1989 Dodge Dakota problems & reliability
63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Dodge Dakota, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1989 Dodge Dakota vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. 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 → | 19 | 30% |
| Power Train → | 12 | 19% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 6% |
| Structure | 4 | 6% |
| Tires | 4 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 5% |
| Equipment | 2 | 3% |
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
“Tl* the contact owns a 1989 dodge dakota. The contact was driving 50 mph when the power steering malfunctioned which prevented the contact from steering the vehicle in the right direction. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the bolts on the rack and pinion were cracked. As a result, the rack…”
Steering · filed Sep 16, 2011
“When switching from 4h to 2h on 89 dodge dakota on floor shifter it takes a few minutes to engage and when it does it jars the vehicle to a side jerking the steering wheel to the right suddenly. *jb”
Power Train · filed Mar 7, 2007
“Dt*: the contact stated while placing the vehicle into park, the gear shifts into reverse or if parked on an incline will roll down a hill. The transmission will not properly lock into the parking gear. No examination or repairs were made. There was a nhtsa recall # 00v106000 regarding powertrain: automatic…”
Power Train · filed Oct 24, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
15 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Dodge Dakota. The 10 most recent:
Automatic transmission fluid usage atf+4. *tt *mj
2100601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2001
Subject regarding wire splice repairs. *sb
0800600REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 29, 2000
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
2300800B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 24, 2000
Subject regarding non-deployed airbag handling procedures. *tt
082700 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 29, 2000
This bulletin provides a revised wire splice procedure and related parts. *tt
080600 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2000
Subject on the child seat tether anchors. *mjs
233599REVA · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1999
Information on child seat tether anchors. *tt
233599 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 1999
Information regarding front brake caliper mounting to steering knuckle thread repair. *tt
050399 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 1999
Information on installation of radio transmitting equipment. *ak
081698 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 1998
Concerns with engine coolant usage. *nlm
070397 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 9, 1997
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
The 1989 Dodge Dakota has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1989 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.