1992 Dodge Dakota problems & reliability
216 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1992 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.
11 complaints report injuries (15 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1992 Dodge Dakota vehicles were involved in 11 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 | 110 | 51% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 35 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 23 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 19 | 9% |
| Structure | 13 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 4% |
| Steering | 8 | 4% |
| Suspension | 7 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1% |
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
“Well my truck when I am driving down the rd at night the lights will turn off out of no where and I almost got in a couple of wrecks because of it flickering and I have changed and fixed everything and it still dose it so it like a wire issue or something but I don't feel safe at all driving at night because of it…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 12, 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 1992 dodge dakota. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection of a failure which involved the vehicle abnormally slipping from park and into reverse. The failure caused the contact to crash into another vehicle. The contact stated that he had experienced the…”
Power Train · filed Mar 8, 2012
“On my 1992 dodge dakota (v8 5.2l with at, 4x4) the engine quits intermittently, sometimes while parked idling and other times while driving. It does it without warning, as if the key is turned off. Sometimes it starts right up again and other times it will have to crank for a while before it starts. I've had it to 2…”
Electrical System · filed Dec 30, 2010
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
- BRK PDL PIVOT SHAFT DISENG
Preliminary Evaluation PE92062 · opened Jul 6, 1992 · closed Sep 29, 1992
Technical service bulletins
24 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1992 Dodge Dakota. The 10 most recent:
Part Description: Insulator on Lever Assy Manual Valve - Valve Body - RWD Transmission Issue Description: The manual valve insulator, attaching rivet and instruction sheet are now available as a kit. If the insulator…
9002849 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 2014
Part Description: Insulator on Lever Assy Manual Valve - Valve Body - RWD Transmission Issue Description: The manual valve insulator, attaching rivet and instruction sheet are now available as a kit. If the insulator…
9002849 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 2014
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
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 1992 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 1992 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.