Why does Fuel Gauge drop to empty when tank is half full and then rise on a Dodge Dakota Sport 1998?

Sounds like a fuel pump going bad. I have a 1992 Dakota that I just had to replace the pump this last spring. I had the same problem. The sending unit worked just fine until it got down to a half tank and then it just fell over to empty. When removing the fuel pump (from the gas tank on a 92) there are alignment arrows on the fuel pump that MUST lign up with the mark on your gas tank or else your sending unit will not work properly. Hope this helps!