2004 Dodge Dakota Problems, Recalls & Reliability
287 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Dodge Dakota, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 25/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 58,566 miles.
Typical
Where 2004 sits among all Dakota years
What owners report
“The truck has been in the shop numerous times for the same problems. I have a groaning noise in the steering wheel that dodge can not seem to fix. It already has a leaking a/c system at 47000 miles. Also, the a/c system wil not get cold unless it is night time. It also just has way to many squeaks,…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Dakota
“2004 dodge dakota quad cab 4x4, purchased 8/16/04. Currently 2,200 miles on the vehicle. Within the first week of ownership, the vehicle developed rattling or clunking noises in the front end when traveling over bumps. Additionally, the vehicle is out of alignment, and pulls to the left when…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Dakota
“I started my vehicle and could not get my headlights to turn on. All connections and bulbs were checked by a mechanic and the problem has been traced to the ctm (central timing module). These units are on nationwide back order. This is a serious safety issue and a serious replacement issue if…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Dakota
“2004 dodge dakota with 14,000 miles truck <1year old front brake rotors warped not covered by chrysler from searching the internet it appears this is an on going problem as numerious other individuals have reported the same problem in dodge dakota trucks. Rotors sould not warp in 14,00 mile s under…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Dakota
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 212 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 47,922 miles. Half of those reports fall between 10,000 and 77,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
SKF IS RECALLING 2,805 HUB UNITS, PART NO. BR930361, SOLD AS A SERVICE PART FOR 1997-2004 DODGE DAKOTA VEHICLES AND 1999-2003 DODGE DURANGO VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2-WHEEL DRIVE & REAR AXLE ABS. DUE TO A SPECIFICATION ERROR, THE ROTOR PILOT FOR THE HUB UNIT…
Fix: SKF WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE HUB UNITS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 5, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SKF VSM NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-644-8999.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
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.
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.
Technical service bulletins
53 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2004 Dodge Dakota. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 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 2004 Dodge Dakota reliable?
The 2004 Dodge Dakota drew 287 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 2004 Dodge Dakota problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Dodge Dakota are steering (77 complaints), suspension (53), and electrical (28).
At what mileage do 2004 Dodge Dakota problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Dodge Dakota problems around 47,922 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 10,000 and 77,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Dodge Dakota have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 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.