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#BS-1998-DODDAK-E591

1998 Dodge Dakota

Based on reports from 793 owners and 12 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
793
Crashes
58
Fires
1
Recalls
12
TSBs
108
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 793 complaints, 58 crashes, 1 fires, and 12 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

engine stalls shuts off while driving

6 complaints • Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX
2

transmission is slowly failing

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

front wheel bearings failed

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball JointHIGH

137 owners reported suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint issues — failures commonly reported around 69K miles.

!Inspect the Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball JointMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

31
0–30K
94
30–60K
126
60–90K
66
90–120K
8
120–150K
13
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (126 reports) • Median: 69K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint (137 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint137 (17%)
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint105 (13%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission33 (4%)
Air Bags:frontal23 (3%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline23 (3%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip19 (2%)
Brakes19 (2%)
Suspension:front18 (2%)

1998 Dodge Dakota: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint Issues

Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint complaints account for 17% of all reports filed for the 1998 Dodge Dakota, with 137 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 69,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 69K-mile mark.

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint Issues

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 1998 Dodge Dakota, with 105 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Dodge Dakota, with 33 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 3% of all reports filed for the 1998 Dodge Dakota, with 23 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

96
00
59
01
32
02
72
03
207
04
75
05
10
06
11
07
4
08
8
09
4
10
4
11
3
12
3
13
2
14
2
16
6
17
9
18
1
19
6
22
1
23

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Dodge Dakota. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (12 recalls)

00V193000Sep 2000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PICKUP TRUCKS BUILT WITH 2.5L ENGINES. SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH INADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE TUBE AND THE POWER STEERING HOSE.

00V198000Aug 2000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PICKUP TRUCKS. SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH INADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE REAR AXLE VENT HOSE AND THE BRAKE HOSE.

01V153000Jun 2001

AIR BAGS

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PICKUP TRUCKS. SOUND DEADENER MATERIAL INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL COULD BECOME DETACHED FROM THE COVER AND HOUSING. NOTE: THE RAM PICKUP TRUCKS WERE BUILT AT THE WARREN ASSEMBLY PLANT ("S" IN THE 11TH VIN POSITION) FROM MAY 16, 2000 THROUGH OCTOBER 23, 2000; ST. LOUIS NORTH ASSEMBLY PLANT ("J" IN THE 11TH VIN POSITION) FROM MAY 19, 2000 THROUGH OCTOBER 23, 2000; LAGO ALBERTO ASSEMBLY PLANT ("M" IN THE 11TH VIN POSITION) FROM MAY 23, 2000 THROUGH OCTOBER 23, 2000; AND SALTILLO ASSEMBLY PLANT ("G" IN THE 11TH VIN POSITION) FROM MAY 23, 2000 THROUGH OCTOBER 23, 2000. IMPORTANT: VEHICLES THAT HAVE ALREADY HAD THE PROPER CLOCKSPRING INSTALLED, ACCORDING TO WARRANTY RECORDS, HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THIS RECALL. IN ADDITION, 1997-2000 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD A SUSPECT REPLACEMENT CLOCKSPRING INSTALLED, ACCORDING TO WARRANTY RECORDS, HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THIS RECALL.

06E022000Mar 2006

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AIMCO, AC DELCO, CARQUEST, BENDIX, AND WAGNER. ONLY PRODUCTS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 27, 2005 THROUGH JANUARY 17, 2006 (DATE CODES 0529 THROUGH 0602) ARE SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL. WHEN SUBJECT TO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES, AN INTERNAL SEAL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD LOSE FLEXIBILITY AND MAY CAUSE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK.

06E024000Apr 2006

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT K&N FUEL PERFORMANCE KITS, P/NOS. 57-1509, 57-1511, 57-1511-1, 57-1517, 57-1517-1, 57-1527, AND 57-1530. ALSO, A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THESE KITS WERE SOLD UNDER THE MOPAR PERFORMANCE PARTS BRAND NAME (P/NOS. P5007069 AND P5007070). ALL KITS WERE MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 20, 1999, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 23, 2004. THESE ASSEMBLIES WERE MANUFACTURED AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR CERTAIN DODGE PICKUP TRUCKS AND SUVS. A SMALL PIECE OF MATERIAL FROM THE TUBE WALL COULD BE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE THROTTLE BODY, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE TO BECOME JAMMED IN THE OPEN POSITION.

+ 7 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Dodge Dakota is the 2000 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 793 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 12 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Dodge Dakota Model Years

201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985
View all Dodge Dakota years →

1998 Dodge Dakota: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Dodge Dakota?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Dodge Dakota is related to the suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint, with 137 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Dodge Dakota reliable?
The 1998 Dodge Dakota has 793 complaints, 58 crash reports, and 1 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Dodge Dakota problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Dodge Dakota have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Dodge Dakota has 12 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Dodge Dakota problems start?
Based on 338 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 69,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 793 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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