The company bowed to pressure Friday from the federal government to recall 600-thousand of the vehicles because of a defect that can cause the wheels to fall off.

The recall affects vehicles from the 2000 to 2003 model years. That's good news for a Kanawha County couple we spoke to about a year ago. But they say it's frustrating it's taken this long for the company to respond to what potentially is a life-threatening situation.

Mike Bell still drives his 2000 Dodge Dakota...even though Daimler Chrysler never responded to his calls. “They wouldn't discuss the problem with us at all. I bought the parts and fixed the truck myself."

A year ago, Mike found out while changing the oil that the upper ball joint had worn out. The discovery shocked him.

“When I jacked the truck up like this...the front tire fell off. The ball joint literally fell apart and the top of the wheel fell out. It just fell over."

Mike had reason to be concerned.

An investigation was already underway at the time over the vehicles' upper ball joints.

If those joints fail, the car's suspension can collapse and a wheel can fall off.

After a 16-month investigation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Friday announced the recall.

Mike’s wife, Darlene, says, "I think it took them too long and it makes me wonder what happened to make them finally decide."

Throughout the year, the Bells’ heard from relatives and neighbors who had similar problems.

The automaker will repair vehicles for free starting next month. Daimler Chrysler also is extending the warranty to ten years or 100-thousand miles on the suspension upper ball joints on an additional 400-thousand Durango SUVs and Dakota pickups from model years 2000 to 2003.

While Mike fixed his Dakota's ball joint problem, his wife still has second thoughts about using it. She says, "when I put my grandkids in them, I'm very cautious...and I'm scared.....I have no choice but to drive it. We didn't buy it to park it somewhere and look at it. We bought it to use and drive."

“Chrysler has a real problem with this. This can kill somebody," says Mike.

It's not known whether there have been fatalities connected with the upper ball joints....but there have been at least five reports of crashes.

It's a problem the Bells’ feel the company could have steered clear of.

Daimler Chrysler has acknowledged the problem, but feels it doesn't rise to the level of a safety defect.

The company is expected to respond to the government's recall this week.