2004 Dodge Dakota steering problems

“THE STEERING IS VERY HARD TO TURN EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT AT MOST TIMES. FEELS AS IF THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED, BUT HAD IT INSPECTED BY MECHANIC AND SAYS POWER STEERING PUMP AND BELTS ARE FINE. THIS DIFFICULTY IN STEERING IS ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY A GRINDING TYPE OF NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN BEHIND THE STEEING WHEEL. IT HAS BECOME MORE THAN JUST AN OCCASIONAL ANNOYANCE BUT RATHER A MORE PERMANENT SAFETY ISSUE SINCE MY WIFE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO USE THE TRUCK BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY WITH THE STEERING. PLEASE ADVISE ON WHAT MAY BE THE CAUSE AND IF THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER DAKOTA PICK UPS AND IF THEY HAVE ISSUED A RECALL IN THE PAST TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I AM HOPING TO HAVE THIS RESOLVED QUICKLY SINCE I FEAR IT MAY ONLY LEAD TO SOME TRAGIC OR CATASTROPHIC RESULT. THANK YOU”

“ISSUE WITH THE STEERING, APPEARED TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE PUMP. OCCURRED AT ABOUT 50K MILES, 6 YRS. WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WOULD GET HARD LIKE THE PUMP HAD FAILED, AND THEN WITHOUT WARNING, WOULD RETURN TO THE POWER ASSIST AND OVER STEER DUE TO THE PRESSURE I WAS ALREADY EXERTING. THIS TOOK PLACE AT ALL SPEEDS AND UNDER CITY AND HIGHWAY CONDITIONS. VERY DISCONCERTING. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK OF THIS I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY DETERMINED IT WAS A FAILING FLUID CONTROL VALVE IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND REPLACED IT. IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I HAD PURCHASED BUT WOULD HAVE COST OVER $1500.”

“INTERMITTENT STEERING. SOMETIMES WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT, STEERING WILL NOT RETURN TO CENTER . NOW THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. SOMETIMES IT WILL HAPPEN THEN AFTER DRIVING AWHILE IT WILL CLEAR UP. BUT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. CHECKED POWER STEERING FLUID,AIR PRESSURE. LOOKED AT OTHER FORUMS FOR THIS COMMON PROBLEM. CONSENSUS IS THE STEERING RACK AND/OR THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. WENT AND HAD STEERING RACK AND LOWER SHAFT REPLACED AND IT CURED THE PROBLEM ABOUT 97 PERCENT. DODGE SHOULD HAVE A RECALL FOR SAFETY REASONS AS THIS COULD INVOLVE FATALITIES . *TR”

“GOT IN VEHICLE AND STARTED TO DRIVE WHEN I NOTICED MAKING A TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT RETURN TO CENTER. THE STEERING WAS REAL HEAVY LIKE THE POWER STEERING WAS FAILING. CHECKED POWER STEERING FLUID-IT WAS OKAY,TIRE PRESSURE WAS OK. AS I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE STEERING GOT BETTER. SINCE THAT INCIDENT THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COMES AND GOES. I WENT ON THE WEB AND FOUND OUT HOW MANY MORE 2004 DODGE DAKOTA TRUCK OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE STEERING PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE IN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND/OR THE STEERING RACK. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS SAFETY PROBLEM OR A CLASS ACTION. ALSO THE 2004 DAKOTA BALL JOINTS WENT OUT AT 60000 MILES AT MY EXPENSE. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 2003 DAKOTA BALL JOINTS BEING BAD BUT NOT 2004. I HAD BOUGHT A 1993 DAKOTA BRAND NEW AND BOUGHT THE 2004 DAKOTA BRAND NEW BUT I MIGHT HAVE TO RECONSIDER GOING TO ANOTHER MAKE IF THE STEERING DOES NOT GET REMEDIED BY DODGE. *TR”

“THE STEERING IS HARD WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD. . WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IS STIFF AND HARD TO TURN AND DOES NOT GO BACK TO A NEUTRAL POSITION. YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN FOR A HOUR THE STEERING IMPROVES. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME VEHICLE. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR”

“STEERING WAS LOOSE AT FIRST BUT BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN AT ANY SPEED.CHANGED THE RACK,WITH SAME PROBLEM. I THAN CHANGED THE STEERING PUMP WITH LITTLE TO NO SUCCESS. *TR”