2005 Dodge Dakota Problems and Recalls (467 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2005 Dodge Dakota is Airbags (28% of 467 owner reports). There are 7 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 467 complaints · 7 recalls
What problems show up on the 2005 Dodge Dakota?
131 of 467 filings named Airbags (28% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Brakes (68 reports).
There are 7 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2004 has 199 reports on file; this year has 467. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Airbags 131 complaints · 28.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 30
- Fires 27
- Injuries 20
- Deaths 0
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.
“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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 131 | 28.1% | 10 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 68 | 14.6% | 7 crashes · 1 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 67 | 14.4% | 4 crashes · 1 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 37 | 7.9% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 36 | 7.7% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 19 | 4.1% | 0 crashes · 4 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 19 | 4.1% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 8 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 8 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 182 | 39.0% | 12 crashes · 20 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 05V460000 was reported 196 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V313000 was reported 3,518 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V352000 was reported 3,881 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17V820000 was reported 4,698 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 05V002000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 05V460000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E012000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V770000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V313000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V352000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V820000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE05056 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA06004 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE14016 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA15001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 |
Safety Recalls (7)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags and Transmission / driveline.
-
Recall campaign 05V002000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- THIS COULD RESULT IN AN IMPROPER SIDE AIR BAG CURTAIN DEPLOYMENT IN CERTAIN SIDE CRASH CONDITIONS, WHICH CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE SIDE AIR BAG CURTAIN FASTENERS TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 17, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
-
Recall campaign 05V460000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- IF THIS OCCURS AND THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED, THE VEHICLE MAY ROLL AWAY AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TRANSMISSIONS AND INSTALL A BRACKET TO ENSURE THE PARK PAWL ANCHOR SHAFT IS RETAINED IN THE PROPER POSITION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 28, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
-
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.
-
Recall campaign 14V770000
Safety recall 14V770000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. For vehicles that were sold, or are currently registered, in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, owners were notified and the recall began on December 5, 2014. For all other vehicles, Chrysler notified owners and the recall began on February 3, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P40 Expanded. Note: This recall has been superseded by recall 16V-352. This recall superseded the passenger air bag portion of recall 14V-354.
-
Recall campaign 15V313000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners. Dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began for Chrylser on June 8, 2015. The recall for Mitsubishi started on June 24, 2015. Chrysler and Dodge owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Mitsubishi owners may call 1-888-648-7820. Chrysler's number for this recall is R25. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V817 in its entirety. Vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well.
-
Recall campaign 16V352000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their company. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S43. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-7700.
-
Recall campaign 17V820000
Safety recall 17V820000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- The hot spots and burn holes can injure the seat occupant and can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will update the seat heating system control features, free of charge. The recall began December 27, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T80.
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
Showing 7 of 467 complaints · page 1 of 19
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that the vehicle had been shipped to them. While the vehicle was parked, the contact inspected the vehicle and observed that the frame was severely corroded. The contact also noted that the frames of all the vehicle doors were corroded as well. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was not formally diagnosed; however, the mechanic informed the contact that the frame was severely corroded, the vehicle was structurally compromised, and they were unsure whether the vehicle could be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,892.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Seat belt light turn on and off since I own the truck.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle vibrated, pulled to the right, with a burning odor coming into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that the caliper had failed. The calipers had been replaced six times; however, the failure persisted and became more frequent. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
*Incomplete Recall Status* ***Defect in transfer case*** Complaint of Manufacturer Defect in 2005 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4 3.7l v6. While driving at a speed of 30mph on a smooth paved highway and selector switch turned to 2 wheel drive mode; out of nowhere, the transfer case tried to engage 4 High which resulted in SVC 4X4 warning lamp illumination and a loud grinding/stuttering sound from under carriage as well as halting me to 10 mph without any help from me. after pulling over on the roadside and putting truck in park and turning the engine off, i waited a couple of minutes and SVC 4X4 indicator and 4High dash light had gone. I restarted the truck only to find that the SVC 4X4 Warning lamp immediately returned and now the 4lo illuminated dash light is constantly showing and truck is still showing in 2 wheel drive with selector switch but 4x4 will not engage at all now. Took to a mechanic shop 1/2 mile down the road and had it read for any DTCs and inspected. Code came back as C1404. Transfer case still tries to engage as soon as truck door is opened and dome light comes on. SVC 4X4 warning indicator stays on the dash lit up and 4lo warning light flashes non stop. Manufacturers communication letter has been sent to dealerships for the proper installation steps of the transfer case on the model of my truck due to improper positioning. I have noticed no Recall but have found a Campaign ID listed for this issue. I've owned this truck for only DAYS now with the intention of presenting it to daughter for her 16th birthday next month and now there's a BIG concern here for safety and the fact that a recall hasn't been issued is crazy! ....it's completely absurd and should be escalated immediately until a consumer resolution is made. This truck is NOT safe at all with this defect by manufacturer transfer case! I am demanding that this faulty part be investigated and taken considerable responsibility for just for the amount of time allowed to pass!!
CrashFireInjuryDeath
GOT TRUCK SMOGGED 4/13/2021 AND WAS TOLD OF AN OUTSTANDING RECALL FOR AIRBAG. THIS RECALL WAS FIXED ON 11/13/2015. ATTACHED ARE COPIES OF NOTICE OF RECALL AFTER GETTING TRUCK SMOGGED AND PAGES 1 AND 2 OF INVOICE SHOWING REPAIR ON 11/13/2015. HOW DO WE GET THIS UPDATED IN THE SYSTEM SO IT WILL NOT SHOW UP AGAIN WHEN WE GET TRUCK SMOGGED NEXT TIME? Consumer stated vehicle has been repaired and no longer needs to be contacted.*JB
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING ON I-635 NORTHBOUND AT AROUND 25 TO 30 MPH WITH 4X4 ACTIVATED ON A SINGLE LINE AVAILABLE SINCE IT WAS CLEARED AND SALTED. WITHOUT WARNING I WAS THE ONLY VEHICLE THAT VEERED RIGHT HARD AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ALMOST CRASHING ONTO THE METAL BEAM ALONG THE HIGHWAY. I WENT PAST THE SHOULDER AND DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF HILL, BUT THANKFULLY VEHICLE DIDN'T TURN OFF. I HAD TO SWITCH OFF 4X4 AND BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO CLIMB UP DESPITE THE SNOW BACK TO THE HIGHWAY WITH NO FURTHER REOCCURRENCE. UNFORTUNATELY WHEN THIS HAPPENED MY PASSENGER SEAT WENT FORWARD AND IS NOW STUCK AND I BROKE LEVER TRYING TO BRING IT BACK FROM FRONT RECLINING. BECAUSE OF THE ROUGH TERRAIN THE REAR QUARTER PANELS WHERE THE WAS SOME RUST HAVE CRACKED
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, A UNKNOWN VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED NECK AND SHOULDER INJURIES HOWEVER NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS PROVIDED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN FROM THE SCENE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 212,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2005 Dodge Dakota?
Owners named Airbags most often — 131 of 467 reports (28%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2005 Dodge Dakota?
NHTSA lists 7 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags and 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 2005 Dodge Dakota?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. 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
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
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.