IllustrationTHE BOLTS HOLDING THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBACK AND RACKET ASSY HAVE FAILED TWICE. THEY SEEM BRITTLE. SEATBACK WILL FALL REARWARD SUDDENLY. *AK
1993 Dodge Dakota
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Dodge Dakota do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 166.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Dakota years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 11 of 134 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports6 fire reports12 injury reports
What owners actually said
134 reportsPASSENGER'S SEAT BELT DOES NOT CLICK INTO RETRACTOR FOR SUPPORT. *AK
SHIFT LEVER WILL NOT STAY IN PARK. VEHICLE WILL STILL MOVE EVEN WITH GEAR SELECTER IN PARK. CONSUMER MUST START VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL.*AK
WHILE VEHICLE STOPPED IT WAS REAR ENDED, AND BOTH SEATS COLLAPSED BACKWARD WITHOUT A WARNING. *AK BOTH THE PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER WERE INJURED IN THIS ACCIDENT, IN WHICH SEAT BACK RESTS COLLAPSED. *YH
WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30-60 MPH IGNITION SWITCH GOT SO HOT THAT IT MELTED A HOLE IN THE STEERING COLUMN'S BOTTOM COVER. THIS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN BLOWER FAN WAS BEING USED ON HIGH SPEED. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. OWNER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH HIMSELF, BUT THE THE SWITCH STILL GETS HOT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30-60 MPH IGNITION SWITCH GOT SO HOT THAT IT MELTED A HOLE IN THE STEERING COLUMN'S BOTTOM COVER. THIS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN BLOWER FAN WAS BEING USED ON HIGH SPEED. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. OWNER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH HIMSELF, BUT THE THE SWITCH STILL GETS HOT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
FRONT END SQUEAKED WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT FRONT CALIPER TREADS WERE STRIPPED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE REAR BRAKE BACKING PLATES WERE POORLY ENGINEERED AND WERE MADE WITH UNSUITABLE METAL, THEY ARE RUSTED AND CORRODED. *JB
IT RUNS ROUGH SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES IT RUNS FINE, AND NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE RECENTLY REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER/MUFFLERS/EGR VALVE/OXYGEN SENSOR/IGNITION COIL/FUEL FILTER/AIR FILTER AND IT STILL CONTINUES TO RUN ROUGH. ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE????
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
PAINT ON TOP OF PASSENGER CAB HAS BEGUN TO BUBBLE AND PEEL. THE PAINT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, WASHED AND WAXED IN A REGULAR BASIS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE AS I HAVE BEGUN TO NOTICE QUITE A FEW OF DOKOTA P/U'S WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. NO SAFETY DEFECT FOUND IN SUMMARY. *AK
NO SUMMARY.
Official recalls
193V082000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip
May 11, 1993
SOME OF THE ABS EQUIPPED VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH AN UNDERSIZED BRAKE RETURN CHECK VALVE. IN INCIDENTS WHERE HARD BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT IS APPLIED ON LOW FRICTION ROAD SURFACES, LIKE RAIN COVERED STREETS, THE VALVES MAY FAIL, CAUSING THE ABS TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. THIS CREATES EXCESS BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL AND MAY CAUSE THE ABS WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LACK OF FRONT WHEEL ABS COULD CAUSE THE FRONT WHEELBRAKES TO LOCK, INCREASING STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE THE RETURN CHECK VALVE WITH THE CORRECT VALVE.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP03002 · Steering Column Separation
Opened May 7, 2003 · Closed Jul 22, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering:column
MR. LARRY A. SACKEY SUBMITTED A PETITION TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) BY LETTER DATED APRIL 18, 2003, REQUESTING THAT NHTSAFURTHER INVESTIGATE THE DEFECTIVE COLLAPSIBLE STEERING SHAFT SYSTEM ON 1987-1995 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY THE DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION.IN PART BECAUSE OF 49 CFR ? 30120(G), NHTSA HAS DECIDED TO LIMIT THE SCOPE OF THE PETITION VEHICLES TO 1993-1995 MODELS, EXCLUDING THE 1993 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND 1994-1995 DODGE RAM SERIES TRUCKS THAT WERE RECALLED (93V210 & 96V230) FOR STEERING COLUMN FAILURE.IF THE ANALYSIS OF THESE VEHICLES HAD IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL PROBLEM, THE SCOPE COULD HAVE BEEN EXPANDED IN AN INVESTIGATION.A REVIEW OF ODI'S DATA BASE SHOWS NO RECENT COMPLAINTS AND A LACK OF A COMPLAINT TREND CONCERNING THE SUBJECT ISSUE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS A WHOLE OR BY INDIVIDUAL MODELS.THEREFORE, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR DETAILS, SEE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE VOLUME 68, NO. 130, JULY 8, 2003.