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 1998 record →
THE RECENT NEWS OF A LOWERED HAULING CAPACITY ON THE R/T , FROM 6400LBS. TO 2000LBS. I USE MY TRUCK TO HAUL AND WHEN I BOUGHT THE TRUCK I TOLD IT COULD HAUL MY 5000LB. TRAILER AND CAR. THIS EFFECTS ME BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE ANOTHER VEHICLE TO HAUL WITH, AND NOW I AM BEING TOLD THAT I CAN'T USE MY TRUCK FOR WHAT I NEED IT FOR. SO BASICALLY I AM TOLD I HAVE A $24000 TRUCK IN MY YARD THAT I CAN'T USE FOR THE REASOINS I BOUGHT IT FOR. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL, AND RESUTLING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
DIAMLERCHRYSLER HAS REVISED THE TOWING RATING FOR ALL 1998 AND LATER DODGE DAKOTA R/T TRUCKS FROM 65OO POUNDS TO 2000 POUNDS SAYING THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION CAN DETERIORATE AND HAVE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE . THEY DO NOT INTEND TO REPAIR THE DEFECT AND HAVE ONLY ISSUED A WARNING TO OWNERS NOT TO TOW MORE THAN 2000 POUNDS . THIS IS NOT SATISFACTORY AS THE TRUCK WAS ADVERTISED MARKETED AND SOLD AS BEING CAPABLE TO TOW 6500 POUNDS AND WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN DEATH AND/OR INJURY TO A PARTY . *AK
LETTER FROM DAIMLER CHRYSLER INFORMING ME THAT MY DODGE DAKOTA R/T, ONE OF 7,000 MADE, THAT IT CAN ONLY TOW 2,000 LBS. THEY MARKETING THE TRUCK AT 6,800 LBS AND HAVE OFFERED TO REFUND $300 FOR TOW PACKAGE $0 FOR HD SERVICE GROUP. THE WILL NOT TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY TRUCK. SOME OWNS HAVE BEEN OFFERED A BUY BACK. CHRYSLER IS SPOSE TO CONTACT ME SOON FOR A DEAL BUT, I CAN'T FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY 1998 SPORT TRUCK OF THE YEAR THAT CAN NOW ONLY TOW AS MUCH AS A FORD RANGER. THEN IT WAS RATED HIGHEST IN ITS CLASS FOR TOWING CAPACITY.
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED SIDE MIRRORS ARE SO LARGE AND PLACED SO HIGH ON DOORS THAT IT CREATES A SEVERE BLIND SPOT WHEN CORNERING WITH VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD ENCOUNTERED NEAR MISSES WITH PEDESTRIANS IN CROSSWALKS AND SMALLER VEHICLES. *AK
BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS COMPLETELY WORN OUT AT LESS THAN 22000 MILES. THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK RATTLED SEVERELY WHENEVER DRIVING OVER AN SURFACE THAT WAS LESS THAN PERFECTLY SMOOTH, AND AT ANY SPEED. THIS TRUCK HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN OFFROAD EXCEPT VERY OCCASIONALLY, AND EVEN THEN WAS DONE SO WITH GREAT CARE. *AK
DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONTACTED NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OVER PAST 7+ MONTHS WITH EITHER NO RESPONSE OR EXTREMELY SLOW RESPONSE. TANSMISSION/BRAKES/SHOCKS/TIRES, AND SEAT BELTS, NOT REPAIRED TO DATE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235 75R15 )
THE BOLT THAT HAD BEEN SECURING THE SHOULDER ANCHOR OF THE SEAT BELT TO THE FRAME WORKED ITS WAY LOOSE ALLOWING THE ANCHOR TO DISENGAGE FROM THE FRAME. MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED. *AK *ML
WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD STAY IN ONLY ONE GEAR. TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED. DEALER CONTACTED. REPAIRWORK DONE TO REMEDY PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDED FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
ATF LEAKING ONTO CATALYTIC CONVERTER -SMOLDERING/SMOKE FROM UNDER TRUCK. LEAKS APPEAR TO BE FROM TRANSMISSION TAIL SHAFT /DRIVESHAFT YOKE AND FLING ATF ONTO CONVERTER 3 REPAIRS NO SUCCESS A THIS TIME - REPAIRING DEALER NOT SELLING. DEALER I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A FIRE HAZARD, POOR SHIFT QUALITY DUE TO LOSS OF FLUID. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THER EIS A LOUD NOISE AND LEAKAGE IN THE TRANSMISSION, AND VEHICLE STALLS AND JERKS. PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A YEAR. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY GO STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHILE DEPRESSING ACCELERATOR-IN MANUAL TRANS. GRINDS GOING INTO REVERSE. CUPHOLDER DEFECTIVE THIS IS MY FIRST NEW VEHICLE, AND MY LAST CHRYLSER PRODUCT, I AM NOT HAPPY WITH MY DODGE!!
