Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Dodge Dakota owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Vehicle stalls intermittently in a unpredictable pattern. Vehicle restarts after stalling 7 out of 10 times. When it wont restart immediately after stalling it will take upwards of 10 minutes to achieve engine operation. I've replaced the crank position sensor, as well the cam position sensor. Vehicle continues to stall intermittently.
Faulty intake manifold gasket in my 99 Dodge Dakota with 38,900 miles on it. Chrysler daimler covered only parts. It cost me 370 dollars to get it repaired. I contested when they said they would only cover parts. Chrysler stated that it was out of warranty and that this is all they would do. I found numerous complaints on the internet of other people with the same problem with a leaking intake manifold gasket at very low miles on this Chrysler product. I believe that this is unacceptable. Chrysler won't talk to me anymore. They stated that the only way I could still fight it was to pay the full price for the repair and then contest it. I needed my truck back. The dealer told me that it was unsafe to drive it far do to the oil consumption. I was stuck. I paid it cause I needed a vehicle. Age shouldn't matter in a case like this. 38,900 is way to low of miles for a major repair like this. …
We have been told by mckinney Dodge in mckinney, texas that we have an intake leak on our manifold. We have made arrangements with our mechanic to have this fixed. I went to the west loop Dodge in ft. Worth and picked up the manifold gasket kit from the parts department. Upon reading the insert it stated that the new bolts are now 1/2 inch longer and that the gasket itself is now thicker as well. Also with speaking with our mechanic, he informed us that we are the second truck in the past two weeks that has had the same problem. He was even able to tell us exactly where our leak was before inspecting it. This seems to me that Dodge has been aware of this problem and instead of recalling their defect in their product, they made changes to the gaskets and bolt sizes and are now charging over $600 to have this repaired. …
Water pump failure, after replacement of catalytic converter exhaust leak detected, slow speed from 2nd to 3rd gear, gear sticks from 3rd to 4th gear, rough idling, odometer reading failure, ABS light stays on, check engine light remains lit, gas tank sensor failure (reads empty when tank is full), when driving approx. 10 - 20 MPH engine stalls / shuts off, coming to stop engine shuts off, vehicle vibration when brakes applied to come to a stop or slowing down (rear brakes), engine pings / knocks in normal operation at speeds from 30 to 70+ MPH, after the engine warms up, anti-lock / ABS sensor out, fuel gauge - sending unit malfunction, intake manifold gasket leaking, gasket cracked / leaking, thermostat gasket leaking, drive belt cracking / deteriorating, fuel induction system failing. Problems with this vehicle since date of purchase. Purchased from Honda north dealer.
I own a 1999 Dodge Dakota v-8 magnum 5.2l, it only has 138,000 miles on it. When I bought it it only had 76,600 miles. In that little time I have had to replace the upper and lower ball joints twice, and the rack and pinion, and the water pump, the thermostat, the power steering pump, the tie rods, and there is so much more wrong. Why am having to replace these things twice in such little mileage? After reading up on it through the internet I am not the only one with these problems, there are hundreds of people with the same complaints, why is there a recall on the 2000, & 1998 but not 1999? I am out so much money and have almost wrecked my truck twice because of these problems, once with 6 kids in the car with me and again with my 3 kids. This needs immediate attention before several people get hurt or worse, die!!!
I had bought my 1999 Dodge Dakota in 2001, less than 1 year of purchasing this truck, I lost oil pressure, returned the truck to dealer where they tried to replace my motor with a motor that had more miles, this did not happen. Then another year later, gears in my transmission were spent where I had to pay a few thousand dollars to have it repaired. Truck has been sitting for a year, cause of engine knocking again, with no oil pressure, also replaced the oil pump, still no pressure. New converter was put in, still good!! Brakes and rotors are another big complaint of mine, when I have to constantly replace these parts, like every 6 months, can you tell me why? I used to love Dodge, but this truck has been a 1 big headache, even parked, cause I know it is going to be costly to repair it again.
When making sharp turn a popping noise was coming from the steering wheel. Took vehicle to mechanic who determined that ball joints needed to be replaced. The reports were made when the vehicle had relatively low miles. Visual inspection of the ball joints indicated they needed to be replaced. The consumer received a quote to replace the upper ball joint but they have not been repaired yet. The lower ball joint also needs to be replaced. The consumer also heard a rattling noise under the vehicle. The technician determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced due to excessive wear. While driving 40 MPH or higher the consumer complained of wind noise. The technician replaced the right front door weather strip.
At 79,729 miles and all the regularly scheduled oil changes at the dealership (last one at 70,000) throughout the life of the vehicle, the "check gauges" light suddenly came on. I immediately stopped and checked fluid levels (oil, transmission, and radiator) which were fine. Oil pressure would drop to 0 and jump back to 40 when engine was restarted. Thinking (incorrectly) that it might only be an oil pressure sensor failure, I tried to drive home to get it serviced the next day, but it began knocking and smoking after a few miles and had to be towed. It is being evaluated now, but it will probably involve a complete engine replacement to repair. I noticed several similar complaints and think that Dodge should own up to this defect.
Intake manifold pan gasket was leaking. This problem was identified during an inspection by an independent mechanic, confirmed and repaired by a Dodge dealership. I was told this problem could result in destruction of the engine, despite the fact that the Dakota was running well. Repair cost $664.72. Dodge was aware of this widespread problem, and issued a technical service bulletin the year I purchased the truck. Despite the fact that this problem was considered difficult to diagnose, Dodge did not notify me and suggest that I have the vehicle tested while still on warranty. I am the original owner of this vehicle. Dodge has declined to assist in the cost of repair.
I had my catalytic converter go out. Took out the muffler and burned out the clutch platewell after that the trucks went to hell then the oil pump went out now about 8 months later my truck lost all oil pressure now they say if I dont prove enough oil changes over the last 4 years they arent going to warrenty it even though im pretty sure that the cataylac converter stopped up and the oil pump going out has ruint that motor there fault but they want to say sludge my ass there selling lemons and lies ive looked up on internet and there is alot of people thousands with the same problem somebody needs to correct them its there mistake not mine and honor there warranty.
Engine complaints in other Dakota years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1999 Dodge Dakota?
NHTSA has 72 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1999 Dodge Dakota, 11% of the model year's 641 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Dodge Dakota engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1999 Dodge Dakota, though it has 4 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 1999 Dodge Dakota engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.