IllustrationTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
1993 Dodge Dakota
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Dodge Dakota do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 166.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Dakota years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 11 of 134 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports6 fire reports12 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
8 reportsI HAD BEEN RUNNING A FEW ERRANDS AND HAD JUST LEFT MY CELLULAR PHONE COMPANY WHEN I AND A PASSENGER SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. WE PROCEEDED TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOWS FOR A BUILDING ON FIRE WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY PICKUP BEGAN TO SLOW. I TRIED SHIFTING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOWN TO ANOTHER GEAR BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE. …
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I HAD BEEN RUNNING A FEW ERRANDS AND HAD JUST LEFT MY CELLULAR PHONE COMPANY WHEN I AND A PASSENGER SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. WE PROCEEDED TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOWS FOR A BUILDING ON FIRE WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY PICKUP BEGAN TO SLOW. I TRIED SHIFTING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOWN TO ANOTHER GEAR BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE. I WENT FROM PARK TO LOW AND IT ACTED LIKE THERE WAS NOTHING CONNECTED TO THE SHIFTER. I THEN TRIED DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR AND GOT NO RESPONSE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED. I THEN TRIED OPENING MY DRIVERS DOOR WHEN FLAMES SHOT UP BETWEEN THE DRIVERS DOOR AND THE CAB. I TURNED OFF THE TRUCK AS SMOKE STARTED TO FILL THE CAB AND I BAILED OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. MY PASSENGER AND I MOVED WELL BEHIND THE PICKUP AND WATCHED AS FLAMES SHOT OUT FROM UNDER THE PICKUP AND SMOKE BILLOWED OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I CALLED 911 ON MY CELL PHONE. IN THE MEAN TIME A WITNESS HAD PULLED UP BEHIND US AND INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS TRYING TO FLAG US DOWN BECAUSE HE HAD SEEN FIRE UNDER THE TRUCK FOR AT LEAST 3 CITY BLOCKS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS NEW. IT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. IT IN FOR SERVICE IN DEC. OF 2000 FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND INSPECTION, NO PROBLEMS WERE NOTED. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD, FOR IT IS A TWO WHEEL DRIVE. THERE HAS BEEN NO MAJOR MECHANICAL WORK DONE, JUST SOME MINOR ITEMS SUCH AS A WATER PUMP FALL OF 2000, BRAKE WORK SUMMER OF 200, FUEL PUMP JANUARY OF 1999. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON OR DID ANY GAUGES REFLECT ANY PROBLEMS. IT DISTRESSES ME GREATLY THAT I MAY NEVER KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED THIS FIRE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC CAUSING MYSELF AND MY PASSENGER GREAT HARM OR EVEN DEATH. I REVIEWED NHTSA'S COMPLAINT SECTION AND DID FIND A FEW OTHER FIRE RELATED PROBLEMS. I HOPE ONE MORE WILL GET SOME ACTION TAKEN TO SEE WHAT CAUSE THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN. THANK YOU. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH BECAME VERY HOT AND MELTED THE STEERING COLUMN PLASTIC, SMOKE EXITED KEY HOLE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AIR CONDITIONING AND BLOWER MOTOR STOPPED WORKING. *AK
WIRING HARNESS FROM COMPUTER AND ENGINE TO STEERING WHEEL AT HOLO SWITCH(IGNITION SWITCH) HEATS UP AND CATHES FIRE AND MELTED PLASTIC SHROULD AT THIS TIME COMING TO A STOP ENGINE WILL DIE IT WILL CONTINUE TO RUN.
WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30-60 MPH IGNITION SWITCH GOT SO HOT THAT IT MELTED A HOLE IN THE STEERING COLUMN'S BOTTOM COVER. THIS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN BLOWER FAN WAS BEING USED ON HIGH SPEED. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. OWNER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH HIMSELF, BUT THE THE SWITCH STILL GETS HOT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER…
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WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30-60 MPH IGNITION SWITCH GOT SO HOT THAT IT MELTED A HOLE IN THE STEERING COLUMN'S BOTTOM COVER. THIS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN BLOWER FAN WAS BEING USED ON HIGH SPEED. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. OWNER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH HIMSELF, BUT THE THE SWITCH STILL GETS HOT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
IT RUNS ROUGH SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES IT RUNS FINE, AND NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE RECENTLY REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER/MUFFLERS/EGR VALVE/OXYGEN SENSOR/IGNITION COIL/FUEL FILTER/AIR FILTER AND IT STILL CONTINUES TO RUN ROUGH. ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE????
ENGINE STALLS.
ELECTRICAL HARNESS UNDER HOOD CORRODED, CAUSING LIGHTING FAILURES. TT
Official recalls
193V082000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip
May 11, 1993
SOME OF THE ABS EQUIPPED VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH AN UNDERSIZED BRAKE RETURN CHECK VALVE. IN INCIDENTS WHERE HARD BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT IS APPLIED ON LOW FRICTION ROAD SURFACES, LIKE RAIN COVERED STREETS, THE VALVES MAY FAIL, CAUSING THE ABS TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. THIS CREATES EXCESS BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL AND MAY CAUSE THE ABS WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LACK OF FRONT WHEEL ABS COULD CAUSE THE FRONT WHEELBRAKES TO LOCK, INCREASING STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE THE RETURN CHECK VALVE WITH THE CORRECT VALVE.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP03002 · Steering Column Separation
Opened May 7, 2003 · Closed Jul 22, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering:column
MR. LARRY A. SACKEY SUBMITTED A PETITION TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) BY LETTER DATED APRIL 18, 2003, REQUESTING THAT NHTSAFURTHER INVESTIGATE THE DEFECTIVE COLLAPSIBLE STEERING SHAFT SYSTEM ON 1987-1995 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY THE DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION.IN PART BECAUSE OF 49 CFR ? 30120(G), NHTSA HAS DECIDED TO LIMIT THE SCOPE OF THE PETITION VEHICLES TO 1993-1995 MODELS, EXCLUDING THE 1993 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND 1994-1995 DODGE RAM SERIES TRUCKS THAT WERE RECALLED (93V210 & 96V230) FOR STEERING COLUMN FAILURE.IF THE ANALYSIS OF THESE VEHICLES HAD IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL PROBLEM, THE SCOPE COULD HAVE BEEN EXPANDED IN AN INVESTIGATION.A REVIEW OF ODI'S DATA BASE SHOWS NO RECENT COMPLAINTS AND A LACK OF A COMPLAINT TREND CONCERNING THE SUBJECT ISSUE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS A WHOLE OR BY INDIVIDUAL MODELS.THEREFORE, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR DETAILS, SEE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE VOLUME 68, NO. 130, JULY 8, 2003.