Front Suspension Lower Ball Joint Problems of Dodge Dakota - part 2

I bought a 1997 Dodge Dakota pick/up that had 52,303 miles showing on the speedometer, the dealer said and showed me a "safety check" seal on the windshield and told me they safety check all their used cars and trucks, after finally putting 1,000 miles on the truck I noticed it was getting harder and harder to steer and control, I also started hearing a loud noise in the front end when turning. I finally took the truck to a garage and asked to check the front end, the dealer had supposedly aligned the front end at the time of purchase. To my surprise and the mechanics, when he jacked up the vehicle and went to check the ball joints, the left front wheel started to fall off, the ball joint was so worn out. This vehicle has 53,324 miles on it at present, these are actual miles, there is only 3 titles been issued for this vehicle, the original buyer (new), the dealer and my self. Apparently the dealer knew the front end ball joints were worn out, a true safety check and the supposedly front end alignment they claim they did would have shown that. Also the safety check they claim they do, should have shown the ball joints were worn out. If we had been driving on the interstate and the left front wheel fell off, I dread thinking how many cars would have been involved in the wreck. The cost of replacing all 4 ball joints cost me $237. 00, I am positive a dealer would have paid less to repair the vehicle prior to guaranteeing that it was a safe vehicle. In having the vehicle repaired I have found out that the Dodge trucks have a history of ball joint failure, especially older models.

See all problems of the 1997 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

Upper and lower ball joint failures @ 58,500 miles.

See all problems of the 1998 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

: the contact stated while having routine maintenance, the dealership determined the upper and lower ball joints were loose and needed to be replaced. There was a NHTSA recall, # 04v596000, regarding the upper ball joint; however, it was not included in the recall due to the VIN.

See all problems of the 1999 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

As a 2002 Dodge Dakota owner, I have had the upper ball joints replace once out of my own pocket and once at the dealership. I have received my refund. My chief complaint is the fact that when the dealership replaced my upper ball joints they failed to inform me that my lower ball joints also had excessive/unacceptable movement and needed to be replaced. I have also had to replace my rotors and brakes for the third time and I only have 72,000 miles. I don't do any off-roading either. I believe that the upper ball joints caused my lower ball joints to go bad as well in addition to causing the replacement of my rotors and brakes.

See all problems of the 2002 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

: the contact stated while backing up at 10 mph the driver side front wheel detached. The dealership and manufacturer was alerted. They determined it was a lower ball joint failure, however no repairs were made.

The ball joints on the Dakota series p/u are a chronic problem. I bought an '02 Dakota 4x4 with 70k and immediately noticed noise and a loose feeling from the front end. I verified the ball joint recall had been completed. When I went to have it aligned, I learned that all four of my ball joints are bad, including the top two that had been replaced already. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that the vehicle made a clunking noise at slow speeds because the lower ball joints were defective. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact continued to experience the failure. He took the vehicle back to the dealership where he was informed that the ball joints and sway bars were defective and needed to be replaced. The dealer agreed to give him a discount on the labor expenses. The contact had filed a complaint with the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000. The current mileage was approximately 62,000. The VIN was unavailable.

See all problems of the 2005 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

We own a 1998 Dodge Dakota sport 4x4. It currently has 144k kilometers. We just installed our 3rd set of upper ball joints, and have replaced the lower ball joints twice. We expect to replace the lowers again before next year. We know when the joints need replacing, when the vehicle becomes difficult to keep within a lane at highway speeds, due to excessive play in the steering. I see from the internet that Chrysler has issued a recall for 2000 and later models. This is insufficient, as many people on the internet are experiencing the same issue in models as late as 1996. I believe this issue is well known in the industry, one person or family getting killed by this defect for there to be an official recall is not good enough. Our vehicle maintenance is paid by our company, however a family that may not be able to afford such expensive replacement on a regular basis, may be putting themselves in jeopardy.

I have recently have had suspension issues with my 1999 Dodge Dakota ext. Cab pickup with 69,600 miles. . I have been the original owner since new. I experienced shaking, noises during corning, etc. Coming from the front end of vehicle. I then took it to an alignment shop and they informed me that my lower ball joints were bad and could separate and cause an accident. I did some internet research and found numerous websites that included notables of other individuals with the same issues. I also found that other Dodge Dakota models have had ball joint recalls. This didn't include my year of truck. I wanted to file a complaint so that I can be included in this ongoing investigation regarding ball joint issues with the 1999 Dodge Dakota 2 wheel drive ext. Cab vehicles. I have not replaced the faulty ball joints as of yet. The vehicle is not currently in use. Thank you, brent owens.

