Steering Tie Rod Assembly Problems of Dodge Dakota - part 1

Hello, I recently purchased a one owner 2005 Dodge Dakota, which has less than 35,000 miles and has been very well maintained. The car fax came back clean for accidents etc, but I have found, that both the front and rear sections of the chassis had to be replaced on driver and passenger sides and most of the front suspension had to be replaced too. Due to excessive deep rust. To the point of the nut holding the left outer tie rod end disintegrated. The straight side rails of the chassis are excessively deep rusted. As well as the oil pan and rear axle housing (which are original). The dealership had to cut off the front suspension components and replace all bushings and most of the front suspension components. Due to excessive rust and wear. My truck has barely been on the road for its year and has had minimal exposure to road chemicals such as salt etc. These components rotting away to this extent with such low mileage regardless of age indicates the use of poor quality materials being used during assembly and posing a potential safety issue to consumers. I opened a case# 57271603 with Chrysler and the agent told, that even if the case was moved up for review . It would be sent back due to the age of the truck . Which I disagree with, as the front suspension components should not have rotted and disintegrated so badly and the chassis should not have had to have extensive repairs in less than 35,000 miles. I would think, that this poses a potential safety issue for anyone buying trucks using the same chassis and components from the same vendor, if they are not manufactured at a Dodge plant. Ultimately it should be the car manufacturer's responsibility, that the parts they are using are quality and will not pose potential safety risk to consumers . Please let me know, if further information etc. Is needed. Thank you.

See all problems of the 2005 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

With only 41750 miles on my 2010 Dakota, I was backing up a light trailer when suddenly the rear tires started spinning and it seemed like something was blocking the truck/trailer from moving. I walked around the vehicle and saw no blockages, but did notice the right front tire was pointed left and the left front was pointed right. Upon inspection, I found the left front tie rod end 100% separated at the ball/socket joint. There was no grease, lots of rust, and it was dry as a bone in the ball/socket joint. There was no grease fitting on the tie rod end. This happened in my yard at near-zero speed. However that last thing I did with this truck was to tow a camper trailer up north and back with my family in the truck. I was going to do this again in two weeks. This would have been a terribly unsafe thing to have break at freeway speeds and it seems obvious it would have happened on the next trip had it not broken at my house. Very scary, for a truck with only 41,750 miles on it. It cost me $130 in parts ( I replaced both) plus a front end alignment to repair this.

See all problems of the 2010 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

I have a 2003 Dodge quad cab 1500 4x2 that I bought new and has only 71,000 original miles. I have noticed some noise and vibration coming from the steering and suspension coming from the front end. I've researched and found that Chrysler/Dodge has issued a recall (n49, n62 and NHTSA 13-v528) that does not include my vehicle but should be included after further inspections. The part in question is the left tie rod and steering linkage. New parts (cbuen491aa. Cbuen492aa) apparently are readily available prior to January 2014 but my truck has not been included in the recall and repair. Do I have to wait for the part to snap off causing injury and death to anyone especially members of my family before a recall is issued for this model year? we've been fortunate for now that nothing has happened but why does the consumer have to experience a loss first before the manufacturer takes honorable responsibility? another issue as previously reported by other truck owners is that the dash board deteriorates and cracks and materials fall into the air/defrost ducting. I hope for action soon rather than re-action after the fact and the prevention of loss to life or injuries.

See all problems of the 2003 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

Tl-the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken in for an inspection and it was discovered that the drivers side front tie rod was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000. Sw.

See all problems of the 2006 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

Issue I am fighting now. At speeds between 55 - 75 intermittently the truck will begin to vibrate. If you take your foot off the gas it gets worse. If you then apply the brakes the steering wheel begins to shake almost violently, and the brake pedal pulses. If I slow down to about 30 mph it stops and may happen again quickly or may not happen again for a while. I have replaced the rotors and calipers and tie rod ends and gotten an alignment. Still the issue exists. I have new michelin tires. I have also already had to replace lower ball joints and front wheel bearings. I have replaced the rotors and calipers 3 times already on this truck. It has less than 13000 miles on it. No one seems to be able to figure out what the problem is. I will never, ever buy another Chrysler / Dodge product. This was my first and will be my last.

