IllustrationTHE VEHICLE DIDN'T HAVE REAR BRAKES. *PH THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING. *SC
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
What owners actually said
134 reportsI HAVE NOT STARTED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PAINT DUE TO IT STARTED PEELING REALLY BAD A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. A FRIEND OF MINE RECOMMENDED CONTACTING THE ZONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM DODGE TO SEE IF THEY WILL CORRECT THE ISSUE. I AM GOING CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE REPRESENTATIVE'S NAME. THE PAINT STARTED FLAKING SEVERAL…
Read full complaint
I HAVE NOT STARTED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PAINT DUE TO IT STARTED PEELING REALLY BAD A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. A FRIEND OF MINE RECOMMENDED CONTACTING THE ZONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM DODGE TO SEE IF THEY WILL CORRECT THE ISSUE. I AM GOING CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE REPRESENTATIVE'S NAME. THE PAINT STARTED FLAKING SEVERAL YEARS AGO, NOTHING TO BE REALLY ALARMED AT. I JUST CHALKED IT UP TO NORMAL WEAR. TWO YEARS OR THREE YEARS AGO THE PAINT STARTED PEALING OFF IN SHEETS. A LIGHT BREEZE WILL FLAKE OFF A SHEET OF PAINT. NOW RUST IS STARTING TO SHOW ON THE AREAS THAT HAS HAD PAINT FLAKE OFF. PAINT HAS COME OFF THE HOOD AND CAB OF THE TRUCK. I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED. I LIKE YOUR WEBSITE. I FOUND SOME OF THE PROBLEMS OF MY TRUCK ON YOUR SITE, AT LEAST I KNOW THAT I AM NOT HEARING THINGS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST.
PAINT HAS BEEN PEELING ON THE ROOF OF THE CAB AND THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK. THE AREA WHERE THE PAINT HAS PEELED HAS NOW RUSTED.
RED AND WHITE 93 DAKOTA. WHITE PAINT CHIPPING OFF. RED IS GOOD.
ELECTRIC BLUE PAINT ON EVERY DAKOTA LITERALLY FLAKING OFF THE ENTIRE VEHICLE RIGHT DOWN TO THE PRIMER,HAS TO BE A PAINT DEFECT,CHRYSLER SAYS TOO BAD. EVERY DODGE THAT IS THIS COLOR LOOKS THIS WAY.*AK
THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO START AND STALLED WHILE DRIVING. *NLM
THE VEHICLE RUNS FINE, BUT WHEN YOU STOP AT LIGHT OR SIGN THE VEHCLE WILL STALL. YOU CAN EVEN PUT IN NEUTRAL WHEN YOU STOP AND STILL STALLS. NOW THE TRUCK IS HAVING PROBLEMS STARTING. IT BACK FIRES AND RUNS ROUGH FOR A MIN. TO START YOU HAVE TO HOLD THE THROLLE DOWN FOR A MIN. HAS HAD FULL TUNE UP AND NEW CATALITIC CONVERT.
PAINT ON HOOD AND ROOF BEGAN TO BUBBLE (WHITE CHALKY APPEARANCE) AND PAINT BEGAN PEELING. MR
CONSUMER NOTICED THAT PAINT IS PEELING ONTO THE STRUCTURE AND BODY. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, PLEASE CALL FEDERAL TRADE COMISSION AT 877-382-4357, PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *MR
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS HAS OCCURRED TO OTHER OWNERS OF DODGE DAKOTAS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
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.