10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
0 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1996 Dodge Dakota transmission problems

transmission problem

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1996 Dodge Dakota Owner Comments

problem #14

Sep 192003

Dakota 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Engine stalls while driving at highway speeds. Dealer cannot determine the cause of the problem. Later the consumer was told the battery was bad, the transmission was blown out due to flat bearing also, the check light engine kept flashing. The consumer made several attempts to find an adequate dealership to fix problems. The vehicle wobbled back and forth, the consumer later discovered the wheels were flawed. The gas tank level was not operational.

- Joplin, MO, USA

problem #13

Mar 012000

Dakota

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Repair done with new kit available because of defect, waiting for recall. No safety defect.

- Damascus, MD, USA

problem #12

Oct 171997

Dakota

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
5 times within the last 5 year vehicle will sputter and will die, check engine light will also come on at the same time and 4 times vehicle was towed to dealer who keeps telling consumer battery needs to be replaced. The 5th time dealer claims throttle housing needed to be cleaned but 2 months later defect has reoccured. Consumer states tireshave been rebalanced on numerouse occassions, during installation of the last set of tires, mechanic found that all four wheels/rims were bent, consumer was informed by dealership that numerous wheels had been replaced due to a manufacturer's defect, consumer also experienced transmission problems, also the id plate that is suppose to be located on the door jam has been missing since the date of purchase.

- Joplin, MO, USA

problem #11

Aug 062001

(reported on)

Dakota

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When vehicle is in park it will jump out of park and into reverse. Also, when vehicle is parked on a down hill incline vehicle will roll forward, cause unknown.

- Waddy, KY, USA

problem #10

Apr 152001

Dakota

  • miles
Transmission is locked in 3rd gear. Previous times could cut vehicle off for 1 minute, it started it back up, and it would be fine. A normal trasmission starts off in 1st gear which vehicle starting off slowly and goes through gears, working its way up to speed. Once vehicle locks, it will move very slow. Dealer has many things, but remedy has not been found for problem. Problems has been in existence since 1996 for this vehicle.

- Sparksville, MS, USA

problem #9

Jan 042001

(reported on)

Dakota 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission prematurely failed at 63,000 miles due to a defective internal part.

- Duncannon, PA, USA

problem #8

Oct 152000

Dakota 4WD

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

No summary

- Kerman, CA, USA

problem #7

Jul 031999

Dakota

  • miles
Transmission - excessive rumble noise from purchase (5/8/1999). Dealer said no problem found several times, later after several requests, confirmed problem, replaced (they said) the transmission. Within a year, truck began to have shifting trouble @ 28,000 miles, transmission had lost it's fluid. Dealer gave us a gallon of fluid to keep it "topped off" - later replaced a transmission seal. Truck has consistently shifted from overdrive to 2nd gear on hills or moderate inclines, instead of 3rd gear, causing engine to race (red line) and cruise control to disengage. Similar problem happens when accelerating, truck will downshift from O.D. -or- 3rd gear, engine races, making simple passing on highway virutally impossible. Problem has persisted from original purchase (by us) and recently gotten worse.

- Sturtevant, WI, USA

problem #6

Sep 301998

Dakota

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Intermittently while driving instrument panel goes out, and driver could not see the instrument panel in the dark. Also, problems when reversing gears, which felt like going "over a sack of potatoes". dealer is willing to pay half of the cost for transmission.

- Alton, IL, USA

problem #5

Jan 161997

Dakota

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission engaged in park on hill, however rolled backwards.

- Pasadena, CA, USA

problem #4

Sep 251996

Dakota

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Transmission sticks in park.

- Warwick, RI, USA

problem #3

Jan 011997

Dakota Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission overdrive failure.

- San Marcos, CA, USA

problem #2

Dec 091996

Dakota

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
While driving, the transmission locked up.

- Deerfield, WI, USA

problem #1

Nov 121996

(reported on)

Dakota

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Driver's side seatbelt will not latch on acceleration or turning; also, transmission failure.

- Romeoville, IL, USA

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