IllustrationTRANSMISSION SLIPS, RATTLING IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION OF THE VEHICLE. TOOK THIS TRUCK BACK TO OUTTEN COUNTY CHRYSLER NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY WOULD NOT FIX ANY OF THE PROBLEMS.*AK
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
530–25K
2625–50K
4450–75K
1675–100K
20100–150K
9150K+
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.
11 crash reports6 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
206 reportsGOT DODGE DAKOTA 4X2 BRAND NEW. BRAKES SQUEALED AFTER 6,000 MILES, FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. AT 12,000 MILES THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHILE TURNING, TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, SAID IT WAS FIXED. IT WAS NOT FIXED. AT 14,000 MILES, BOTH TIE RODS SNAPPED WHILE MAKING A TURN FROM A COMPLETE STOP. FIXED UNDER WARENTY. NOW AT 15,000 MILE…
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GOT DODGE DAKOTA 4X2 BRAND NEW. BRAKES SQUEALED AFTER 6,000 MILES, FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. AT 12,000 MILES THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHILE TURNING, TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, SAID IT WAS FIXED. IT WAS NOT FIXED. AT 14,000 MILES, BOTH TIE RODS SNAPPED WHILE MAKING A TURN FROM A COMPLETE STOP. FIXED UNDER WARENTY. NOW AT 15,000 MILES, THE CLUNKING NOISE IS BACK WHILE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND MAKING TURN. THESE CARS ARE NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *AK
TRANSMISSION HESITATES TO SHIFT GEARS.*AK
WHEN VEHICLE HAS 3/4 TANK OF GAS. WHEN SLOWING DOWN THERE IS A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM REAR UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. *BF WHEN BRAKING AND COMING TO A STOP A DELAY THEN A THUMP SOUND COMES FROM THE BACK WALL OF THE TRUCK. 1ST GAS TANK STARTED THIS OVER HALF OF A TANK. TANK WAS REPLACED AND NOW YOU HEAR THE THUMP WHEN THE TANK …
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WHEN VEHICLE HAS 3/4 TANK OF GAS. WHEN SLOWING DOWN THERE IS A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM REAR UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. *BF WHEN BRAKING AND COMING TO A STOP A DELAY THEN A THUMP SOUND COMES FROM THE BACK WALL OF THE TRUCK. 1ST GAS TANK STARTED THIS OVER HALF OF A TANK. TANK WAS REPLACED AND NOW YOU HEAR THE THUMP WHEN THE TANK IS AT 3/4 FULL. *TC
2004 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4X4, PURCHASED 8/16/04. CURRENTLY 2,200 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF OWNERSHIP, THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED RATTLING OR CLUNKING NOISES IN THE FRONT END WHEN TRAVELING OVER BUMPS. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, AND PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKING. TIRE WEAR (ALTHOUGH VERY SLI…
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2004 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4X4, PURCHASED 8/16/04. CURRENTLY 2,200 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF OWNERSHIP, THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED RATTLING OR CLUNKING NOISES IN THE FRONT END WHEN TRAVELING OVER BUMPS. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, AND PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKING. TIRE WEAR (ALTHOUGH VERY SLIGHT @ 2,200 MILES IN NOT SYMMETRICAL BETWEEN LH FRONT TO RH FRONT TIRE). I WILL BE TAKING THE TRUCK INTO THE DEALERSHIP @ 3,000 MILES TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE FRONT END, AS WELL AS THE ALIGNMENT.
I HAVE A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA CREW CAB WITH ABOUT 6,000 MILES ON IT. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS IT HAS BEEN MAKING A CRUNCHING SOUND FROM THE FRONT END ON TIGHT TURNS. I AM AWARE OF WIDESPREAD UPPER BALL JOINT PROBLEMS ON OTHER DAKOTAS. THE DODGE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG, BUT THE NOISE IS PERSISTENT, AND THERE MUST BE SOMETHIN…
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I HAVE A 2004 DODGE DAKOTA CREW CAB WITH ABOUT 6,000 MILES ON IT. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS IT HAS BEEN MAKING A CRUNCHING SOUND FROM THE FRONT END ON TIGHT TURNS. I AM AWARE OF WIDESPREAD UPPER BALL JOINT PROBLEMS ON OTHER DAKOTAS. THE DODGE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG, BUT THE NOISE IS PERSISTENT, AND THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG.*AK
WHEN BRAKE ROTORS HEAT UP THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. AT FIRST SHAKING IS MINOR NOT ALWAYS NOTICEABLE. BUT AS BRAKES HEAT AND COOL STEERING WHEEL SHAKE BECOMES WORSE AND HAPPENS EVERY TIME BRAKES ARE APPLIED. SEVERE STEERING WHEEL SHAKE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHEN BRAKING. CHRYSLER STATES NOT A WARRANTY ITEM AS BRAKES ONL…
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WHEN BRAKE ROTORS HEAT UP THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. AT FIRST SHAKING IS MINOR NOT ALWAYS NOTICEABLE. BUT AS BRAKES HEAT AND COOL STEERING WHEEL SHAKE BECOMES WORSE AND HAPPENS EVERY TIME BRAKES ARE APPLIED. SEVERE STEERING WHEEL SHAKE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHEN BRAKING. CHRYSLER STATES NOT A WARRANTY ITEM AS BRAKES ONLY COVERED FOR 12,000 MILES AND MY COMPLAINT IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *JB
CRUISE CONTROL WOULD ENGAGE ITSELF INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. ALSO, A LOUD POPPING SOUND WAS HEARD WHILE BRAKING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. DEALER REPLACED BOTH ROTORS AND BRAKE LIGHT 4 TIMES DUE TO MOIS…
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CRUISE CONTROL WOULD ENGAGE ITSELF INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. ALSO, A LOUD POPPING SOUND WAS HEARD WHILE BRAKING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. DEALER REPLACED BOTH ROTORS AND BRAKE LIGHT 4 TIMES DUE TO MOISTURE BUILD UP. HOWEVER, PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
WHEN SLOWING DOWN BRAKE PEDAL PULSATED, AND THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED VIOLENTLY. *AK
AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED FOUR TIMES, WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN. ALSO, THE GEAR DROPPED INTO LOWER GEAR AND BUCKED. *AK
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.