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Raaden
Dodge Dakota
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10/31/2003
13:27:20
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 Subject: Ball Joint Class Action
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I think this was posted earlier in the forum, but I can't seem to find it now so I am posting again. There is a class action suit pending on the ball joint problem with the Durangos, the link is at the bottom. I had a mechanic friend give me a link to the site. I would suggest that everyone that has had the problem and had to fix it should get over there and file a complaint as well, and note in the description that the problem was with a Dakota. The more people who file the better the chance that they will be able to resolve the issue and provide compensation.
http://www.bigclassaction.com/class_action/daimler2.html
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Kraw
Dodge Dakota
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11/01/2003
10:59:06
|  RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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interesting... we replace the ball joints on our Durango's here at work, seems like, every year!
I'll pass that on to our mechanics :)
www.krawdaddy.net
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madmac9143
Dodge Dakota
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11/01/2003
20:31:53
|  RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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Sorry everyone out there who actually enjoy the dakotas, but fools like this are going to cause all of us to posobly loose our trucks. The only thing that will come out of a law suit are more BMW's in lawers driveways and higher pricetags on all dodge vehicles.
Come on peaple get real and take your heads out of your rears.The days of just putting gas in and go are over. Peaple in a whole need to take responsability for there own stupidity and actualy "DO THE MAINTAINANCE ON YOUR TRUCKS". Stop trying to blame everyone else for the problems most of you cause yourself.
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Kowalski
Dodge Dakota
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11/02/2003
07:14:51
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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Message:
Madmac - While I haven't had ball joint problems myself, I have no doubt that Daks would benefit from better ball joints (brakes too !). There is no way this is going to cause me to loose my truck. Your comment about maintenance is also way off base. There are no grease fittings for us to maintain on these vehicles. I've seen it suggested to use a needle tip to inject grease through the boot but that only surrounds the joint with grease, doesn't actually get grease into the joint. You need a reality check (sorry, you can't cash a reality check).
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DSW
Dodge Dakota
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11/02/2003
17:05:02
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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I don't consider replacing ball joints at 10K, 30K or even 60K maintenance. This is replacing a defective part that DC will not perform a recall on. I had to replace the ball joints on my truck when I bought it at 60K, WTF. The ball joints should last atleast 100K on any vehicle.
I hate to be pissin in the wind, but my last car went 330K on the stock suspension. I didn't replace anything on the suspension, balljoints, bushings, shocks. Nothing Nada Zero!
I really like my Dak outside the ball joint and brake issue. But I think DC should perform a recall for the ball joint problem. I guess they think it's going to be cheaper running this throught the courts than replacing all the ball joints on the affected vehicles. Lets say they have sold 1 million vehicles with the problem and it's going to cost $500 to fix each vehicle. $500 million bucks will buy a bunch of lawyers. Now who's fault is it for pushing this into the courts, the poor consumer who bought a defective product or DC who wants to save a buck?
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AmsoilSponsor
DakotaEnthusiast
11/02/2003
18:26:16
|  Amsoil Sponsor - Ball Joint Class Action
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There was a report on CBS October 27, 2003 about ball joint failure shortly after truck reaches 30k miles (and maybe you can find it in the archives on their website) --- but how much did CBS "play it up"? Chrysler will not issue a recall and is a therefore the subject of a class action lawsuit.
Here is a different take.
If NBC had aired the special they would have worked some explosions into the story! Remember when they did this once for "effects"? Maybe CBS will hire the NBC Dateline pyrotechnic professionals to rig charges of C4 to the ball joints next time.
My concern --- "How" and "Why" does the failure occur? ... and why haven't they done something about it?
DC will not do anything until they are forced to by the courts or a few hundred people die due to a failure.
Steven Roark , Amsoil Dealer , Proud Sponsor of www.DodgeDakotas.com
AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils, Lubricants, Filtration, and Truck Care Products
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greg
Dodge Dakota
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11/03/2003
22:00:32
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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Dont hold your breath regarding $$$ from DC for
ball joints. While I agree its a bad design, the
sore point for me is the countless return trips to the dealer. We had the infamous Neon head gasket fiasco to contend with on my wife's Neon.
First a trip to confirm the problem, then a
another trip to drop the car off for repair, then
they couldn't complete the job on time as promised, then they tried to renege on 50/50 cost
split with me that was negotiated BEFORE work started. The best outcome is to hope they mail
you a check and then take it to a independent
garage or do the work yourself. But no one will
ever get any money. No one has died yet.
Need 100+ innocent folk to die before DC feels any
pain.
