1997 Dodge Dakota Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Dakota years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 446 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Dodge Dakota. That ranks 7th out of 17 Dakota model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (142 complaints, 32%), typically at around 62,000 miles. Complaints mention 42 crashes, 7 fires, 30 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 446owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 42complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension problems | 142 | 32% | 62,000 | “ball joints” (65%) | $1,550 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 68 | 15% | 70,000 | “brake rotors” (9%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 49 | 11% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 46 | 10% | 53,990 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 37 | 8% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 34 | 8% | 111,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 34 | 8% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 22 | 5% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 17 | 4% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 16 | 4% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 14 | 3% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 13 | 3% | 96,400 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 3% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 11 | 2% | 83,917 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 2% | 62,727 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 2% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 1% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1% | 177,616 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 0% | 171,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 171,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Dodge Dakota recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags
Problem: Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Sound deadener material inside the steering wheel could become detached from the cover and housing. Note: the ram pickup trucks were built at the warren assembly plant ("s" in the 11th vin position) from may 16, 2000 through october 23, 2000; st. Louis north assembly plant ("j" in the 11th vin position) from may 19, 2000 through october 23, 2000; lago alberto assembly plant ("m" in the 11th vin position) from may 23, 2000 through october 23, 2000; and saltillo assembly plant ("g" in the 11th vin position) from may 23, 2000 through october 23, 2000. Important: vehicles that have already had the proper clockspring installed, according to warranty records, have been excluded from this recall. In addition, 1997-2000 model year vehicles that have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed, according to warranty records, have been added to this recall.
Risk: When this occurs, the material could interfere with the clockspring ribbon and cause an open circuit. The driver air bag system will become disabled, and the air bag warning lamp will illuminate on the instrument panel.
Fix: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly. Owner notification began june 18, 2001. Also some 1997-200 model year vehicles that, according to warranty records, have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed, will also be included in this campaign. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: pickup trucks built with 2.5l engines. Some vehicles may have been built with inadequate clearance between the left front brake tube and the power steering hose.
Risk: A puncture of the left front brake tube can result in a loss of braking force at the front wheels, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the brake tube and power steering hose for wear. If wear is evident, the brake tube and/or power steering hose will be replaced. A power steering standoff bracket will be installed on all vehicles to ensure that adequate clearance between the brake tube and power steering hose is maintained.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Some vehicles may have been built with inadequate clearance between the rear axle vent hose and the brake hose.
Risk: A puncture in the rear brake hose will result in a loss of braking force at the rear wheels.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear brake hose for evidence of wear. Worn brake hoses will be replaced. The rear vent hose will be shortened by 3 inches and a clip will be installed to assure clearance between the axle vent line and brake hose is maintained.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: pickup trucks with a 131 inch wheelbase. Some of these vehicles may have been built with inadequate clearance between the fuel line and the cab underbody.
Risk: This contact can result in wear, and after extended contact, could cause a perforation in the fuel line, resulting in leakage. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the vehicles for proper clearance. Fuel lines that exhibit inadequate clearance will be replaced with a redesigned fuel line that will assure proper clearance.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: The electrical circuit design allows the potential for an inadvertent air bag deployment upon vehicle ignition shut down.
Risk: Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bag electronic control module with a newly designed module.
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
- Upper ball joint separation (EA03023) — opened Nov 19, 2003, closed Feb 11, 2005, led to recall 04V596000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Brake line crodded, loss of brakes in motion in driveway
Headlights keep failing. Have changed headlight switch several times, but fails again. Transmission won't shift into overdrive. Cruise control is difficult to activate. Sometimes transmission won't shift from 2nd to 3rd gear
Tl* the contact owned a 1997 dodge dakota. While driving 50 mph, the vehicle began to overheat without warning. The contact pulled over and opened the hood of the vehicle. The contact discovered that the engine was on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed and no…
Took vehicle to dodge dealer (bryden motors beloit) for inspection of fuel line and brakes (fuel line is not right and rear brake line is leaking affecting braking) fuel line part was ordered nut brakes were not inspected and ignored. I am supposed to return wednesday afternoon to have ordered fuel…
3 days after we bought this vehicle the fuel system went down. Replaced the fuel pump and still wants to stall and act like its clogged in the fuel lines. Its been flushed. When driving it bogs down and chugs. It wants to die and shut off while your driving the truck. The brakes only work half 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 | 446 | 5 |
| 1996 Dakota | 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 1997 Dodge Dakota?
Owners most often report suspension, service brakes, hydraulic, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 142 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Dodge Dakota?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 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 1997 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.