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#BS-2000-DODDAK-E5962000 Dodge Dakota
Based on reports from 1,000 owners and 12 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 1,000 complaints, 70 crashes, 14 fires, and 12 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.
Top reported problems
paint completely faded on hood and roof
12 complaints β’ Severity 7.8/10
brakes sticking
11 complaints β’ Severity 8.5/10
loss of oil pressure due to oil sludge
9 complaints β’ Severity 8.4/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
185 owners reported suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint issues β failures commonly reported around 50K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 30β60K miles (191 reports) β’ Median: 50K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint (185 reports).
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
Where the complaints fall
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 185 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 50,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 50K-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 131 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 92 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 5% of all reports filed for the 2000 Dodge Dakota, with 47 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
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2000 Dodge Dakota. Recent trend: increasing.



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Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (12 recalls)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 1,000 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
2000 Dodge Dakota: Frequently Asked Questions
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 1,000 owner reports. Know before you buy.