IllustrationCONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 35 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
1995 Dodge Dakota
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1995 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: 24 of 208 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.
- Power Train. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
38 crash reports6 fire reports22 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
26 reportsAIR BAG: WIFE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 35MPH HIT PICKUP VEHICLE IN LEFT REAR PANEL. VEHICLE SPUN AROUND AND HIT A SEWER PIPE AND CRUMBLED FRONT END SUSPENSION. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE IS NOT IN FOR REPAIRS YET. *AK
OWNER WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND HIT A WALL, AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES.824415 DUP OF 810099; POSTED ON 09-07-1999. *AK
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER'S CLOTHING TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK
OWNER STATES THAT HIS TRUCK WAS STRUCK IN THE REAR WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO HAVE A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT, TOTALING THE VEHICLE AND WITH NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG. *AK
DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT ACCIDENT AT 35MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN CAME AWAY FROM THE DASH AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ATTEMPED TO SWITCH LANES AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM BEHIND AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
DURING IMPACT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND WHEN APPLYING ABS BRAKES, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP.*AK
FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 12:00, POSITION SPEED 40 MPH, DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLO IN A FRONTAL COLLISION TRAVELLING AT 15 MPH, ALSO DRIVER EXPERIENCED TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
2DP03002 · 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.
DP02009 · Frame Cracks
Opened Sep 30, 2002 · Closed Jan 8, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
MR. EDWARD W. BAILEY SUBMITTED A PETITION TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION BY LETTER, UNDATED, REQUESTING THAT AN INVESTIGATION BE CONDUCTED INTO THE MATTER OF A FRAME CRACK IN HIS 1995 DODGE DAKOTA TRUCK.THE PETITIONER ALLEGES THAT THE FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE IS CRACKED, THROUGH NO FAULT OR RESPONSIBILITY OF HIS OWN, AND BELIEVES THAT THIS DEFICIENCY CONSTITUTES A SAFETY DEFECT, WHICH HE ALLEGES MAY CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND/OR A CRASH.FOR THE 1993 THROUGH 2003 MODEL YEAR DAKOTA TRUCKS, THEONLY COMPLAINTS OF FRAME CRACKING WERE ON THE 1995 AND 1996 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES. A REVIEW OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OF FRAME CRACKING ON THE DAKOTA, AND PEER VEHICLES, DID NOT REVEAL ANY LOSS OF CONTROL, CRASHES, INJURIES OR FATALITIES.FRAME CRACKING ON THE DAKOTA TRUCKS OCCURED AT AN AVERAGE MILEAGE OF93,000. FOR THE REASONS STATED IN THEFEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE (VOL. 68, NO. 3, MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2003) THE PETITION IS DENIED.