After starting the Dakota, I pushed on the brake pedal so I could put the automatic transmission in Drive. My foot went all the way to the floor. I tried again with the same result. I checked the brake fluid reservoir. It was a bit low, but not empty. When the tow truck arrived to haul it away, I noticed a pool of brake fluid on the driveway approximately below the master cylinder. It is clear the brake system experience a catastrophic failure. I will know more when my mechanic reports what he has found. He suspects corrosion on the brake line. No one was hurt and there was no property damage because I did not put the truck in gear.
The worst 2009 Dodge Dakota problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Transmission6
- Airbags5
- Electrical3
- Engine2
- Tires2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission6
- Airbags5
- Electrical3
- Engine2
- Tires2
- Acceleration1
- Brakes1
- Wheels1
Recalls 5
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 18V021000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 16V352000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 15V313000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: differential unit
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ram 1500 trucks manufactured from February 27, 2008, through June 30, 2009, and from December 1, 2009, through October 20, 2011; model year 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota trucks manufactured from February 27, 2007, through June 30, 2009, and from December 1, 2009, through September 30, 2011; model year 2009 Chrysler Aspen trucks manufactured from January 3, 2008, through December 18, 2008; and model year 2009 Dodge Durango trucks manufactured from January 3, 2008, through December 18, 2008. The rear axle pinion nut may loosen due to an undersized pinion spline that can allow relative motion between the nut and companion flange.
- Risk
- If the rear axle pinion nut loosens, the axle can lock up and cause a loss of vehicle control and/or a vehicle crash with little warning.
- Remedy
- On November 7, 2013 Chrysler notified owners that dealers would install a pinion nut retainer, free of charge. In July 2015, and under a consent order with the federal safety agency, the company agreed to offer owners three options for remedying their vehicles: perform the original remedy, offer to repurchase the vehicle at the fair market value plus 10%, or offer an additional incentive offer towards the purchase of a new Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, or Fiat vehicle. Chrysler will notify owners of the new recall options in a letter expected to be mailed on August 31, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1‑800‑247‑9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N08.
Recall number 13V038000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: differential unit
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2009-2010, Ram 1500 and Dodge Dakota trucks, manufactured from July 1, 2009, through November 30, 2009, because the rear axle pinion nut may loosen due to a lack of adhesive.
- Risk
- If the rear axle pinion nut loosens, the axle can lock up and cause a loss of vehicle control and/or a vehicle crash with little warning.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a pinion nut retainer, free of charge. The recall began on June 17, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1‑800‑247‑9753.
Recall number 12V474000 · Recall details
See all 5 recalls for the 2009 Dodge Dakota
Defect investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
EA21002
Technical service bulletins for the 2009 Dodge Dakota 50
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Plate
- Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair...
- Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1. All Promaster (VF) 3.6L/62TE equipped vehicles
- Gear motor
- Transfer Case Gear Motor/Actuator Installation Guidelines.
- (Revision A) No Start No Crank ? Starter Will Not Engage And There Are No Related Codes Or Concerns
- Disinfectant Solution Recommended for COVID-19
- Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty
- Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs
- Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts
2009 Dodge Dakota fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7L 6‑cyl | RWD | 15-16 | 20 | 17-18 |
| 3.7L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 14-15 | 18-19 | 15-16 |
| 4.7L 8‑cyl | RWD | 14 | 19 | 15 |
| 4.7L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 14 | 19 | 15 |
What 2009 Dodge Dakota owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge dakota. While attempting to start the vehicle, all the instrument panel indicators illuminated and the vehicle failed to start. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000. The VIN was not available.
A/c drain tube had not been able to drain since owning the vehicle since november 2009, due to a flawed design, henceforth I was ill every time I drove the vehicle with the A/C on. This last ill driven 1 hour and 30 minute day, 7 july 2017, I was terribly nausea, extreme headaches and exhaustion lasting through to 9 july 2017. Had it been a longer drive, I am sure I would have had an accident as I struggled to drive home and put myself into bed. This flawed design was repaired, as all vehicles should be inspected for the safe and welfare of the drivers and passengers.
Truck stoping while driving had replace tipm on city and highway
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 dodge dakota. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v313000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 dodge dakota. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v313000 (air bags); however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact attempted to contact the manufacturer on numerous occasions, but was unable to be connected to a representative. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge dakota. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v313000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. ...updated 02/04/16 *bf
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge dakota. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v313000 (air bags); however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge dakota. The contact stated that while traveling 5 MPH down hill, the vehicle crashed into a tree and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact mentioned that no warning lamps illuminated in the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The manufacturer was not contacted. The dealer was unable to determine what caused the failure. The failure mileage was 32,000 and the current mileage was 41,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge dakota. The contact stated that while traveling 70 MPH, the contact inadvertently bumped the ignition key and all of the indicators on the instrument panel illuminated. A chime activated and the cruise control was turn on which cause the vehicle to resumed normal functioned. The failure recurred several times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure was unable to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was 38,000 and the current mileage was 41,000.
Compare the 2009 Dodge Dakota
Other model years
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Questions about the 2009 Dodge Dakota
Is the 2009 Dodge Dakota reliable?
Owners have filed 18 complaints about the 2009 Dodge Dakota, fewer than a typical Dakota model year.
What is the 2009 Dodge Dakota year score?
The 2009 Dodge Dakota scores 92 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Dodge Dakota: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Dodge Dakota?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 6 complaints. Next is airbags (5).
How many recalls does the 2009 Dodge Dakota have?
5 recalls, covering air bags and power train.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Dodge Dakota transmission?
Yes, 2 recalls: 13V038000, 12V474000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Dodge Dakota have bad transmission?
The Dodge Dakota model years with the most transmission complaints are 1992 (110 complaints), 2001 (93 complaints) and 2002 (89 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2009 Dodge Dakota get?
Official estimates for the 2009 Dodge Dakota range from 15 to 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.7L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 15-16 city and 20 highway.
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