1998 Dodge Dakota Electrical Problems

1 Safety recall found,Reprogram Pcm and inspect Catalytic Converter.I never got a recall notice in the mail just happen to go on line and find it.My engine light,Anti -brake light and emergency light stays on.My speedometer and odometer quit working.I took my truck to the Dodge dealership and they said the parts are discontinued and they cannot get them but they did do a inspection and said everything was ok.I still have the same problems and I am concerned about my safety and the safety of others involved while I am driving my truck.

NHTSA ID

11486564

Incident

Sep 10, 2022

The contact owns a 1998 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was restarted and operated as designed. During the failure, there were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal a clicking noise was present and the vehicle would not immediately stop. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 210,000.

NHTSA ID

11465684

Incident

Nov 1, 2021

Mileage

210,000 mi

MY TRUCK HAS A BAD PCM I HAVE IT REBUILT 3 TIMES AND THE SAME PROBLEM WILL START ONCE THEN WILL NOT START PUT A PCM IN FROM A 8CYL RUNS ALL DAY NOT WELL BECAUSE ITS FROM 8CYL EVERYTHING HAS BEEN REPLACED AND STILL WILL NOT START I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF THIS SAME THING ON LINE THIS IS MY FIRST DODGE ND IT WILL BE MY LAST AND ALL OF THIS IS FROM THE DODGE DEALER

NHTSA ID

11120464

Incident

Mar 12, 2018

Mileage

119,974 mi

THE TRUCK HAS A ELECTRICAL ISSUE THE LIGHTS GO OFF AND ON OUT OF NO WHERE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN VERY DARK TWO LANE ROAD AND LIGHTS GO OFF. THANK GOD NOBODY TRIED PASSING IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC PR WE WOULD BE DEAD I REPLACED LIGHT SWITCH A FEW MONTHS AGO AND IT WAS FINE UNTIL RECENTLY STARTED DOING SAME THING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10948781

Incident

Nov 20, 2016

Mileage

170,000 mi

FOR DODGE CARS AROUND 98 OR ONES THAT HAVE THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS, THEY STOP WORKING. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY WANT TO ACTUATE THE LOCK BUT IT WON'T LOCK OR UNLOCK. ALL OTHER FUNCTION REMAINS IN THE DOORS OPENING AND CLOSING. UPON MY QUEST OF TRYING TO FUX THE PROBLEM ON BOTH DOORS, I TOOK APART THE ELECTRONIC MOTOR HOUSING WHERE THE GEARS ARE. THERE IS A LITTLE BLUE PIECE UNDER ALL THE GEARS THAT HAS BROKEN AND APPEARS TO BE BROKEN FROM THE PRESSURE OF THE FRICTION SPRING BEHIND IT. THINKING THIS WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THE OTHER ONE, I TORE IT APART AND WAS THE SAME THING. THE TWO PARTS HAD BROKEN IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT. I HAVE A FEELING THIS IS DUE TO PRODUCT DEFECT AND NOT JUSE IN MY CASE.

NHTSA ID

10881821

Incident

Jun 28, 2016

HEAD LIGHTS FLICKER AND TURN OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHETHER DRIVING OR AT A STAND STILL. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS AND THE DODGE DURANGO. HAVE BEEN STOPPED TWICE BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE VEHICLE IS STOCK WITH NO AFTERMARKET ADDITIONS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10544547

Incident

Aug 1, 2011

Mileage

170,000 mi

ME AND A FRIEND WERE IN A CAR ACCIDENT .WHEN WE LOST CONTROL OF MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA AND HIT THE SIDE OF A BUILDING AT 40-45 MPH WHEN WE HIT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK UP LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO IN RESULT WE BOUNCED OR FACES AND HEADS OFF OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND DASH BOARD AND NOW HAVING HEAD NECK AND BACK PROBLEMS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10256998

