Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 07/17/2011 | 215000 | ||
| Engine was overheating when air conditioner was turned on. this was due to the fan clutch needing to be replaced. also, oil pressure gauge is not broken in instrument cluster and so is not reporting oil pressure accurately. the entire instrument gauge cluster needs to be replaced to repair this. | |||
| 07/10/2010 | 178000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the central timing module of the vehicle is defective. the contact stated that because of this defective part when he takes the key out of the ignition the lights flash, the horn honks, and the wipers go off. the dealer stated that they can get the part but they do not know when it will arrive. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 179,000. rd | |||
| 04/12/2007 | 69035 | 2 | 12/22/2000 |
| Heater core has gone out for the second time causing hot coolant to be leaked on my feet in the cab and fogging the windows severely while driving. research shows this is a common problem with my model year dakota. research also shows that once you have the problem then it will happen again frequently with no final fix. i feel this is dangerous and the manufacturer should have a permanent fix. my first failure was at 58k miles and now my second is at 69k. *jb | |||
| 05/01/2005 | 56982 | 1 | 04/17/2001 |
| Consumer states: that abs light, engine light, and brake lights came on at the same time. the clutch packed in the rear differential is half inch long , and its job is to hold the clutches and lemon slipped differential, and it failed. it came out and shredded speed sensor in rear differential. *ak | |||
| 11/21/2001 | 1254 | 1 | 04/01/2001 |
| Front brakes clunk when applied,dealer replaced rotors. transmission won't shift properly,dealer ordered and replaced new valve body. lower engine needed to be replaced,because of valve tapping. a/c has bad odor when on. front end squeaked around boots front end has bad knocking sound. 2 goodyear tires slow leak. problems started at 1,254 miles, and keep going at 26,000 miles. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 02/15/2010 | 110000 | ||
| The heat quit working in our 2001 dodge dakota quad cab. it would not work on any of the blower settings. i began looking up possible solutions to the problem. i replaced the fuse, and it still didnt work. i also replaced the resistor. while looking online for other options, i realized that many vehicles from dodge from that year and surrounding years had a common problem. everyone had mentioned the wiring harness was melted. sure enough, i went and checked and it was melted just before where the resistor plugs in. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 08/25/2006 | 33400 | 1 | 11/06/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while having the vehicle serviced, the dealer noticed the brake pads and rotors were worn and needed to be replaced. also, upon starting the vehicle, the key would not turn the ignition switch. the dealer determined the switch needed to be replaced. the contact removed the switch and cleaned it with no further problems. updated 11/30/2006 - the check engine light was illuminated constantly. the dealer determined there was a vacuum leak. the wheel cylinder locked up. *nm | |||
| 09/23/2006 | 63213 | 2 | 12/06/2000 |
| Loss of engine compression, which resulted in the #3 cylinder misfiring and the check engine light staying on and not able to reset. vehicle was at the mechanics shop for 2 weeks. after receiving vehicle back, check engine light came on again. when the problem of the #3 cylinder misfire was detected, it was caused by 2 valves being bent, which according to the mechanic was due to a carbon build up in the engine. vehicle is and always was well maintained and never had any sort of mechanical problem. i am the original owner and purchased new in 2001, only had 63,000 miles on it. according to the dealership parts department, the 4.7l engine is known for a carbon build up around 50,000 miles or so and the problem that i had was not an uncommon one. was also advised that was one of the kinks that dodge never could correct. gee thanks! i corrected the problem myself, however, i traded it in on a 2006 toyota tundra. it's no wonder why the american auto industry is in such poor shape! *nm | |||
| 08/15/2006 | 62950 | 3 | 12/07/2000 |
| 2001 dodge dakota quadcab began running rough approximately 3 weeks ago, from this date, 09/15/06. brought it into the dealership because the check engine light was on. after charging me $500.00 + for a tune-up, cleaning the injectors, and replacing an oxygen sensor, the dealership still could not make the truck run smoothly. they ended up telling me that if i left it with them for a week or so that they could possibly determine the problem and it was probably going to entail them removing the heads and would be a minimum of $1,000.00. i was also advised that my front end needed to be aligned. i just put the tires on last summer, had all these problems checked by another mechanic. front end did not need aligning but they did determine the problem with running rough. seems that due to a carbon build-up inside the cylinder, some carbon actually got into the #3 cylinder and caused the valve to bend slightly. i am the original owner of this vehicle and it only has 63,000 miles on it. i have never ran it hot, without oil and always make sure i maintain my maintenance on it. last year, my front brake calipers had to be replaced, at $900.00 which in turn ruined the front brake pads. the dealership then told me that the boots in the calipers were dry rotted. i like the truck but it seems as if since i paid it off 3 yrs. ago, i have had some sort of mechanical problems with it every year since then. i would not recommend this vehicle to anyone, unless they were a mechanic. my mechanic says that a lot of it is due to poor workmanship. what a shame, it is no wonder why the u.s. auto industry is in such bad shape. *jb | |||
| 12/29/2005 | 61300 | 1 | 06/12/2001 |
| On thursday, december 29, 2005, i was returning home from findlay, oh, i was about 37 miles from home when the check gauges light came on and the oil pressure gage dropped to 0. i was able to get off the highway into a parking lot at which time the truck wouldn't start. i had the truck towed to the dealership where i bought it. the service department checked it out and said i needed a new engine due to sludge build up caused by improper maintenance. i change my oil on a regular basis. i have a dodge neon with over 120,000 miles and my previous car was a 1987 chevy nova with over 199,000 miles. *nm | |||
| 36000 | 1 | 11/30/2002 | |
| Problems with vehicle's engine.*mr when using the defrost or a/c, the engine pump did not function properly. the seat belt was installed improperly and also the wheel bearing was not functioning properly, the consumer was told a hose would be placed on the retaining bolt.*ts *jb | |||
| 06/01/2003 | 32000 | 1 | 07/15/2001 |
| Engine failure due to sludge. *ak | |||
| 03/21/2003 | 48980 | 1 | 05/08/2001 |
| With only 48k miles on my truck, i had total engine failure. the problem was oil sludge that built up around the valves and blocked the flow of oil. the blocking of the flow of oil prevented the rest of the engine from being properly lubricated causing the engine to cease. *nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 09/16/2007 | 88400 | 5 | |
| 2001 dodge dakota and the not able to be remedied and inadequate 4.7l engine. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 09/02/2008 | 106711 | 1 | |
| Studs on exhaust manifold broke causing exhaust gases to enter the cab of the truck. *tr | |||