While driving the outer tie rod failed and the vehicle was unusable, the dealer stated there was no warranty. The vehicle would have crashed if I had not been lucky and brought it to the side of the road quickly. Both tie rod ends were found to be defective as well as the sway bar mounts. In addition this vehicle has routinely had a turn signal problem, when you turn on the left signal the right signal illuminates about 25 percent of the time.

See all problems of the 2008 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

Truck was being driven at a slow speed when the tie rod fell off and truck hit a tree. No injury but left front side of bumper damaged. The tie rod end was replaced at a local mechanic. The ball joint end was badly deteriorated.

My husband was driving his 08 Dodge Dakota less than 2 miles from our home. We live in a very rural area. He was not going more than 35-40 mph. He lost control of the vehicle due to an incredible amount of shaking in the front end of the truck. Luckily, he was close to a rarely used road and pulled over. It was unusable and had to be towed to the mechanic's shop. Both tie rods had broken along with other parts that were severely worn. We had just had a baby less than two weeks before and we had all ridden in the truck together days before this happened. Thank the good lord my husband did not wreck and the baby and myself were not with him. The Chrysler company needs to fix this problem!!! it was expensive to fix for a family with a new baby and very, very dangerous!!.

I bought this 2005 Dakota new. I have spent thousands in repairs and there is always something wrong with it. I've also never seen anything rust like this truck. This particular issue I am fighting now. At speeds between 55 - 75 intermittently the truck will begin to vibrate. If you take your foot off the gas it gets worse. If you then apply the brakes the steering wheel begins to shake almost violently, and the brake pedal pulses. If I slow down to about 30 mph it stops and may happen again quickly or may not happen again for a while. I have replaced the rotors and calipers and tie rod ends and gotten an alignment. Still the issue exists. I have new michelin tires. I have also already had to replace lower ball joints and front wheel bearings. I have replaced the rotors and calipers 3 times already on this truck. It has less than 65k miles on it. No one seems to be able to figure out what the problem is. I will never, ever buy another Chrysler / Dodge product. This was my first and will be my last.

I got the '99 Dakota about 7 months ago and liked it drove pretty good even through the week when it was all single digits no problem. Then once it started to warm up into the mid to high teens and up to then 60s and 70 it would shake at least twice a week. It always seemed to start at about 45 then once the engine warmed up it would stop. That stopped now that its in the 80s and 90s. Now I barely have power steering and looking at it, it seems to be the intermediate steering column shaft which looking at all the complaints I'm surprised you haven't looked into it for it to be recalled by now along with the tie rods, ball joints, etc. These things seem to be falling apart at the front. I just hope nobody dies before this is fixed.

See all problems of the 1999 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

I got wind of the recall around Dec 2013 & figured it didn't apply to my truck since I had spent close to $2000 rebuilding the front suspension with oem & after market parts. I finally received recall notice n62 at the end of Jan 2014. I took my truck to my dealership & they confirmed my truck was indeed included in the recall since the parts I used were defective & being recalled. The service writer told me it would be at least another year or longer before the parts needed to repair my truck would arrive at the dealership. I asked what would happen if the tie rod ball stud failed at hwy speeds(I already knew the answer) & was told it wouldn't be pretty. If the part did fail I would lose all steering ability & more then likely end up in a vehicle accident. My truck weighs in at 8600 lbs + or -,unloaded, what ever I run into/hit if the tie rod ball stud failed would certainly cause injuries or death. What are we supposed to do? park our trucks until Dodge/Chrysler ships the parts in another year or so? most folks who own hd pickups use them to make a living & can't afford to have their truck parked for a couple days much less a year. Would be nice if owners of the trucks affected would be reimbursed by Dodge/Chrysler if we purchased aftermarket parts making our trucks safe to drive, rather then waiting to who knows when. I know that won't happen,.

Drove vehicle home last night just fine. Went to leave this morning and front right tire wouldn't roll. Upon inspection, tie rod is not attached. It just fell off. This is a commuter vehicle and has never been used off-road.

Have had to replace tie rod ends,sway bar link rods,and now lower control arms to keep the truck safely on the road. The dealer says this is normal. I have never had to replace these items on a vehicle with less than 100000 miles.

