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#BS-2000-DODDAK-E596

2000 Dodge DakotaProblems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 1,096 owners and 12 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 19, 2026

Complaints
1,096
Crashes
77
Fires
16
Recalls
12
TSBs
106
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 1,096 complaints, 77 crashes, 16 fires, and 12 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

paint completely faded on hood and roof

12 complaints • Severity 7.8/10

$X,XXX
2

brakes sticking

11 complaints • Severity 8.5/10

$X,XXX
3

loss of oil pressure due to oil sludge

9 complaints • Severity 8.4/10

$X,XXX
4

ball joints wear out prematurely

6 complaints • Severity 5.7/10

$X,XXX
5

fluctuating idle

5 complaints • Severity 5.2/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

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

207 owners reported suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint issues — failures commonly reported around 51K miles.

!Inspect the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotorMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

101
0–30K
211
30–60K
120
60–90K
41
90–120K
14
120–150K
17
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (211 reports) • Median: 51K 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 (207 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 Joint207 (19%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor137 (13%)
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint97 (9%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip48 (4%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc41 (4%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission35 (3%)
Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly28 (3%)
Brakes26 (2%)

2000 Dodge Dakota: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint Issues

Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint complaints account for 19% of all reports filed for the 2000 Dodge Dakota, with 207 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 51,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 51K-mile mark.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 2000 Dodge Dakota, with 137 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint Issues

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2000 Dodge Dakota, with 97 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.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2000 Dodge Dakota, with 48 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip-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

87
00
197
01
107
02
217
03
294
04
86
05
20
06
14
07
16
08
7
09
6
10
4
11
1
12
3
13
7
14
8
15
4
16
2
17
6
18
1
19
3
20
1
21
1
23
1
24
1
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2000 Dodge Dakota. Recent trend: stable.

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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.

00V197000Sep 2000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 4.7L ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MAY EXPEL FLUID FROM THE FILL TUBE DURING NORMAL TEMPERATURE OPERATION.

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.

04V596000Dec 2004

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE (4X4), IF MOISTURE LEAKS INTO THE FRONT SUSPENSION UPPER BALL JOINT, EVACUATION OF THE LUBRICANT AND CORROSION OF THE JOINT MAY CAUSE THE JOINT TO WEAR OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THIS COULD CAUSE A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION, WHICH MAY NOT ALWAYS BE HEARD BY THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.

+ 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.

Unlock

NHTSA Defect Investigations (4)

All closed. Investigations are how NHTSA decides whether a defect needs a recall.

EA01010ClosedOpened Mar 2001 · closed Aug 2001

FRONT SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGE

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

EA03023ClosedOpened Nov 2003 · closed Feb 2005

UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION

SUSPENSION

PE00030ClosedOpened Jul 2000 · closed Mar 2001

FRONT SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGE DISENGAGEMEN

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

PE00035ClosedOpened Sep 2000 · closed Mar 2001

STOP LAMP SWITCH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This is the worst model year for the Dodge Dakota according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 1,096 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.

Last updated (checked October 21, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 19, 2026.

Other Dodge Dakota Model Years

20112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871985
View all Dodge Dakota years →

2000 Dodge Dakota: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2000 Dodge Dakota?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2000 Dodge Dakota is related to the suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint, with 207 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2000 Dodge Dakota reliable?
The 2000 Dodge Dakota has 1,096 complaints, 77 crash reports, and 16 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 2000 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 2000 Dodge Dakota have any recalls?
Yes, the 2000 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 504 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 51,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 2000 Dodge Dakota data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 21, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 19, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
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 1,096 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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