Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Dodge Dakota submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
HEADLIGHTS KEEP FAILING. HAVE CHANGED HEADLIGHT SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES, BUT FAILS AGAIN. TRANSMISSION WON'T SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE. CRUISE CONTROL IS DIFFICULT TO ACTIVATE. SOMETIMES TRANSMISSION WON'T SHIFT FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR
MY 1997 DODGE DAKOTA HAS HAD TO HAVE BOTH UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES, TWICE SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK IN 1999. *AK
THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND THE SPEEDOMETER WAS ACTING ERRATICALLY, TE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACE 3 COMPUTER MODULES (CENTER TIMER MODULE, PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD MODULE AND AIRBAG MODULE), THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THROUGH THE INTERNET THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR HIS VEHICLE BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE CURRENT RECALL DID NOT FIT THE MECHANICAL SYMPTOMS HIS TRUCK WAS EXPERIENCING. *JG *NLM
WHEN TURNING OFF BRIGHT LIGHTS HEADLIGHTS GO OUT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, CANNOT REMEDY BECAUSE THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.*AK
WHILE PARKED IN GARAGE TURNED ON IGNITION SWITCH, WITHIN SECOND A LOUD EXPLOSION CAME FROM UNDER HOOD. AFTER OPENING HOOD NOTICED TOP OF BATTERY WAS SHATTERED, AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS COVERED WITH ACID. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER.*AK
REAR WIRING HARNESS IS PINCHED BETWEEN FRAME AND THE BED ASSEMBLY WHICH HAS CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK THE DEALER SOLDERED THE THREE BROKEN WIRES. *YH
BROKEN WIRES IN THE STEERING COLUMN, CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO BECOME INOPERABLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. OWNER HAS HAD THE WIRING FIXED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC.*AK *ML
BRAKES WORN OUT PREMATURELY.(ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT)YH
TRANSMISSION ACTING SLUGGISH. WAS NOT SHIFTING INTO GEAR PROPERLY. WOULD BUCK SEVERELY. PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING, VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT FOR NO REASON. HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 4-5 TIMES. AT DEALERSHIP, MECHANIC CHANGED BATTERY, MAP SENSOR & THE COMPUTER CHIP. PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED. FINALLY INDICATED TRANSMISSION WAS WORN OUT & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITH A REBUILT ONE. *AK
CONSUMER HAD TURNED OFF IGNITION WITH KEY STILL IN SWITCH. VEHICLE FAILED TO TURN OFF. WOULD IDLE 2600-3200 WHEN VEHICLE FIRST TURNED ON. WOULD KEEP STALLING OUT IF NOT HIGH IDLING. WOULD KEEP PRESSING ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO SLOW IT DOWN. BEEN TO DEALER AT LEAST 5 TIMES FOR PROBLEM THAT'S NOT SOLVABLE.*AK
CAR STALL DUE TO COMPUTER FAILURE. YH
DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS REPLACED, REWIRED DUE TO SMELL OF ELECTRICAL BURNING. MJS
ABS LIGHT STAYS ON DUE TO FAILURE OF THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. *YC
DUE TO A MALFUNCTION IN THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM OF THE IGNITION CONTROL UNIT, THE VEHICLE SURGES/BUCKS/A NOISE IN THE DRIVELINE AND SHIFTS TOO HARD, WHICH MAY CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL. THERE IS A TSB ON THE SURGING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .