I have a 01 Dakota QuadCab and I am getting some sounds from the front end, I am thinking that it may be the ball joints but not completely sure, and when I turn hard left it pops and it kinda embarrassing. Any hints on what to do??? It is going into the shop this week for some minor work so will probably get them to check that out too


DGBACE

I had the same problem with my 99 dakota... a loud pop when making a slow turn. It has been perfect since I replaced the ball joints.
~T

HEY, I WANTED TO FIND OUT IF ANYBODY KNOWS IF THERE IS A SUSPENSION LIFT FOR THE 00, 4X4 QD CAB. I CAN'T FIND ONE. IF THERE IS NO LIFT, WHAT IS THE OPTION TO GET AT LEAST 35'S ON THE TRUCK, WITHOUT CUTTING THE WHEEL WELL. PLEASE HELP?

Ya, my truck doesn't even have 2000 miles on it and sometimes I'll hear a pop when I make a turn...it's only once a week that I hear it.

THink it's the ball joints messing up and should I take it in?

well i called the dodge dealer in my area and I asked if there was a recall on the ball joints and they said dodge is looking into it so what I am going to do is probably replace my ball joints and then get dodge to reimburse me my money......hopefully i can do that if they are recalled??


DGBACE

i was always under the assumption that they would only pay for it if you went to the dealer.

This is the main reason I joined the forum, to see if the ball joints issues is a common problem and it seems to be one. I have a 2002 Dakota Sport Plus with 20 000 miles on it and had this problem since day one. It took me a while to convince the dealer (they could not find anything wrong with it at the beginning) and on my last oil change service I put the truck in reverse and when I applied the brakes the pop was so loud, four guys at the service department jumped up. They changed the ball joints on the left front wheel and last week also the right front hub. This is an improvement, but I still sense something loose on the right front, so they will most probably change the ball joints on the right side, too. Also I pointed out to the service tech that all the bushings in the front suspension were cracking and they will replace them under warranty since this is also a recurring problem. I have a 91 Dakota also, and its bushings are in a better shape!

Ya i had 2 ball joints replace on my truck one on each side both upper control arms i have 37000 miles on my truck and love it. They were replaced at 35700 miles

Upper ball joints on the Dakotas and Durangos are a problem. What bothers me is, Dodge knows about the problem, but will not do anything to fix it. Even a simple task like designing a new ball joint and make it available for the consumers to buy would be nice. But, Dodge is JUST ignoring the problem. I myself like the Dakota, but I will not buy another Dodge product (I'll go back to my Acura- I only got 230,00+ miles on it and pretty much all original parts, including the clutch). My Dakota needed new ball joints at 42,000 miles, and other little things have gone wrong that I could have ignored if Dodge had addressed the ball joint issue. It seems Dodge would rather wait for something bad to happen or have the government require them to fix a problem, rather than take responsibility to make things better for the consumer.

Here is Dodges answer to the problem:


"There's no grease fitting, no way to grease it, so it's metal on metal and the ball and socket wear out and then eventually it pops apart," says mechanic Mickey Hasseck.

Reilly sent the part to Washington for analysis as part of the government's investigation.

Cohron is footing the bill for his damages, too, after DaimlerChrysler stated it would only fix his truck if he signed this contract to keep quiet and not to sue.


Sounds like a little like the mafia to me.


For the complete story go to here:



http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/18/eveningnews/main589356.shtml

I could have sworn I heard there is a recall on this now.

