# 1989 Dodge Dakota transmission issue **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** dakota, dodge\ **Created:** [April 16, 2019, 9:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-dodge-dakota-transmission-issue/138621 "2019-04-16T21:38:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EdwardGalante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b2d939/32.png) [@EdwardGalante](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EdwardGalante)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 9:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-dodge-dakota-transmission-issue/138621/1 "2019-04-16T21:38:30Z")
Went to pass a vehicle and my transmission acted as though it went into neutral. Quite, no noise, no hard shifting, nothing. Now I have no forward gears. Just reverse. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-dodge-dakota-transmission-issue/138621/2 "2019-04-17T00:03:41Z")
Check the level of your transmission fluid first, replenish if needed. If that does not prove fruitful, have the truck towed to an independent transmission shop, not a chain like AAMCO or Cottman. Be prepared for expensive news. ---
**Author:** ![EdwardGalante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b2d939/32.png) [@EdwardGalante](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EdwardGalante)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 12:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-dodge-dakota-transmission-issue/138621/3 "2019-04-17T00:11:23Z")
_I did after I was towed home. Not sure if the trans fluid was hot enough, but the level seemed fine and the color and smell were spot on. How would I check it now if I can’t drive it to heat up the fluid?_ ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-dodge-dakota-transmission-issue/138621/4 "2019-04-17T01:24:54Z")
You can’t drive it. The fluid is relatively OK, so that potential solution is eliminated. The next solution is a new transmission or possibly you’ve broken the differential. If you put it in gear, parking brake on, look to see if the driveshaft is turning while the truck is not moving. If it is, the diff is broken. ---
**Author:** ![EdwardGalante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b2d939/32.png) [@EdwardGalante](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EdwardGalante)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-dodge-dakota-transmission-issue/138621/5 "2019-04-17T01:38:16Z")
_I’ll try that first thing in the AM._ ---
**Author:** ![EdwardGalante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b2d939/32.png) [@EdwardGalante](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EdwardGalante)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 1:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-dodge-dakota-transmission-issue/138621/6 "2019-04-17T13:23:49Z")
_Kind of what I figured. The driveshaft does not spin in drive, but will move in reverse._ ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-dodge-dakota-transmission-issue/138621/7 "2019-04-17T15:15:21Z")
I’d say the transmission needs a rebuild. ---
**Author:** ![EdwardGalante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b2d939/32.png) [@EdwardGalante](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EdwardGalante)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-dodge-dakota-transmission-issue/138621/8 "2019-04-17T19:25:41Z")
_Just going to look $$$ and but a reman and swap it out_ ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 12:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-dodge-dakota-transmission-issue/138621/9 "2019-04-18T12:18:17Z")
Budget $4000+ for a rebuild.