*Incomplete Recall Status* ***Defect in transfer case*** Complaint of Manufacturer Defect in 2005 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4 3.7l v6. While driving at a speed of 30mph on a smooth paved highway and selector switch turned to 2 wheel drive mode; out of nowhere, the transfer case tried to engage 4 High which resulted in SVC 4X4 warning lamp illumination and a loud grinding/stuttering sound from under carriage as well as halting me to 10 mph without any help from me. after pulling over on the roadside and putting truck in park and turning the engine off, i waited a couple of minutes and SVC 4X4 indicator and 4High dash light had gone. I restarted the truck only to find that the SVC 4X4 Warning lamp immediately returned and now the 4lo illuminated dash light is constantly showing and truck is still showing in 2 wheel drive with selector switch but 4x4 will not engage at all now. Took to a mechanic shop 1/2 mile down the road and had it read for any DTCs and inspected. Code came back as C1404. Transfer case still tries to engage as soon as truck door is opened and dome light comes on. SVC 4X4 warning indicator stays on the dash lit up and 4lo warning light flashes non stop. Manufacturers communication letter has been sent to dealerships for the proper installation steps of the transfer case on the model of my truck due to improper positioning. I have noticed no Recall but have found a Campaign ID listed for this issue. I've owned this truck for only DAYS now with the intention of presenting it to daughter for her 16th birthday next month and now there's a BIG concern here for safety and the fact that a recall hasn't been issued is crazy!....it's completely absurd and should be escalated immediately until a consumer resolution is made. This truck is NOT safe at all with this defect by manufacturer transfer case! I am demanding that this faulty part be investigated and taken considerable responsibility for just for the amount of time allowed to pass!!

- Sweetwater, TN, USA

I took my 2005 Dakota to repair shop because of clunking noise on front drivers side. Noise was heard when driving or rocking the truck when it was parked. Repair shop said lower ball joint completely failed and was riding on lower control arm instead of supported by ball joint. Upper ball joint was also bad. Passenger side upper ball joint worn out and lower ball joint boot was cracked. All tie rod ends also needed to be replaced.

- White Salmon, WA, USA

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

- Riverside, RI, USA

Around 50,000 miles upper and lower ball joints making popping sounds. Took to local repair shop. Replaced all 4, then popping stopped. Way to early for ball joint replacement. Occured while moving 5 mph and turning either direction.

- Centralia, IL, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Dakota. While driving approximately 45 mph, the rear of the vehicle aggressively swayed to the left without warning. The driver lost control of the vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into a ditch and the vehicle rolled over several times. The contact stated that the rear axle detached from the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed. A police report was filed. The contact received injuries to the face, chest, stomach, leg, and feet areas. Medical attention was not needed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 173,000.

- Columbia, KY, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while making a left turn at approximately 5 mph, the front passenger side wheel detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the front end needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After the repair, the front end aluminum clamps that held the stabilizer bar fractured. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed that the clamps fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,000. The VIN was not available.

- Altoona, PA, USA

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.

- Dallas , GA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated the four wheel system disengaged on its owns while driving at unknown speeds. The doors malfunctioned and locked and unlocked while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 140,000. The approximate current mileage was 150,000.

- Palmyra , VA, USA

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.

- Mechanicsburg, OH, USA

Loud clunking noise while turning, stopping or even getting into truck diagnosis found lower right ball joints loose - recommended replacing. I have not done this yet - if you look at my history, I have had my local Dodge dealer make the repairs to the front ball joints previously at 45,120 miles and 59,072 miles. Chrysler recalled 2000-2003 Dodge Dakotas stating that "excessive wear of the upper ball joint may cause the front wheel to separate from the vehicle and result in loss of control" in the same recall they also stated' " water may enter into the front suspension upper ball joints and cause corrosion and premature wear."

- Springfield, IL, USA

Low noise in front while turning - dealership verified complaint and found both outer tire rod ends to be loose and left lower ball joint to be noisy - replaced both outer tire rod ends and set toe also replaced the left lower ball joint.

- Springfield, IL, USA

Loud noise whenever turning - tech found upper ball joint very dry, also found sway bar links worn - replaced left upper ball joint and both sway bar links.

