AT 20K MY 2004 DAKOTA TRUCK NEEDS NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY ARE BLUE FROM GETTING TOO HOT. MY 1999 DAKOTA JUST HAD NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS AND STILL HAD PLENTY OF PAD ON THEM AT 84K. *TR
2004 Dodge Dakota
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 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
168 reports with mileage · 38 unknown
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.
- Steering. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
206 reportsWHEN BRAKING FOR A STOP, WITH THE GAS TANK BETWEEN HALF AND FULL, THERE IS A LOUD "THUMPING" NOISE A FEW SECONDS AFTER BEGIN STOPPED. THE ORIGINAL GAS TANK HAS BEEN REPLACED BUT THE NOISE STILL EXISTS. PER THE DEALER, 2005 AND LATER MODELS THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. WHY CAN THIS NOT BE CORRECTED ON THE 2004 MODELS? *TR T…
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WHEN BRAKING FOR A STOP, WITH THE GAS TANK BETWEEN HALF AND FULL, THERE IS A LOUD "THUMPING" NOISE A FEW SECONDS AFTER BEGIN STOPPED. THE ORIGINAL GAS TANK HAS BEEN REPLACED BUT THE NOISE STILL EXISTS. PER THE DEALER, 2005 AND LATER MODELS THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. WHY CAN THIS NOT BE CORRECTED ON THE 2004 MODELS? *TR THE CONSUMER STATED IT IS TO HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE GAS TANK ON 2004 DODGE DAKOTA'S. THE CONSUMER IS QUESTIONING WHY THE LATER MODELS WERE CORRECTED AND NOT THE MODEL HE POSSESS WHICH HAS THE SAME DEFECT? THE DEALER STATED KNOCKING NOISE ON FLOOR THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON A LIFT AND THE AXLE NUTS WERE RE-TORQUED. WATER LEAKED OVER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AND THE HOLE WAS SEALED. THE DEALER STATED CLICKING NOISE CAME FROM THE REAR WHEN COMING TO A STOP. UPDATED 09/05/07 *TR UPDATED 09/06/07. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION HIMSELF. THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER FAILURES SINCE THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.
AFTER MAKING A TURN THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIE ROD SEPARATED FROM THE STEERING LINK,BOTH THE TIE ROD AND THE STEERING LINK WERE STRIPPED OUT,LOSS OF STEERING LUCK WOULD HAVE IT THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC NEXT TO ME AND MY SPEED WAS SLOW ABLE TO GET VEHICLE OFF ROAD WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE STEERING STILL ATTACHED,HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO A SH…
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AFTER MAKING A TURN THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIE ROD SEPARATED FROM THE STEERING LINK,BOTH THE TIE ROD AND THE STEERING LINK WERE STRIPPED OUT,LOSS OF STEERING LUCK WOULD HAVE IT THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC NEXT TO ME AND MY SPEED WAS SLOW ABLE TO GET VEHICLE OFF ROAD WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE STEERING STILL ATTACHED,HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO A SHOP WHERE THE LINK AND THE TIE ROD WERE REPLACED,AFTER INSPECTION THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THE PASSENGER SIDE BE DONE DUE TO WEAR NOT AS BAD.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE VIEW MIRROR (MANUALLY OPERATED)FROZEN IN POSITION. ATTEMPTS TO ADJUST RESULTED IN CRACKED MIRROR GLASS.
THE RECALL ISSUE ON MY VEHICLE WAS NOT CORRECTED AND NOW AS A RESULT OF TEH SERVICE DEPT ERRO MY CAR IS NOW OVER-HEATINGA ND TEHY REFUSE TO TAKE RESPONSIBLITY AND REPAIR THE ISSUE, THEY STATED IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TEH RECALL EVEN THE IT CLEARLY STATED THAT TEH CLUSTER OF MY VEHICLE COULD OVER HEAT AND RESULT IN AN INSTRUMEN…
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THE RECALL ISSUE ON MY VEHICLE WAS NOT CORRECTED AND NOW AS A RESULT OF TEH SERVICE DEPT ERRO MY CAR IS NOW OVER-HEATINGA ND TEHY REFUSE TO TAKE RESPONSIBLITY AND REPAIR THE ISSUE, THEY STATED IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TEH RECALL EVEN THE IT CLEARLY STATED THAT TEH CLUSTER OF MY VEHICLE COULD OVER HEAT AND RESULT IN AN INSTRUMENT PANEL FIRE.
