10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
48,085 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.

1997 Dodge Dakota drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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1997 Dodge Dakota Owner Comments

problem #3

Oct 252004

Dakota 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 94,255 miles

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

Going down the road at 55 mph and all of a sudden I hit a pothole and the passenger side tire came right off, it is the same problem as the 2000 - 2003's have. We have pictures of it to prove it. The upper and lower ball joints let loose the cv shaft pulled out and the shock got bent. The tire turned on its side while the truck was sliding down the road sideways and I was unable to control how the truck was going. The only thing holding the tire on the truck was the brake line. The tire rim had chunks taken out of it and the tire had wear from being on its side under the frame of the truck while it was sliding. We had to get it flatbedded to the repair shop. We had a certified repair shop do all the necessary repairs to the truck to which included new upper and lower ball joints, new cv shaft, new rim adn tire, new shock, axle assembly, brake hose, steering gear and linkage, inner and outer tie rods and a front end alignment.this truck had just been through a nys inspection in December 2003 and passed. This accident happened on October 25, 2004 which left us without this vehicle because it was not able to be repaired immediately we got the truck back on November 10, 2004. We feel that Chrysler should be responsible for the repair bill for this vehicle because they are admitting there is a problem the same as this to the newer models.

- Cattaraugus, NY, USA

problem #2

Sep 102000

Dakota 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,000 miles
Premature failure of ball joints & lower steering column U-joints. Upper ball joints need to be replaced again.

- Boyne City, MI, USA

problem #1

Jun 142001

Dakota 4WD

  • miles
The universal joint on the steering column totally failed causing the steering wheel to "free-wheel" the vehicle veered out of control sideswiping two parked cars. This is a critical failure; if it ocurred at highway speed it could have caused several fatalities!!.

- Clifton, VA, USA

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