Three problems related to steering knuckle spindle have been reported for the 2000 Dodge Dakota. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Truck started to pull to right upon mid-level braking. Was told brakes ok, tie rod ends bad/replaced, no change. Then told rack & pinion bad/replaced, slight change, still pulls to right, getting worse. Now 3 months later and after $400. 00 in repairs, I go with a different shop, I was told brakes caliper bolts are stripping out. This causes the brake shoes to move when braking, binding, then pulling the steering wheel out of hands. Has also caused right tie-rod end to go bad again. The biggest danger is that upon braking the steering wheel turns to the right and I could lose control of the truck. Have been trying to find a good used steering knuckle and all the ones found have the same problem. The fix is, if caught soon enough, heli-coil new threads or replacing the steering knuckle ($415. 00 part alone).
On my 2000 Dodge Dakota my steering knuckle snapped past the tie rod on the wheel part of the right passenger side if the vehicle (front) this part is approximately a 1 inch by one inch of solid steel. This resulted in a crash with a parked manatee county patrol car. I believe this part should not have snapped under any circumstances. The investigating police offier agreed. I was not issued any traffic violation after the officer saw what had happened. I also believe this is a manufacturer defect that should be investigated . I plan to be following up on this with a phone call to your ageny. I wonder how many ticking time bombs are out there? I am aware of the recall of upper ball joints falling off and I am wondering if maybe defective steel is the cause.
Vehicle 2000 Dodge Dakota pick up 2 wheel drive. Failed new jersey motor vehicle inspection for ball joints. There was a letter about the upper ball joint failure. Upon inspection found both upper and lower ball joints have excessive play to the point where they may pull out of the socket.