1996 Dodge Dakota Problems, Recalls & Reliability
250 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1996 Dodge Dakota, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 25/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports.
Typical
Where 1996 sits among all Dakota years
What owners report
“Sudden failure of u-joint caused loss of power and control. Bent drive shaft resulted from failure.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Dakota
“This truck was bought new. Steering sector was loose, and tightened. Transmission burned out. Now front brakes are shot. Cruise control does not engage or disengage (intermittently) when steering wheel is in full down tilt position. Smell of burning rubber since new when used for extended periods…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Dakota
“Driver side door falls off when opened. Dealer said metal fatigue. Timing belt is going bad for the third time.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Dakota
“Electrical short in the dash, causing an electrical short in the headlights, brake lights and the lights on the dash.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Dakota
Recalls (2)
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO…
Fix: CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM HOSE COULD BE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED AND NOT CLAMPED TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM NIPPLE.
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.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
58 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and body & structure — are on file for the 1996 Dodge Dakota. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1996 Dakota TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1996 Dodge Dakota reliable?
The 1996 Dodge Dakota drew 250 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 25/100, scored against the model's worst year (2000).
What are the most common 1996 Dodge Dakota problems?
The top reported problems for the 1996 Dodge Dakota are transmission & drivetrain (33 complaints), brakes & stability (28), and engine (28).
Does the 1996 Dodge Dakota have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 1996 Dodge Dakota. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.