2006 Dodge Dakota problems & reliability
284 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Dodge Dakota, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. 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.
14 complaints report injuries (16 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Dodge Dakota vehicles were involved in 48 fatal crashes with 29 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 125 | 44% |
| Steering | 47 | 17% |
| Power Train | 36 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 30 | 11% |
| Suspension | 25 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 15 | 5% |
| Structure | 12 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 3% |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 56,900 miles (middle 50% between 35,750 and 89,100 miles), based on 155 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that the subframe was rusted and the rear spring holder had fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,500.”
Structure · filed Jul 13, 2026
“The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while her son was at a complete stop at the red traffic light, the driver's side air bag deployed unexpectedly, and the driver noticed that there was white smoke and dark smoke coming from the air bag. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 30, 2025
“I was going to work and the transmission started slipping when I had cruise control on, and then when I got to a stop light my truck started revving and wouldn't move. When i put it in neutral it wouldn't roll either. It just kept on revving and screeching. So i out back into drive and it jerks. Also my trucks rear…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Feb 13, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA15001 · opened Feb 24, 2015 · open · led to recall 22V945
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Preliminary Evaluation PE14016 · opened Jun 11, 2014 · closed Mar 2, 2015 · led to recall 15V226000
- Clutch Interlock Switch Malfunction
Preliminary Evaluation PE14013 · opened May 19, 2014 · closed Dec 23, 2014 · led to recall 14V795000
- STEERING WHEEL AND STEERING SHAFT BOLTS
Engineering Analysis EA06004 · opened Mar 9, 2006 · open
Technical service bulletins
54 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Dodge Dakota. The 10 most recent:
Plate - Planetary
101232 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2024
Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1. All Promaster (VF) 3.6L/62TE equipped vehicles. If the transmission bracket to the transmission case fasteners are removed during servicing, the fasteners (Part Number…
9004009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2021
GEAR MOTOR, Transfer Case The gear motor assembly is shipped in AWD/2WD position. The transfer case needs to be positioned in AWD/2WD position to properly assemble gear motor to T-Case. Please reference Star Online…
9004350 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2021
GEAR MOTOR, Transfer Case The gear motor assembly is shipped in AWD/2WD position. The transfer case needs to be positioned in AWD/2WD position to properly assemble gear motor to T-Case. Please reference Star Online…
9004350 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2021
Transfer Case Gear Motor/Actuator Installation Guidelines.
S2121000003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 4, 2021
Transfer Case Gear Motor/Actuator Installation Guidelines.
S2121000003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 4, 2021
Mechanical rocker arm, intake, 1.7 ratio.
9001784 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2021
Mechanical rocker arm, intake, 1.7 ratio.
9001784 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2021
KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not…
9004275 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2020
KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not…
9004275 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2020
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 2006 Dodge Dakota has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2006 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 56,900 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.