Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Dodge Dakota submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 20 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
THE TRUCK HAS A ELECTRICAL ISSUE THE LIGHTS GO OFF AND ON OUT OF NO WHERE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN VERY DARK TWO LANE ROAD AND LIGHTS GO OFF. THANK GOD NOBODY TRIED PASSING IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC PR WE WOULD BE DEAD I REPLACED LIGHT SWITCH A FEW MONTHS AGO AND IT WAS FINE UNTIL RECENTLY STARTED DOING SAME THING. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE DAKOTA. WHEN THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE HEATER, HE SMELLED ANTIFREEZE. HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKS. APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH LATER, THE OVERFLOW FOR THE ANTIFREEZE WAS EMPTY; HOWEVER, ANTIFREEZE WAS STILL PRESENT IN THE RADIATOR. THE CONTACT PERFORMS HIS OWN REPAIR WORK AND STATED THAT THE HEATER CORES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000. UPDATED 2/23/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE HEATER CORE WAS LEAKING INTO THE HEATER BOX, WHEN THE HEATER WAS ON. UPDATED 02/26/09. *JB
HEATER CORE FAILED - NOW I HAVE NO DEFROSTER AND ANTI FREEZE LEAKED ALL OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE CARPETING CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO VACATE THE VEHICLE.*AK
FAN BLOWER GOING ON AND OFF. NO DEFROST ,HEAT,AC AVAILABLE WHEN BLOWER IS OFF. SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT IS A 1998 DAKOTA. EVERYONE IS SAYING THE PROBLEM IS A RESISTOR, WHICH IS HARD TO GET TO. SEEMS AS IF THE WHOLE DASH HAS TO COME OFF TO GET TO THIS AREA. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS $85. FOR DIAGNOSTIC. CLOSE TO $200-$300 PROBLEM FOR ONLY A $9-$12 PART. SAD JUST ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR THE DODGE LOVERS. *NM
MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 1998 DODGE DAKOTA, VIN [XXX]. WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, BEGINNING IN THE SECOND YEAR OF OUR LEASE. DURING THE PAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $9,000 ON VEHICLE REPAIRS INCLUDING A NEW TRANSMISSION, NEW ENGINE, NEW STARTER, NEW WHEEL BARING, NEW BRAKE CALIPER, NEW HEATER CORE AND NEW WATER PUMP. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ALTERNATOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND TWO O2 SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS BEEN REPAIRED FOUR TIMES. WHILE THESE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COSTLY AND INCONVENIENT, NONE OF THEM HAS POSED A SAFETY CONCERN PER SE. I AM WRITING NOW TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR MOST RECENT VEHICLE FAILURE WHICH MOST CERTAINLY IS A SAFETY ISSUE. ON NOVEMBER 18, 2004, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN HIS FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BROKE OFF FROM THE AXLE. THE TIRE FELL ON ITS SIDE AND THE TRUCK LANDED ON THE TIRE. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, AND THE TRUCK SKIDDED TO A STOP IN THE LEFT TURN LANE. MY HUSBAND HAD NO CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. WHEN WE TOOK THE TRUCK TO OUR MECHANIC, HE FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS NEAR THE BREAKING POINT AS WELL AND REPLACED THAT AXLE AS WELL. WE ARE STILL DRIVING ON THE TWO FRONT TIRES, BUT WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE SHOULD GET AN ALIGNMENT AND PROBABLY HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED AS WELL. WE UNDERSTAND THAT DODGE HAS RECALLED THE 2000-2003 DAKOTAS FOR THIS SAME DEFECT. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR VEHICLE SHOULD ALSO BE COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. *NM UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
VEHICLE HAS A CRACKED MIRROR, CRACK IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND A BROKEN MANIFOLD BOLT. (NAR) *MR THE EVENING THAT THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME HE NOTICED A RATTLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE AREA WHICH HE DID NOT NOTICE DURING THE TEST DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOT A DIFFERENT DEALER FOR AN UNBIASED OPINION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A BROKEN MANIFOLD BOLT, A CRACK NEAR/ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND A BROKEN MIRROR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INITIALLY DECIDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. LATER THE DEALER REFUSED REPAIR STATING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AS IS. *NM *CB
WHEN DRIVING AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE NEEDED WIPERS STOPPED WORKING, CAUSING POOR DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER; MECHANIC NOTED A TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO PROBLEM BY TAPPING ON WIPER MOTOR.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
1. FRONT CRANK SEAL LEAKING AT FIRST OIL CHANGE, DEALER FINALLY REPLACED. 2. LEAKING FRONT RIGHT SHOCK ABSORBER NOTICED AT FIRST OIL CHANGE. DEALER REPLACED BOTH AT OWNERS REQUEST. 3. THERE IS A LOUD POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT STEERING COMPONENTS WHEN THE VEHICILE IS IN MOTION AND YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK TO LOCK. THE SOUND IS MADE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. 4. WATER LEAK THROUGH BACK SLIDER WINDOW RESULTED IN TWO NEW CARPET/PAD ASSEMBLIES TO INSTALLED. DEALER FINALLY FIXED AFTER 4TH VISIT AND THREAT OF FILING FOR LEMON LAW PROTECTION. 5. DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY AT 25 MPH IN A FRONT END COLLISION.
