1999 Dodge Dakota Problems: Suspension (616 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1999 Dodge Dakota is Suspension (46% of 616 owner reports). There are 10 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Suspension — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 616 complaints · 10 recalls

What problems show up on the 1999 Dodge Dakota?

284 of 616 filings named Suspension (46% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Brakes (72 reports).

There are 10 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Brakes, Seat belts, Suspension, and Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1998 has 533 reports on file; this year has 616. 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 1999 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 10 campaigns on file below.
  2. Suspension. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues.
  3. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Suspension. 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: Suspension 284 complaints · 46.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 47
  • Fires 4
  • Injuries 26
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 1998 →
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 Suspension (SUSPENSION) appears in 284 of 616 owner complaints (46.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Suspension (SUSPENSION): 284 complaints, 46.1% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 284 · 46.1% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 72 complaints, 11.7% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 11 crash reports 72 · 11.7% Engine (ENGINE): 51 complaints, 8.3% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 51 · 8.3% Steering (STEERING): 50 complaints, 8.1% of reports Steering (STEERING) 2 crash reports 50 · 8.1% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 39 complaints, 6.3% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 5 crash reports 39 · 6.3% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 24 complaints, 3.9% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 21 crash reports 24 · 3.9% Wheels (WHEELS): 16 complaints, 2.6% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 16 · 2.6% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 15 complaints, 2.4% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 fire reports 15 · 2.4% Tires (TIRES): 11 complaints, 1.8% of reports Tires (TIRES) 11 · 1.8% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 523 complaints, 84.9% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 39 crash reports 4 fire reports 523 · 84.9% 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)
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 284 46.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 72 11.7% 11 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 51 8.3% 2 crashes · 1 fires
Steering (STEERING) 50 8.1% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 39 6.3% 5 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 24 3.9% 21 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 16 2.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 15 2.4% 0 crashes · 3 fires
Tires (TIRES) 11 1.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 523 84.9% 39 crashes · 4 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 Jul 1998; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2000. 1998-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 1998-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 1999-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 1999-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 1999-Q3: 26 owner reports 26 1999-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2000-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2000-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2000-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2000-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2001-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2001-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2001-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2001-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2002-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2002-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2002-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2002-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2003-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2003-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2003-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2003-Q4: 45 owner reports 45 2004-Q1: 50 owner reports 50 2004-Q2: 33 owner reports 33 2004-Q3: 21 owner reports 21 2004-Q4: 51 owner reports 51 2005-Q1: 65 owner reports 65 2005-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2005-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2005-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2006-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2007-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2009-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2009-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 1998 Apr 2021 Recall campaign 00V193000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V193000 Recall campaign 00V198000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V198000 Recall campaign 01V119000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V119000 Recall campaign 01V153000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V153000 Recall campaign 06E024000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E024000 Recall campaign 06E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E026000 Recall campaign 06E065000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E065000 Recall campaign 08E064000 ◆ Recall campaign 08E064000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000 Investigation EA03023 ● Investigation EA03023
  • Campaign 00V193000 was reported 630 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 00V198000 was reported 630 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 01V119000 was reported 775 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 08E064000 was reported 3,595 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 3,735 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1998-Q3 Owner reports 1
1998-Q4 Owner reports 4
1999-Q1 Owner reports 6
1999-Q2 Owner reports 13
1999-Q3 Owner reports 26
1999-Q4 Owner reports 14
2000-Q1 Owner reports 12
2000-Q2 Owner reports 9
2000-Q3 Owner reports 20
2000-Q4 Owner reports 14
2001-Q1 Owner reports 17
2001-Q2 Owner reports 12
2001-Q3 Owner reports 9
2001-Q4 Owner reports 6
2002-Q1 Owner reports 8
2002-Q2 Owner reports 5
2002-Q3 Owner reports 10
2002-Q4 Owner reports 5
2003-Q1 Owner reports 14
2003-Q2 Owner reports 8
2003-Q3 Owner reports 20
2003-Q4 Owner reports 45
2004-Q1 Owner reports 50
2004-Q2 Owner reports 33
2004-Q3 Owner reports 21
2004-Q4 Owner reports 51
2005-Q1 Owner reports 65
2005-Q2 Owner reports 10
2005-Q3 Owner reports 15
2005-Q4 Owner reports 11
2006-Q1 Owner reports 6
2006-Q2 Owner reports 6
2006-Q3 Owner reports 1
2006-Q4 Owner reports 5
2007-Q1 Owner reports 2
2007-Q2 Owner reports 3
2007-Q3 Owner reports 7
2007-Q4 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 1
2008-Q2 Owner reports 3
2008-Q3 Owner reports 4
2009-Q1 Owner reports 4
2009-Q2 Owner reports 5
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 4
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 3
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2011-Q4 Owner reports 2
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 4
2015-Q2 Owner reports 2
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 00V193000
Recall campaign 1 00V198000
Recall campaign 1 01V119000
Recall campaign 1 01V153000
Recall campaign 1 06E024000
Recall campaign 1 06E026000
Recall campaign 1 06E065000
Recall campaign 1 08E064000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Recall campaign 1 09E025000
Defect investigation 1 EA03023
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (10)

