Your vehicle report
2004 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
- 206
- Received Dec 2003 to Sep 2022
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly18 complaints · 8.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed17 complaints · 8.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Power steering cuts out while driving13 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V216000On 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.
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: 11 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 20 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 |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 35 |
| 2005 | 24 |
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 16 |
| 2008 | 20 |
| 2009 | 23 |
| 2010 | 14 |
| 2011 | 14 |
| 2012 | 9 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 11 |
| 2015 | 7 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 206 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 18 | 8.7% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 17 | 8.3% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 13 | 6.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 4.9% | – | |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 10 | 4.9% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 9 | 4.4% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 8 | 3.9% | – | |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 7 | 3.4% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 6 | 2.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 6 | 2.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 6 | 2.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 2.4% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 3 | 1.5% | – | NHTSA recall #04V216000 |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Tie rod ends break or come loose | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 3 | 1.5% | – |
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 #04V216000May 5, 2004320,188 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer
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.
Driver visibility could be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper module. Owner notification began on july 12, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
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 2004 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