no report yet
Lever and linkage: column shift
Risk. EITHER OF THESE CONDITIONS COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY CAUSING A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
2001 Dodge DakotaProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 678 owner complaints about the 2001 Dodge Dakota, most often about the suspension. It is covered by 7 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 14, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2001 Dodge Dakota has problems
678 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
236Suspension7 crash/fire/injury
118Service brakes, hydraulic8 crash/fire/injury
93Power train12 crash/fire/injury
58Electrical system8 crash/fire/injury
53Engine and engine cooling3 crash/fire/injury
48Steering
39Air bags
31Visibility
30Tires
11918 other systems9 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 236 | 7 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 118 | 8 |
| Power train | 93 | 12 |
| Electrical system | 58 | 8 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 53 | 3 |
| Steering | 48 | 7 |
| Air bags | 39 | 14 |
| Visibility | 31 | 2 |
| Tires | 30 | 2 |
| 18 other systems | 119 | 9 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
7 recalls
2001 Dodge Dakota recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Control arm: upper ball joint
Risk. EXCESSIVE WEAR IN THE UPPER BALL JOINT MAY ALLOW IT TO SEPARATE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
no report yet
Other: labels
Risk. IMPROPERLY LOADING YOUR VEHICLE CAN CAUSE TIRE FAILURE AND RESULT IN A CRASH.
no report yet
Electrical system: wiring
Risk. THIS COULD AFFECT DRIVER VISIBILITY, COULD PREVENT A DRIVER FROM SOUNDING A WARNING BY USING THE HORN, AND, WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS ARE INOPERATIVE, THE DRIVER…
Show 3 more recalls
no report yet
Front: anchorage
Risk. AN IMPROPERLY TIGHTENED SEAT BELT ANCHOR MAY NOT PROVIDE THE ANTICIPATED LEVEL OF OCCUPANT RESTRAINT IN A CRASH.
no report yet
Lever and linkage: column shift
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE THE TRANSFER CASE TO END UP IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION UNEXPECTEDLY AND ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY IF THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED.
no report yet
Child seat
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE CHILD SEAT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY ATTACHED INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE CHILD.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Dodge.
Mileage at failure
When do suspension problems start?
44kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 164 suspension complaints. 96% were reported before 100,000 miles.
33under 30k miles158under 100k miles6100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Suspension
10 owners mentioned a cost$724median
Middle half: $260 – $1,150
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2001 vs. every other Dakota year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Dakota median. How we score
'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2001 Dodge Dakota safety ratings
2001 Dodge Dakota Extended Cab in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 3 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2001 Dodge Dakota, and the recalls they led to.
- FRONT SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGELed to recall 01V-233
- UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATIONLed to recall 04V-596
In owners' words
What Dakota owners report
Recent suspension complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owns a 2001 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a wobble coming from the front passenger’s side tire. The contact was able to pull over and had the vehicle towed to a local mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ball joints…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINT WAS WORN. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS NEED TO BE REPLACED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED…
I STARTED NOTICING A "LURCH OR LATERAL SHIFT" OF THE FRONT END DURING TIGHT LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS AT LOW SPEED (35 MPH OR LESS). DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON STRAIGHT ROADS DID NOT INDICATE ANY PROBLEMS. RECENTLY, DURING A BRAKE SYSTEM INSPECTION, SIGNIFICANT "SLOP / FREE MOVEMENT" AT THE UPPER BALL…
Own a 2001 Dakota?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.