FRONT PASSENGER SHOULDER SEAT BELT DOES NOT RESTRAIN AND LOCK UP WHEN VEHICLE STOPS.
HAVE NOT BEEN INFORMED OF RECALL CAMPAIGN 98V208000, REGARDING FRAME BOLTS. NO MENTION OF DEFECT UNDER RECALL. *AK
WINDSHIELD HAS MANUFACTURE DEFECTS. OPTICAL DISTORTIONS APPEAR IN MULTIPLE, IF NOT THE ENTIRE WINDSHEILD. DEALER DISCRIBED THEM AS NORMAL AND THAT EVERY OTHER WINDSHIELD IN THE DAKOTA AND DURANGO LINE HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS...ER CHARACTER. I WAS ASKED TO GET USE TO THE DISTORTION, BUT CANNOT. MY PROBLEM WITH VISABILITY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD HAS CAUSED MISJUDGEMENTS IN SIGN LEGIBILITY, DISTANCE/PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND SOMETIMES RESULTED IN EYESTRAIN LEADING TO HEADACHES.
THE POST THAT ARE TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE WINDSHIELD ARE TOO WIDE OBSTRUCTING THE DRIVER FIELD OF VISION.
PASSENGER SEAT BELTS FAILED TO ENGAGE CATCH MECHANISM WHEN PULLED SHARPLY. *AK
IT APPEARS THERE WAS A FUEL RETURN LINE SEPARATION THAT CAME LOOSE TO CAUSE FUMES TO BE IGNITED BY THE CATALYIC CONVERTER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED AND GOING UP A HILL, VEHICLE GOES PAST 3RD GEAR INTO 2ND GEAR, RACES UP TO OVER 5000 RPM WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY ADJUSTED THE SPEED CONTROL LINKAGE, BUT PROBLEM REOCCURRED CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. SPEED CONTROL LINKAGE ADJUSTED AGAIN, PROBLEM HAS NOT REOCCURRED SINCE. *AK *ML
UNDER WET CONDITIONS BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE/BECAME INOPERATIVE, CAUSING A LOSS OF BRAKES AND TWICE RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
GAS GAUGE FAILED.
WHEN ACCELERATING THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO FULLY ENGAGE AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT PROCEED FORWARD AS EXPECTED. *YC
HEADLIGHT KNOB CAME OFF.
FRONT BRAKE PADS EXPERIENCING ( SQUEALING ) NOISES. *YC
DOOR LOCK FAILED.
POWER STEERING O-RINGS FAILED. MJS
ENGINE FAN FAILED.
CONSUMER HAD LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL INSTALLED AT 1,000 MILES HOWEVER NEW UNIT IS VERY NOISY AT SPEEDS OF 40-45 MPH. NLM
PREMATURE WEAR OF (GOODYEAR ALL SEASON P/215 75R15) TIRES. *TT
WINDSHIELD PUMP FAILED. YH
THE RIGHT REAR TIRE (GOOD YEAR P215/75R-15) BLEWOUT. YH
REAR RIGHT WINDOW LEAKS WATER. YH
RACK & PINION EXPERIENCING FAILURE, WHEN DRIVING OVER 40 MPH VEHICLE EXPERIENCE NOISE, SINCE DATE OF PURCHASE. *YC
TRANSMISSION FAILED TWICE. *YC
DRIVE SHAFT RUBBER SLEEVE FAILED. YH
POWER TRANSMISSION CONTROL FAILED. YH
TRANSMISSION FAILED. YH
SERPINTIME BELT WORN OUT. YH
FRONT BRAKE DISKS FAILED. YH
FUEL LINE PLASTIC HOSE CONNECTING CLAMP FAILED. *YC
TRUCK WILL QUIT RUNNING AT IDLE BECAUSE OF SENSOR FAILURE. YH
ENGINE FAILED. YH
FUEL PUMP FAILED. YH
REAR WINDOW BROKE WHILE DRIVING OVER A BRIDGE.