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shane bigler
Dodge Dakota
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11/05/2003
22:50:27
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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I had to change mine at ~50k miles. Madmac your an idiot if you think this is ok. Ball joints should last the life of the vehicle. If you want to settle for Dodge making a part that doesnt even go bad on a Deawoo than thats your perogative. I could see a badly abused 4WD truck having ball joint problems. But not one thats driven on the road. I put aftermarket greasable joints on my truck so hopefully they will last. If you had Dodge change them chances are they just changed out your entire control arm and you still have junky ball joints in there. Thats what they do when the bushings go bad...change the entire control arm. If you guys want to buy a truck with all these problems (brakes, rotors, ball joints, bushings) fixed with aftermarket parts Im selling mine for $8500. Its a 1997 with 55k miles, ext cab, 2wd, in good condition. Check the V8 section or email me at shanemb3@hotmailcom for pics/questions.
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LockandLoad
Dodge Dakota
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11/11/2003
13:05:46
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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Picking up my truck today after LT control arm/ball joint failure. Have $100 deductible but still not happy about this. 42,000 hi-way miles and if someone hadn't mentioned the Durango info I may not have really been paying attention to the noise. Only happens when I turn into the driveway. I know it was going bad before 36,000. Which isn't that long ago in time since I put 600 mi on it a week. I'm weighing in on the suit.
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MOKI
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
07:36:08
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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Both of the upper ball joints began to "creek" at 20,000 miles on my 2002 Dakota. Sounded as though there was no grease in them. I brought the truck to the dealer, who reluctantly replaced both of them. I would really like to know what is going on. Heck, I've had ball joints that have lasted over a 100,000 miles on other vehicals.
The other thing that bothers me is that there are no grease zert fittings on these things, why not? A friend of mine e-mailed me last night informing me that Dan Rather on CBS evening news is doing a report tonight, December 18, 2003 regarding the matter.
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bman42
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
08:10:08
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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Tonite on CBS evening news (12/18), i think they are having a story on the dakota balljoint problem. I just caught the advertisement for it this morning. Maybe Dodge will step up to the plate if it makes it into the evening news.
doubtful but dare to dream
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madmac9143
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
08:33:14
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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I still don,t understand everyones problem here. With regular care and attention to detail all six (6) of my Dakotas are doing fine. The all have fisher plows and two of them have 33's with 3" body lifts. Over 112k miles on the 92 x-cab and only just replaced the upper and lower yesterday dew to an accedent one of my drivers had durring the snow storm here monday. As I said before with proper maintenance there should be no problems.
P.S. Just because there aren't any grease fittings doesn't meen you can't use a gease gun with a neadle attachment to grease your joints.
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erikrs301
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
08:40:11
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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DC is too busy suing GM and everyone else over copyright and trade mark infringements to be concerned over product failures...look at the sludging issue in the 4.7L's they covered up with a little peice of plastic. F'n Germans!
Ya know I just sold a GMC K1500 with 208K miles and a Jeep XJ with 261K miles which was lifted, ran 33" Swampers and abused off-road, and I never replaced a ball joint in either of them. These things should not be failing after 20K.
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TexasTodd
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
11:11:23
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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My 01 4.7, NEVER has a sludging issue, I just took out the silly little baffle in my filler tube anyway!
It's been an awesome engine, now with 45K.
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Rob454
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
12:29:16
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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Message:
I hate to say this but in a class action the consumer doesnt get crap. the lawyers get 99% of it. thats if it doesnt get tied up in courts on appeals which will then be 15 years before you see anything done. by then most likely you already replaced the ball joints and most likely sold the truck.
Sure i dotn think the ball joints shoudl be replaced at 56 000 miles. My last GMC has the factory ball joints and it has 320 000 miles on the odo
ROb
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erikrs301
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
13:07:29
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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Texas Todd, you live in a warmer climate and you don't have the sludge problem. Try keeping condensation out when it's 20* every morning. ;-) My Durango has 6K on it and has foaming in the 2nd oil change.
...it's troo, the consumer won't get crap for a class action suit. You might see like $20 or something and DCX will nevar recall it then.
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BigBear
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
17:34:02
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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I bought my '97 at 76K, ball joints were bad then - $600 to replace. Next came Pittman arm, idler arm - most of the front end replaced in the next 10K miles.
Solid as a rock now - just in time to sell it and get an '04.
Does the 7/70 coverage apply to ball joints? Or are the covered under 3/36 ?
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36
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
18:12:45
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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I was told by dealer they are covered under the 36.
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?
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
20:09:47
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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Does the '97 have an idler and Pittman arm?
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IntenseDak39
*GenIII*
12/18/2003
21:39:12
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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only on the 4x4s... 2wd have rack & pinion
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SteveK
Dodge Dakota
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12/18/2003
22:48:17
| RE: Ball Joint Class Action
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Hi everyone - my 99' Dakota just went over the 50,000 mile mark, and I am now hearing a squeaking noise that increases in frequency as I speed up - in other words, it sounds like w/ every wheel revolution, it squeaks. Is this sound indicitive of a ball-joint problem? If not, is there any specific sound that a worn-out ball-joint makes, or while driving, does the feel of the truck seem abnormal?
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