IllustrationBRAKE ROTORS WILL LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING MAKING IT HARD FOR CONSUMER TO STOP. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
1996 Dodge Dakota
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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 189 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 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports6 fire reports8 injury reports
What owners actually said
189 reportsLOCKING MECHANISM FOR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR MALFUNCTIONED. UNABLE TO CLOSE DOOR.*AK
WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED OIL INDICATION LIGHT FLASHED ON, CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OVER TO CHECK OIL AND TO ADD MORE OIL. SOON AFTER, VEHICLE SHUTDOWN. CONSUMER ADDED MORE OIL. AS A RESULT OF THIS, THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER FOUND THAT OIL PUMP FAILED TO SEND OIL TO…
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WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED OIL INDICATION LIGHT FLASHED ON, CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OVER TO CHECK OIL AND TO ADD MORE OIL. SOON AFTER, VEHICLE SHUTDOWN. CONSUMER ADDED MORE OIL. AS A RESULT OF THIS, THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER FOUND THAT OIL PUMP FAILED TO SEND OIL TO ENGINE. *TT
WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE DRIVER SEAT BACK FELL BACK. NO INJURIES. NLM
SPEEDOMETER/ODOMOTER WILL STOP WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES A SHARP RAP ABOVE THE ASSEMBLY WILL MAKE IT WORK. THIS WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER UNDER WARRANTY APPROXIMATELY 3 TIMES ABOUT 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO AND HAS STARTED OCCURRING AGAIN. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR SAFTEY HAZARD IN THAT I DO NOT KNOW THE SPEED I'M TRAVELING WHEN THI…
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SPEEDOMETER/ODOMOTER WILL STOP WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES A SHARP RAP ABOVE THE ASSEMBLY WILL MAKE IT WORK. THIS WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER UNDER WARRANTY APPROXIMATELY 3 TIMES ABOUT 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO AND HAS STARTED OCCURRING AGAIN. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR SAFTEY HAZARD IN THAT I DO NOT KNOW THE SPEED I'M TRAVELING WHEN THIS OCCURS.
DOOR HINGES SEIZED AND CAUSED THE HINGES TO BE REPLACED ON THE FIRST FAILURE. THE SECOND FAILURE RESULTED IN HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DRIVERS DOOR AND HINGES. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ROTATE TIRES, ALL 6 WHEEL STUDS BROKE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE LEFT REAR WHEEL. I COMPLETED THE WHEEL STUD REPLACEMENT MY SELF.*AK
FAULTY SEAT BELT BUCKLES, THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY ON ALL THREE BUCKLES IN THE FRONT SEAT HAS COMPLETELY BROKEN. *AK
REPAIR DONE WITH NEW KIT AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF DEFECT, WAITING FOR RECALL. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK
WELDS ON BOTTOM HINGE OF DRIVERS DOOR HAVE BROKEN. DOOR IS HANGING BY TOP HINGE ONLY.*AK *SLC
CONSUMER EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO INADEQUATE OILING BECAUSE OF SLUDGE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE OIL PAN, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT PART OF THE REASON FOR THE SLUDGE ACCUMULATING IN THE OIL PAN WAS DUE TO A POOR OIL PAN DESIGN, THE WAY THE DRAIN PLUG IS SITUATED IT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR COMPLETE DRAINAGE OF THE OIL …
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CONSUMER EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO INADEQUATE OILING BECAUSE OF SLUDGE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE OIL PAN, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT PART OF THE REASON FOR THE SLUDGE ACCUMULATING IN THE OIL PAN WAS DUE TO A POOR OIL PAN DESIGN, THE WAY THE DRAIN PLUG IS SITUATED IT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR COMPLETE DRAINAGE OF THE OIL DURING AN OIL CHANGE, WHICH ULTIMATELY CLOGGED THE OIL PUMP AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL.*JB
Official recalls
195V199000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist
Oct 20, 1995
THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM HOSE COULD BE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED AND NOT CLAMPED TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM NIPPLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A DISCONNECTED VACUUM HOSE CAN CAUSE AN INCREASE IN ENGINE IDLE SPEED AND LOSS OF BRAKE POWER ASSIST DURING BRAKE APPLICATION WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES TO INSURE THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM HOSE CONNECTION IS FULLY SEATED AND CLAMPED TO THE VACUUM CHECK VALVE NIPPLE AT THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
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
1DP02009 · 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.