1991 Dodge Dakota Problems: Transmission / driveline (126 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 1991 Dodge Dakota is Transmission / driveline (45% of 126 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 1991 Dodge Dakota?
57 of 126 filings named Transmission / driveline (45% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Steering (13 reports).
There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Fuel system, Brakes, and Steering. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
- Crashes 11
- Fires 5
- Injuries 8
- Deaths 0
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 57 | 45.2% | 8 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 13 | 10.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 11 | 8.7% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 8 | 6.4% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 7 | 5.6% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 5 | 4.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 4 | 3.2% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 4 | 3.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 2 | 1.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 111 | 88.1% | 11 crashes · 4 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 95V089000 was reported 77 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 00V106000 was reported 1,869 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 1995-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 1995-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 1995-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 1996-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 1996-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 1996-Q3 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 1996-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 1997-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 1997-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 1997-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 1998-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 1998-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1998-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 1998-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 1999-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1999-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2000-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2000-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2000-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2001-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2001-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2001-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2001-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 90V176000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 91V200000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 95V089000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 00V106000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E049000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE95004 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE95041 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA96006 |
Safety Recalls (5)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline, Fuel system, Brakes, and Steering.
-
Recall campaign 00V106000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- THIS CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY WITH THE ENGINE ON AFTER THE DRIVER HAS LEFT THE VEHICLE.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEEL MANUAL VALVE IN THE TRANSMISSION WITH AN ALUMINUM VERSION.
-
Recall campaign 06E049000
Safety recall 06E049000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Remedy:
- CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
-
Recall campaign 90V176000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- THIS CONTACT COULD CAUSE HOSE DAMAGE AND FUEL LEAKAGETHAT, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
- Remedy:
- INSTALL A TIE STRAP TO SECURE THE TRANSMISSION WIRING AWAY FROM THE FUEL HOSE.
-
Recall campaign 91V200000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- WEAR THROUGH OF THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE HOSE WOULD CAUSEFLUID LOSS FROM HALF OF THE SPLIT BRAKE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AND INCREASE STOPPINGDISTANCE WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
- Remedy:
- IF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE HOSE AND TIRE ON THE RIGHT FRONT IS INADEQUATE, REPLACE BRAKE HOSE WITH A MODIFIED VERSION TO ENSURE ADEQUATE CLEARANCE.
-
Recall campaign 95V089000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE SEPARATION OF THE CENTER HUB ATTACHMENT TO THE STEERING COLUMN RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING WHEEL FOR ARMATURE CRACKS AND REPLACE ANY WHEELS EXHIBITING CRACKS. ALL OTHER VEHICLES WILL HAVE A REINFORCEMENT PLATE INSTALLED TO PREVENT STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION IF CRACKING OCCURS.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 1991 Dodge Dakota?
Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 57 of 126 reports (45%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 1991 Dodge Dakota?
NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Fuel system, Brakes, and Steering. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 1991 Dodge Dakota?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.