1998 Dodge Dakota steering problems
47 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the steering on the 1998 Dodge Dakota — 9% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“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…”
filed Dec 8, 2017
“Lower steering shaft u joints are unprotected and rusted out causing sticky steering and difficulty controlling the vehicle in a turn. *tr”
filed Aug 4, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Steering problems in other Dakota years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Dakota | 5 | 14% |
| 2008 Dakota | 17 | 19% |
| 2007 Dakota | 12 | 8% |
| 2006 Dakota | 47 | 17% |
| 2005 Dakota | 47 | 10% |
| 2004 Dakota | 74 | 36% |
| 2003 Dakota | 14 | 5% |
| 2002 Dakota | 44 | 6% |
| 2001 Dakota | 48 | 7% |
| 2000 Dakota | 68 | 8% |
| 1999 Dakota | 72 | 11% |
| 1997 Dakota | 34 | 8% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1998 Dodge Dakota
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.