Two problems related to front suspension lower control arm have been reported for the 2000 Dodge Dakota. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Normal, regular duty use of a 2000 Dodge Dakota quad cab v8 requiring regular maintenance, needed a front end alignment at 57,000 miles. The local Dodge dealer (mike brown @ granbury) performed the alignment, conducted two (2) test drives while I was there and returned the vehicle to me with a comment that it was pulling to the right. I took the vehicle back with the 'pulling to the right' problem and the dervice manager said to bring it back the next am and they would make it right. They called to notify me that the right lower control arm bushing was deteriorated and that they couldn't align it to specifications. They had a replacement lower control arm and bushing (comes as one part) for $280. 00 and 4 hours labor ($65/hr) would fix it. My response was 'pull it out front and park it'. My discussion with the service technician when I arrived at the dealer was about how in 31 years of new and used vehicle ownership I have never had a front end go bad in 57,000 miles. He brought out that the v8 left exhaust manifiold heats up the bushing and deteriorated it faster that one would expect. We agreed that it was a design problem and therefore a manufacturer engineering issue. I will go back to collect my initial alignment fee charged on a job that could not be performed to factoory specs due to failing front end parts.
Upper and lower control arms failed. The parts were replaced twice. However, the problem still exists.