2002 Dodge Dakota starting making clunking sound when turning. Had received recall letter for upper ball joints. Upon bringing to dealer, was told both lower and upper ball joints needed replacement. Seems like this is common based on what I have read online. We have also had transmission replaced and goodyear tires split. All of these complaints are posted on this website. 99. 9% will never buy another Dodge. We now have 2. Previous service department interactions stopped me from buying a Dodge in June of 2005 so I purchased a Nissan.

The contact recently purchased a used vehicle that exhibited a front suspension problem. After the initial vehicle purchase he noticed a pulling sensation on the front suspension. He took the vehicle to an independent repair shop for inspection. The mechanic determined both front suspension lower ball joints needed to be replaced. However, no repairs have been made due to excessive expense.

Suspension, upper and lower ball joints replaced and shocks replaced - 60k miles. Recall on 2000 and up but problem with 97 and up.

The contact stated while driving vehicle had to swerve to miss an oncoming vehicle. The lower ball join broke at this time. The contact's vehicle went into a creek. The injuries to the occupants of the vehicle were still being determined. The vehicle is currently being inspected.

See all problems of the 2001 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

Walking back to my parked "98 Dodge Dakota, after dining out with family, I noticed that my front passenger side wheel was cock-eyed while the driver's side wheel was pointing straight. I had the local Dodge dealer/service department check it out and they discovered that 3 out of 4 ball joints were bad. The service manager said that it was a very dangerous situation and I shouldn't have been driving the vehicle. I was appalled to hear that since I had no indication that I or my passengers were in any danger: the truck never pulled to one side, and it didn't steer funny, or give me any reason to believe that something was so terribly wrong. The service manager urged me to replace all four ball joints, which I did at a cost of over $773. 81. I think Dodge needs to recall the '98 Dakotas' ball joints. There's no reason a vehicle with only 73,000 miles on it should have 3 out of four ball joints go bad to the point that the wheels are coming off.

The contact states every year when he takes vehicle to be inspected they inform him the upper and lower ball joints need to be replaced. The ball joints have been replaced three times. The replacement takes place approximately every 20, 000-25,000 miles. A local mechanic said it was the design of the ball joints that caused the problem.

After reading about ball joint failure on Dakotas and durango's I checked my 1997 Dakota with 43000 miles and found all upper and lower ball joint seals torn open and no grease in the in the ball joint socket. There is no sign of any grease ever in or around the ball joints. The joints are starting to rattle.

1999 Dodge Dakota, 87,000 miles Dodge dealership states upper and lower ball joints (front left and right) need replacement before front end alignment can be done. Also right hub bearing recently replaced. Normal highway driving, no accidents.

Consumer owns a 2001 Dodge Dakota. The upper ball joints had to be replaced at 31,915 miles. The lower ball joints were replaced at 37,556 miles. The service dealer stated that there were problems with this year, make, and model vehicle. The consumer stated that while driving there was a noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. He did not notice if there was any play in the steering until the lower ball joints were replaced. Since the replacement it has a tighter steering control. There was a recall on the upper ball joints, but there has been no recall on the lower ball joints.

Ball joints were defective. . When the caller got new tires he was told the ball joints were bad. The caller said there was a recall on other years models but not on his year model. Dealer has not been contacted yet. Manufacturer said the call would have to pay for repairs himself.

Contact states the upper and lower ball joints on the right side and left side had to be replaced due to a rejection notice from a safety inspection. This year when the vehicle was taken to be inspected they rejected the safety part of the vehicle. The vehicle will not stay in alignment. When the vehicle was being driven it made a thumping noise and pulled to the right side. The steering wheel constantly had to be turned to the left. There was abnormal wear on the tires, and the tires had to be replaced. There was a recall on model year 2003-2004 for this component, but this model year was not included in the recall. The vehicle has not been to a service dealer yet. The consumer was going to call the manufacturer.

