Steering Column Problems of Dodge Dakota

Tl the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. When the contact placed the key in the ignition and started the engine, the key would come out and the steering wheel seized. The contact had to use excessive strength to turn the vehicle and the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to rick hendricks Dodge (1468 savannah hwy, charleston, SC 29407, (843) 352-6931) and the mechanics were unsure if a new steering column and/or new ignition switch was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.

See all problems of the 2006 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

The car goes into park, but park does not engage. I'm able to remove the key. The column shows park but the car continues to roll. I see that 2002 Dakotas have a recall for this problem but my VIN # doesn't show a recall for this problem.

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Loud popping noise when making either a left or right turn. After researching, this looks to be a defect in the steering column intermediate shaft & shaft bolts (parts associated). Investigation: pe05-056 was upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea06-004). Since you are aware of this mechanical defect. I would like an approved recall for parts & labor to be paid for by manufacturer to correct this defect that could cause major bodily harm to myself, passengers and other vehicles on the road. I bought the truck brand new with 9 miles in may 2005. It has 77,800 original miles.

See all problems of the 2005 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

Steering column intermediary shaft failure. Shaft joint froze reducing steering capacity while driving on highway. Attempted 1 repair to lubricate joint, replace belt, and adjust tensioner at cost of 300. 00. Problem subsided then returning with even greater failure requiring replacement of shaft at 500. 00. Dodge chaulks it up as normal wear and tear. Total repairs on vehicle bought in 2005 and has recorded 84k miles(about 14k) now exceeding 4k with 800. 00 recouped by Dodge. Have part in possession.

This vehicle was purchased 11/07 new. The corrosion on the drive components is incredible. You can chip the rust off . The brakes have seized up four times. The first time it was just past the three year warranty at approximately 22,000 miles. I called the dealer at the time, and they said there was no warranty. The last time was Friday 3/23/2012, at 4 1/2 years old at 28,000 miles. It burned up the front pads. This is the fourth time I have had to redo the front brakes. I have redone the rear brakes once for the same reason. I called ram customer assistance, and at first their representative said they would buy the replacement parts. After talking with them a second time, a different representative refused to help me and said the case was closed. The steering column is falling apart, the muffler and driveshaft are ready to fall off, the front axles, ball joints and the struts are extremely rusty. You can chip the rust off of these components. I dismantled the brake system again, and the caliper pistons were frozen solid. Upon removal, I found the caliper pistons full of rust and pits on the inside. The body itself has no corrosion at all. I am looking at $2000 to $3000 thousand in parts alone. This truck has never towed a boat or been on a boat ramp. I live in an area where they rarely use salt or solution on the roads and have maybe 1-3 inches of snow a year. I need help as this truck is going to fall apart within the next year or so. I have documented all of this with pictures, and I have a case number with Chrysler.

See all problems of the 2007 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

2006 Dodge Dakota (cab) truck: have had recurring issues with the steering column. Started making a loud squeaking grinding noise. Brought it in and the dealer replaced a bolt in the steering column. We brought it back to the dealer (8 mos later - though the vehicle has been making the same noises consistently for quite a while again. This last time there was "play" in the steering.

I have a 2004 Dodge Dakota quad cab 4x4 with the magnum engine. It has roughly 59,000 miles on it. Sometime within the past 3,000 miles the steering began to get stiff. It was a gradual thing, slowly getting worse until now I'm concerned about it from a safety standpoint. The exact symptoms at this point are that the steering will get stiff then smooth then stiff then smooth, depending on the position of the wheel during a turn. After researching this problem online for this particular model and year, it is apparently either the upper or lower u-joint on the steering column. I have not confirmed this, but wanted to lend my weight to the obviously huge number of Dodge Dakota/durango owners who have had this exact same problem.

See all problems of the 2004 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

The contact owns a 2002 Dodge ram quad cab. While making a right turn at 20 mph into his driveway the steering column locked. He was able to safely turn the vehicle off. A representative from the dealer and manufacturer stated that they were unaware of this type of failure. No repairs were made. The failure mileage was 72,100.

Whenever the contact would drive over a bump he noticed that the entire front of the vehicle would shake and rattle. The contact also noticed that whenever he turns in any direction the steering wheel will creek and bump. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The contact did not notice any differences beforehand, the current and failure mileage is 53000. Bml updated 9/17/09 the consumer also stated the front struts and sway bars were replaced. Updated 09/18/09.

Lower steering column shaft has a bushing that failed causing loss of steering. Truck veered into a ditch at 30mph. I called dealership to purchase this part and found out that it is on a backorder of over 100. Went to several auto recyclers and used parts stores and found that even they have the part backordered. This shows a huge safety issue if there are several backorders and the parts is a required to safely operate the vehicle. I am surprised that there are no active recalls on this item.