ELECTRIC WINDOWS FAILED. I TRIED TO REPLACE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, BUT IT WAS SO HOT IT BURNED MY FINGERS. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER STAYED HOT AS LONG AS THE IGNITION WAS ON. I HAD TO REMOVE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS PARTIALLY OPEN FOR 2 DAYS. AFTER 2 DAYS, THE WINDOWS BEGAN TO WORK AS NORMAL. DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING BROKEN.
OVERSIZED OUTSIDE MIRRORS ARE MOUNTED SO HIGH THAT THEY CREATE A SERIOUS BLIND SPOT FOR SHORTER DRIVERS. THIS CAUSES PROBLEMS ROUNDING CORNERS, AT INTERSECTIONS, AND AT NIGHT WHEN THE EYELEVEL MIRROR REFLECTS FOLLOWING HEADLIGHTS. POSSIBLE SOUUTIONS: LOWER THE MOUNTING POSITION OF THE MIRRORS; RAISE THE SEATING POSITION.
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED SIDE MIRRORS ARE SO LARGE AND PLACED SO HIGH ON DOORS THAT IT CREATES A SEVERE BLIND SPOT WHEN CORNERING WITH VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD ENCOUNTERED NEAR MISSES WITH PEDESTRIANS IN CROSSWALKS AND SMALLER VEHICLES. *AK
WINDSHIELD HAS MANUFACTURE DEFECTS. OPTICAL DISTORTIONS APPEAR IN MULTIPLE, IF NOT THE ENTIRE WINDSHEILD. DEALER DISCRIBED THEM AS NORMAL AND THAT EVERY OTHER WINDSHIELD IN THE DAKOTA AND DURANGO LINE HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS...ER CHARACTER. I WAS ASKED TO GET USE TO THE DISTORTION, BUT CANNOT. MY PROBLEM WITH VISABILITY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD HAS CAUSED MISJUDGEMENTS IN SIGN LEGIBILITY, DISTANCE/PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND SOMETIMES RESULTED IN EYESTRAIN LEADING TO HEADACHES.
THE POST THAT ARE TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE WINDSHIELD ARE TOO WIDE OBSTRUCTING THE DRIVER FIELD OF VISION.
REAR RIGHT WINDOW LEAKS WATER. YH
SERPINTIME BELT WORN OUT. YH
WINDSHIELD PUMP FAILED. YH
REAR WINDOW BROKE WHILE DRIVING OVER A BRIDGE.
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE WINDSHIELD /DOOR SUPPORT WITH THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY WHICH CAUSES BLIND SPOT TO CONSUMER WHENEVER MAKING A TURN. DEALER/ MANUFACTURER CONTACTED, BUT NO RESPONSE. *AK
DRIVER & PASSENGER SIDE EXTERIOR POWER MIRRORS' SURFACES SEEM TO BE MADE OF A SOFT PLASTIC, WHICH GETS MICROSCOPIC SURFACE SCRATCHES. THESE ARE NOT NOTICEABLE UNTIL A LOW SUN ANGLE FROM REAR OF TRUCK APPEARS. THEN THE MIRRORS GLINT WITH A MILLION POINTS OF LIGHT, MAKING THEM USELESS. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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