2005 Dodge Dakota problems
The 2005 Dodge Dakota has 598 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (24%) concerns air bags. After that come brakes (17%) and drivetrain & axles (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 598 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 24% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 37 and 35
- Injuries and deaths
- 28 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 58,000 miles 433 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 106 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 58 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 60 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 72 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 41 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 34 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 23 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 23 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 8 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 6 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Among the 433 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 58,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 85,000 miles (38 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 37 complaints mention a crash; 35 complaints mention a fire; 28 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2005 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 21 model years of the Dodge Dakota with enough data (243 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 6 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Turned on drivers heated seat to (low),in just a few minutes I got a burning feeling in my right butt cheek ,at the top of my right leg. It got so hot that I had to turn the seat off right away !!!!! I drove to work and by the time I got there I forgot about the seat ,although I still had a burning sensation in my buttocks. When I came out of work today ,I noticed a burn hole in the drivers seat and the truck had the smell of something burning!
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. The contact stated that the seat warmer overheated and burned his leg through his pants. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated they were unable to replace the seat and offered no assistance. The manufacturer was notified and recommended the contact take the vehicle back to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle failure mileage was 32,300.
I turned on my heated seat, as I have done several times this winter. After approximately 15 minutes, I smelled something burning. I reached around the back of me as I was driving because a spot on my back was very heated. I actually stuck my finger through a hole in the seat that had burned through both the seat and my coat. (also my finger, at this point.) I immediately turned the heat off and went directly to the dealership.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the rear of the vehicle aggressively swayed to the left without warning. The driver lost control of the vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into a ditch and the vehicle rolled over several times. The contact stated that the rear axle detached from the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed. A police report was filed. The contact received injuries to the face, chest, stomach, leg, and feet areas.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. The contact stated that when using the left turn signal, the right turn signal light would flash and when using the right signal, neither turn signal light would flash. In addition, when the hazards were utilized, the right turn signal light would flash. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was unavailable.