Most common 2000 Dodge Dakota problems
Share of the 806 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Dakota complaints by model year
Best Dakota years: 2009, 2010, 2011. Years to avoid: 2000, 2001, 2002, 1999, 1998. Compare all years →
2000 Dodge Dakota recalls (5)
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Upper ball joint
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags
Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Sound deadener material inside the steering wheel could become detached from the cover and housing. Note: the Ram pickup trucks were built at the warren assembly plant ("s" in the 11th VIN position) from May 16, 2000 through October 23, 2000; st.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly. Owner notification began June 18, 2001. Also some 1997-200 model year vehicles that, according to warranty records, have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed,…
Power train › Automatic transmission
Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with 4.7l engine and automatic transmissions. The automatic transmission May expel fluid from the fill tube during normal temperature operation.
Remedy: Dealers will shorten the vent hose and assure adequate clearance.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: pickup trucks built with 2.5l engines. Some vehicles May have been built with inadequate clearance between the left front brake tube and the power steering hose.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the brake tube and power steering hose for wear. If wear is evident, the brake tube and/or power steering hose will be replaced.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Some vehicles May have been built with inadequate clearance between the rear axle vent hose and the brake hose.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear brake hose for evidence of wear. Worn brake hoses will be replaced. The rear vent hose will be shortened by 3 inches and a clip will be installed to assure clearance between the axle vent…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2000 Dodge Dakota:
Stop lamp switch
Alleged that electrical failure of the brake stop lamp switch man result in stop lamps not illumination during service brake application, and the vehicle's cruise control system May fail to disengage
Front safety belt anchorage disengagemen
Alleged that the driver's seat safety belt anchors disengage from mounting points
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.
Front safety belt anchorage
Allege that the front safety belt anchor bolts disengage from their mounting points or are found to be loose.
What 2000 Dodge Dakota owners say
Suspension all 282 →
I have a 2000 Dodge Dakota. On November 2,2004 while driving on city side streets the front passenger wheel fell off the vehicle. While waiting for a tow truck to arrive, I called the Dodge dealership where I purchased my vehicle and was told this would not be covered under warranty. I had my vechile towed to my mechanic who did most of the repairs (totaling about $1,300). He handed me a box with the ball joints from my vehicle and told me to hang onto them. The upper and lower ball joint on both sides needed to be replaced. The cause of the accident was the upper ball joint losing all it's grease (this is supposed to be a sealed unit!), causing undo stress on the joint until it eventually sheared away from the vehicle. …
2000 Dodge Dakota 4x4. While cresting a hill on a maintained gravel road traveling approximately 30 MPH brakes were applied. Control of vehicle was lost. Vehicle struck berm on right side of road and returned to center of road. Vehicle stopped after sliding about 50 yards to the bottom of a downgrade. Upon exiting vehicle it was found that both front/ left ball joints had failed, causing tire/wheel assy. To buckle underneath vehicle. Damage to stearing components and axle also occured. Chrysler has been contacted and a rep is being sent to inspect the vehicle.
Brakes all 263 →
The contact owns a 1998 N/A Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while at the DMV to renew the tags, the contact was unable to register the vehicle because the vehicle was under recall. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 00V193000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 163,159.
No specific crashes that I am personally aware of, but there have surely been many, possibly attributed to other causes. The failure-severely rusted brake fluid lines which have caused loss of braking. It occurs very frequently in the 'rust belt states', ie massachusetts for example. Repair involves replacing rusted lines and related parts, usually at substantial cost to vehicle owner. The reason for reporting this problem is that I am a repair shop owner with over 40 years in business, and I am seeing more of this problem every day. It constitutes a substantial percentage of my shop's business.
Transmission & drivetrain all 74 →
I stopped the truck and put in the park position, I then came out of the truck, closed the door and the truck started to move in the reverse direction, I ran after the truck to see if I could stop it but the reverse speed was to fast for me and the truck hit the tree damaging the rear bumper and I fell back injuring my back. Checked the position of the shift after above incident to see the pointer position above "r". I tried several times to duplicate the same symptom without any success. This I know for certain you can not get out of the truck when it is in reverse.
2000 Dodge Dakota quadcab - I was going forward in my driveway when I stopped the truck and put it in "park", engine still running. I got out of the truck and after about 15 seconds it engaged itself in reverse. It smashed through a gate and I got injured when I got caught between the gate and the left front fender of the truck. When the truck stopped I got in and still found it indicating in "park". The driveway was level. I have since been able to duplicate the condition with the gear shift just slightly out of "park", particularly with a cold engine.
2000 Dodge Dakota engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 16 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 17 / 15 |
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.9L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 11 / 16 / 13 |
| 5.9L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 11 / 15 / 12 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 Dodge Dakota a good car?
Based on 806 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 Dakota rates avoid: 4.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Dakota at the same age. It is one of the Dakota years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 Dodge Dakota?
The suspension — 282 complaints, 35% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front › control arm › upper ball joint. Next are the brakes (263) and transmission & drivetrain (74).
How many recalls does the 2000 Dodge Dakota have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2000 Dodge Dakota, the most recent from December 21, 2004 (upper ball joint). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Dodge Dakota?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2010 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2000, 2001, 2002, 1999 and 1998. See the full Dodge Dakota years comparison.
At what mileage do 2000 Dodge Dakota problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 52,000 miles; 45% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.