"How reliable is the 2005 Dodge Dakota?"

"Based on 598 NHTSA complaints, the 2005 Dodge Dakota has a median complaint mileage of 58000 miles. The most common issue is Air Bags."

"What are common problems with the 2005 Dodge Dakota?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2005 Dodge Dakota is Air Bags, accounting for a significant portion of the 598 total complaints filed."

2005 Dodge Dakota: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 598 complaints

598

Total Complaints

58,000mi

Median Mileage

Air Bags

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

21,000 25th Percentile

58,000 Median Mileage

94,390 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags

138

Power Train

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Steering

Seats

Electrical System

Suspension

Front

Service Brakes

Seat Heater/Cooler

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"CONSUMER STATES THE REAR SEAT HEAD RESTS OBSCURE THE VIEW OF THE REAR WINDOW. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY IS IMPAIRED. *AK THE DEALER AND THE CONSUMER TRIED TO REMOVE THE HEAD RESTS BUT FAILED. *TC"

"THE REAR TIRE HAS BLOWN WHEN HITTING A POT HOLE AT LOW SPEED (APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH), CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LINING. TIRE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT MY COST. EMERGENCY BRAKE LINING MUST BE REPLACED AT MY COST.*AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 138 complaints

25th: 68,000 mi Median: 94,424 mi 75th: 114,463 mi

Power Train 58 complaints

25th: 75,093 mi Median: 100,000 mi 75th: 130,000 mi

Service Brakes, Hydraulic 33 complaints

25th: 8,561 mi Median: 13,000 mi 75th: 29,300 mi

Steering 33 complaints

25th: 38,350 mi Median: 61,100 mi 75th: 77,140 mi

Seats 30 complaints

25th: 71,250 mi Median: 83,450 mi 75th: 131,400 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NY: 43 PA: 39 CA: 37 OH: 29 GA: 24 NC: 24 FL: 24 MI: 23 MO: 22 IL: 21

Who Files Complaints?

22.6%

Original Owners

77.4%

Second+ Owners

Dodge Dakota — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	88	-	Rack And Pinion	5
1991	161	-	Automatic Transmission	11
1992	314	160,000	Automatic Transmission	22
1993	159	80,000	Automatic Transmission	15
1994	240	115,000	Steering Wheel/Handle Bar	44
1995	294	90,000	Frontal	42
1996	250	89,397	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	24
1997	650	70,000	Upper Ball Joint	49
1998	792	68,000	Upper Ball Joint	58
1999	1011	58,955	Upper Ball Joint	67
2000	1094	50,501	Upper Ball Joint	77
2001	945	50,000	Upper Ball Joint	58
2002	946	38,000	Upper Ball Joint	71
2003	419	33,750	Upper Ball Joint	22
2004	287	45,500	Steering	12
2006	384	53,000	Air Bags	29
2007	165	49,562	Air Bags	12
2008	131	57,000	Air Bags	10
2009	23	68,547	Power Train	1
2010	48	50,000	Air Bags	6
2011	53	42,000	Air Bags	10

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28