2001 Dodge Dakota Steering Problems

“The steering in my 2001 Dakota quad-cab has become very stiff to turn. It comes and goes, but concerns me since my wife sometimes drives my truck and I'm not sure if she could turn the wheel if she needed to in an emergency situation. I've done some research and found that the intermediate shaft is the culprit. This is a safety hazard and should be recalled.”

“My 40k '01 Dakota qc has a very loose upper left ball joint, a loose lower right ball joint, a loose right outer tie rod and has been making a popping noise/thunk for a number of months. When I called Dodge and asked them why they would need to be repaired they said, just wear and tear. As if it was no big deal. They didn't mention any safety concerns.”

“I have 44,000 miles on my 2001 quad cab Dakota 4x4 and the steering has gotten really bad. It clunks and pops on turns and bumps so bad to the point I'm afraid to drive it. There is no reason this new of a vehicle and low mileage should have this kind of problem. Chrysler refuses to do anything about since my warranty is up and the dealer wants $930 to replace the rack & pinion steering which might not be bad.”

“My balljoints snapped while turning in my sons school one morning , resulting in my front wheel and brake assembly falling off completely from my 2001 Dodge Dakota 4x4 truck in december 2002. I had 1000 miles passed factory warrenty”

“Recently had to replace the following: drivers side upper ball joint and control arm, drivers side spindle retaining plate and locking nut. The simptoms were, a slight thumping noise when going over smal but sharp bumps (like entering a driveway), and a sound similar to a spring being stretched and compresses. The work was done under waranty (29,000 miles). The thing that bothers me is that it took 2 attempts at the dealer to get it fixed, and that all the things I've been reading indicate problems on the passenger side! Am I just a disaster waiting to happen? …”