- Springfield, IL, USA

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.

- Bellevue, NE, USA

In October of 2010, I was driving out of a driveway onto a main street making a right turn when I heard a metal snapping sound. As I continued to drive, I felt some slack in the steering when I made a turn afterwards. I inspected the suspenion system several times in the next week but didn't see the cause. Later I found the front sway bar link broke apart where it attached to the sway bar. I didn't see this on earlier inspections because the 2 parts came together when static to conceal the break. I purchased a replacement kit and replaced both right and left side sway bar links myself. (damaged parts still available) in the early part of 2011, I began to hear creaking noise from the suspension system as I drove and on turns. I inspected the system several times and concluded that 1 or more of the ball joints were dry and needed grease. The ball joints had no fittings to apply grease so a needle valve was used to inject grease into the boots. This helped for a short period but the creaking came back a few months later. I sent this vehicle into the repair shop and they said the lower ball joints were dry and had excess side play. They recommended replacement for safety and alignment concerns at less than 40000 miles. I am very concerned that these suspension parts are failing far too soon. The consumer has no way to add grease to these parts and must rely on the original parts being properly lubricated to have reasonable durablity. Failures at this early stage indicates defective parts and processes that must be addressed asap. Needless to say, I will be forced to have these parts repaired for safety concerns and a high cost to the vehicle owner. These parts should be required to last longer than the short period I have experienced on this vehicle.

- Westland, MI, USA

The contact owns 2005 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that a loud squeaky noise was heard while driving at various speeds. The contact inspected the vehicle and stated that the front ball joints were loose. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance because the vehicle was not under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 56,000.

- Atkins , IA, USA

After only 62,000 miles my ball joints are shot. I have owned many cars in the past and never had to replace ball joints. This is not alot of miles to wear down ball joints on a truck, it is obvious there is a defect.

- East Haven, CT, USA

At speeds between 55 - 75 intermitantly 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 had the truck to the dealership 3 or 4 times and they state they can not duplicate problem. I have replaced the front ball joints, front wheel bearings 3 times and recently put on the 3 set of brakes and rotors all on advise from Dodge dealership. Problem still exists. Very unsafe. Hard to control the truck. I no longer drive the truck on the highway. Have called Dodge chryslar and they state to take the truck to the dealership. I get the run around and sent on my way. As for at date of incident, this happens frequently. I just picked a date.

- Seven Hills, OH, USA

Ball joints keep going bad.

- Wilkes Barre, PA, USA

Bottom ball joints on 2005 Dodge Dakota are worn out less than 42000 miles.

- Royalton, KY, USA

I have a 2005 Dodge Dakota slt. I purchased it in 10/2005. I have had problems with this truck since I first bought it. Recently I had to replaced the tire rods, sway bar and linkage, brakes, calipers, and rotors. Two days after I had all of these things fixed I noticed that the truck was still shaking and making a lot of noise. When I brought the truck to Dodge I was informed that the rear axle in the truck needed to be replaced. I was told that when the truck was manufactured the wrong size axle was put in the truck. This caused all kinds of problems. I was told that other parts are damaged and need to be replaced and repaired.(rear brake shoes, front disc rotors) I was told that the axle part is covered under warranty but I have to pay the $100 deductible. I was told that everything else that is damaged (due to the axle) and requires repair and replacement is not covered because it is considered "normal wear and tear". I was given a quote of somewhere around $400. (depending on labor) my complaint is simple, I am being forced to pay for damaged parts on my truck that are directly caused by the manufactures error. A problem that can be proved to be the manufacturers fault. I was sold a vehicle that had the wrong axle installed. Which then caused additional problems. When I bought this truck I was under the impression that the manufactures made the vehicle properly. They did not. They sold me a truck with the wrong part installed. Not only is this wrong but there should be some kind of an investigation into this. If the wrong size axle is in my truck, there are other trucks that also have the wrong size axle installed. It is dangerous and suspicious. I think it is even safe to say that it is fraud too! selling trucks that have the wrong parts installed and then making profit from the repairs and replacements. Sounds like fraud to me.

- Coventry, RI, USA