KnownCarProblems2003 Dodge Dakota Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 296 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Dodge Dakota, most often about the suspension (34% of complaints, typically around 35,000 miles). It is 5th of 12 Dakota model years by number of complaints and has 4 recalls.
Most common 2003 Dodge Dakota problems
Suspension
100 complaints · 34%Half of these problems showed up before 35,000 miles. Parts named most often: front, rear.
Vehicle vibrated when it exceeded speeds of 45 MPH. This was due to premature wear of the upper ball joints. This was a common problem, per the dealership.
I was caught in an ice storm in my 2003, Dodge Dakota, 4x4 quad cab. The truck went into a slight spin and bumped a small curb then slid up over the curb. I was only traveling at approx. 5 MPH when I bumped the curb. The axle sheared off and broke the hub, rotor, wheel, tire, and bent the axle housing. The truck was…
Brakes
51 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 15,000 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, conventional, supply.
Front rotors on my 2002 Dodge cc 4x4 Dakota warped at 18,000 miles. Had them turned and the rear brakes adjusted. Warping again after 8000 miles. Dodge dealer (sam leman Dodge in morton illinois)will not acknowledge a problem. They offered to cut rotor at my expense.
Normal wear and tear on vehicle, operated under optimal driving conditions. Front rotors warped beyond repair after 18000 miles on the vehicle. Dealer refuses to replace due to warranty expiration. Rotors should not have warped after only 18000 miles.
Transmission
38 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 12,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, driveline, transfer case (4-wheel drive), manual transmission.
The vehicle's ball joint had to be replaced at 24,000 miles. The rear limited slip differential fluid needed to be replaced.
I have this 2003 Dakota truck with 22,000 miles and the transmission slip at first startup and it is random maybe twice a month. The truck has been in the dealer three times and their position is they need see it slip before they can fix it. 2003 Dodge Dakota quad cab 5-spd automatic transmission 5-45rfe 4.7l magnum…
Engine
35 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 8,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system, cooling system.
Peeling paint from front grille assembly. Also at 10600 miles the transmission shifts hard. Both upshifts and downshifts cause a noise and a slight hesitation, followed by a very harsh shift. And the engine seems to engage the electric heat/exchanger fan assembly causing a tremendous amount of cab noise. No…
Tl contact owns a 2003 Dodge Dakota quad cab. Whenever the brake pedal was applied, the brakes would pulsate, overheat, and lock up. The stopping distance would also increase. The dealer stated that wet conditions and high speed braking caused the rotors to warp. In addition, the vehicle idles high and roughly when…
Electrical
34 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 92,000 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, ignition, 12v/24v/48v battery, instrument cluster/panel.
The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Dakota. While driving over a bump or making a turn at any speed, the contact could hear an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. The dealer stated that the central timing module needed to be replaced. The technician also stated that the ball joint was rusted and corroded and might…
Wiring harness connected to A/C and hater blower motor melts and causes the blower motor to fail. It has happened twice in 2 years. The first time the dealer put in a new harness at my expense, around 400 dollars. Both times the blower motor stopped while driving under normal city driving conditions. There are other…
Lights
23 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 70,500 miles. Parts named most often: headlights, turn signal, brake lights.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Dodge Dakota. While driving between 5-10 MPH, the contact heard a loud thud coming from the axle area. The four wheel drive indicator light illuminated and the headlights, interior lights, and windshield wipers failed completely. Eventually, the horn began to sound intermittently, the windshield…
Head lights intermittently start blinking and eventually go out all together along with dash and dome lights. Online forums say it's the ctm. The next day it's fine then out of the blue it starts acting up again. Very dangerous when traveling at night. Any recalls for this? Seems to be quite common for this year Dakota
Visibility and wipers
17 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 42,000 miles. Parts named most often: windshield wiper/washer, power window devices and controls, windshield, defroster/defogger/hvac system.
Recall 04v216000/windshield wiper module motor: after this recall repair was performed on the consumer vehicle. The consumer states, that whenever the vehicle is being driven in inclement conditions it causes the windshield wipers and the headlight to stop operating. The dealer was not notified at this time.
25jan06 tell Dodge dealer that pass window inop from pass side switch works from drivers side switch. Dodge replace switch. 20apr06 tell Dodge dealer pass window inop from pass side but works from drivers side. Dodge couldn't find anything wrong. Persists up to 7dec07, hopefully my mechanic found the trouble. 1dec07…
Steering
14 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 15,500 miles. Parts named most often: linkages, hydraulic power assist system.
I own a 2003 Dodge Dakota truck. I have 15,500 miles on it and on 03/03/04 the left upper ball joint had to be replaced. In 2001 I owned a 2001 Dakota and had no problems with it. ( it was traded at 17,000) miles. From 1987 until 2001 I owned a 1987 Dakota, at the time of trade it had 187,000 miles with no ball joint…
During cold weather it is difficult to turn the vehicle for the first two turns. Driver has to turn the steering wheel a couple of times before driving to get the power steering to function. Dealer says this is possibly a normal occurrence during cold weather.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2003 Dodge Dakota recalls
Suspension: upper ball joint
Risk: Excessive wear in the upper ball joint may allow it to separate, which could result in loss of control of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front suspension upper ball joints. This safety improvement campaign began on december 21, 2004. Owners can contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
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.
Visibility and wipers: windshield wiper/washer
Risk: Driver visibility could be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper module. Owner notification began on july 12, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper module motor may be susceptible to water intrusion that could cause internal corrosion and result in partial or complete loss of front windshield wiping capability.
Electrical: wiring
Risk: This could affect driver visibility, could prevent a driver from sounding a warning by using the horn, and, when the turn signals are inoperative, the driver cannot use them to signal intent to turn, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reroute the wire harness and repair the harness if necessary. Owner notification began november 3, 2003. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.
Full defect summary
On certain pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions, the headlamp and dash wiring harness may be chafed by the actuation of the clutch pedal. This could result in abnormal operation of the wipers, turn signals, horn or lighting systems.
Lights: switch
Risk: If the lights fail, a visibility problem could occur, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the ctm. Owner notification began december 23, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
On certain pickup trucks, the central timer module (ctm) has an improperly sized circuit board trace that could potentially cause the right headlamp low beam to become inoperative.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Upper ball joint separation
Summary
Daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) is recalling the target population of approximately 600,000 my 2000 through 2003 durango and dakota vehicles with four-wheel drive to replace the front suspension upper ball joints with redesigned parts that do not have the joint integrity concerns and have substantially improved joint retention capacity (NHTSA recall no. 04v-596).though dcc does not admit to a safety-defect in the subject components, odi believes that the facts in this investigation show otherwise.because of the low rates of separation incidents in the remaining subject vehicles, a safety-related defect has not been identified in those populations and further use of agency resources does no
Questions about the 2003 Dodge Dakota
- What are the most common problems with the 2003 Dodge Dakota?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: suspension (100 complaints, typically around 35,000 miles); brakes (51 complaints, typically around 15,000 miles); transmission (38 complaints, typically around 12,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2003 Dodge Dakota have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from December 21, 2004 (suspension). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2003 a bad year for the Dodge Dakota?
- It is 5th of 12 Dakota model years by number of complaints, with 296 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.