Well, if there has been a recall, Dodge sure is not informing the truck and SUV owners. I bought mine new and have not received any such notice and I have not moved since buying it.
I do not believe that Dodge has issued a recall and I don't expect them too, unless they are forced to by the NTSB. This would be much too expensive a recall, and I just can't see any large company owning up to its errors. Let's face it you really don't have to have an engineering degree to know that metal on metal will not last- you need lubrication. This is just plain common sense. For so called intelligent engineers and corporate execs to not know this is very unlikely. This is just a cheap way of getting the product to market. They usually put the blame someplace else. Let's face it, what large company (in the US) really has its employees and consumers in mind when they do things? The problem is if it's done rright the first time everyone is happy, company and consumer (that's how the Japanese market works- pride in the product by both employer and employee- loyalty also goes both ways in their market-- the US market is all about immediate profits and not long term results-- that's why US companies have so many layoffs and take short cuts to get a product to market).
I have owned 3 Japanese vehicles with very little problems and they fixed all without a question- things like map light failure- a wire came loose, a recall on a seat belt because food could cause jamming and failure of the mechanism. That's about all I have had gone wrong with their products- and all gave over 150,000 miles of service and my Acura is still going strong. I believe Dodge (as all US companies) will do nothing until odered by the federal government. Safety only becomes an issue when it is a US order. They will never take the responsibility themselves for poor design of a product. The issue as far as I know is still being investigated by the NTSB and when they get their results, is about the only time Dodge will do anything about the problem.
They feel they can keep any problem brought to court by an individual in the court system for years, and this is cheaper than issuing a recall. They also know, that the average individual does not have the finances needed to go against a large company by themselves for an issue that can be kept in the courts for years. Until someone is seriously injured or killed will be about the only time Dodge will be forced to address this issue (or the NTSB). Why? This is also the only type of case an attorney will take on consignment. Again, why? The answer is always the same $$$$$$$$$$

Thanks for the good gouge, everyone. Does this problem cause that squeak in the front end on cold mornings, like when you go over a speed bump or curb? If so, this is much bigger than just Dakotas and Durangos 'cause my buddy's got a Caravan and he complained of the same squeak that I have.

Did anyone check out the news articles about this? The most important question is, can something be done about them outside of Dodge dealing with it? Are there aftermarket replacements that can be lubed?

As much as I like my Dodge, I really hate the assholes that run the company...

Bobcatt34,

It's really funny that you asked about after market products. I have heard that there is at least one available, but I called the Dodge people to inquire about having it installed on my Dakota. I wasn't asking if they reccommended the product, I was only asking the mechanics if it was compatible with the Dodge Dakota. There answer was really irritating to me-- he said he would not comment about the compatability of the after market product with the Dakota, but he could only recommend the Mopar products for use on the Dodge. In essence they were refusing to respond to my question about compatability of a product with my Dakota. They want to forcr you to buy from their own company regardless of the poor engineering. That is why I will go back to the Japanese products. Not only do they take care of problems with their vehicles, they also will help you get products that are compatible with your vehicle even if they are not the manufacturer's. Dodge or should I say Daimler/Chrysler, is not interested in customer satisfaction.
I use to believe in buy American, but I got disgruntled by my GM product and bought 3 Japanese models since then and all 3 were great. I then went back to a US product, as I heard good things about the Dakota, but the US manufacturers seem to all follow the same suit. They want you to buy their products and their parts. Well, when their parts suck, why would you buy them again? I wouldn't, and since Dodge can't recommend a part that will fix the problem once and for all (their ball joints don't work and they know it), even another company's product, I see it as a faulty vehicle. Let's face it- if a part doesn't work, and there is no other part but the one that doesn't work for the vehicle, what good is the vehicle?
US auto manufacturers can only thank themselves if eventually they go under, as they are losing their customers to foreign manufacturers, and they have no one to blame, but themselves. I will no longer buy an American made vehicle where parts don't last 40,000 miles. The Japanese products last 100,000s of miles. Which would you buy?

I've had my ball joints replaced 2 times by Dodge under warrenty and I finally had MOOG joints installed about 2 months ago (which I put off for months)

My first set went at about 20,000
Second set went at about 35,000
Third and fianl set I replaced at 65,000

Although I replaced both uppers and lowers I'm still getting a popping noise. This weekend I developed a nice squeak also so I've gotta get it in the garage this weekend. I suspect it's the struts otherwise my tie rod ends are shot. [:@]

Yeah, the upper ball joints are not too good after about 30,000 miles. And on my '01 Dakota there are no ball joints listedm according to the auto shop I gi too, as an alternative to the Mopar joints. However, I have heard that there are Moog joints available, but they are not listed as comparable part in their catalog. Would you happen to know the stock# of the Moog joints you had installed? Thanks.

My joint numbers are supposedly different than yours because I have a '98 Dak. I looked up joints for a 01 and came up with these MOOG #'s

#K7392 -2WD/4WD UPPER

#K7393 -2WD LOWER

#K7395 -4WD LOWER

Their about 43 bucks a piece on www.rockauto.com (where I found the part numbers) I've never ordered from rock but have heard good things about them. My local Belle Tire installed the joints for me because I needed them replaced and this winter was pretty cold without a heated garage otherwise I would have saved the 200 installation fee and did it myself. HTH

Thanks JROD. When my new Mopars wear out and it won't be long I'll replace them with the MOOG joints. I know they have to be better than Daimler/Chrysler parts!!

