Best tires for the Dodge Dakota
Top picks across four categories for the Dodge Dakota, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 245/70R16. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.
Daily driver
Best all-season touring
Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.
Pirelli
Scorpion all terrain plus
UTQG 600 with a 50,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Dodge Dakota owners.
BFGoodrich
All-Terrain T/A KO2
Reinforced sidewall all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Blizzak DM V2
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Dueler H/T D684 II 245/70R16
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Lowest cost per mile
Best budget
Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.
Michelin
Defender LTX M/S
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
BFGoodrich
Advantage T/A sport LT
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Toyo
Open country H/T II
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Yokohama
Geolandar H/T G056
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Lowest cabin noise
Best quiet
Tread patterns engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning. Pick this if you commute long highway distances daily.
Michelin
X-Ice snow
71 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; well below the segment median. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Pirelli
Scorpion all terrain plus
73 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; well below the segment median. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
BFGoodrich
All-Terrain T/A KO2
75 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; still quieter than most competitors in this size. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Cold-weather grip
Best winter
Dedicated winter or all-weather compounds that stay pliable below 7 °C. Necessary for >5 snow days a year.
Side-by-side
Pick the trade-off that matches your driving
| All-season Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus | Best budget Michelin Defender LTX M/S | Best quiet Michelin X-Ice Snow |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| UTQG treadwear | 600 | 800 | - |
| Mileage warranty | 50,000 mi | - | - |
| Cabin noise | 73 dB | - | 71 dB |
| Season class | all-season | - | winter |
| Type | truck-suv | - | passenger |
OEM tire sizes by year
What size does the dodge dakota use?
Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.
| Year | OEM size | |
|---|---|---|
| 1987–1990 | 205/70R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1991–1997 | 215/75R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1998–1999 | 255/55R17 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2000–2002 | 235/75R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2003–2008 | 245/70R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2009–2010 | 265/70R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2011 | 245/70R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
How we ranked these tires for the dodge dakota
We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 245/70R16; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:
- Best all-season ranks on a weighted score: tire type matches passenger car segment, season is "all-season", premium brand bonus (Michelin / Continental / Bridgestone / Pirelli / Goodyear / Nokian).
- Best budget ranks on cost-per-warranty-mile; the lower the better. Premium brands get no bonus here.
- Best quiet ranks on the EU tire-label dB rating; lower is quieter.
- Best winter filters to tires marked 3PMSF severe-snow rated or all-weather class, with a small premium-brand bonus because winter-compound R&D is capital-intensive.
For sedans and compacts, the all-season touring tire below is the best default; long warranty, low cabin noise, reasonable cost per mile. Switch to the quiet pick if highway droning is a deal-breaker; switch to the winter pick if you see significant snow each year. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.
NHTSA-reported issues for dodge dakota
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (131) · Tread / Belt (30) · Sidewall (24) · Bead (5) · Spare Tire (4)
Reported across: 1988 – 2010 (23 years)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 24% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 122 reports covering every model year of the Dodge Dakota that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 24% | 20% | 1.2× |
| Sidewall failure | 20% | 15% | 1.3× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 16% | 9% | 1.7× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 7% | 8% | 0.9× |
| Tread or belt separation | 4% | 13% | 0.3× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 2% | 6% | 0.4× |
Mileage at failure
53 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 20,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 8,000 and 105,618 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Dodge Dakota. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE LEFT REAR ORIGINAL GOODYEAR WRANGLER RT/S P265/70R16 TIRE ON MY 2002 DODGE DAKOTA 4WD PICK-UP TRUCK HAS BELT SEPARATION. THE TRUCK HAS ONLY 17,685 MILES ON IT. THE TRUCK IS USED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR PRIMARILY AS A SPARE VEHICLE WHEN THE CAR IS BEING USED. I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE DOT NUMBER.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 DODGE DAKOTA EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TIRES, SIZE: 215/75R/15 (NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED MODERATE TIRE SEPARATION ON THE SIDEWALLS OF THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED, BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4,263. THE VIN AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.
FRONT TIRES EXCESSIVELY WORN ON OUTSIDE EDGES. DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE ALSO EXCESSIVELY WORN ON INNER EDGE. PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE SLIGHTLY WORN ON INNER EDGE. ALL OF WHICH MAY CAUSE A TIRE BLOWOUT. SAME PROBLEM ON THE 1991 DAKOTA. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE DAKOTA EQUIPPED WITH COOPER TIRES, TIRE LINE: EVOLUTION H/T, TIRE SIZE: 245/70/R16, DOT NUMBER: UT9H1J9. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE TWO BUBBLES IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNDISCLOSED SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,547.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Dodge Dakota →
FAQ
What's the best all-season tire for the Dodge Dakota?
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Dodge Dakota?
Does the Dodge Dakota need winter tires?
Can I run a different tire size on my Dodge Dakota?
Where can I buy these tires?
Last verified 2026-10-07.