Repair shop said I needed new front brake pads & rotors, tie rods were about to fall off, said it was danger to drive. Chrysler dealer said it was out warranty.

I noticed in November 2012 that the steering on my 2006 dodage Dakota quad cab seemed stiff and hard to turn, almost as if it wasn't getting enough power steering fluid - checked it and it was ok. Seemed at first to be stiffer when it was cold so attributed it to winter cold. Then at the end of March 2013, I was turning and heard a clunk as if I had hit a pothole. I heard it again on the same day and then heard a squeak as if the springs needed oiling. I stopped at my local repair shop. The mechanic oiled something - drove it and didn't hear a clunk. Three days later I took it to him and said it is clunking regularly and the steering still seems stiff. He replaced upper and lower ball joints that had gone bad, control arms, and tie rods that had play in them. This at 82,000 miles. These repairs are ridiculous for 82,000 miles. After spending $1400 I am still having tight steering. I don't know about Dodge executives, but I can't afford repairs like this. The most complaints listed for this model and year are for steering and I've heard from the dealer that the ball joints go out early - as mine did. This vehicle should be recalled for steering and ball joints! my 1993 Dakota is still going without these problems and it has 204,000 miles. If they can't make them the way they used to I'm not buying Dodge again. P. S. My sister's 2009 Dakota had a broken tie rod, ball joint, and steering issues. They can't find anything wrong with the steering. She is dumping it - won't drive it again.

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.

See all problems of the 2007 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

Tl-the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that he experienced difficulty steering the vehicle. The contact also stated that he had to apply an excessive amount of force in order to turn the steering wheel . The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that both the tie rod and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 48,000. The VIN was unavailable. Kmj.

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.

Our 2008 Dodge Dakota had two tie rods fail in two months. The truck was fresh out of warranty with approx 63,000 miles. First one tie rod broke, then within two months, the other. No warnling, when first tie rod end was replaced, other tie rod was checked,looked ok. New tie rod ends were installed. Both presented dramatic safety issues. The tie rod broke and fell so that there was absolutely no control of the front wheels. By sheer luck, we were not driving 65 mph down the highway, but in a rural town setting, so we did not crash the truck. The mechanics on the second breakdown of the tie rod end told us something had to be wrong with the second one going. This doesn't just happen twice on one truck. Chrysler "customer service" offered to pay for the parts. Customer service representative did not understand english and we could not understand the representative, who spoke with a heavy accent, making it difficult, no, impossible to understand the representative. From the responses we got from our mechanics and Chrysler, it is obvious to us that this was not the first truck that came in with the very same problem. The tie rod ends failing is not the same as the heater or air conditioner quitting. It is a major safety issue, and we got no satisfaction and were treated as though it was some irritation that they were bothered with. We believe they know about the problem, and their (customer service) know about it and only wanted to get us off their back by giving us the lowest possible quality of customer service. Like most good customer service representatives, they would not commit any of their comments to writing, but, I am sure, recorded everything, where it may or may not be available.

The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Dakota. While driving at low speeds down a mountain, the front driver side wheel detached from the vehicle while braking. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the driver side tie rod and hub assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,105.

The contact owns a 2001 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while reversing out of a parking lot, he heard a loud noise and was unable to move the vehicle. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the front passenger side tie rod broke. The vehicle was towed home, where the tie rod and lower ball joints were replaced. The vehicle was not taken to an authorized dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 169,000 and the current mileage was 170,000.

See all problems of the 2001 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

Had the brakes checked on the vehicle during a routine oil change. Was informed that the tie rod end was loose and would have to be replaced, or else the possibility of losing steering control of the vehicle would be eminent. Was informed that the tie rod ends were designed for cars, and these same tie rod ends were also used in the trucks. I asked if the parts had been upgraded and was told no they had not been upgraded, and that the same parts would be used to replace the old worn ones. Why are parts designed for a car being used in a truck, especially in such a critical area? luckily, this was caught before a disaster happened.

The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Dakota. The contact was attempting to make a left turn and the vehicle continued moving forward. There was snow on the ground which also played a part in the vehicle sliding into an embankment. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the left tire rod came apart, but there was no physical damage that would indicate that. The dealer said the right side tie rod was damaged and needed to be replaced as well. The vehicle was being repaired at the time of the complaint. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileages were 60000. Updated 01/11/2011.