THIS CONCERN REGARDING THE POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ALSO INCLUDES THE OPERATION OF THE CRUISE CONTROL! THE ORIGINAL DEFECT MANIFESTED ITSELF BY EXTREME "POWER-DOWNSHIFTS" ON MODERATE UPGRADES, WHILE RUNNING ON CRUISE CONTROL (ALL FURTHER MENTION OF "POWER-DOWNSHIFTS" ARE WHILE THE CRUISE IS ENGAGED). THEY WERE EXTREMELY ROUGH, TO THE POINT THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT NOT ONLY THE DAMAGE TO THE POWERTRAIN, BUT TO ALSO LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IF IT WOULD HAPPEN TO OCCUR AT THE "WRONG TIME." THEY EVEN OCCURED WHILE RUNNING "AT SPEED" ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE EXTREME OF THESE DOWNSHIFTS IS INDICATED BY THE FACT THAT AT 65 MPH THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BE FORCED DOWN TO 2ND GEAR, THEREBY "RED-LINING" THE ENGINE ON THE TACH. FIRST VISIT BROUGHT LITTLE IF ANY IMPROVEMENT, AND ONLY AFTER AN ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE AT THE LAST MINUTE FROM "UNDER THE HOOD." AFTER THIS ADJUSTMENT (OR BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS SURFACING FROM THE "POWER-DOWNSHIFTS") THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO HAVE INTERMITTANT "ROUGH SHIFTS" AROUND 30MPH. A 2ND VISIT BROUGHT ADJUSTMENT TO THE "TRANMISSION THROTTLE PRESSURE" WHICH HAS ALMOST ENTIRELY ELIMINATED THE "POWER-DOWNSHIFTS" (THEY HAVE ONLY OCCURED TWICE IN THE PAST 2000+ MILES. HOWEVER, THE TRANSMISSION IS NOW SUFFERING MUCH GREATER PROBLEMS IN SHIFTING. NOT ONLY DOES IT GIVE THE OCCASIONAL "HERKY-JERKY" SHIFT, BUT IT NOW ALSO SEEMS TO OCCASIONALLY "SLIP" ON SHIFTS. THE VEHICLE IS SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR "PRESSURE TESTING" AT A LATER DA
EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR REPORTED AT 7K MI. AND TOLD NO PROBLEM FOUND. AT 13.6K ROTOR RUINED AND OUTER BRAKE PAD WORN TO METAL WITH LOUD SQUEALING WITH BRAKE APPLICATION.
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE WINDSHIELD /DOOR SUPPORT WITH THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY WHICH CAUSES BLIND SPOT TO CONSUMER WHENEVER MAKING A TURN. DEALER/ MANUFACTURER CONTACTED, BUT NO RESPONSE. *AK
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE HAVING FOLLOWING DEFECTIVE3 PARTS PARTS: 1. ENGINE ACCELERATES AT HIGH RMP WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED. 2. REAR END MAKES UNNECESSARY NOISE WHEN DRIVING. 3. WHEN CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKE, COULD HEAR AIR LEAKING. 4. FRONT TIRE WEARING UNEVEN. AND 5. REPLACED CATALYIC CONVERTER SYSTEM. *AK
NO SUMMARY PROVIDED BY CONSUMER
THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAKING A PREIGNITION"KNOCKING NOISE" COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED IT.I HAVE HAD IT IN NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY CAN NOT CORRECT IT.THE DEALER HAS TOLD ME THIS IS AN EMISSIONS KNOCK AND WILL NOT DAMAGE THE ENGINE AS THEY CAN'T FIX IT YET.I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT ANY PREIGNITION IS NOT GOOD AND WILL EVENTUALLY DAMAGE THE ENGINE.IT KNOCKS CONSIDERABLY AT FIRST START UP WHEN IT IS COLD AND QUIETS DOWN WHEN IT WARMS UP.
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.
Full record for the 1998 Dodge Dakota → · Every Dakota year → · How the figures are calculated →