I had the same problem with my 00 R/T, first few times I brought it in they said there was nothing wrong with it and that it was working properly, eventualy they said it was the upper ball joints and replaced them though, they were replaced at around 27k miles.

Hey Guys...I just ordered my new Dak and i was curious if anyone knows if Dodge has tried to rectify this problem at the factory at all? Just wonderin if anyone has any ideas...Also, im looking to get the best intake i can for the 4.7 aftermarket. Is there any sites that have actual numbers that can show true flow numbers or actual CFMs for multiple intakes? I do not want just one site trying to sell me thier specific intake. I know K&M are nice, but I also want to look into other options, obviously for price and possibly higher performance....Thanks!

took my 01 dakota in yesterday to have ball joints checked and a bad squeak when going over bumps. they told me the joints were fine but the squeak was coming from worn tie rod end bushings. cost to repair $99.89. they would have to order parts.

greg

How is this for Dodge. They have recalled the Dodge Dakota and the Dodge Durango becuase of faulty ball joints. BUT, they say they still do not see it as a safety problem. So they don't feel they should have to recall them just because they manufactured a product of poor quality. I bet if they had their homes and pools built with poor quality products, and they started to fall apart after a short time, do you think they would complain? I bet they would. Do you think if the homebuilder and pool builder, said" it's okay that we used poor quality products, because it does not pose a safety issue", would be a satisfactory answer for them. I bet NOT. I sincerely doubt the itegrity of Daimler Chrysler and the people who run it. Based on their response to the recall, will cause me to NEVER buy another Daimler Chrysler product again. If they had responded, yes there is definitely an issue with the ball joints on these vehicles and we have issued a recall, I would have figured maybe they realize the problem and are going to do aomething about it. But, when they say they are going to issue a recall , and say something like, but it's not a safety issue in their opinion. It's like saying we don't think we should have to pay for the recall, because it is not a safety issue. When in fact they knowingly continued to make a poor quality product that cost each customer someplace in the $15,000 to maybe $28,000 price range, and they complain because it is going to cost them a few hundred dollars per vehicle. How about, how much it could cost the customer who paid this amount for such a thing. It not only could cost a huge $ amount to get the thing fixed, but it could also cost the life or lives of a loved one. But, to Daimler Chrysler the few millions it cost to fix all these vehicles is not worth it because it poses no safety risk. This is something they do not know for sure, until someone is killed or severely hurt. Then it would surely cost more than a few million dollars if I was the juror. Anyone who knowingly produces a poor product, and should someone get hurt because of this poor item, should not only get punitive damages, but also jail time for manslaughter or committing bodily harm should the person not die.
Daimler Chrysler product will no longer be an option when I buy my next vehicle.

I'm literally crying ... I miss my '94 A LOT at this point ... at least the problems were simple and caused by old age ... I want my "Benny" back :(

Does any one know a good place to get the moog ball joints, website or store. Thanks

I know this is a long post but I think it is helpful. I believe that Dodge has also now included 2 wheel drive Dakotas, and are going to extend it to 100,000 miles on some trucks.................If you have any questions there is a number below that you can call.........

December 2004
Dealer Service Instructions for:
Safety Recall D47 - Upper Ball Joint Joints
2000 - 2003 (AN) Dodge Dakota 4x4 Pick-Up Truck
2000 - 2003 (DN) Dodge Durango 4x4
NOTE: This notification applies only to the above vehicles built through
December 31, 2002 (MDH 1231XX).
Water may enter into the front suspension upper ball joints on about 600,000 of the
above vehicles and cause corrosion and premature wear. Excessive wear of the
upper ball joint may cause the front wheel to separate from the vehicle and result in
a loss of control. A seriously worn ball joint may cause a “clunking” noise to
develop in the front suspension. However, vehicle occupants may not always hear
this “clunking” noise. Losing control of the vehicle could result in a crash.
Both front suspension upper ball joints must be replaced.
Models
IMPORTANT: Some of the involved vehicles may be in dealer used vehicle
inventory. Dealers should complete this repair on these vehicles before retail
delivery. Dealers should also perform this repair on vehicles in for service.
Involved vehicles can be determined by using the VIP inquiry process.
Subject
Repair
Safety Recall D47 -- Upper Ball Joints Page 2
Part Number Description
CEXMD471 Upper Ball Joint Package
Each package contains the following components:
Quantity Description
2 Upper Ball JointsSAFETY RECALL – UPPER BALL JOINTS

