Problems · by component
1999 Dodge Dakota power train problems
61 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Dodge Dakota cite power train, 9% of all 688 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
61
9% of all complaints
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY IN A UNPREDICTABLE PATTERN. VEHICLE RESTARTS AFTER STALLING 7 OUT OF 10 TIMES. WHEN IT WONT RESTART IMMEDIATELY AFTER STALLING IT WILL TAKE UPWARDS OF 10 MINUTES TO ACHIEVE ENGINE OPERATION. I'VE REPLACED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR, AS WELL THE CAM POSITION SENSOR. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY.”
“I GOT THE '99 DAKOTA ABOUT 7 MONTHS AGO AND LIKED IT DROVE PRETTY GOOD EVEN THROUGH THE WEEK WHEN IT WAS ALL SINGLE DIGITS NO PROBLEM. THEN ONCE IT STARTED TO WARM UP INTO THE MID TO HIGH TEENS AND UP TO THEN 60S AND 70 IT WOULD SHAKE AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK. IT ALWAYS SEEMED TO START AT ABOUT 45 THEN ONCE THE ENGINE WARMED UP IT WOULD STOP. THAT STOPPED NOW THAT ITS IN THE 80S AND 90S. NOW I BARELY HAVE POWER STEERING AND LOOKING AT IT, IT SEEMS TO BE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT WHICH LOOKING AT ALL THE COMPLAINTS I'M SURPRISED YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED INTO IT FOR IT TO BE RECALLED BY NOW ALONG WITH THE TIE RODS, BALL JOINTS, ETC. THESE THINGS SEEM TO BE FALLING APART AT THE FRONT. I JUST HOPE NOBODY DIES BEFORE THIS IS FIXED. *JS”
“4 YEAR OLD CHILD IN CAR RAN TO GET KEYS DIDN'T KNOW WAS IN SWITCH. CHILD TURNED KEY ON DID NOT START. BUMPED SHIFTER RAN OVER BANK IN TO HIGHWAY OVER ANOTHER BANK. CHILD WAS VERY LUCKY HAD MASHED THUMB. CAR WAS NOT FIXABLE. OWNER MANUAL STATES YOU MOST APPLY BRAKE BEFORE PUTTING IN GEAR. THIS NEEDS FIX BEFORE MORE HAPPEN THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR”
“UPON STARTING MY 1999 DODGE DAKOTA, IT IMMEDIATELY WENT FULL THROTTLE AND LURCHED FORWARD, BRAKES WOULD NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE. WAS PLACED IN REVERSE AND VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY WENT BACKWARDS IN FULL THROTTLE. STILL UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITH BRAKES, HIT AN OAK TREE WHICH TOTALLY WRECKED THE TRUCK. NOTE: THE TRANSMISSION WAS STILL IN "PARK" WHEN TRUCK WENT FORWARD. THINGS HAPPENED SO FAST THAT MY WIFE, WHO WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK, DID NOT THINK TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION. *TR”
“PREMATURE BALL JOINT FAILURE RESULTING IN EXTENSIVE REPAIR COSTS, PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE RESULTING IN REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION, EXCESSIVE OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP CAUSING LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. *TR”
“FIRST THE CAR WOULD DIE OUT AT ANY GIVEN TIME. WOULD BE DRIVING AROUND WITH CHILDREN AND WIFE ON FREEWAY OR BUSY STREET AND ALL POWER WOULD JUST GO OUT. WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN OFF THE ODOMETER WOULD SAY NO BUS AND CHECKED ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON. TOOK DODGE DURAGO TO LOCAL DEALER SHIP TO GET CHECKED OUT AND THEY COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM WOULDN'T SHOW UP ON THERE COMPUTERS. ITS CONSEQUENCES COULD BE THAT A LADY OR ELDER PERSON COULD BE DRIVING A DODGE DURANGO AND THIS HAPPENS TO THEM WELL YOU LOSE ALL POWER OF THE VEHICLE AND POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. WHAT IF THEY CANT CONTROL THIS THEY COULD GET INTO A WRECK AND DIE OR HURT OTHER PEOPLE.WHEN THIS HAPPEND TO MY WIFE SHE WAS ON THE FREEWAY WITH MY 2 CHILDREN IN THE CAR.I HAVE READ MULTIPLE FORUMS WITH THIS SAME COMPLAINT WITH THE 99 DODGE DURANGO AND DODGE ACTS LIKE NOTHING IS WRONG I GUESS ITS GOING TO TAKE A MAJOR LAWSUIT FOR THEM TO OPEN THERE EYES. (3)WELL I PURCHASED A REBUILT POWER CONTROL MODULE (PCM)OR(ECM)AND FIXED THE PROBLEM RIGHT AWAY.YOU JUST GOT TO FIND A BUISNESS TO REBUILD IT FOR YOU AND THEN HAVE IT FLASHED.IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY EASILY TO BE REPLACED AND COULD SAVE A BUNCH OF LIVES.THANK YOU”
Showing 6 of 61 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.