Steering Tie Rod Assembly problems of the 2007 Dodge Dakota

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while driving 5 mph, the front tie rod fractured and bent the gear box, and the rack-and-pinion. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but not repaired. The contact repaired the vehicle independently. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 64,000.

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, he heard a squeaky noise. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician diagnosed that the bolt joints, tie rod and sway bar were malfunctioning and would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 45,427.

2007 Dodge Dakota with 63700 miles had tie rod end failure causing steering and controll problems. Had this failure occurred at highway speed there could have easily been a serious and possibly deadly event. I had the problem repaired and contacted Dodge about this. Dodge covered all expenses ($265. 00) at 65500 miles I took the truck in for inspection because it was pulling to the right. The mechanic found a nail in the right front tire which caused the pulling problem but futher inspection revealed that both the upper and lower ball joints on the right and left sides were noticably worn. I then took the truck to my local Dodge dealer where their inspection confirmed the previous findings. At both inspections I was told that the tie rod end failure and the ball joint problem had most likely occurred because these joints had no grease fittings for lubrication. I called Dodge to see if they would repair the ball joint issue and they refused. I think that had these joints come with grease fittings these issues (tie rod ends and ball joints) would not be a problem at 60000+ miles under normal conditions. Quote for repairs at dosge dealer $1451. 00.