6 Bolts
6 Nuts
2 Cotter Pins
2 Castle Nuts



Dear: (Name)
This is to inform you of a safety issue concerning 2000 through early-2003 model year Dodge
Durango 4x4 vehicles and Dodge Dakota 4x4 pick-up trucks. Excessive wear of the upper ball joint
may cause the front wheel to separate from the vehicle and result in a loss of control.
The problem is... Water may enter into the front suspension upper ball joints on your vehicle
(VIN: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) and cause corrosion and premature wear. A
seriously worn ball joint may cause a “clunking” noise to develop in the front
suspension. However, vehicle occupants may not always hear this “clunking”
noise. Losing control of the vehicle could result in a crash.
What your dealer
will do...
DaimlerChrysler will repair your vehicle free of charge (parts and labor). To do
this, your dealer will replace both front suspension upper ball joints. The work will
take about two hours to complete. However, additional time may be necessary
depending on how dealer appointments are scheduled and processed.
What you must
do to ensure your
safety...
Simply contact your dealer right away to schedule a service appointment. Ask the
dealer to hold the parts for your vehicle or to order them before your appointment.
Remember to bring this letter with you to your dealer.
If you need
help...
If you have questions or concerns which your dealer is unable to resolve, please
contact DaimlerChrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Please help us update our records, by filling out the enclosed prepaid postcard, if any of the conditions
listed on the card apply to you or your vehicle. Be sure to print the last eight (8) characters of the VIN
(VVVVVVVV) and notification code D47 on the postcard.
If you have already experienced this condition and have paid to have it repaired, you may send your
original receipts and/or other adequate proof of payment to the following address for reimbursement:
DaimlerChrysler, P.O. Box 610207, Port Huron, MI 48061-0207, Attention: Reimbursement.
If your dealer fails or is unable to remedy this condition without charge and within a reasonable time, you
may submit a written complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590, or call the toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at
1-888-327-4236.
We're sorry for any inconvenience, but we are sincerely concerned about your safety. Thank you for your
attention to this important matter.
Customer Services Field Operations
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Notification Code D47
Note to lessors receiving this recall: Federal regulation requires that you forward this recall notice to the lessee within 10 day

i have a 99 dakota r/t. it went into the shop for lower ball joints on both sides. the dealer claimed that they aren't replaceable ball joints and that they had to change the control arms!! luckily they changed all four control arms for me. i had that service done about 40,000 miles ago and it is still fine!!

I've got a 99 also. According to Hayes Manual the upper ball joints are not servicable and the entire upper control arm must be replaced. Did a little more research: moog has replacement ball joints, upper and lower, that have grease fittings. For 1999, 2wd: Upr K742 @ $44.79 each. Lor K741 @ $41.89 each. Suspect that will 142,000 miles I'm not going to be in on any recall... fyi.

I have a 2004 4x4 Dakota with the same exact issue. I noticed the recall does not go to this year. Anyone else with a newer Dakota hearing the same loud cluncking noise? Sounds a lot like something hitting floor of the cab. The 2001 Dakota I owned had the same issue but I got out of it right before the recall was sent....................you would have thought I learned my lesson, but no, I went and bought another one.

I've had so many problems with previous Dakota's that I could easily run over the character quota writing it here.

Don't take this as gospel, but my dealer stated that in mid-production year 2003 the ball joints went to a different style. Still, they have no zerk fittings. I own an '03 Dak 4x4 QC and think the answer I got from the dealer was BS. But my VIN is not part of the recall. I suspect that if I have a wheel disconnect from the vehicle while driving I will be reminding them of what they told me. However with 23K miles I have not noticed any trouble with my truck, and have had it inspected annually at a non-Mopar garage where I get my wheel alignments done. The only 4x4 action my truck gets is winter driving in Ohio, and since it is not a Charger I don't drive it beyond daily highway trips. Hope this helps?

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