2008 Dodge Dakota Problems, Recalls & Reliability
131 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Dodge Dakota, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 13/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2008 Dodge Dakota has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2008 sits among all Dakota years
What owners report
“Recall from may 2015 on airbags. I have yet to receive a phone call that parts are in as i was told by the dealer. A friend of mine went and asked for his dakota and was scheduled right away. I went in today with a new recall and told them i was in last year and still have not been called. All i…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Dakota
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 91 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 57,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 38,000 and 80,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2005-2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, 300S, and SRT8,…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners.…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Technical service bulletins
53 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2008 Dodge Dakota. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 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 2008 Dodge Dakota reliable?
The 2008 Dodge Dakota drew 131 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 13/100, scored against the model's worst year (2000).
What are the most common 2008 Dodge Dakota problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Dodge Dakota are airbags (29 complaints), electrical (20), and steering (18).
At what mileage do 2008 Dodge Dakota problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Dodge Dakota problems around 57,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 38,000 and 80,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Dodge Dakota have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Dodge Dakota. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.