Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Dodge Dakota owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
1. While sitting in park on a automatic transmission. In a still position rolled front or back more than a couple inches. Had to step on brake while in park and had to block wheels when engine was off to keep from rolling. Emergency brake does not hold or work properly either. 2. The heater has only high position working now. The dash gets to hot to even keep heat on very long. Fuel cap with key. When getting fuel truck has to be turned off before pumping otherwise engine light comes on the dash and needs to be reset or driven miles before engine lightor goes back off.3. The upper ball joints had to replace twice now. Breaks had to replace twice also due to suspension being out of whack and problem above. Now there is noise in front driver side wheel area. 4. Put all new break lines on it because they kept blowing out. …
I recently bought a used 2003 Dodge Dakota. The truck was great except that at night when I would turn on the headlights all of the interior and exterior lights would flash off then back on approximately every two seconds to 30 seconds. After driving for about half an hour with this happening I became very frustrated. After doing some research on the internet, I narrowed down my problem to the Dakota central timing module. It appears as if many Dodge customers have this exact issue with these Dodge model trucks. It is very unsafe to operate a vehicle under these conditions. This issue did not depend on whether I was driving in rough terrain at night or during the day. No matter where I drive the truck, if the lights are on it will begin to start blinking off and then on intermittently. Please fix this problem! …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that the windshield wipers failed and the exterior lighting sporadically malfunctioned. Also, the side cap to the main radiator spewed antifreeze approximately five feet in the air. The contact shut off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were made aware of the failure. In addition, while driving at a low speed, a loud popping sound emitted from the vehicle. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the ball joint fractured. The contact was made aware that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 04V596000 (suspension). The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence where he performed the repair. The failure mileage was 220,000.
I have had electrical issues since last year. First time the wipers, lights and blinkers quit working late in the evening, almost didn't make it to the auto shop. Told me the computer was the issue but they got the truck working again. Then it happened again but I knew to try the disconnect the battery trick and that worked. Yesterday I was in line to pick up a food box, idling and the truck just quit, I tried to get it to restart with no luck. Thankfully this did not happen while I was actually driving so I was safe where it happened. I got it towed and am pretty sure it is the TIPM based on the steps I took, switching out the working relays with the one for the fuel pump. Still wouldn't start so pretty sure it is a bad TIPM.
Lost exterior lights (parking lights, license plate light, tail lights, and instrument panel lights) while driving. Headlights, turn lights, and brake lights functioning. Ctm was diagnosed and replaced to correct the issue, however safety concerns caused the vehicle to be unused in low light conditions until problem diagnosed. Repetitive postings about this models ctm failures all over the internet and adjoining safety consideration with only a limited recall, which did not include my vehicle. No after market parts were found and replaced with a item for a local junk yard which May simply fail again.
Wiring harness connected to A/C and hater blower motor melts and causes the blower motor to fail. It has happened twice in 2 years. The first time the dealer put in a new harness at my expense, around 400 dollars. Both times the blower motor stopped while driving under normal city driving conditions. There are other complaints about this problem on this ntsb website, and they describe the exact same symptoms and conditions both before and after harness failure. My fear is the harness melting and could cause a fire under the dash leading to a crash or vehicle fire.
The fan in my truck randomly shuts off so in turn, my ac does not work nor does the heat when this occurs. This happens every three months. It is not working again this week and there has been a heat wave all week of course. It happens at all different times. It starts out shutting off then it will work for a day again then it will go out permanently. This is probably the fifth time in two years
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that the headlamps, interior lighting, gauges, and instrument panel randomly failed. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 02V322000 (exterior lighting). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Head lights intermittently start blinking and eventually go out all together along with dash and dome lights. Online forums say it's the ctm. The next day it's fine then out of the blue it starts acting up again. Very dangerous when traveling at night. Any recalls for this? Seems to be quite common for this year Dakota
While driving a fire started under the hood. Consumer managed to pull over. Dealership informed consumer that the problem was due to the wire harness. Dealership/echanic tried to repair the vehicle 3 times before, but had not resolved the problem.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Wiring
On certain pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions, the headlamp and dash wiring harness May be chafed by the actuation of the clutch pedal. This could result in abnormal operation of the wipers, turn signals, horn or lighting systems.
Remedy: Dealers will reroute the wire harness and repair the harness if necessary. Owner notification began November 3, 2003. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.
Electrical complaints in other Dakota years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2003 Dodge Dakota?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the electrical system of the 2003 Dodge Dakota, 11% of the model year's 296 complaints. The component named most often is wiring (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Dodge Dakota electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 03V-389 (wiring, Oct 10, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2003 Dodge Dakota electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.