10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
98,054 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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problem #10

Dec 062020

Dakota

  • 156,000 miles
Driving on freeway and and vehicle goes in to 4lo by itself. When vehicle is parked and turned off you can hear 4WD engaging by itself.

- Mt Sterling, OH, USA

problem #9

Jun 182018

Dakota 6-cyl

  • 111,850 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Dakota. While the vehicle was engaged in park, it rolled away without warning. The rear of the vehicle crashed into a tree. The air bags did not deploy. Due to the failure, the vehicle sustained damage to the tail lights and bumper. The contact stated that his wife sustained a back injury that required medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not towed or taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 111,850.

- Aurora, OH, USA

problem #8

May 172017

Dakota

  • 71,100 miles
Vehicle: 2007 Dodge Dakota St club cab, 2wd, 3.7L V6, 42 rle automatic trans problem: At road speeds of 34-50 mph the vehicle shudders, vibrates, and sounds as though on a rumble strip. My research indicates that the powertrain control module has an error that incorrectly tells the torque converter to start the lock up range at too low an RPM, resulting in the engine and torque converter to not be synched correctly. This problem began shortly after I'd bought the truck at 71,100 miles. I'm at 71,500 miles now. The remedy is as little as reprogramming the PCM flash to as much as replacing the PCM, the torque converter, and transmission. I fear that the problem could result in catastrophic failure of the drive train components in a way that could result in a vehicle crash. There are two technical service bulletins of which I'm aware on the matter.

- Simpsonville, SC, USA

problem #7

Sep 142015

Dakota

  • 160,000 miles
On my 2007 Dodge Dakota, vehicle randomly engages 4WD mode without warning, causing momentary loss of control. My vehicle has done this twice so far, once at highway speeds. In addition, when vehicle enters 4WD drive mode, tight steering and other handling limitations exist, causing further possibility of losing control of the vehicle. There are several similar complaints regarding this defect on the NHTSA site, as well as searching google will indicate hundreds of Dodge owners with similar experiences. This defect is a critical safety concern.

- Belle Mead, NJ, USA

problem #6

Aug 012014

Dakota 6-cyl

  • 82,000 miles
Transmission went out. Saw recall notice on internet. Cannot go in reverse.

- Boiling Springs, SC, USA

problem #5

Feb 232014

Dakota 8-cyl

  • 103,000 miles
Truck switches into 4WD lo by its self. Also when I unlock the doors with remote truck switches into 4WD.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #4

May 152013

Dakota 6-cyl

  • 72,000 miles
Truck feels as if it is has been shifted down sputters and slows down them in a few minutes it is back to normal....there seems to be a recall #06V341000 Dodge recall 37518..but Dodge says that doesn't apply to my truck I don't know how that can be possible please help.

- Mirmar, FL, USA

problem #3

Mar 272012

Dakota

  • 81,500 miles
Driver pulled truck into slightly inclined driveway and shifted into park. Vehicle was idling. Both driver side and passenger side windows were open. Driver put driver side power window up. The button to raise the passenger window from driver side does not work. So driver got out of vehicle, left the driver side door open and walked around rear to get to passenger side. Passenger window was open. Driver unlocked passenger door, opened it, and put power window up. Driver left passenger door open as there was something on the seat to pick up once vehicle was off. Driver walked back around vehicle. As the driver was approaching the driver side to turn the vehicle off the vehicle started drifting backwards. Driver tried to stop vehicle but momentum was too strong. Open passenger door struck wooden mailbox post and vehicle stopped. Vehicle drifted approximately 8-10 feet. Damage in form of dents was incurred to passenger door. Driver checked to see if maybe he had left the vehicle in drive, or shifted to reverse, not park. Driver concludes the vehicle was in park. To check this, the driver reenacted the sequence with the vehicle in both drive and in reverse at the same position on the driveway. The vehicle left in drive did not move. The vehicle left in reverse immediately drifted backwards. The unknown is that in the original incident the driver estimates that the vehicle was in park for nearly one minute, if not more, before drifting. During this span the driver 1) put up the driver side window - 10 seconds 2) walked around the back of the vehicle to passenger side - 10 seconds 3) opened the passenger door and put up the passenger window - 10 seconds 4) walked around the back of the vehicle again to the driver side - 10 seconds 5) approached the key to shut off the vehicle when it began to drift.

- Sarasota, FL, USA

problem #2

Oct 202011

Dakota

  • 83,092 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated she could change gears with out engaging the brakes. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 83,092.

- La Grange , GA, USA

problem #1

Jul 282011

Dakota 4WD 6-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
To whom it may concern, I want to inform this organization and future people whom would want to buy a 1/2 ton adodge Ram or Dakota to reserch it first. I took my 2007 Dodge Dakota 4X4 to the dealer with just over 60,000 miles due to the rear end making noise. The dealer found 1 retainer clip that holds the clutch packs to fail prematurely and cause servere damage to the rear differential. I need to replace the pinion bearings, carrier bearings, and clutch pack along with the same retainer clips that will break in another 60,000 miles or less. When I took my Dakota to the dealer and explained to them my symptoms of rear end noise, they exactly knew what I was talking about. They told me they seen this on multiple Dodge half ton trucks and Dakotas. I asked if there was a recall, and they said Chrysler knows about it and will not issue one. I was appaled to here so many owners of these trucks having to pay for a poorly deisgned differential with inherrient dangerious problems. If one of those clips broke while driving on the highway and my differential would lock up and I would get in a crash. I called Chrysler head quarters for some type of assistance and was rendered with none. This problem needs to be fixed and addressed or people will be killed. This is not as serious as Toyota's problem with their vehicles, but it took people to die in accidents for a recall to be issued. Lets not do that and get something rolling on this. Thanks for you time. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Juneau, AK, USA