1990 Dodge Dakota problems & reliability
63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 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.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1990 Dodge Dakota vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 4 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 → | 27 | 43% |
| Power Train → | 14 | 22% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 11 | 17% |
| Structure | 4 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 3% |
| Equipment | 2 | 3% |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% |
| Tires | 2 | 3% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“First tire separation discovered by csaa auto service during routine maintenance, on 11/07/01. Second and third tread separation were during vacation, when driving down highway, at 50mph, the tires started producing rough ride. Stopped to check tires, and noticed separation.*ak (tiresize: lt21575r15)”
Tires · filed Mar 21, 2002
“While driving heard a rattle, that sounded like water pump was going bad. Next day, consumer heard a loud crash bang, fan blade broke off, cut radiator hose. Fan blade had to be replaced. Consumer felt like if they would have been under hood some one may have been seriously injured.*ak the customer also noted that one…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Oct 30, 2000
“I want to know what emission control devices my vehicle has when it was manufactured. Need to know this by using my vin.”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Oct 4, 1999
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STEER RCK +PINION MNT FAIL
Preliminary Evaluation PE96003 · opened Jan 16, 1996 · closed Jun 10, 1996 · led to recall 96V094000
Technical service bulletins
16 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 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
230800 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 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
TIMING CHAIN NOISE. *TW
090797 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 27, 1997
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 1990 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 1990 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.