1995 Dodge Dakota problems & reliability
208 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1995 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.
22 complaints report injuries (23 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1995 Dodge Dakota vehicles were involved in 13 fatal crashes with 11 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 | 27 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 26 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 26 | 13% |
| Seat Belts | 25 | 12% |
| Structure | 20 | 10% |
| Steering | 19 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 9% |
| Suspension | 17 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 12 | 6% |
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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 98,425 miles (middle 50% between 68,665 and 139,250 miles), based on 24 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I bought this 1995 Dodge Dakota brand new in 1995 and it only has original 92,110 miles on it. The problem with this Dakota I have replaced the Drivers front seat belt and the replacement again is falling apart again where it will not release for a person to get out of. I don't know if the air bags will not deploy if…”
Seat Belts · filed Nov 14, 2022
“Tl* the contact owns a 1995 dodge dakota equipped with goodyear assurance tires, size: 215/75r/15 (na). While driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle shook violently. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact noticed moderate tire separation on the sidewalls of the front and rear passenger side tires. The dealer…”
Tires · filed Jun 8, 2018
“I was driving the car at 35 miles an hour up to 45 and the tire came off. It caused a 3 car accident. Luckily ino one was hurt but I got a careless driving ticket. I feel the tire snapped off the drive train. It happened in 2006. It was lightly raining but this should not affect a tire coming off completely.. I can…”
Wheels · filed Apr 18, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STEERING COLUMN SEPARATION
Defect Petition DP03002 · opened May 7, 2003 · closed Jul 22, 2003
- FRAME CRACKS
Defect Petition DP02009 · opened Sep 30, 2002 · closed Jan 8, 2003
Technical service bulletins
45 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1995 Dodge Dakota. The 10 most recent:
Valve Body. These may cause over drive cycling.
R2118796A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2016
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
Air conditioning (a/c) cooling coil odor. *tt
2401305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2005
FRAME CRACKING. *TT
1300303 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 7, 2003
Flash programming failure recovery. *slc
1802002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2002
Subject regarding airbag / clock spring service for various models including 2002 model year jeep liberty. *tt
0801001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2001
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 non-deployed airbag handling procedures. *tt
082700 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 29, 2000
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 1995 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 1995 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 98,425 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.