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, Seat belts, Suspension, and Lights.

  1. Recall campaign 00V193000

    Brakes

    Report date
    Component:
    Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
    Consequence:
    A PUNCTURE OF THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE TUBE CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF BRAKING FORCE AT THE FRONT WHEELS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE TUBE AND POWER STEERING HOSE FOR WEAR. IF WEAR IS EVIDENT, THE BRAKE TUBE AND/OR POWER STEERING HOSE WILL BE REPLACED. A POWER STEERING STANDOFF BRACKET WILL BE INSTALLED ON ALL VEHICLES TO ENSURE THAT ADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE TUBE AND POWER STEERING HOSE IS MAINTAINED.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 00V198000

    Brakes

    Report date
    Component:
    Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
    Consequence:
    A PUNCTURE IN THE REAR BRAKE HOSE WILL RESULT IN A LOSS OF BRAKING FORCE AT THE REAR WHEELS.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR BRAKE HOSE FOR EVIDENCE OF WEAR. WORN BRAKE HOSES WILL BE REPLACED. THE REAR VENT HOSE WILL BE SHORTENED BY 3 INCHES AND A CLIP WILL BE INSTALLED TO ASSURE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE AXLE VENT LINE AND BRAKE HOSE IS MAINTAINED.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 01V119000

    Seat belts

    Report date
    Component:
    Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
    Consequence:
    IF THE RETRACTOR DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY, IT WILL NOT ADEQUATELY PROTECT OCCUPANTS IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 20, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 01V153000

    Safety recall 01V153000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE MATERIAL COULD INTERFERE WITH THE CLOCKSPRING RIBBON AND CAUSE AN OPEN CIRCUIT. THE DRIVER AIR BAG SYSTEM WILL BECOME DISABLED, AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP WILL ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 18, 2001. ALSO SOME 1997-200 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES THAT, ACCORDING TO WARRANTY RECORDS, HAVE HAD A SUSPECT REPLACEMENT CLOCKSPRING INSTALLED, WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 06E024000

    Safety recall 06E024000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A JAMMED OPEN THROTTLE COULD CAUSE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH OR INCREASED STOPING DISTANCES WHEN BRAKING.
    Remedy:
    K&N WILL PROVIDE OWNERS WITH A FREE REPAIR KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2006.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 06E026000

    Safety recall 06E026000

    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:
    PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Recall campaign 06E065000

    Safety recall 06E065000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Recall campaign 08E064000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    IMPROPER SEATING OF THE WHEEL CAN RESULT IN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION, BRAKE ROTOR NOISE, DIFFICULTY REMOVING THE WHEEL AFTER INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE, AND POSSIBLY WHEEL-END SEPARATION DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. SHOULD WHEEL-END SEPARATION OCCUR, THE DRIVER COULD LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SKF WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE HUB UNITS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 5, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SKF VSM NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-644-8999.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Recall campaign 09E012000

