DISTRIBUTOR FAILURE CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES.
1992 Dodge Dakota complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1992 record →
THE VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE GEAR.
BRAKE ROTORS RESURFACED.
#PE95041, WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL BACKSHIFT TO A LOWER GEAR AND THE RPMS WILL INCREASE AN EXTRA THOUSAND RPMS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALER (5) OR (6) TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. PROBLEM IS STILL ON GOING. *AK
RADIATOR DEVELOPED A LEAK AROUND THE TOP, WHERE THE TOP AND BODY COME TOGETHER.
WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT AND THE STEERING TURNS LEFT, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO GO INTO A DITCH. *AK
TRANSMISSION SLIPPED/REPLACED TWICE.
ABS HAS LOCKED UP FIVE TIMES.
ALL LIGHTS FAILED BECAUSE 0F A BURNED OUT POWER CONTACT INSIDE BULKHEAD DUE TO WATER. *AK
TRANSMISSION SHIFTS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR UPON ACCELERATION.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS SLOWLY.
VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH ENGINE OFF, WHEN RESTARTED OVERHEATING OF RADIATOR OCCURRED, TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP, OPENED THE HOOD AND RADIATOR CAP EXPLODED. *AK
STEERING FEEL VERY LOOSE TURNS VERY EASY, REPLACE POWER STEERING RACK.
THE NUT RETAINING THE REAR AXLE PINION GEAR FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, CAUSING THE DRIVESHAFT TO SPIN UNCONTROLLED AND BEAT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE.
TRUCK WILL SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE WHILE CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEED.
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION THE VEHICLE STALLS PERIODICALLY, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER. *AK
SOMETIMES WHEN DRIVING THE GEAR SHIFT JUMPS OUT OF GEAR. *AK
CRUISE CONTROL CABLE DISCONNECTS ITSELF FROM THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY AND JAMS THROTTLE WIDE OPEN; ENGINE ACCELERATES, LURCHES FORWARD, MAXIMUM ACCELERATION UNTIL ENGINE IS SHUT OFF. AK
EA96-006 ACTIVE, VEHICLE WAS LEFT IN AN IDLE POSITION IN PARK, JUMPED OUT GEAR , ROLLED BACKWARDS, IMPACT 6:00 POSITION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A SMOOTH ROAD SURFACE THE HOOD FELL OPEN. *AK
VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS WHILE IN PARK, DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INADVERTENTLY OCCASIONALLY, AND OCCASIONALLY HAS DIFFICULTY UPSHIFTING.
AUTO-TRAN: WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO REVERSE, TRANSMISSION CLANKS AND JUMPS, INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, NO PICKUP IN DRIVE, JUST ROARS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT APPROX 45MPH, INTERMITTENT SHIFTING OF GEARS OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.**AK
WHILE DRIVING, AFTER INITIAL SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY OVER 45 MPH, TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING HAZARDOUS DRIVING, COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.*AK
INADVERTENT MOVEMENT OF THE SHIFTER PE95-041, WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR.*AK
FAILURE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE, THE BELT WILL NOT STAY ENGAGED IN THE BUCKLE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING THE WHEEL STUDS BROKE AND THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF. PLEASE DESCRIBE.*AK
TRANSMISSION SLIP OUT OF GEAR, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
AFTER TURNING OFF IGNITION VEHICLE AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT (RADIO, ETC) CONTINUED TO RUN WITH KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, ONLY WAY TO STOP ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM EQUIPMENT WAS TO STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. * AK
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, CAUGHT ON FIRE (ELECTRICAL), ALSO REPLACED RADIATOR DUE TO A LEAK. *AK
WHEN IN PARK THE GEAR JUMPED OUT, SOMONE SAW THIS HAPPEN TRIED TO STOP TRUCK BUT GOT HURT. DEALER CAN NOT FIND PROBLEM. *SLC
PLATE INSIDE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BROKE. *DH
FAILURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSS CONTROL (UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE).*AK
TRANSMISSION GEAR LOOSE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLIP OUT OF PARK/ACCIDENT. *SD
THE TRUCK INADVERTANTLY SHIFTS DOWN WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE *AK
BRAKE CALIPERS REPLACED. *SD
AUTO TRANS: TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO OVERDRIVE ON IT OWN, IN A JERKY MANNER, GOES SLIGHTLY FASTER THAN WHEN IN NORMAL, NO WARNING. *AK
WHILE TRUCK WAS IN PARK AND THE GEAR JUMP OUT OF POSITION . *AK
WHILE IN PARK, ENGINE RUNNING, GEAR SHIFTED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE, STARTED ROLLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY WITH 3 YEAR OLD IN FRONT SEAT;SHIFTED TO PARK TO STOP. *AK
PE95-041; AUTO-TRANSMISSION WILL DOWN SHIFT FOR REASON UNKNOWN. WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL PERFORMANCE. *AK AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55 MPH AND OVER, VEHICLE TACKS AT ABOUT 1800 RPMS, ON A FLAT ROAD, VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFT AND TACK AT 2800-300 RPM, CONSUMER STATES IT HAPPENS IN AND OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL WITH A CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR, IT WILL ALSO DOWNSHIFT DRAMATICALLY AT LOW SPEEDS. *SLC
TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ERRATICALLY, ALSO HAS BITS OF METAL IN TRANSMISSION OIL PAN. *DH
WATER PUMP FAILED, CAUSING COOLING LEAGE OUT OF SHAFT VENT. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILS TO GO INTO GEAR OCCASIONALLY, ALSO OCCASIONALLY SLIPS OUT OF GEAR. *DH
WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT IN REVERSE, SUDDEN ACCELERATION/MALFUNCTIONING OCCURS. *SD
PE95-041, ACTIVE VEHICLE WAS LEFT IDLE POSITION IN PARK, JUMPED OUT GEAR INTO REVERSE, ROLLED BACK, HITTING A POLE, IMPACT 6:00 POSITION. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE ENGINE WAS ON AND THE CAR SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND CAUSED DAMAGE.*AK CONSUMER PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY WITH ENGINE RUNNING OPENED DRIVER DOOR STARTED OUT AND THE TRUCK STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS AND SHIFT SLIPPED INTO REVERSE, DRIVER DOOR STRUCK FRONT PORCH AND CRUMPLED.*JB
PE95-041, ACTIVE, VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, LEFT THE VEHICLE IDLING, SHIFTED IN REVERSE, WENT ACROSS 4 LANE TRAFFIC, IMPACT 6:00 POSITION HIT A POLE. *AK
TRUCK JUMPED OUT OF GEAR FROM PARK TO REVERSE. PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAILS. *AK
TRANSMISSION SLIPPED FROM PARK INTO REVERSE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *AK
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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