1987 Dodge Dakota problems & reliability
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Dodge Dakota. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1987 Dodge Dakota vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 5 | 25% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 15% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 15% |
| Structure | 3 | 15% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 10% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
| Power Train | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The spare tire retainer failed, allowing the spare tire to detach from it's mount under the vehicle and fall to the road while the vehicle was in operation. The spare tire is held underneath the vehicle by a retainer attached to a steel cable. The steel cable is in a constant state of tension supporting the spare tire…”
Structure · filed Jun 22, 2008
“1987 dodge dakota caught fire in the engine compartment. Vehicle was destroyed in the fire. *kb the consumer stated the vehicle stalled before catching on fire. The consumer stated the fuel pump had been replaced recently. (ohio traffic crash report)*jb”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Oct 24, 2007
“On right side of engine compartment a fire started. Fire department could not determine the cause due to fact that it burnt. Please provide further information. *ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Dec 22, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1987 Dodge Dakota.
Information regarding front brake caliper mounting to steering knuckle thread repair. *tt
050399 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1987 Dodge Dakota in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1987 Dodge Dakota?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.