Badball joints on 1997 Dodge Dakota.

All 4 front ball joints failed at 86,000 miles.

The consumer stated the lower ball joint was loose and the wheels could actually fall off.

The right front lower control arm ball joint separated causing my 2003 Dodge Dakota to run off the road and swerve to the right. The truck hit a parked car and both vehicles were totaled. There was no noise or indication of any problem prior to the incident. Mileage was 31,600.

See all problems of the 2003 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

The consumer took the vehicle for in for state inspection and the mechanic informed the driver that the left and right upper and lower ball joints needed replacement due to corrosion. Upper ball joints replaced by dealer at 34,000 mile. At state inspection in 2004 the upper and lower joints were replaced. Manufacturer recalled this type of vehicle but only model year 2000.

1998 Dodge Dakota has upper and lower ball joints failing. The vehicle was taken to service center to have front wheel alignment done. The technician noticed sever front tire wear and concluded that the front upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced.

While driving 45 mph front passenger wheel felk off. Driver pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to a garage for inspection. Mechanic determined that the upper and lower ball joints broke, and needed to be replaced.

1) at about 40,000 miles my front drivers side lower ball joint started making an extremely loud crunching noise as if metal were grinding with metal. 2) I subsequently took my truck to a local dealer who notified me that the lower ball joint was loose and that it was not covered by the previous recall which covered the upper ball joint only. 3) the parts and labor to replace this part cost in excess of $270. 00 not including the $40 inspection fee.

Recall campaig 04v596000 was received for the upper ball joint wear. Consumer took the vehicle to dealer for the repairs, and discovered that the lower ball joints were also defective.

A clanking noise started coming front the front end when turning. Left and right upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. . . . The wheels felt like they were bonding when turning. The noise and binding was more noticeable at lower speeds. Took vehicle to goodyear automobile service, was told upper an dlower ball joints and inner and outer tie rods were needed. Servic ecenter stated there was a recall from Chrysler for these parts, even though the recall was for 2000 year models forward the parts were exactly the same. Consumer contacted daimler Chrysler and was told to take the vehicle to a Dodge dealer for an estimate. Was told by the Dodge dealer the parts should be covered because of the recall. Contacted daimler Chrysler again with an estimate and was told because of the mileage on the vehicle it could not be covered under the recall.

On my 1998 Dodge Dakota I experienced a "klunking" sound in the front end. Found out at 84,000 miles that the ball joints were bad and contributed to wheel bearing and hub assembly problems. Repair bill was $738. 95. I had the repair performed at my local Dodge dealer "morgan Dodge" in durham, nc. The dealership told me the repair was necessary and the vehicle was unsafe to drive without the repairs. The oem replacement parts are on national backorder and the dealership had to use aftermarket parts for the ball joints. I have contacted Dodge and they said the vehicle is out of warranty and "is not subject to any recall" so they can not assist me.

When I recently took my 1991 Dodge Dakota in to have the upper ball joints replaced, I was told the lower ones were shot, also. The truck only has 36,000 miles on it. I only drive on the road and never overload my truck. Why would the upper ball joints be recalled and not the lower? this continues to be an accident waiting to happen.

Failed ball joints on 1999 Dakota at 32,000 miles and 67,000 miles.

On February 6, 2004 my 1999 Dodge Dakota had both the upper and lower ball joints on both the driver and passenger sides replaced because of excessive wear and deterioration. The truck had 46,500 miles at that time and is driven under normal road conditions. It is not used commercially. The cost for repairs came to $1078. Subsequently, on March 4, 2005 I had to have to have my upper ball joints replaced on both sides, again because of wear and deterioration. The cost to repair was $338. It would appear that the original ball joints used by Dodge are sufficiently lacking in quality, and so are the replacement parts, as well.

I am on my second set of having to replace the ball joints on my 1999 Dodge Dakota at 89,000 miles. I know this is a common problem with all of Dodge Dakota's and durango's, and they were forced to deal with the 4wd models of 2000-2003. Mine, however, is a 1999 2wd model, and the ball joints are no better on mine. Fortunately, I have my truck checked enough that my wheels haven't fallen off yet, but I was told recently I was going to have to replace them again. I'm sick of paying for these, and Dodge needs to finally admit their big screw ups on these.