2003 Dodge Dakota Engine cooling Problems

“I have owned a 2003 Dodge Dakota v6 for the past 3 years and never had a problem until I took it to the dealership in union city ga yesterday for a routine oil change. After waiting 2 hours, they told me they were having a problem getting oil in the engine because there was sludge in the engine which was causing the oil to go in slowly. They recommended adding an oil additive. An hour later they returned my car to me. I started driving out of the lot my car was running rough. Two blocks later the oil light came on, engine started a little ticking and ran rougher. …”

“Oil gauge dropped to 0 while driving. Stopped to check the oil and it was fine. Drove about 3 miles and the truck died. Every thing locked up and unable to start again. Towed it to the mechanics and he said that we had sludge. We changed the oil as recommended. The warranty said that they will not cover buying a new engine because it was our fault. I have the receipts to prove that we did the oil changes. They had poor customer service. What's the sense of getting the extended warranty if it won't help. Our truck has 50,000 miles.”

“As truck pulls out (1-5min.)it slows down and backfires real loud. Doesnt stall out, but no power. When you step on the gas nothing happens it still is crawling around 5mi.this will happen about 1-3mminutes then it automatically picks up by itself and resumes speed. Happening every 2wks then every wk. Sometimes a day apart.had co-pilot on twice but results were o. Nothing shows on the dashboard when it happend, but the backfiring is getting louder. Called consumer around 5 times but I am right where I started.”

“On june 5, 2006 the engine light came on in our 2003 Dodge Dakota (approx. 25,500 miles). We took it to the Dodge dealership and they replaced a hose for the fuel line at a cost of approx. $250. On june 7, 2006 the engine light again came on and Dodge said an o2 sensor needed to be replaced (at a cost to us of approx. $300). With in the next 3 weeks our Dodge was in the shop 2 more times (for a total of 4 items in a month) due to the engine light coming on. The last time they told us the o2 sensor that was replaced was faulty and was the problem. …”

“4x4 Dodge Dakota quad cab stalls periodically. Has stalled 12 times between the period 10/30/03 and 12/19/03. Dealership claims it cannot recreate. Usually occurs within a few minutes of starting. Typically has been at slow speeds (20 MPH or lower), but has occurred as high as 40 MPH. Typically restarts after sitting for a few minutes. Would not restart, however, after stall on 12/14/03. Currently on 5th service visit. Dealership tells me no error codes show up on the computer. I suggested installation of a co-pilot. …”