Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Dodge Dakota owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Cruising on interstate @ 70 MPH. The driver's side rear started roaring and then proceeded to disintegrate around the circumference of the upper wall, when stopped the tire had become 2 pieces completely severed into to separate circles. Conditions were good; ie; no road hazards. Weather clear, and light traffic
Dear sirs, I have attaches a copy of the note I sent to Goodyear rubber company in regards to the tires on my vehicle. It sounds suspiciously like a problem that Firestone had and May result in accidents. I thought I would let you know as well for your database. I have 3 out of 4 Goodyear wilderness tracker tires that are factory tires on my Dodge Dakota that have 2-4 inch splits on the sidewall next to the bead. Some are on the outside but some are on the inside sidewall. The Goodyear dealer offered me 40 $ off a 120$ replacement tire . The tires have 27,000 miles on them. Not only is that unacceptable for an obviously defective tire but I did not want more of the same tire. I discovered this problem as I had 2 rear tires going flat with no foreign objects in the tread. The Goodyear rep stated that he had seen this problem before so it is obviously a manufacturing defect and is unsafe. …
Owner of 2001 Dodge Dakota p/u, with wrangler st tires, at 10000 miles tires cracked around rim, Goodyear store only adjusted the front ones, which he said were cracked. The rear, he called dry rotting, normal wear and tear. The front tires 8000 miles later are cracked. I called westchase tire and auto , in houston, texas and the store manager mentioned that it was strange that this had occured again. I checked the NHTSA site and found the same type of failures were being reported since several years back. I am positive that neither Goodyear nor Dodge will fess up to any problems with these tires. I just hope that loss of lives do not occur before action is taken. I will have these tires replaced once more and see how long they will last this time.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Dodge Dakota. The vehicle has cooper difinity Dakota h/t tires, size 235/75/r15 (na). While driving 75 MPH, the tread on the rear driver's side separated from the tires. The vehicle swerved and drove over the median into oncoming traffic. There was no crash. The tread was destroyed and flapped against the undercarriage of the vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to his back and lumbar area. The failure mileage was 30,000.
At 8,000 miles one of the tires went flat. The vehicle was taken to the tire dealer which found all four tires (Goodyear wrangler st p215/75r15) had cracks in the tire wall. The tires were replaced with the same brand of tire. Now the driver front and rear tires have cracks in the tire wall. The consumer filed a complaint with Dodge #11259201.
Upper ball joints were replaced. Recently, the upper ball joints for this vehicle were recalled ,and the owner contacted the dealership. Again had the ball joints replaced, but they did not do an alignment. Currently, the tire is pulling to the left, and the dealership will not make any adjustments.
On freeway at 75 MPH. Heard a loud pop sound and the vehicle tugged to the left. Managed to keep the vehicle under control and pull off to the right shoulder. The tire was damaged but intact, it was a valve stem failure. Took the tire to shop where purchased and was replaced at my expense.
My balljoints snapped while turning in my sons school one morning , resulting in my front wheel and brake assembly falling off completely from my 2001 Dodge Dakota 4x4 truck in December 2002. I had 1000 miles passed factory warrenty
The sidewalls on the front tires split on the outside and inside . I found the defect myself. Replaced the tires. I still have the old ones. The truck had only a little over 12K miles on it. The dealer blew me off.
All 4 tires have crack around the bead of tire. Have spent over $500.00 in repairs, alignments, and tire balancing. Problem I think is from the steering response of the vehicle. This model needs upgraded tires.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Dakota years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2001 Dodge Dakota?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2001 Dodge Dakota, 5% of the model year's 678 complaints. The component named most often is sidewall (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Dodge Dakota wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2001 Dodge Dakota, though it has 7 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 2001 Dodge Dakota wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to wheels & tires 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.