 65 mph6 lugs: nuts on wheel on rear driver's side snapped in half, causing loss of control of vehicle.
Door hinges seized and caused the hinges to be replaced on the first failure.the second failure resulted in having to replace the entire drivers door and hinges.while attempting to rotate tires, all 6 wheel studs broke on the drivers side left rear wheel.i completed the wheel stud replacement my self.
While driving notice some vibration when turning wheel continues to get worse discover that 3 lug nuts were missing and one stud was broken two were very loose.
While driving notice some vibration when turning wheel continues to get worse discover that 3 lug nuts were missing and one stud was broken two were very loose.
Consumer wasdriving approximately 55-60 mph when all of a suddenrear end of truck started to bounce up and down and shaking for a block. The universal joint broke, and sounded like going upand down. Consumer had to coast through traffic, nearly causing numerous accidents.consumer wastold by dealer that driveshaft failed, anddealership replaced the whole driveshaft assembly. Consumer continued to drive after replacement of driveshaft,and vehicle continued tovibrate. After chrysler in ga. Stated that one of the hubs on the left rear axlewas not straight,consumer took vehicle to tire dealer, and they said there was a badly bent rim. Put vehicle onthe balance machine and there was a walp.went back to dealerwhere evehicle was purchased and they refused to fix it becausethe 36,000 mile factory warrantyexpired. Also,they did not acknowledge thedefects.
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