IllustrationDRIVER TRIED TO APPLY BRAKES, THEY FAILED THEN DRIVER APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKE, SKIDDED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE HITTING WINDSHIELD DUE TO AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING CAUSING INJURY.
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
Service Brakes, Air complaints
2 reportsWHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AT NIGHT, ALL LIGHTING SYSTEMS WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING. THE HEADLIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS WENT OUT. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE TACHOMETER STOPPED WORKING AND THE GAS MILEAGE DROPPED FROM 24.5 MPG TO 18 MPG AFTER HE FABRICATED REPAIR PARTS, THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DUE TO A WIRING H…
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WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AT NIGHT, ALL LIGHTING SYSTEMS WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING. THE HEADLIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS WENT OUT. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE TACHOMETER STOPPED WORKING AND THE GAS MILEAGE DROPPED FROM 24.5 MPG TO 18 MPG AFTER HE FABRICATED REPAIR PARTS, THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DUE TO A WIRING HARNESS PLUG CONNECTOR NOT BEING SUFFICIENTLY WATERPROOFED, WATER, ROAD SALTS, AND MINERALS COLLECTED AT THE WIRING SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR AND CAUSED THREE ELECTRICAL SPADES IN THE CONNECTOR TO SHORT OUT, BURNING ONE SPADE OUT COMPLETELY, CONSUMER HAD NOT HEARD BACK REGARDING THE SHIPMENT OF THE WIRING HARNESS, HOWEVER WAS TOLD IT WOULD ONLY TAKE APPROXIMATELY 7 DAYS. *SLC
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.