See all problems of the 2001 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

Intermediate shaft on the steering column nearest the steering box has universal joint that failed. Caused intermittent stickiness in steering, before joint completely failed.

My 2003 Dodge ram 1500 quad cab has a defect in the under dash control unit attached to the steering column. The defect has caused a short circuit that has caused several wires to burn. The defect is exactly the same as issue 03v078000 (recall for Dodge ram 2002). This results in 1. Fan inoperable 2. Fan turns on after the key is removed and continues to run draining the battery 3. The wires burning is a potential fire hazard 4. Tilting the wheel results in sparking of the wiring assembly. My vehicle has manufactured in the us and some of the parts are only listed for 2002 models. When I purchased 2003 rotors, they did not fit but the 2002 rotors where an exact match. I believe my 2003 Dodge truck is a 2002 in disguise. I called Dodge to get answers and they have not called me back.

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We purchased a new 2006 Dodge Dakota in August. After test driving several models we ordered one from the dealership. We were not told that we were test driving a vehicle with tilt wheel. So the vehicle we received had no tilt wheel, which would be fine if you could see the speedometer when the speed is 50 to 70 mph. The drivers are 5'6" and 6' tall. The 6' tall person has the seat back as far as the legs will allow and has the seat tilted back. The 5'6' person is unable to sit up straight in the seat and see the speedometer. Upon calling the dealership we were told that the steering column is a design flaw and we are stuck with the problem. We feel this is a safety issue and this problem should be corrected. Tilt wheels should not be an option it should be standard. Chrysler's service representatives told us that its was our problem, they would not allow us to talk to their managers and eventually hung up on us. We were un able to contact the Chrysler regional reprsentative for our area, because they refuse to give out that information. Everyone has been quite uncooperative in this situation.

On July 30, 2006 my cabin controls (a/c, defrost, vent and window wipers) would not work. I took the vehicle to my local mechanic who identified the problem in the wiring harness in the steering column. My local mechanic made an attempt to fix the problem but when he contacted Dodge for a replacement part they refused to sell it to them due to a recall on the model year before mine (2002). I had to take my vehicle to dave croft motors in collinsville, IL for repair costing me approx 2x's more than my local shop. Dave croft said the wiring harness and ignition switch was bad due to the faulty part. When I question Dodge about this harness and the recall they would not provide me any information. Dave croft fixed the problem as of this date however, I am still waiting to hear from Dodge if they will cover this repair. (recalled part in 2002 Dodge is the same part in my 2003).

The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that the steering column was impossible to adjust. The dealer stated that the failure was uncorrectable. The contact believed this to be a safety hazard. The current mileage was 10,300 and failure mileage was 500. Updated 09/11/07.

: the contact stated while driving various speeds on normal road conditions, the steering wheel malfunctioned on a worsening basis while trying to turn in any direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who determined the intermediate shaft of the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not included in any recall due to the VIN. No replacements had been made. The contact encountered similar complaints on the NHTSA website # 10120725 regarding the steering column.

See all problems of the 2000 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

Steering column started making a clicking noise as the wheel was turned. Dealer stated that the locking mechanism was failing and could easily lead to a catastrophic and sudden locking of the steering column while the vehicle was being driven at any speed.

See all problems of the 1998 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

The truck has been in the shop numerous times for the same problems. I have a groaning noise in the steering wheel that Dodge can not seem to fix. It already has a leaking a/c system at 47000 miles. Also, the a/c system wil not get cold unless it is night time. It also just has way to many squeaks, and makes me feel very unsafe in the vehicle. The wiper control module needs replacing.

Contact stated when applying the brakes a noise was coming from the steering when making a right or left hand turn. He contacted the dealer, who replaced the steering column and the connector part twice. When driving the vehicle without touching the brake did not hear the noise. Updated 12/7/2005. The dealer replaced the upper shaft per the star hotline and the steering intermediate shaft. The consumer stated that the problem is more prevalent in warm/hot weather.

I read in today's paper about the investigation of 2004-05 Dakotas and durangos with the investigation into steering looseness and problems - our 2000 Dodge Dakota quad cab had to have the shaft replaced due to a broken connection - it had loosened for a long time until it affected our driving. The dealer repaired it to the tune of $ 250 and about 3 weeks later my minister had the same problem with her Dodge durango also 2000 - the mechanic even said "do you know a mrs. Ksionzyk from your town - I just replaced the same thing on her Dakota" I don't think this is a coincidence - this is a very small dealer and community.

