16 problems related to automatic transmission have been reported for the 1998 Dodge Dakota. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Ball joints failed, passengers side came loose and the wheel feel off and the transmisson had to be rebuilt due to cheap internal parts. But if you own a 98 Dodge Dakota have your ball joints checked they are a hazard and someone is going to get killed, if they already have not. . . .
While applying the accelerator pedal vehicle failed to move. Consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that transmission needed to be replaced.
Vehicle accelerated and lurched forward after shifting out of park or neutral. Dealer was not notified.
While driving ,transmission doesn't shift to next gear, rpm's go really high and the speedometer sticks. I'm afraid while crossing an intersection that I won't be able to get across and it might cause an accident.
Transmission throttle valve adjustment. . . Keeps the transmission from shifting at the proper time. . . Wont downshift when gas pedal is pressed to the floor. Also. . . Shifter lever cable adjustment. . . . Wrong gear shows up on console.
Consumer complained about an ongoing automatic transmission problem for 3 years which became worse within the last 2 weeks. The rpms revved very high when the vehicle went into second gear after accelerating from a complete stop position. When this occurred consumer had to pull off the road immediately and turn the vehicle off. Dealership nor the mechanic could identify what was causing this to occur.
A cracked fifth gear left me coasting in neutral at 55 mph on a six lane limited access highway, desperately trying to reach the safety of the shoulder in late evening traffic.
The truck was in the driveway to the house with the engine running and in the "parked" position. Nobody was in the truck and it automatically ran into the garage and ran into the house. It damaged the house, lawnmower, power wheel car and radiator. The truck was then turned off with the transmission still in the "parked" position.
Truck was idling in park on level ground when it shifted itsel into reverse and hit a tree. I was loading items in the truck at the time of the mishap, but could not run fast enough to open the door and stop it.
Dealership service department contacted numerous occasions over past 7+ months with either no response or extremely slow response. Tansmission/brakes/shocks/tires, and seat belts, not repaired to date. ( dot number: tire size: 235 75r15 ).
Loud noises coming from drivetrain. Dealer does not know how to fix it.
Tranmission ongoing, popping in rear ongoing, tires bald in 5,000 miles. Someone is going to get killed pulling out in traffic and having the transmission not work properly( dot number: tire size: p215 75r15 ).
While driving at approximately 70 mph transmission locked up, causing loss of control, and resutling in an accident.
This concern regarding the power train - automatic transmission also includes the operation of the cruise control! the original defect manifested itself by extreme "power-downshifts" on moderate upgrades, while running on cruise control (all further mention of "power-downshifts" are while the cruise is engaged). They were extremely rough, to the point that I was concerned about not only the damage to the powertrain, but to also losing control of the vehicle if it would happen to occur at the "wrong time. " they even occured while running "at speed" on the interstate highway. The extreme of these downshifts is indicated by the fact that at 65 mph the transmission would be forced down to 2nd gear, thereby "red-lining" the engine on the tach. First visit brought little if any improvement, and only after an adjustment was made at the last minute from "under the hood. " after this adjustment (or because of problems surfacing from the "power-downshifts") the transmission began to have intermittant "rough shifts" around 30mph. A 2nd visit brought adjustment to the "tranmission throttle pressure" which has almost entirely eliminated the "power-downshifts" (they have only occured twice in the past 2000+ miles. However, the transmission is now suffering much greater problems in shifting. Not only does it give the occasional "herky-jerky" shift, but it now also seems to occasionally "slip" on shifts. The vehicle is scheduled to return to the dealership for "pressure testing" at a later date.
Everytime the vehicle is put into reverse the gears grind and make a loud noise. Dealer can't fix problem.
Transmission not shifting properly.