The Lemon IndexDodge Dakota reliability.
Is it reliable? Not really. 2.1× the average car's complaints.
Avoid · 2000–2008
20083rd generation
What owners say on YouTube
1997–2004 Dakota · 194 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Fixes owners look up most
- Intake, EGR & engine sensors1.6M views
- Infotainment, battery & electrical879K views
- Steering & suspension809K views
Before you buy, watch
2005–2011 Dakota · 197 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Fixes owners look up most
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Looking at a 2008 or newer? Those are too new for a full complaint score (any score shown is partial, in gray), but YouTube owners like the 2008 best.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Show 3 older years (1997–1999, YouTube reviews only, no complaint data)
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 13 Dodge Dakota years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
Embed this chart
Put this chart on your site, blog or forum. Free, with the credit line built in.
<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/dodge-dakota/" title="Dodge Dakota reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="399" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/dodge-dakota/">Lemon Index</a> (Dodge Dakota reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 397 YouTube videos about the Dodge Dakota, 1997 to 2011, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2008. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Dodge Dakota.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Dodge Dakota reliable?
Not really. It draws 2.1× the average car's complaints, and YouTube owners rate it about average for its age. Fewest complaints: 2006. Most complaints: 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Is the Dodge Dakota a good car?
Not overall: it draws more complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2000-2008: Lemon Index 213; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2006 drew the fewest complaints and 2002 the most.
What are the best Dodge Dakota years to buy?
By owner complaints per car sold: 2006, 2007, 2004. 2006 drew the fewest.
What Dodge Dakota years should you stay away from?
The 3 years with the most complaints per car sold: 2002 (avoid, Lemon Index 338), 2001 (avoid, Lemon Index 271), 2000 (avoid, Lemon Index 227). 100 is the average car; lower is better.
How many recalls does the Dodge Dakota have?
91 safety recalls across the 12 model years we track. Most: 2001 (14), 2000 (12), 2002 (12). Each year's page lists them, and every Dodge Dakota recall is in one list here.
What are the most common Dodge Dakota problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name suspension, brakes and transmission & drivetrain most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 227 | about twice the average car's complaints | 445 | service brakes, hydraulic (56%) | 12 | — | 12–20 |
| 2001 | 271 | about 3 times the average car's complaints | 444 | suspension (56%) | 14 | — | 13–20 |
| 2002 | 338 | about 3 times the average car's complaints | 451 | suspension (61%) | 12 | — | 12–19 |
| 2003 | 212 | about twice the average car's complaints | 192 | suspension (44%) | 11 | — | 13–17 |
| 2004 | 98 | about average | 88 | suspension (41%) | 5 | — | 14–17 |
| 2005 | 160 | about one and a half times the average car's complaints | 115 | service brakes, hydraulic (59%) | 7 | — | 15–17 |
| 2006 | 92 | about average | 44 | transmission & drivetrain (25%) | 6 | — | 15–17 |
| 2007 | 94 | about average | 42 | transmission & drivetrain (31%) | 4 | — | 15–17 |
| 2008 | – | too few complaints to score | 18 | steering (33%) | 2 | — | 15–18 |
| 2009 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 1 | tires (100%) | 5 | — | 15–18 |
| 2010 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 6 | transmission & drivetrain (33%) | 7 | — | 15–17 |
| 2011 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 15 | transmission & drivetrain (27%) | 6 | — | 15–17 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: en.wikipedia.org. How it works
Know someone shopping for a used car?
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
. Get the data