GVWR: Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)
Make: DODGE
Manufacturer: FCA US LLC
Manufacturer Id: 994
Model: Dakota
Model Year: 1990
Plant City: Detroit
Plant Company Name: Dodge City Assembly
Plant Country: United States (USA)
Plant State: Michigan
Seat Belts All: Manual
Vehicle Type: TRUCK
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2003
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH DODGE CHRYSLER DAIMLER TO RESOLVE A PROBLEM WITH OUR CRUISE CONTROL. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT YOU ARE NEVER SURE HOW THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL RESPOND. SOMETIMES YOU NOTICE CARS AND TRUCK WHIZZING BY AND YOU'RE HOLDING UP THE TRAFFIC. BASED THE DEALERS REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE MANUFACTURER'S BULLETIN ON HOW TO TRY TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM BY "RE TRAINING THE COMPUTER", I BELIEVE THE REAL FIX GOES BACK TO THE COMPUTER PROGRAM AND SENSORS USED IN THE SYSTEM. CAN YOU PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS ISSUE FOR ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR ADVISE IS? COPY OF PART OF THE CORRESPONDENCE TO DEALER FOLLOWS: DODGE COUNTRY OF APPLETON 4400 WEST COLLEGE AVENUE AS YOU CAN CONFIRM WE HAVE HAD OUR 2003 DODGE DAKOTA IN THREE OR MORE TIMES NOW TO TRY AND FIX THE CRUISE CONTROL. [XXX] THERE ARE BASICALLY TWO MAIN SYMPTOMS: 1) UNEXPECTED SHIFT INTO HIGH GEAR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ON CRUISE CONTROL - THESE EVENTS DO NOT SEEM TO COINCIDE WITH ANY SPECIFIC ROAD CONDITION. 2) NON - RESPONSIVE CRUISE CONTROL - THE VEHICLE SPEED DRIFTS DOWN 10 MPH OR MORE OFF OF SET POINT ON A VERY GRADUAL INCLINE WITH NO RESPONSE AT ALL BY THE CRUISE CONTROL. ONCE YOU REACH LEVEL ROAD THE SPEED WILL VERY SLOWLY CREEP UP OVER WHAT SEEMS LIKE SEVERAL MILES. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN CONSISTENTLY OR REPEAT UNDER ANY SPECIFIC ROAD CONDITION. SOMETIMES AT 60 - 70 MPH ON BOTH GENTLE AND STEEP INCLINES THE CRUISE WORKS FINE. SPEED MAY ONLY DROP OF ONE OR TWO MPH AND THE ENGINE DOESN'T EVEN SHIFT INTO A HIGHER GEAR. YET UNDER IDENTICAL CONDITIONS, SOMETIMES AT THE SAME SPEEDS OF 60 - 70 MPH THE CRUISE WILL RESPOND BY KICKING INTO THE NEXT HIGHER GEAR AND OTHER TIMES THE CRUISE WILL NOT RESPOND AT ALL LET THE SPEED DROP DOWN 10MPH. TOO SLOW A SPEED IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS TOO FAST A SPEED. ANOTHER PERSON I ASKED WITH AN IDENTICAL VEHICLE INDICATED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. UPDATED 07/26/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
1990
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
BEEN WAITING FOR STEERING PARTS; WAS INFORMED BY DEALERSHIP THAT BACK ORDER FOR PARTS HAS BEEN 2 MONTHS OR MORE. 96V094000. *AK