To whom it may concern: I was referred to you by. . Read more...

2006 Dodge Dakota 4 x 4 with less than 30,000 miles suddenly needs new inner and outer tie rods and 1 front wheel bearing replaced. All this changed since the last service date 8 months prior - or 3000 miles. Just came out of factory warranty. Dodge problem or poor practice of dealership to prey on out of factory warranty customers?.

Power steering inconsistent, nearly locks up during slow speed turns and is very difficult to turn at highway speeds. This does not always happen, does not matter if left or right turns. Have had to dealer who states no problems with steering. Have had tie rod ends and ball joints replaced multiple times, this helps for a short time, but problem never leaves completely. Am told once again that the ball joints are bad. Quit going to dealer, as I am getting no where with the dealer/manufacturer. Have found huge amount of similar complaints on the internet, and a few on NHTSA site. Would be great if someone would actually find out what the cause is and get fixed before I am in a major crash and or get killed.

Simultaneous failure of the inter and outer tie rods, upper and lower ball joints on a 2002 Dodge ram 1500 quad cab. The vehicle has never been use as a work truck, driven on dirt roads and currently has 120,000 highway miles. Rack and pinion is leaking oil, and needs to be replaced is coming a part.

See all problems of the 2002 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that there were rattling noises coming from the front end of the vehicle while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the rack and pinion failed. The contact was also informed that the sway bar links were loose. The vehicle was repaired. The failure had since recurred every few months. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where various front suspension components were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 30,000. Updated 02/15/lj the rack and pinion, sway bar links, lower ball joints, upper control arm ball joint and shocks were all bad. Also, the shifter was coming out of park and the tie rods were worn. Updated 05/02/12.

While driving normally I noticed a knock in the front end while I just went down the street, thought it might be a ball joint or tie rod. Then one day while driving down the highway the steering became close to impossible. Very jerky and it felt gummy. I had the rack replaced as suggested by the "5-star dealer" and that only fixed the noise, not the steering issue. Read online about it being the intermediate steering shaft and u-joints, so I sprayed them with lubricant and am going to see how the truck runs later. Some of those engineers really need to design greased fittings into the vehicle.

See all problems of the 2004 Dodge Dakota 🔎.

I was backing out of my drive way and the tie rod fell off my truck and both front wheels buckled. This is a 2006 Dodge Dakota truck with greaseless ball joints in the front end. The truck was just in the manufactures shop 2 weeks prior to this for service and they didn't even notice this was about to happen. I'm not blaming them I'm just making a point that there was no sign that this was going to happen. And I know that they looked at the front end because they let me know that my brakes were getting close to needing replaced. And the tie rod is bolted on right where they look to check the brakes. I feel this is a major safety concern for me and other people out there driving these trucks. If this had happened while driving 50 to 60 mph I probably wouldn't be here typing this right now. This is a two wheel drive truck that has never been used for off road driving. I did keep the tie rod and have pictures of it if needed showing how dried out and rusty it is on the inside. So I hope you do give this serious thoughts about looking into this matter. Thank you john!!!.

Premature failure of lower ball joints on 2005 Dodge Dakota 4wd pu.

The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact heard a loud rattling noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. He took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced the tie rod assembly. One year later, the failure resurfaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on two more occasions and they replaced the front stabilizer bar, rack and pinion, lower ball joints, and tie rods. All of the repairs have been insufficient in remedying the failures. The failure mileage was 15,000 and current mileage was 47,000.

After making a turn the driver's side tie rod separated from the steering link,both the tie rod and the steering link were stripped out,loss of steering luck would have it there was no traffic next to me and my speed was slow able to get vehicle off road with the passenger side steering still attached,had the truck towed to a shop where the link and the tie rod were replaced,after inspection the mechanic suggested the passenger side be done due to wear not as bad.

The tie rod on the passenger's side front suspension is separating from the steering rack. Tie rod boot is twisted and vehicle makes a loud knocking and clicking noise while turning. Dealer service mechanic stated the steering rack was separating and a gear box needed replacement as well. Failure of tie rod could result in steering failure and loss of vehicle control. Needs replacement, but was informed an entire steering rack and gear box must be replaced.