Driving down the road made a complete stop started to make right turn but the tires did not turn luckiely I stopped just in time to prevent an accident the steering shaft that connects to the steering colum completly broke off therfore leaving me with no control of my truck. I replaced the steering shaft. The replacemen part has been replaced with a upgraded part. That lead me to believe the manufactuer knows about this problem. This could have been much worse if I was on the highway traveling at a much higher speed. I was out of 286. 00 dollars but I much rather be out of 286. Dollars than out of my loved ones. Please help before some body gets seriously hurt or loses thier lives. Dodge also have a recall on this truck problems with the conrol arms that could break and have no control of the steering this also leads me to believe why the the steering shaft on my truck broke off.

Clock spring broke during fast stop and a crash air bag light is on cruise control does not work. I was informed ball joints are on recall left side joints are gone. Car is ibn costa rica and Dodge says warranty is void out of country but these are safety items on recall and not warranty they will nort repair. There iss an authorized Dodge dealer here called automarta.

I purchased a 2005 Dodge Dakota pickup truck from venice Dodge/Nissan, venice, FL on March 13, 2005. The steering wheel, which is not tilt, blocks my view of the instrument panel. Called Dodge corp. And they said I should have notied this before I purchased the truck. I said this is my fault because of Dodges design error? Dodge corp. Said there is nothing they can do to fix the problem. Went to the Dodge dealership service dept. . Service manager looked at steering wheel. He is at least 6 ft 1 inch tall, puts seat back, said had no problem. Iam only 5 ft 9 inch tall, must have seat farther up. Service manager said nothing they can do to fix problem. This is a saftey hazard. I must look under or over steering wheel to read the speedomter. Takes my eyes off road for a longer period of time. Talk to other owners of same truck, have same problem.

While making a 90-degree right turn, the steering locks up. After a while the consumer was able to unlock the steering. Vehicle was taken to a repair shop. The mechanic confirmed that the heat shield from the intake manifold fell down onto the steering linkages, which was locking up the steering. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified.

Anyone over 5'11" cannot see the speedometer without slouching or tipping their head sideways. The view is blocked by the steering wheel. No one at the dealer had even sat in a similar vehicle a month after I brought to their attention. The only way to safely see the anti lock brake indicator, high beam indicator or oil light is if the vehicle is equipped with a tilt wheel. I notified the dealer after driving this vehicle less than 100 miles. To date they have done nothing and tell me it could cost me $3400 - $5000 to rectify.

(1) failure of steering components; (2) replacement of defective parts; (3) parts replacement imminent.

I was driving down the road when a truck ran his stop sign and stopped in the intersection (it is not a 4 stop). It was lightly raining. When I applied my brakes the abs didn't work and I then lost control slamming into the ditch embankment. Missing the truck. I was going about 35-40 mph when I hit. I hit head on into the embankment. When I hit my air bag didn't deploy and the steering column broke.

Clunk or rattle felt in steering wheel when going over bumps, especially going down hills, sometimes can also feel it when brakes are applied.

The contact owns a 2000 Dodge Dakota quad cab. While driving 60 mph, the contact experienced difficulty steering the vehicle. The mechanic stated that the rack and pinion, ball joints, and tire rod needed to be replaced. The mechanic performed the repair. Approximately four years later, the vehicle experienced the same failures. The current mileage is 85,100 and failure mileage was 57,400.

Ball joints and steering column on my 1998 Dodge Dakota pickup truck. Both were worn out after 30,000 miles.

Purchased 2000 Dodge Dakota. Quad cab summer 2002, approximately 20,000 miles at time of purchase. Vehicle covered under warranty at that time. Had problems with steering. The wheel would jerk from side to side as if the power steering would engage and then disengage during a turn. Brought to dealer. They said they fixed problem by replacing steering column. Problem was not fixed. Returned to dealer. Replaced bearings in column during second repair. Did not fix problem. Returned again, dealer(formerly courtesy Dodge, norwich, CT) stated that they sold there warranty to another dealership and they could not make repair. I would have to take to other dealership. Taken to other dealer ship but at this time problem had not been fixed and vehicle was over 36,000 miles. Dealer said I would have to fill out forms and that it was unlikely the repair would be authorized. How is it if the repair was never completed that they are allowed to wait until warranty expires and say too bad. I was then recalled by the military and had to drive my vehicle to new jersey so the repair was never completed. Thanks, now courtesy kia. I wish I could conduct my business like the dealers. Just ignore the problem and it will go away!!!!!!!. Im not finished with this yet!!!! jpl.

Steering column develops clunk. Is most notable on braking and acceleration. Original column replaced at end of 36000 mi warranty period. New unit developed same problem after 12000 mi. Concerned that failure may cause binding in steering and loss of control.

The steering was loose when consumer purchased the vehicle. After three trips to the mechanic and five possible reasons for the noise, the dealer replaced the steering column. The part was repaired but the vehicle continued to experience looseness on occasions.