Incident

Jan 26, 2009

Mileage

134,000 mi

MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 1998 DODGE DAKOTA, VIN [XXX]. WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, BEGINNING IN THE SECOND YEAR OF OUR LEASE. DURING THE PAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $9,000 ON VEHICLE REPAIRS INCLUDING A NEW TRANSMISSION, NEW ENGINE, NEW STARTER, NEW WHEEL BARING, NEW BRAKE CALIPER, NEW HEATER CORE AND NEW WATER PUMP. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ALTERNATOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND TWO O2 SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS BEEN REPAIRED FOUR TIMES. WHILE THESE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COSTLY AND INCONVENIENT, NONE OF THEM HAS POSED A SAFETY CONCERN PER SE. I AM WRITING NOW TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR MOST RECENT VEHICLE FAILURE WHICH MOST CERTAINLY IS A SAFETY ISSUE. ON NOVEMBER 18, 2004, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN HIS FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BROKE OFF FROM THE AXLE. THE TIRE FELL ON ITS SIDE AND THE TRUCK LANDED ON THE TIRE. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, AND THE TRUCK SKIDDED TO A STOP IN THE LEFT TURN LANE. MY HUSBAND HAD NO CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. WHEN WE TOOK THE TRUCK TO OUR MECHANIC, HE FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS NEAR THE BREAKING POINT AS WELL AND REPLACED THAT AXLE AS WELL. WE ARE STILL DRIVING ON THE TWO FRONT TIRES, BUT WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE SHOULD GET AN ALIGNMENT AND PROBABLY HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED AS WELL. WE UNDERSTAND THAT DODGE HAS RECALLED THE 2000-2003 DAKOTAS FOR THIS SAME DEFECT. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR VEHICLE SHOULD ALSO BE COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. *NM UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

10104743

Incident

Nov 18, 2004

Mileage

96,300 mi

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA. I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW. 2 MONTHS AFTER 8/98 PURCHASE DATE, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THE BRAKES HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES, THE MAP SENSOR WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN. I RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE THE LOWER BALL JOINTS. THE SEAT BELTS COME OFF ENTIRELY TOO EASY. ALL OF THIS AND THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 39,000 MILES ON IT. I SENT ARBITRATION PAPERS TO CHRYSLER TWICE WITH NO RESPONSE. *LA

NHTSA ID

10045118

Incident

Oct 10, 1998

Mileage

300 mi

WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS GO OUT, MAKING IT HARD FOR CONSUMER TO SEE, AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID

8013073

Incident

Jun 15, 2002

BATTERY EXPLODED, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CASE AND UNDERHOOD NOISE INSULATION. *SLC

NHTSA ID

785285

Incident

Dec 1, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

739114

Incident

Sep 1, 1998

HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING DUE TO WIRING HARNESS BURNING OUT. DEALER DID NOT ALLOW CONSUMER TO DRIVE VEHICLE HOME DURING THE DAY TO AVOID AN AUTOMOBILE FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID

876091

Incident

Dec 5, 2000

KNOCKING SOUND IN ENGINE, CASA DEALER REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOREMAN SAID THAT IT WAS IGNITION TIMING CAUSING THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE TO KNOCK AND COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DODGE DEALER FOR A SECOND OPINION AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF SERVICE BULLITENS OUT FOR THIS PROBLEM INDICATING THAT IT COULD BE AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET OR A COMPUTER FAILURE. THE DODGE DEALER ALSO INFORMED ME THAT A LOT OF THESE LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS WERE COMING IN WITH THIS PROBLEM. IF THE PROBLEM WILL NOT BE FIXED BY THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAKE THEM TAKE IT BACK AND PAY OFF THE FINANCE COMPANY SO THAT I WILL NOT OWE ANYTHING ON IT? THIS IS THE SECOND VEHICLE THAT I HAVE TRIED TO PURCHASE IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS THAT HAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

731457

Incident

Sep 11, 2000

ENGINE HAS INTERMITTENT STUMBLE/DETONATION PROBLEMS. COMPUTER FLASHED PER TSB. OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED PER ENGINE DATA READOUT. DISTRIBUTOR REINDEXED PER TECHNICIAN'S SEAT OF THE PANTS. STILL OCCURS, BUT SO INFREQUENTLY DEALERSHIP CAN'T DUPLICATE.

NHTSA ID

717309

Incident

Mar 26, 1998

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

NHTSA ID

609689

Incident

May 1, 1998

FRONT PASSENGER SHOULDER SEAT BELT DOES NOT RESTRAIN AND LOCK UP WHEN VEHICLE STOPS.

NHTSA ID

544963

POWER TRANSMISSION CONTROL FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID

609306

SERPINTIME BELT WORN OUT. YH

NHTSA ID

608668

Incident

Feb 11, 1998

UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT. ALSO EXPERIENCES OIL LEAKS AND IGNITION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONING.

NHTSA ID

541219

Incident

Jul 30, 1998

UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT. ALSO EXPERIENCES OIL LEAKS AND IGNITION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONING.

NHTSA ID

538974

Incident

Jul 30, 1998