2006 Dodge Dakota Problems: Airbags (283 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2006 Dodge Dakota is Airbags (41% of 283 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 283 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2006 Dodge Dakota?
117 of 283 filings named Airbags (41% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Steering (39 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Brakes, Glass / wipers / cameras, Electrical, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2005 has 467 reports on file; this year has 283. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Airbags 117 complaints · 41.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 23
- Fires 7
- Injuries 17
- Deaths 1
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) | 117 | 41.3% | 15 crashes · 2 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 39 | 13.8% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 24 | 8.5% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 15 | 5.3% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 15 | 5.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 14 | 5.0% | 2 crashes · 2 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 11 | 3.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 10 | 3.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 8 | 2.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 59 | 20.9% | 8 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.
- Campaign 14V795000 was reported 2,952 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V313000 was reported 3,114 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V352000 was reported 3,477 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06V038000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06V039000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E012000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V795000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V313000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V352000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA06004 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE14013 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE14016 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA15001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 |
Safety Recalls (6)
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, Glass / wipers / cameras, Electrical, and Airbags.
-
Recall campaign 06V038000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ABS ECU. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING THE WEEK OF JULY 17, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
-
Recall campaign 06V039000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- THIS CAN IMPAIR THE DRIVER'S VISION AND RESULT IN A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL RE-FLASH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 6, 2006. 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 14V795000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- Broken springs can result in a no-start condition, or cause unintended movement when the ignition is cranked, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clutch ignition interlock switch, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P80.
-
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.
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 283 complaints · page 1 of 12
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Had front collision and airbag didnt deploy,dont know speed,but fast enough to collapse whole front to shift and tear the frame... airbag recall replacement done in February
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that the subframe was rusted and the rear spring holder had fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,500.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
See attached document for complaint.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while her son was at a complete stop at the red traffic light, the driver's side air bag deployed unexpectedly, and the driver noticed that there was white smoke and dark smoke coming from the air bag. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the air bag caught on fire. The contact stated that the driver attempted to exit the vehicle, but the doors remained locked and the vehicle failed to shift to park(P) for two minutes. The driver was able to shift to neutral(N). The driver broke the front passenger's side window glass and exited the vehicle. A sheriff deputy parked his vehicle behind the driver's vehicle to prevent the vehicle from moving. The contact stated that the air bag fire burned the entire steering wheel and the steering column, the windshield and the front driver's side seat. The fire was extinguished with four extinguishers and with the assistance of the fire department. A fire department report was filed. A police report was filed but the contact did not have the police report information available. The contact's son sustained intrusion of metal shards in his right leg and bruises on the stomach, arm, and chest. The contact's son also sustained migraine, insomnia, panic attacks, and PTSD. The contact's son did not receive medical assistance. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer then towed the vehicle to their location and took pictures of the failure. The dealer then towed the vehicle back to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and denied assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 221,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was going to work and the transmission started slipping when I had cruise control on, and then when I got to a stop light my truck started revving and wouldn't move. When i put it in neutral it wouldn't roll either. It just kept on revving and screeching. So i out back into drive and it jerks. Also my trucks rear end locked up and wouldn't roll in neutral while the truck is on. You have to keep the truck off and then put it into neutral to roll it.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owned a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a no-fault head-on collision. The vehicle was damaged to the front of the vehicle and the driver's side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The local police and paramedics were at the scene. No police reports were filed, however, the report number was unavailable. The contact was transported to the local hospital. The contact sustained injuries included a facial fracture, traumatic brain injury, broken right eye socket, crushed bladder, injury to both feet (toes), and impaired speech. The contact stated that this was the two-year anniversary of the crash. In addition, the contact was continuing to receive physical and speech therapy. In addition, the contact referenced an unknown recall in which the air bags were replaced in the vehicle four months prior to the crash. The contact was concerned that the air bag repair was not performed correctly, since the air bags did not deploy. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,858.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
After driving on the interstate highway for a couple hours from Phoenix, Arizona I noticed that the left turn signal started malfunctioning, and the right signal flashed instead. After several hours of driving, noticed that sometimes the right signal only flashed 3 or 4 times when turning on the right indicator. I also noticed that the emergency flashers would usually blink once or twice left, then switch to right only. While stopped, I verified that the right front and rear turn signals were actually blinking as indicated on the dash. The next day however the problem was gone. I drove the car on the interstate again for several hours, without any issues.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2006 Dodge Dakota?
Owners named Airbags most often — 117 of 283 reports (41%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2006 Dodge Dakota?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Brakes, Glass / wipers / cameras, Electrical, and Airbags. 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 2006 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.