1998 Dodge Dakota Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 74 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1998 Dodge Dakota, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 79,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “ball joints” (7% of reports).
- 74power train complaints
- 79,000median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Ball joints: mentioned in 5 of 74 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 12 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 74 complaints, 6 mention a crash.
Dodge Dakota power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Dakota | 8 | 18% | 28,455 |
| 2010 Dakota | 7 | 20% | 65,000 |
| 2009 Dakota | 6 | 33% | 50,000 |
| 2008 Dakota | 10 | 11% | 57,000 |
| 2007 Dakota | 24 | 17% | 39,000 |
| 2006 Dakota | 36 | 13% | 50,000 |
| 2005 Dakota | 81 | 17% | 85,000 |
| 2004 Dakota | 19 | 9% | 34,000 |
| 2003 Dakota | 38 | 13% | 12,500 |
| 2002 Dakota | 89 | 13% | 50,000 |
| 2001 Dakota | 93 | 14% | 56,982 |
| 2000 Dakota | 74 | 9% | 60,000 |
| 1999 Dakota | 56 | 9% | 92,000 |
| 1998 Dakota | 74 | 14% | 79,000 |
| 1997 Dakota | 46 | 10% | 53,990 |
| 1996 Dakota | 28 | 15% | — |
| 1995 Dakota | 27 | 13% | 49,330 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 1998 Dodge Dakota. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The emine will die amytime! Going around cormers lor on expressway sitting in driveway idling. My family has had this vehicle sine 1999. This just started 6 months ago. Up until then it never happened. Replaced several sensors (tps,iac,map,coolant temp and also computer)so far nothing fixes it. I…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. The ball joints have completely worn out and also has a very noisy lifter in the vehicle. The vehicle drifts in and out of lanes at any speed; however, the failure was noticed while driving 10 mph. The contact has not taken the vehicle to the dealer. He was…
Ball joints failed, passengers side came loose and the wheel feel off and the transmisson had to be rebuilt due to cheap internal parts. But if you own a 98 dodge dakota have your ball joints checked they are a hazard and someone is going to get killed, if they already have not.... *nm
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Dodge Dakotas have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 74 owner complaints about power train for the 1998 Dodge Dakota (14% of the 545 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Dodge Dakota power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 79,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 1998 Dodge Dakota?
The most frequent phrase is “ball joints”, in 5 of 74 complaints.
Other 1998 Dodge Dakota problems
See all 1998 Dodge Dakota problems or power train problems across all Dakota years.