Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Dodge Dakota owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
This car has been a safety nightmare. From steel brake lines rusting through (and the vehicle losing it brakes), to upper ball joints almost separating to steering wheel drive shafts where the u-joints almost separated. These are not items that should fail like this. I spent part of my career looking after global product liability for cummins engine and I am stunned at the poor quality Chrysler has used in critical components.
Per broadcast on December 19, 2003 on cbs nightly news, the Dodge durango/Dakota ball joint, upper and lower issues, not yet a recall by the mfg. We own a 1998 Dodge Dakota, purchased in 2000 and at every state inspection, the upper and lower front ball joints need to be replaced. The dealer is aware of the situation that all dodges 97 and up have ball joint issues, so the mfg is aware of the problem for a long time now. Every year it is 300+ $ to replace these for the needed state inspection, they go bad every year, and are dangerous if not replaced. We only put about 10, 000 miles a year on the vehicle also. The joints cannot be greased w/o dealer or mechanic assistance. Per the news these items need to be replaced to accomodate larger ball joints which is going to be costly. We called about 2yrs ago to Chrysler Dodge, who advise there is nothing wrong and no recall has been issued. …
My complaint is in regards to the ball joints on my 1998 Dodge Dakota truck. My truck has 80,000 miles on it, but I baby it, have never been in an accident, and can remember just about every pothole I've hit on the road because it makes me cringe every time. I brought the truck to the dealership to investigate the loud noises I could hear, and feel, when I drove. I don't understand why all four of them had to be replaced. I believe the ball joints were faulty upon manufacture, and hope to be reimbursed for the parts and labor. Granted this is probably a low priority issue because there have been a relatively low number of fatalities attributed to ball joint failure, and it generally does not involve fire, or emergency situations. I would like to make the point that my truck is much more responsive, and the steering feels much tighter, and attribute this to the new ball joints. …
I have a Dodge Dakota 98. I went in for an alignment today. My 69 dollar alignment was bumped up to 830 dollars. They said that all of the ball joints need to be replaced and that this happens all the time with the Dodge truck of this year thru 2003. They told me that my wheels might just fall off. I told them not to perform this since I did not have the money and they told me to watch out for bumps and sharp turns. My truck is not making any wired noises and I cant believe that this issue was legitiment since you would think a recall would have been issues for such a dangerous thing. I went online of course to look into this and found that this is currently being looked into by the feds. If I had not gone in for the allignment, and my wheel fell off with my 6 year old child in the car I or her / both might not be here. …
I've submitted a complaint about my plight previously but I have another episode to report. My first complaint (last year) detailed problems with my 98' Dodge Dakota truck. The ball joints on this vehicle are substandard to say the least and are actually downright dangerous. My truck has less than 70000 highway miles on it and I have replaced two ball joints already (as noted in my previous complaint) and now a third is failing and in need of repair. You May ask how I know it failing when I haven't had it repaired yet?... Because it's happened so many times before and I know the symptoms. That makes 3/4 of the ball joints on the front of this truck that will have been replaced in the last two years. I was elated to see where the NHTSA has requested Chrysler to recall the Dakota and durango as a result of these ball joint failures. …
My husband and I own a 1998 Dodge Dakota, VIN [redacted]. We have had numerous problems with this vehicle, beginning in the second year of our lease. During the past four years, we have spent approximately $9,000 on vehicle repairs including a new transmission, new engine, new starter, new wheel baring, new brake caliper, new heater core and new water pump. The catalytic converter and alternator have been replaced twice and two o2 sensors have been replaced. The air conditioner has been repaired four times. While these repairs have been costly and inconvenient, none of them has posed a safety concern per se. I am writing now to complain about our most recent vehicle failure which most certainly is a safety issue. On November 18, 2004, my husband was driving approximately 35 MPH when his front driver side tire broke off from the axle. …
After reading about steering problems in Dodge vehicles, I have hope you can help me. I purchased my '98 Dodge Dakota from 5 corners Dodge at 1292 highway 143, cedarburg, wisconsin 53012. *09 dec '97 I took my truck in for "customer states that when making left hand turns there is s jarring that comes through the steering wheel" - replace intermediate shaft - n/c. *23 July '99 - "check noise at low speeds from drive train" - front propeller shaft ball socket insufficient lube noisy 16300100 driveline/propeller shafts, remove inspect wheels, brakes, universola, repair/lube front shaft ball socket joint and reinstall -n/c. …
Walking back to my parked "98 Dodge Dakota, after dining out with family, I noticed that my front passenger side wheel was cock-eyed while the driver's side wheel was pointing straight. I had the local Dodge dealer/service department check it out and they discovered that 3 out of 4 ball joints were bad. The service manager said that it was a very dangerous situation and I shouldn't have been driving the vehicle. I was appalled to hear that since I had no indication that I or my passengers were in any danger: the truck never pulled to one side, and it didn't steer funny, or give me any reason to believe that something was so terribly wrong. The service manager urged me to replace all four ball joints, which I did at a cost of over $773.81. I think Dodge needs to recall the '98 dakotas' ball joints. …
(1) events leading to the failure were simply normal driving. Nothing special or out of the ordinary was done or attempted. (2) the ball joints on both of my upper and lower control arms have failed. The joints were original equipment and are permanently sealed supposedly requiring no maintenance. However the rubber boot surrounding the joint failed, thus leading to water and other road grit to enter the joint. Thus the joints did not remain lubricated, eventually leading to mechanical failure. (3) due to Dodge not selling the individual ball joints, I opted replaced both of the entire front control arms. Due to the cost of that repair I opted to purchase and install aftermarket ball joints for the lower control arms rather than replace the entire arm as had been done with the upper. …
Upper and lower ball joints deteriorating 5-24-2004, 27,675 miles steering intermediate shaft 6-22-2004. Ball joints, lower control arm, and right wheel bearing had to be replaced by dealer. Steering intermediate shaft had to be replaced at freehold Dodge nj very loose front end, hard to control, bounce. Typical symptoms of a front end falling apart. Dates above are replacement dates. Third major problem is all of the bolts attaching the cab are deteriorated. Taking to my nm Dodge dealer. Can not even take off the bots they are so bad on the cab of my truck [redacted] I have been the owner from day one. In my parents name in new jersey for insurance rate reduction. Updated 07/24/2012* js
NHTSA investigations
Upper ball joint separation
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.
Suspension complaints in other Dakota years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1998 Dodge Dakota?
NHTSA has 217 complaints about the suspension of the 1998 Dodge Dakota, 40% of the model year's 545 complaints. The component named most often is front › control arm › upper ball joint (137 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Dodge Dakota suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 1998 Dodge Dakota, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Dodge Dakota suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury and 1 death to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.