Your vehicle report
1996 Dodge Dakota
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 189
- Received Aug 1995 to Mar 2016
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Seat belt fails to latch or retract20 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Rear door latch fails to open or close15 complaints · 7.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes10 complaints · 5.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #95V199000The power brake booster vacuum hose could be improperly installed and not clamped to the brake booster vacuum nipple.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 20 crashes, 6 fires, 8 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 19 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 3 |
| 1996 | 29 |
| 1997 | 30 |
| 1998 | 26 |
| 1999 | 19 |
| 2000 | 15 |
| 2001 | 22 |
| 2002 | 8 |
| 2003 | 11 |
| 2004 | 11 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 189 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 20 | 11% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 15 | 7.9% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 5.3% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 10 | 5.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 9 | 4.8% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 7 | 3.7% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 6 | 3.2% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 6 | 3.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 5 | 2.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 5 | 2.6% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 2.1% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 2.1% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 4 | 2.1% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 1.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #95V199000October 20, 1995600 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: power assist
The power brake booster vacuum hose could be improperly installed and not clamped to the brake booster vacuum nipple.
A disconnected vacuum hose Can cause an increase in engine idle speed and loss of brake power assist during brake application without prior warning.
Remedy
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1996 Dodge Dakota.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN