1996 Dodge Dakota reliability record
NHTSA consumer complaints and recall campaigns for the 1996 Dodge Dakota from the dataset labeled 2026. The source file does not provide an exact snapshot date. Use the reported issues to guide further checks; these counts do not establish failure rates or repair costs.
- NHTSA complaints
- 250
- Dataset year: 2026; snapshot day not provided
- Top problem area
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
- 15 complaints
- Recalls on record
- 0
- none on record
- Reported harm
- 24 reported crashes · 11 injuries · 1 death · 6 fires
How this record compares
raw NHTSA counts, not defect ratesCounts are not adjusted for vehicles sold, time in service or reporting frequency. A larger count does not establish a higher chance of failure, and these comparisons do not set the maintenance budget in our calculator.
Complaint rank
#2,126
of 4,194 vehicle records
Vs Dodge median
-105
median 355 across 271 Dodge records
Vs 1994-1998
+5
median 245 complaints in 551 records
Top component share
6%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 15 complaints
What owners report fails — 1996 Dodge Dakota
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP 15
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 14
- AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 12
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE 11
- SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY 8
Estimate the 5-year cost to own a 1996 Dodge Dakota
Build a separate budget with your purchase price, insurance quote, mileage and maintenance estimate. Complaint counts do not enter that calculation. Unknown local taxes and fees stay listed as costs to confirm.
Open TCO calculatorThese are unverified consumer reports and manufacturer recalls filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — not validated defect rates, and not adjusted for how many 1996 Dodge Dakota units were produced or sold. High-volume and older vehicles naturally accumulate more complaints. Use this as one research signal, not a verdict on any individual vehicle. Dataset year: 2026; exact snapshot day not supplied. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (public domain).
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1996 Dodge Dakota reliable?
NHTSA has 250 consumer complaints on record for the 1996 Dodge Dakota. The most-reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (15 reports). These are unverified consumer reports filed with the government, not validated failure rates, and are not adjusted for how many 1996 Dodge Dakota units were produced — popular vehicles naturally accumulate more reports.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Dodge Dakota?
Owners most often report problems with: service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (15), power train:automatic transmission (14), air bags:frontal (12), engine and engine cooling:engine (11). Each figure is the number of complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
How much does it cost to own a 1996 Dodge Dakota?
This complaint dataset does not measure repair prices or predict a maintenance budget for the 1996 Dodge Dakota. Use your purchase price, insurance quotes, fuel use and a maintenance estimate in the separate five-year cost calculator. It does not convert complaint counts into repair costs, and any unknown taxes remain excluded and clearly listed.