2003 Dodge Dakota Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Dakota years
- About as many complaints as other years 8th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 296 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Dodge Dakota. That ranks 8th out of 17 Dakota model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (100 complaints, 34%), typically at around 34,900 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 5 fires, 12 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 296owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 16complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 | 100 | 34% | 34,900 | “upper ball” (46%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 44 | 15% | 7,827 | — | — |
| Power Train | 38 | 13% | 12,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 34 | 11% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 34 | 11% | 6,222 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 22 | 7% | 65,700 | — | — |
| Visibility | 17 | 6% | 42,225 | — | — |
| Steering | 14 | 5% | 15,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 13 | 4% | 46,800 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 3% | 857 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 3% | 34,290 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 3% | 8,988 | — | — |
| Tires | 8 | 3% | 35,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 2% | 104,550 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 1% | 15,250 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1% | 74,380 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1% | 40,770 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 65,700 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 1% | 27,139 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 42,900 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 181,518 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 45,004 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 60,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Dodge Dakota recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel drive (4x4), if moisture leaks into the front suspension upper ball joint, evacuation of the lubricant and corrosion of the joint may cause the joint to wear over an extended period of time. This could cause a clunking noise in the front suspension, which may not always be heard by the vehicle occupants.
Risk: Excessive wear in the upper ball joint may allow it to separate, which could result in loss of control of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front suspension upper ball joints. This safety improvement campaign began on december 21, 2004. Owners can contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer
Problem: On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper module motor may be susceptible to water intrusion that could cause internal corrosion and result in partial or complete loss of front windshield wiping capability.
Risk: Driver visibility could be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper module. Owner notification began on july 12, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: On certain pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions, the headlamp and dash wiring harness may be chafed by the actuation of the clutch pedal. This could result in abnormal operation of the wipers, turn signals, horn or lighting systems.
Risk: This could affect driver visibility, could prevent a driver from sounding a warning by using the horn, and, when the turn signals are inoperative, the driver cannot use them to signal intent to turn, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reroute the wire harness and repair the harness if necessary. Owner notification began november 3, 2003. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.
Exterior lighting:headlights:switch
Problem: On certain pickup trucks, the central timer module (ctm) has an improperly sized circuit board trace that could potentially cause the right headlamp low beam to become inoperative.
Risk: If the lights fail, a visibility problem could occur, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the ctm. Owner notification began december 23, 2002. 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.
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.
The lower ball joint just snapped the whole right front end assembly hub
The front end got a hard vibrate i replace the shocks two times and its not fix the problem seem like something going too brake off like a wheel or something dont feel safe driving it
2003 dodge dakota. Consumer writes in regards to electrical issues. The consumer stated the vehicle veered off the road into shrubs. The consumer slept in the vehicle over night. The vehicle was towed.
Airbag red light is on all the time ignition switch is on. Airbag red warning light on all the time, sitting still or driving
I have had electrical issues since last year. First time the wipers, lights and blinkers quit working late in the evening, almost didn't make it to the auto shop. Told me the computer was the issue but they got the truck working again. Then it happened again but i knew to try the disconnect 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 | 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 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 2003 Dodge Dakota?
Owners most often report suspension, service brakes, hydraulic, power train problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 100 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Dodge Dakota?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.