i have the same problem with my 05...seems to happen everyone couple of months...been to the dealership TWICE for it, and they keep telling me there is nothing wrong...go figure

 

Could be a bad solder joint in the instrument cluster. That was the problem with mine a couple years back.

 

Well I figured I would make my first post in this thread since I'm having the same problem with my 2005 dakota. I just purchased the truck about 2 weeks ago and notice that both lights ( in the dash, and also the passenger air bag light, above the radio ) come on every few start-ups. They seem to stay on for a few miles and then they go out. I've also been having problems with my Oil light coming on in the dash. I checked the oil and it is clean, and is not low, if anything, may be a little overfilled. The light only comes on in when I first start it up on the cold mornings. (25* or so) If I turn the truck off and then immediately back on, the light will go away. I am taking it back to the dealer tomorrow to have it looked at.
Just a quick question while I'm here, It has been a while since I've driven an automatic, but it seems to me like the truck shifts roughly when going about 25-40mph and going up steep hills. If I'm going about that speed and I step on the gas to get more power, the truck just seems to shift a little rougher than I'd like. It's kinda hard to explain, but I have the 3.7 V6.

Sorry for the threadjack, I won't do it anymore

 

Well like I said, it's really hard to explain in detail what I'm feeling. It only happens when going up steep hills. It almost does feel like a surge. It's light when it happens, but it's definitly enough to feel it in the pedal and also throughout the truck. I'm not too worried about it now, I can live with it, I'm just looking ahead in case their may be long term damage, and also because the truck still has a warranty, I'd rather have work done now, than later. I have a feeling when I take it to the dealer tomorrow, their gonna tell me nothing is wrong.

 

With all of these inquiries, it appears this is another universal problem that Dodge refuses to acknowledge.

 

First Dodge 05, When you say that you checked the oil, are you referring to the engine, or transmission oil? Hard shifts are sometimes caused by a low transmission fluid level.

 

I only personally checked the engine oil. Before picking the truck up from the dealer, the salesman informed me that they had topped off all of the fluids in the trucks, and they also replaced all four brakes. I will take a look at the transmission fluid and see whats up. I hope it's as simple as filling the fluid, but I have a feeling it's not--it never is. On a side note, got back from the dealer today, and they cleared the code to keep my airbag light from coming on, and they ordered a new oil pressure sensor to fix my oil light that keeps coming on in the mornings.