Faults:

Had the left brake caliper freeze up; had to replace it, and a brake line also.

General Comments:

Very powerful and quick, and is good on gas with the 3.55 rear and 5-speed manual transmission.

The 4.7 Magnum does have a performance chip, and the truck is equipped with K&N cold air and Flow-master exhausts, which really adds to the performance.

This is one great truck, and is very reliable.

Faults:

Bad brake rotors, but fantastic brake pads LOL. The rotors wore out and the pads didn't.

Transfer case problems. Already got it fixed once, and was out $2,000, but now it's acting up again.

General Comments:

Was a good truck when brand new. It wasn't brand new for long. Won't buy another Chrysler product.

Faults:

2 days after purchase from the dealer, electrical failure, new plugs, wires, and coil pack installed on their dime.

Heater core replaced at 125,000 miles; $300.

Clutch assembly replaced at 145,000 miles; $500.

Heater takes a good 15 minutes to warm up on cold days.

General Comments:

This truck has been very reliable. Always starts up even on -20 degree days.

Manual transmission shifts well, especially after a clutch rebuild, and you can baby this thing on the highway to 24-26 mpgs. Around town I average 18-19mpg. It has a lot of power though, even with the V6. The V8 model would be too much engine since it's such a light-duty truck.

I bought it thinking it would be a step-up from the Ranger/ S-10 trucks, and it is larger, but payload capacity is still 1/4 ton or less.

I've had close to 1,000 pounds of wood in the back and it gets pretty low. I only have done that once for a very short distance from Home Depot to my house.

Overall I've been happy with the Dakota. I have the extended cab, which is decent room, but not enough for a car seat. We have a baby on the way so I'm currently reconsidering. I would like a crew cab, might move up to a 1/2 ton series. Although I have heard the Ram 1500 gets awful gas mileage compared to Chevy and Ford, but I guess it's all opinion and style of driving.

Faults:

Front brake rotors (OEM) warped at about 16,000 miles. I had them resurfaced (turned), the same problem cropped up again at about 85,000 miles, then I had them replaced with aftermarket ones. They are straight and true, and are still on the truck today. Problem solved.

Headlight switch wiring problem in the steering column at about 55,000 miles, and was fixed by an autolube mechanic for about $30. It's just cropped up again at 165k...

Infinity stereo system speakers went bad at around 150k. I replaced them with good speakers myself for around $180 and change.

General Comments:

Absolutely superb vehicle, most reliable, best performing and longest lasting I've ever owned in 36 years of car ownership. It still looks new, runs almost as good as new, and I don't want anything BUT this truck underneath me for many years to come!

Fabulous performance for the engine/tranny combo. Works hard in the oilpatch all week long, then off on a 2 or 300 mile trip for the weekend. Best long distance seats in any truck (and most cars) out there. Better than our 2004 Lincoln LS by far...

Has a nice, quiet cabin that surpasses most other trucks for long, long days in the driver or passenger seats.

Rear seats are great for kids or cargo, but a little too upright for adults for more than about 40-50 miles.

Rear cargo bed can be accessed from the sides easily. I'm 5'8" and standing flat footed, I can reach over the side rails and put my hand flat on the bed near the centerline of the truck. Try that in a full-sized truck! The 2wd quadcab also has 7" of ground clearance for some really rough dirt road usage. Very smooth ride in the dirt.

I have had ZERO dealer work done on this truck! Nada. Zip. Nothing at all since it was brand spanking new.