Great
Only problem I have had was with the water pump.
I love the performance, you can't beat the power for the mid-size truck class that the Dakota has.
It does burn a lot of gas I guess I get 13 to 14 miles to the gallon.
I will take the bad gas mileage any day for the power I have with the Dakota.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th July, 2004
Very reliable sporty looking TRUCK
Let me re-ask this question: Is there suppose to be something that has gone wrong with this truck?
Only 2 things, and both have been recent:
Water Pump - $350
Alternator - $80.
NOTHING ELSE! This truck has run like a dream. I have not done a thing to this vehicle except oil changes and it has run strong and has given me no problems.
The truck, with 104,000 miles in 5 years (all highway) has done excellent. I have not done regular maintenance because I didn't have to. I should have, but apparently this truck is still going strong. I will replace the fuel filters/O2 sensors/etc here soon, since it is getting up there in the mileage. This truck is a very reliable very strong truck that has lasted 22,000 miles a year.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th July, 2004
Pretty darn durable
With 212,000 miles, there are a few things that have gone wrong. The front ball joints and tie rods needed replacing. Engine rear seal leaks and has since 80,000 miles. Transmission at times gets cranky and one of the lines now leaks--but hey, that's 212,000 miles!!!
I have a 2004 model on order right now. It's a Quad Cab with 4x4.
The 318 engine gets the same mileage as the smaller engine in the new models--so why change? While we are on the subject of mileage, why do these Dodge 4x4s get such poor mileage? This truck was broken in gently and never driven too fast, but off-road, it has been through mud, etc., and then some. Smaller than a full-sized truck yet still roomy, the Dakota can go places in the woods that would block most full-sized truck from passing. At 212,360 miles across Texas, I cannot complain about Dodge quality.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 5th April, 2004
Get a warranty if you can on this one.
Bad maintenance record.
Needed a ball joint replacement. There were no holes to grease the joint back up, so it wears.
Rust in coolant, fixed by getting 4-year warranty on engine.
The Dakota has been exactly the truck I've wanted it to be.
However, I do wish that the V6 Magnum would've had a bit more power. It doesn't have the get up and go that the V8 does.
Better on gas though.
It is like driving a smaller Full Size Ram from the inside.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 31st March, 2004
Great fuel economy for its size, compared to the automatic, but prone to serious mechanical faults
Replaced Catalytic converter at 23,400 miles.
Replaced catalytic converter at 36,200 miles.
Replaced power steering pump and complete rack and pinion assembly at 45,500 miles.
Replaced wildly erratic temperature sensor and thermostat at 47,500 miles.
Replaced catalytic converter at 77,950 miles.
Emergency brake cable broke at around 60K miles.
Plastic hinge strap for center armrest/console broke twice.
Driver's seat cushion spring tore loose from its mounting bracket around 65K.
Although it's still averaging about 21 miles per gallon on regular gas, my 5-speed manual transmission has poor acceleration. At higher speeds (70+) the drag penalty prevents significant increase in mileage.
Biggest problem is repeated failure of the catalytic converter! Three failures within the warranty period, and I have no confidence that it's not going to fail again.
Most serious problem was gradual failure of the steering system. Fluid within the rack and pinion was more like sludge.
Scariest problem was failure of the temperature sensor, which indicated that the engine was seriously overheating, when it was actually okay.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 8th March, 2004