1996 Dodge Dakota Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Dakota years
- Fewer complaints than other years 12th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 189 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Dodge Dakota. That ranks 12th out of 17 Dakota model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (28 complaints, 15%). Complaints mention 20 crashes, 6 fires, 8 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 189owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 20complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Dodge Dakota problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 28 | 15% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 27 | 14% | 167,251 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 23 | 12% | 235,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 19 | 10% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 18 | 10% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 12 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 12 | 6% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 12 | 6% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 5% | 128,777 | — | — |
| Seats | 9 | 5% | 89,397 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 8 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 8 | 4% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 8 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 5 | 3% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Dodge Dakota recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist
Problem: The power brake booster vacuum hose could be improperly installed and not clamped to the brake booster vacuum nipple.
Risk: A disconnected vacuum hose can cause an increase in engine idle speed and loss of brake power assist during brake application without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the vehicles to insure that the brake booster vacuum hose connection is fully seated and clamped to the vacuum check valve nipple at the brake booster.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Frame cracks (DP02009) — opened Sep 30, 2002, closed Jan 8, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I have a 96 dodge dakota that frame is rusting out. It has rusted out where the emergency brake cable hooks up so now no emergency brakes. Tubular frame is rusted out in about 3 places, a bumper bracket rusted out. I have tried twice to paint frame with out any success. Body is not rusting at all…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 dodge dakota. The contact stated that the seat belt buckle was fractured. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was not provided. The approximate failure mileage was…
The headlights go out going down the road.
At idle/park my 1996 dodge dakota 4x4 v8 5.2l slt will sputter and sometimes kill the engine. Now i'm not sure if that's a safety feature so the engine doesn't over flood itself, but i've replaced the iac valve, pcv valve, distributor rotor/cap, and spark plugs with no improvement. I recent had a…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 dodge dakota. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was a rapid increase in engine rpms. The contact shut the vehicle off but the failure continued when he restarted the engine. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The…
Other Dodge Dakota years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Dakota | 44 | 6 |
| 2010 Dakota | 35 | 7 |
| 2009 Dakota | 18 | 5 |
| 2008 Dakota | 91 | 2 |
| 2007 Dakota | 145 | 4 |
| 2006 Dakota | 285 | 5 |
| 2005 Dakota | 470 | 6 |
| 2004 Dakota | 206 | 1 |
| 2003 Dakota | 296 | 4 |
| 2002 Dakota | 678 | 5 |
| 2001 Dakota | 678 | 7 |
| 2000 Dakota | 806 | 5 |
| 1999 Dakota | 641 | 4 |
| 1998 Dakota | 545 | 5 |
| 1997 Dakota | 446 | 5 |
| 1996 | 189 | 1 |
| 1995 Dakota | 208 | 0 |
See all Dodge Dakota problems by year, every Dodge model, or the Dodge VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Dodge Dakota?
Owners most often report power train, engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 28 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Dodge Dakota?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Dodge Dakota a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Dakota model years, the 1996 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.