    Safety recall 09E012000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  10. Recall campaign 09E025000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
    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 616 complaints · page 1 of 25
2021-05-16Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 11416821
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DRIVING ON TAKE OFF HEARD A PIPING ON RIGHT SIDE. FRONT TOOK TIRE OFF SEEN WHERE BOLTS ON CALIPER POP OUT FROM SPINDLE KNUCKLE ## VIN PASSED ## ##
2019-09-24Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11257872
CrashFireInjuryDeath
OFTEN WHEN I START MY TRUCK THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WILL GO ALL THE WAY UP, THE GAUGE FOR THE BATTERY STAYS DOWN, AND WHEN IT DOES START, THE SERPENTINE BELT WILL SQUEAL, SOMETIMES IT WILL START AND IDLE, OTHER TIMES IT WILL NOT IDLE, UNLESS I KEEP MY FOOT ON THE GAS, AS SOON AS I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS IT WILL STALL, AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, EVERYTHING WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL AND IT RUNS FINE, BUT LATELY, ITS BEEN DOING IT MORE OFTEN, WHEN IT DOES THIS, THERE IS A FOUL SMELL COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I HAVE HAD IT SCANNED AND NO CODES CAME UP ON THE SCANNER. I DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF MONEY, SO IF THERE IS A RECALL PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW A RECALL WORKS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE LAST TIME WAS 9/23/2019, WHEN I STARTED IT TODAY, IT RAN FINE.
2019-01-06Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11165446
CrashFireInjuryDeath
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY IN A UNPREDICTABLE PATTERN. VEHICLE RESTARTS AFTER STALLING 7 OUT OF 10 TIMES. WHEN IT WONT RESTART IMMEDIATELY AFTER STALLING IT WILL TAKE UPWARDS OF 10 MINUTES TO ACHIEVE ENGINE OPERATION. I'VE REPLACED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR, AS WELL THE CAM POSITION SENSOR. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY.
2017-11-16Wheels (WHEELS)
NHTSA ODI 11046501
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DRIVING TO THE GROCERY STORE ABOUT 30 MPH NEEDING TO BRAKE AND THE FRONT BRAKES WERE GONE. RIGHT FRONT CALIPER BOLT BROKE THREAD AND THE CALIPER CAME OFF THE SPINDLE, STEERING CAUSED MORE GRINDING AND THEN I THOUGHT OF THE EMERGENCY/PARKING BRAKE. I HAVE REPLACED THE SAME SPINDLE BEFORE, BUT PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE NOW OR BEFORE. I CAN';T FIND A USED/NEW SPINDLE TO REPAIR IT AND IT JUST PASSED INSPECTION.
2017-10-18Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11034383
CrashFireInjuryDeath
BRAKES CAME APART WHEN APPLIED, NO BRAKE. RATTLE ON ROTORS, PAD DAMAGE. BOLTS THAT GO THROUGH CALIPER STRIPPED THREADS FROM SPINDLE FREEING CALIPER TO BOUNCE ON ROTOR I HAVE REPLACED WITH USED PART ONCE HOPING FOR RECALL, BAD NEWS DUDE!!!
2017-09-17Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11023857
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE NUT CAME OFF THE PINION
2017-03-12Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 10960236
CrashFireInjuryDeath
NOUSE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK EVERY TIME YOU HIT A BUMP. MECHANIC SAID ALL THE BALL JOINTS WERE BAD.HE SAID THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED ,THERE WAS NO PLACE TO GREASE THEM CAUSING THEM TO RUST AND WEAR OUT .BAD CHEAP WAY DODGE MAKES THERE VEHICLES. WHAT HAPPEN TO THE DAYS WHEN DODGE MADE GOOD SAFE CARS AND TRUCKS.
2016-10-14Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 10916159
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS FOR THE FRONT SUSPENSION FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT PURCHASED A LOWER CONTROL ARM TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,000.
2015-05-19VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
NHTSA ODI 10717348
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I ALREADY CHANGE THE 2 FRONT WHEEL HUB THIS YEAR N MY PROBLEM IS THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL,THERE IS A KNOCK COMING WHEN I ENGAGE IT TO DRIVE OR REVERSE.IT SEEM THE SPINDLE GEAR IS LOOSE.
2015-04-26Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10712906
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I HAVE A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. SEVERAL TIME THE TRUCK WILL NOT START OR WILL SHUT DOWN A FEW MINUTES/MILES AFTER STARTING. THE TRUCK HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS EVEN 'KICK' STARTING HAS NO EFFECT. AFTER THE TRUCK SHUTS DOWN, 10 TO 15 MINUTES LATER IT STARTS UP WITHOUT ANY TROUBLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND IN CITY TRAFFIC. *TR

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1999 Dodge Dakota?

Owners named Suspension most often — 284 of 616 reports (46%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1999 Dodge Dakota?

NHTSA lists 10 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Brakes, Seat belts, Suspension, and Lights. 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 1999 Dodge Dakota?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues. 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