The most-reported problem on the 1992 Dodge Dakota is Transmission / driveline (48% of 216 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
103 of 216 filings named Transmission / driveline (48% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Brakes (30 reports).
There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 1991 has 126 reports on file; this year has 216. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What to check before you buy a 1992 Dodge Dakota
A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.
Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.
What owners reported
System named most often:Transmission / driveline 103 complaints · 47.7% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
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)
103
47.7%
18 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
30
13.9%
2 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
17
7.9%
0 crashes · 4 fires
Engine (ENGINE)
13
6.0%
0 crashes · 1 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
12
5.6%
0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
10
4.6%
0 crashes · 2 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
7
3.2%
0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING)
4
1.9%
1 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION)
3
1.4%
0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover
188
87.0%
19 crashes · 7 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations · Snapshot 2026-09-07 · Open source record
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 00V106000 was reported 1,849 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
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.
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.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
WELL MY TRUCK WHEN I AM DRIVING DOWN THE RD AT NIGHT THE LIGHTS WILL TURN OFF OUT OF NO WHERE AND I ALMOST GOT IN A COUPLE OF WRECKS BECAUSE OF IT FLICKERING AND I HAVE CHANGED AND FIXED EVERYTHING AND IT STILL DOSE IT SO IT LIKE A WIRE ISSUE OR SOMETHING BUT I DON'T FEEL SAFE AT ALL DRIVING AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF IT THEN MY ENGINE WILL LIKE STOP OR SOMETHING WHEN I AM DRIVING AND JERK MY TRUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND BACKFIRE HELLA BAD LIKE GUNS ARE GOING OFF AND IT'S BLEW MY MUFFLER UP 10 TIMES AND BLEW MY CATILLAC CONVERTER UP 5 TIMES AND BLEW MY HEADERS OFF AND BROKE THE BOLTS INSIDE MY HEADS AND I ONLY HAVE 169 K MILES ON IT THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING BECAUSE THIS IS DANGEROUS AND A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME AND OTHERS ON THE RD AND IT CAN CAUSE A WRECK LIKE I CAME REALLY CLOSE I WAS GOING DONE THE FREE WAY AND IT LIKE STOPPED THEN JERKED ME INTO THE BARRIER BUT THANK GOD I AVOIDED IT THEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AND THE LIGHTS FLICKERING OFF AND ON AND JERKING LIKE IT DOSE I HAD 2 WHEELS IN A 5FT DITCH BECAUSE OF THAT GOING 55 MPH I WOULD HAVE DIED IF I WENT FULLY IN IT THEN FOR THE BACKFIRE AND BLOWING MY WHOLE EXHAUST UP I HAVE SEEN 5 PEOPLE WRECK BECAUSE OF MY EXHUST SYSTEM THEY WHERE FINE BUT THERE CAR WASN'T BECAUSE OF MY EXHUST AND I ONLY GET LIKE 4 MPG I LIVE LIKE 10 MILES FROM WORK AND I HAVE TO FILL IT EVERYDAY BECAUSE IT SUCKS HELLA GAS JUST ONLY 20 MILES ROUND TRIP FROM FULL IT'S BASICALLY ON EMPTY LIKE THE NEXT DAY I GO TO THE GAS STATION MY GAS LIGHT COMES ON
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OF A FAILURE WHICH INVOLVED THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY SLIPPING FROM PARK AND INTO REVERSE. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V106000(POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION PRNDL) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE RECALL WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE INITIAL RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,059, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,960. UPDATED 04/19/12*LJ
ON MY 1992 DODGE DAKOTA (V8 5.2L WITH AT, 4X4) THE ENGINE QUITS INTERMITTENTLY, SOMETIMES WHILE PARKED IDLING AND OTHER TIMES WHILE DRIVING. IT DOES IT WITHOUT WARNING, AS IF THE KEY IS TURNED OFF. SOMETIMES IT STARTS RIGHT UP AGAIN AND OTHER TIMES IT WILL HAVE TO CRANK FOR A WHILE BEFORE IT STARTS. I'VE HAD IT TO 2 DIFFERENT MECHANICS AND THEY CAN'T DETERMINE THE CAUSE. ALL SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AS WELL AS A NEW FUEL PUMP AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. TRUCK HAS JUST OVER 50,000 MILES ON IT. I'VE HAD IT FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS AND THE PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAPPENS IN TRAFFIC OR ON THE INTERSTATE. *TR
I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE ON MY WAY TO A JOB INTERVIEW, WHEN I REALIZED I FORGOT SOMETHING . I DROVE BACK IN THE GARAGE, PUT THE SHIFTER IN PARK AND I STEPPED OUT OF THE TRUCK. NO SOONER HAD I GOTTEN AROUND THE TRUCK DOOR WHEN THE TRUCK JUST STARTED BACKING UP BY ITSELF. I ATTEMPTED TO JUMP BACK IN TO STOP IT BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT THE TRUCK TO HIT SOMEBODY . BUT THE MOMENTUM WAS TO QUICK AND THE DOOR SLAMMED AGAINST ME HITTING THE LEFT SIDE OF MY BODY,BOTH MY KNEES WERE KNOCKED TOGETHER,CAUSING BRUISING AND SOME SWELLING. I ALSO HAD A SMALL CUT ON MY RIGHT INDEX FINGER WHEN THE DOOR HIT ME,IT PUSHED MY ARM BACK AND MY FINGER HIT MY FRONT TEETH. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM(PARK-TO-REVERSE). THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE IN MY POSSESSION THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. I CALLED A DODGE DEALERSHIP IN B.R. AND THEY TOLD ME THIS VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE TRUCK WAS BOUGHT USED SO I DO NOT KNOW IF THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE PARK-TO-REVERSE. SINCE THE ACCIDENT, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO WORK AND HAVE BEEN SUFFERING WITH A LOT OF BACK, LEG, AND KNEE PAIN. *TR
2 ISSUES-THE POWER TRAIN-I DON'T THINK IT WAS EVER FIXED AS MY GEARSHIFT LEVER INDICATOR IS NOT IN THE GEAR IT INDICATES-CAN THIS STILL BE FIXED UNDER THE RECALL-2ND PROBLEM-I CAN BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE TRUCK JUST SHUTS ITSELF OFF WITHOUT WARNING-SOMETIMES IT WILL RESTART AFTER SITTING A FEW MINUTES BUT YESTERDAY I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED WITH MY 74 YR. OLD MOTHER-I HAVE BEEN ON THE FREEWAY AND HAD THE SHUTDOWN OCCUR-I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN-I AM NOT THE FIRST OWNER BUT THE GUY I GOT IT FROM TOLD ME ABOUT THIS ISSUE AFTER I HAD BOUGHT IT -I THOUGHT THE FUEL FILTER MAY BE PLUGGED AND HAD A COMPLETE TUNE-UP-STILL THE PROBLEM CONTINUES-IS THERE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE-THANKS BARB *TR
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 1992 Dodge Dakota?
Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 103 of 216 reports (48%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 1992 Dodge Dakota?
NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline. 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 1992 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.
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.