1989 Dodge dakota tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1989 Dodge Dakota, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 205/70R15 OEM | R15 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 205/75R15 OEM | R15 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
See the best tires for the Dodge Dakota, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Dodge Dakota →
Plus-size and winter-downsize options for every Dodge Dakota factory size →
Compatible alternative sizes for 205/70R15
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
215/55R17 |
0.04% | plus 2 | Safe |
225/75R13 |
-0.04% | alternative | Safe |
195/80R14 |
-0.06% | winter narrower | Safe |
175/75R16 |
0.13% | plus 1 | Safe |
235/50R17 |
-0.18% | plus 2 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 205/70R15 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 205/70R15 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 175/75R16; one rim size up, 0.13% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 215/55R17; two rim sizes up, 0.04% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1989 dodge dakota
The 1989 Dodge Dakota ships from the factory on 205/70R15 tires mounted on R15 wheels. 2 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Dodge Dakota comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1989 Dodge Dakota owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1989 Dodge Dakota, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1989 dodge dakota
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (2) · Spare Tire (1) · Tread / Belt (1)
Reported across: 1989 – 1989 (1 year)
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.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1989 Dodge Dakota?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1989 Dodge Dakota?
Where can I buy tires for my 1989 Dodge Dakota?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1989 Dodge Dakota?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1989 Dodge Dakota?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1989 Dodge Dakota?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Dodge Dakota is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1989 Dodge Dakota.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-10-07.