- Vehicles
- 592,707
- Built between
- Jan 1999 – Dec 2002
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 21 December 2004
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 1999 and December 2002. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2000-2003 Dodge DakotaBuilt January 1999 to December 2002
- 2000-2003 Dodge DurangoBuilt January 1999 to December 2002
What the defect is
On certain sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel drive (4X4), if moisture leaks into the front suspension upper ball joint, evacuation of the lubricant and corrosion of the joint may cause the joint to wear over an extended period of time. This could cause a clunking noise in the front suspension, which may not always be heard by the vehicle occupants.
What could happen
Excessive wear in the upper ball joint may allow it to separate, which could result in loss of control of the vehicle.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION UPPER BALL JOINTS. THIS SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BEGAN ON DECEMBER 21, 2004.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 1999 to December 2002
- Recall reported to NHTSA21 December 2004
- Owners notified21 December 2004
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 21 December 2004.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners can contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- D47
- Recalling manufacturer
- DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
This action is deemed a safety improvement campaign and is not being conducted under the safety act.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.