ON 3/25, MY TRUCKS INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. ALL OF MY WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND MY ODOMETER QUIT WORKING. IT SAID "NO BUS". I CONTACTED SAVANNAH DODGE ABOUT THE ISSUE ON 3/26, 7:45 AM. AN APPOINTMENT FOR 2:00 WAS SCHEDULED. UPON DROPPING THE TRUCK OFF, I WAS TOLD THAT MY TRUCK WOULD BE DIAGNOSED AND READY FOR ME…
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ON 3/25, MY TRUCKS INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. ALL OF MY WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND MY ODOMETER QUIT WORKING. IT SAID "NO BUS". I CONTACTED SAVANNAH DODGE ABOUT THE ISSUE ON 3/26, 7:45 AM. AN APPOINTMENT FOR 2:00 WAS SCHEDULED. UPON DROPPING THE TRUCK OFF, I WAS TOLD THAT MY TRUCK WOULD BE DIAGNOSED AND READY FOR ME THE NEXT MORNING. MY RECEIPT ALSO STATES THAT THE PROMISED COMPLETION DATE WOULD BE 3/27. ON 3/27, I CALLED SAVANNAH DODGE AT 2:00 PM TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF MY TRUCK. I WAS TOLD BY A SERVICE MEMBER THAT ** WAS OUT ON LUNCH AND THAT MY CALL WOULD BE RETURNED. MY CALL WAS NEVER RETURNED SO I CALLED BACK AT 3:00 P.M. ** TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE HAVING A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING OF MY STEREO SYSTEM. SHE ASKED WHEN IT WAS INSTALLED. I TOLD HER THAT IT WAS INSTALLED 1.5 YEARS AGO, AND SHE TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS AFTERMARKET SPEAKER WIRES WERE SPLICED INTO A FACTORY WIRING HARNESS AND THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED OVER TIME. SHE ALSO SAID THAT THE ONLY FIX WAS TO REPLACE IT WITH THE ORIGINAL FACTORY HARNESS. I THEN TOLD THEM TO GO AHEAD AND FINISH THE JOB AND I WOULD BE UP TO PICK IT UP THAT EVENING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT AN OPTION. THEY HAD TO WAIT ON PARTS (NEW FACTORY HARNESS) TO ARRIVE AND IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE 3/28 (ONE DAY AFTER THE PROMISED DATE). AFTER RECEIVING THE TRUCK AND LOOKING AT THE BILL, IT STATES NO NEW WIRING HARNESS WAS USED AND THEY REWIRED THE AFTERMARKET WIRES. I CALLED AND QUESTIONED ** ABOUT THE ISSUE AND HE BECAME FURIOUS. HE TOLD ME THAT SAVANNAH DODGE WOULD NEVER SERVICE MY VEHICLE AGAIN AND I WOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO STEP ON THEIR PROPERTY AGAIN. AFTER DRIVING IN MY VEHICLE, THE WARNING LIGHTS ARE OFF, HOWEVER THERE ARE THREE NEW PROBLEMS. THE RADIO DOESN'T FUNCTION PROPERLY. ALSO, MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULDN'T BE FIXED. ALSO, ALL OF MY SPARE FUSES ARE MISSING. THIS IS A THEFT ISSUE, AND ** DID IN FACT TELL ME OVER THE PHONE THAT THEY TOOK MY FUSES. *JB
2004/DODGE TRUCK/DAKOTA, REAR CALIPERS FAILED BY SEIZING. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH OF THEM BEFORE EVEN REPLACING THE BRAKE PADS. TOTAL MILEAGE ON THE TRUCK WAS 45,518.*AK
VIBRATING AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 50 MPH. SPOKE TO DODGE REFERENCE #15238936 THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO VIBRATE AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR TRUCK AT DEALERS. TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED, THEN TIRES REPLACED, BRAKES REPLACED, SHOCKS REPLACED. SWAPPED RIMS. SERVICED TRANSMISSION, REPLACED DRIVESHAFT AND U JOINTS. PRESSURE BAL…
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VIBRATING AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 50 MPH. SPOKE TO DODGE REFERENCE #15238936 THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO VIBRATE AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR TRUCK AT DEALERS. TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED, THEN TIRES REPLACED, BRAKES REPLACED, SHOCKS REPLACED. SWAPPED RIMS. SERVICED TRANSMISSION, REPLACED DRIVESHAFT AND U JOINTS. PRESSURE BALANCE THE TIRES. REPLACED AXEL BEARINGS AND POSSIBLY THE AXEL. REPLACED RING GEAR AND PINION AND ALL BEARINGS. MULTIPLE ALIGNMENTS.*JB
TRANSMISSION DEFECT, WILL NOT GO INTO FOURTH AND THIRD GEAR AFTER INITIAL COLD START, TRUCK JERKS AND MAKES NOISE. *NM
Official recalls
104V216000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer
May 5, 2004
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MODULE MOTOR MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO WATER INTRUSION THAT COULD CAUSE INTERNAL CORROSION AND RESULT IN PARTIAL OR COMPLETE LOSS OF FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPING CAPABILITY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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