YearToAvoid

2009 Dodge Dakota Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2009 Dodge Dakota has a Caution verdict, capped by 3 Do Not Drive airbag recalls despite a complaint index of 0, the lowest among the 7 model years with data. NHTSA lists 18 complaints, 5 recalls, and 1 crash, with Transmission & Powertrain the top problem area.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
0/100
#7 of 7 Dakota years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
18
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
5
3 Do Not Drive
Crashes
1
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
1
Top issue
Transmission & Powertrain
Best nearby year
2010
lowest-risk (no Good/Best year)
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
15.5
14.5 city / 19 hwy
Injuries / deaths
1 / 0

Top 2009 Dodge Dakota problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Transmission & Powertrain6 (33%)
  2. Airbags5 (28%)
  3. Electrical System3 (17%)
  4. Engine2 (11%)
  5. Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (11%)
  6. Brakes1 (6%)
  7. Other1 (6%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Airbags failed to deploy during a low-speed crash with no warning lights on the instrument panel.
  • Rear axle pinion nut bolt separation tied to a transmission recall, with owners reporting long waits because replacement parts were unavailable.
  • Engine RPM surged on its own from idle up to about 2,400 RPM and would not return to normal idle, recurring multiple times.
  • A rear tire blew out at highway speed after the tire pressure housing fractured, causing the rear end to sway.
  • Ignition key contact accidentally triggered dashboard indicators, a chime, and unintended cruise control activation while driving.
2009 Dodge Dakota complaints: complaints filed per month2Sep 2009Jun 2013Sep 2013May 2014Jul 2015Dec 2015Feb 2017Mar 2019
18 complaints filed with NHTSA from Sep 2009 to Sep 2021; peak Aug 2013 (2).

2009 Dodge Dakota recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 18V021000Jan 9, 2018Airbags328,177 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, and 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Chrysler is recalling certain 2009-2010 RAM 4500 Cab Chassis, RAM 5500 Cab Chassis, RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Chrysler is also recalling certain 2009 RAM 3500, RAM 2500, RAM 4500 Cab Chassis, RAM 5500 Cab Chassis, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen, RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U03.

  2. NHTSA 16V352000May 24, 2016Airbags4,648,270 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2010 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2012 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2012 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2012 Chrysler 300, 2006-2012 Dodge Charger, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Chrysler is also recalling 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2009 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2009 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2009 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2009 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2009 Chrysler 300, 2006-2009 Dodge Charger, 2005-2009 Dodge Dakota and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in AZ, AR, DE, Washington D.C., IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Chrysler is recalling certain 2005-2008 RAM 2500, 2006-2008 RAM 3500, 2007-2008 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2008 Dodge Durango, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2008 Jeep Wrangler, 2008 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2008 Chrysler 300, 2006-2008 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2008 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or registered, in AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY.

    Risk: These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their company. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S43. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-7700.

  3. NHTSA 15V313000May 26, 2015Airbags4,077,169 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2005-2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, 300S, and SRT8, 2006-2010 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Magnum, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners. Dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began for Chrylser on June 8, 2015. The recall for Mitsubishi started on June 24, 2015. Chrysler and Dodge owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Mitsubishi owners may call 1-888-648-7820. Chrysler's number for this recall is R25. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V817 in its entirety. Vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well.

See all 5 recalls for the 2009 Dodge Dakota →

2009 Dodge Dakota fuel economy and fuel cost

City
14.5 MPG
Highway
19 MPG
Combined
15.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,175
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2009 compared with other Dakota years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002005200620072008200920102011
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2007Caution671444 !15
2008Caution50912 !15
2009Caution0185 !15.5
2010Caution17357 !15
2011Caution33446 !15.5

All Dodge Dakota years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Dodge Dakota reliable?
Compared to other Dakota years, 2009 has the lowest complaint index (0) and ranks 7th out of 7 for complaints, but its verdict is Caution because of 3 Do Not Drive recalls.
What problems does the 2009 Dodge Dakota have?
NHTSA lists 18 complaints, with Transmission & Powertrain as the top problem area (6 complaints, 33% share), followed by Airbags (5 complaints, 28% share).
Does the 2009 Dodge Dakota have a recall?
Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2009 Dodge Dakota, including 3 Do Not Drive airbag recalls and 2 transmission recalls involving a rear axle pinion nut.
Why is the 2009 Dodge Dakota rated Caution instead of Good?
Its complaint index of 0 would suggest a low-risk year, but the verdict is capped to Caution because of Do Not Drive or Park Outside airbag recalls.
What is the median mileage for Dakota transmission complaints?
For the 2009 Dodge Dakota, the median mileage at failure for Transmission & Powertrain complaints was 50,000 miles.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.