1991 Dodge Dakota problems & reliability
128 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 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.
6 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 Dodge Dakota vehicles were involved in 9 fatal crashes with 9 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 60 | 47% |
| Steering | 15 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 5% |
| Equipment | 5 | 4% |
| Structure | 5 | 4% |
| Tires | 4 | 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
“Abs found flashing code 7,performedppt, found module bad.( check safety recall f05) when performing recall a/t manual valve , found discoloration in transmission fluid possible cooler restriction is a major factor in condition .. Tech told this customer this is a major problem with this transmission truck only has…”
Service Brakes · filed Dec 5, 2017
“The airbag light comes on as I turn a corner at low speeds and then it eventually goes off as I straighten out. It has done this intermittently for a couple years but now it's getting much worse as it happens almost every day. *tr”
Air Bags · filed Jan 23, 2012
“Tl*the contact owns a 1991 dodge dakota. While the vehicle was parked in the contact's driveway, it suddenly rolled in reverse with the shifter in the park position. There were no warnings prior to this failure. The vehicle's door crashed into the gate and was severely damaged. There were no injuries or property…”
Power Train · filed Oct 9, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ROLLAWAY IN REVERSE WHEN PARKED
Engineering Analysis EA96006 · opened May 31, 1996 · closed Aug 10, 2000 · led to recall 00V106000
- INADVERTENT MOVEMENT OF SHIFTER
Preliminary Evaluation PE95041 · opened Jun 23, 1995 · closed May 31, 1996
- STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE95004 · opened Jan 19, 1995 · closed May 11, 1995 · led to recall 95V089000
Technical service bulletins
20 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Dodge Dakota. The 10 most recent:
FRAME CRACKING. *TT
1300303 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 7, 2003
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
The outer exhaust manifold studs may fatigue and break. *yc
110798 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 31, 1998
Information on installation of radio transmitting equipment. *ak
081698 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 1998
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 1991 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 1991 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.