1993 Dodge Dakota Problems and Recalls (129 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1993 Dodge Dakota is Brakes (18% of 129 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 129 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 1993 Dodge Dakota?

23 of 129 filings named Brakes (18% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Transmission / driveline (17 reports).

There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1992 has 216 reports on file; this year has 129. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 1993 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.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
  2. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  3. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  4. Steering. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Brakes. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Brakes 23 complaints · 17.8% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 14
  • Fires 6
  • Injuries 15
  • Deaths 0
All Dodge Dakota years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

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.

Which systems owners named Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) appears in 23 of 129 owner complaints (17.8%) in this vehicle snapshot. Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 23 complaints, 17.8% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 4 crash reports 23 · 17.8% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 17 complaints, 13.2% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 17 · 13.2% Steering (STEERING): 11 complaints, 8.5% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 crash reports 11 · 8.5% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 11 complaints, 8.5% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 11 · 8.5% Engine (ENGINE): 8 complaints, 6.2% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 3 fire reports 8 · 6.2% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 8 complaints, 6.2% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 8 · 6.2% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 8 complaints, 6.2% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 8 · 6.2% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 6 complaints, 4.7% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 fire reports 6 · 4.7% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 6 complaints, 4.7% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 6 · 4.7% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 113 complaints, 87.6% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 10 crash reports 5 fire reports 113 · 87.6% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“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)
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 23 17.8% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 17 13.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 11 8.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 11 8.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 8 6.2% 0 crashes · 3 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 8 6.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 8 6.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 6 4.7% 0 crashes · 2 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 6 4.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 113 87.6% 10 crashes · 5 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.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 1995; the first recall shown was reported in May 1993. 1995-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 1995-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 1995-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 1995-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 1996-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 1996-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 1996-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 1996-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 1997-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1997-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 1997-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 1997-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 1998-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 1998-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 1998-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 1999-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 1999-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 1999-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2000-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports May 1993 Oct 2017 Recall campaign 93V082000 ◆ Recall campaign 93V082000 Recall campaign 06E049000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E049000 Investigation DP03002 ● Investigation DP03002
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1995-Q1 Owner reports 7
1995-Q2 Owner reports 9
1995-Q3 Owner reports 5
1995-Q4 Owner reports 4
1996-Q1 Owner reports 6
1996-Q2 Owner reports 3
1996-Q3 Owner reports 5
1996-Q4 Owner reports 4
1997-Q1 Owner reports 2
1997-Q2 Owner reports 5
1997-Q3 Owner reports 5
1997-Q4 Owner reports 6
1998-Q2 Owner reports 1
1998-Q3 Owner reports 3
1998-Q4 Owner reports 5
1999-Q1 Owner reports 4
1999-Q2 Owner reports 1
1999-Q3 Owner reports 8
1999-Q4 Owner reports 1
2000-Q1 Owner reports 1
2000-Q2 Owner reports 3
2000-Q3 Owner reports 10
2000-Q4 Owner reports 2
2001-Q1 Owner reports 2
2001-Q2 Owner reports 2
2001-Q3 Owner reports 2
2001-Q4 Owner reports 2
2002-Q1 Owner reports 1
2002-Q2 Owner reports 3
2002-Q4 Owner reports 2
2003-Q2 Owner reports 1
2003-Q3 Owner reports 1
2004-Q1 Owner reports 7
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 1
2004-Q4 Owner reports 1
2005-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 93V082000
Recall campaign 1 06E049000
Defect investigation 1 DP03002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Brakes.

  1. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 93V082000

    Brakes

    Report date
    Component:
    Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
    Consequence:
    LACK OF FRONT WHEEL ABS COULD CAUSE THE FRONT WHEELBRAKES TO LOCK, INCREASING STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
    Remedy:
    REPLACE THE RETURN CHECK VALVE WITH THE CORRECT VALVE.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

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
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 129 complaints · page 1 of 6
2017-10-08EXTERIOR LIGHTING
NHTSA ODI 11032270
CrashFireInjuryDeath
1993 DODGE DAKOTA HIGH BEAM FLASHING ON AND OFF
2014-07-14Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10610462
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
2005-01-05Suspension (SUSPENSION)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10103652
CrashFireInjuryDeath
CONSUMER HAD A 1993 DODGE DAKOTA AND A NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION OF THE VEHICLE. OWNER HAD TO REPLACE THE UPPER BALL JOINTS AFTER 32,000 MI. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE NOISE THAT WAS BEING HEARD WAS NORMAL. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
2004-10-15Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10092259
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING, THE HOOD BLEW INTO THE WINDSHIELD. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THE CLAIM. *JB
2004-08-23VISIBILITY
NHTSA ODI 10088382
CrashFireInjuryDeath
VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED AND CARED FOR. LARGE CHUCKS OF PAINT PEELING FROM HOOD MOMENTARILY DISTRACT OR STARTLE DRIVER AND HAVE CAUSED SITUATIONS WHERE AN ACCIDENT WAS JUST BARELY AVOIDED. THE LAST INCIDENT A LARGE SHEET OF THE PAINT COVERED THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD OBSTRUCTING THE OPERATOR'S VIEW DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. OPERATOR WAS ABLE TO AVOID COLLISION BY HITTING BRAKES AND TURNING ONTO THE ROADSIDE GRASS, AFTER JUMPING CURB AND NARROWLY MISSING A GUARD RAIL DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK WAS A BROKEN BALL JOINT AND A BENT CONTROL ARM. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE HAD THE VEHICLE OVERTURNED! THE AFFECTED PAINT HAS BEEN SANDED AND PRIMED BUT OTHER SPOTS CONTINUE TO PEEL UP .*AK
2004-04-30Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10071897
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE CONSUMER WORKED FOR A GOVERNMENT AGENCY AND WAS FORCED TO DRIVE A DECOMMISSIONED VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. THE CONSUMER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE MUFFLER. THE CONSUMER SUFFERED PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE DO TO THE EXPLOSION. *LA
2004-03-22Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10063632
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I BOUGHT A USED 1993 DODGE DAKATO IN APRIL OF 96, AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THE PAINT WAS ALREADY FLAKING OFF IN LARGE PIECES(BLUE/SILVER), AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN REBUILT ONCE(60,000 MILES). SINCE THE TIME OF PURCHASE ALL OF THE PAINT IS GONE OFF THE HOOD AND ROOF, THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REBUILT AGAIN($1803.00), AND I REPLACED THE OVERHEAD CAM SENSOR 2X WITHIN 10 DAYS.I CONTACTED DODGE ABOUT THE PAINT FLAKING AND THEY OFFERED NO HELP.*AK
2004-02-12Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10058072
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE DRIVER NOTICED SMOKE, OPENED THE HOOD AND VIEWED THE ENGINE ON FIRE. *PH *SC
2004-01-23Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10051750
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE ABS LOCKED UP THE FRONT WHEEL, BUT THE REAR WHEEL KEPT TURNING. THE DEALER STATED IT WAS NORMAL . *AK THE CONSUMER ALMOST WRECKED 4-5 TIMES WHEN SLIPPERY. THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS FOUND LEAKING AND THE ABS DIAGNOSTIC MODULE FAILED. *SC *JB
2004-01-20Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10055542
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE VEHICLE DIDN'T HAVE REAR BRAKES. *PH THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING. *SC

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1993 Dodge Dakota?

Owners named Brakes most often — 23 of 129 reports (18%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1993 Dodge Dakota?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Brakes. 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 1993 Dodge Dakota?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. 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.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources