25th Apr 2010, 18:25
I had just purchased a 2001 Dodge Dakota SLT 4x4 with 180,000 miles for 5k and in wonderful condition. I haven't ran into any problems yet, just curious how long it will or can last?
12th Dec 2010, 10:50
I purchased my 2001 Dakota SLT 2WD with the 4.7L engine. The truck drives great in all conditions. I have driven it in snow, loose dirt and on rough rocky roads. That doesn’t mean you won’t get stuck. But, I was very impressed while on a month long camping tour on national forest lands.
I recommend the truck over all. However;... have the engine, suspension, and tranny carefully checked out carefully, before buying a used Dakota.
It carries heavy loads and has towed rental trailers well.
I have had several annoying problems. The heater fan control burned out, because it could not take the electrical load. I wired it to blow at full or off. The check engine light will code if you use any gas cap other than factory. It burns oil but dosen't indicate with blue smoke. The MAF sensor gets dirty, but can be easily cleaned at air filter changes. Have a mechanic friend show you how.
The front tires wear at the outer edges quickly. This may be due to not carrying a heavy load in the bed. I have heard of transmission problems, but have not experienced any. The driver's window tracking failed due to a plastic part. I had to purchase an entire kit to replace it, and had the dealer install it. The paint has worn in some areas.
Buy only quality tires rated for this type vehicle, and you will have a truck that handles like a sports car on tight corners. I will keep this truck until the wheels fall off.
5th Jan 2011, 00:39
I bought a 2001 Dodge Dakota SLT 4x4. It has over 150,000 miles on it. It runs awesome. I even pull a car hauler trailer with 74 Dodge power wagon which is a 1 ton truck, it pulls like it's nothing.
The engine light came on since the steering pump leaks but it was an easy fix. I have ran hard on this truck through anything like mud, off road, and snow, and still have not got stuck.
At this moment, the tranny shifts hard, but it is still running strong with no problem but shifts hard once a while.
It's the best truck I ever had compared to others trucks that I bought. I have bought every kind of truck and it didn't work out for me, so the Dakota is the best so far. Treat the Dakota with love and then it will love you back!
26th Oct 2017, 18:30
Just an FYI, I am not sure if you are running the 4x4 on dry pavement or not, but if you are the truck will not run properly. That goes for any 4WD. The diffs are locked and when you try to turn the truck on dry pavement, the wheels bind up due to the friction of the tires on the road, and you will tear up the transfer case and ruin your truck.
18th Jan 2010, 08:12
We bought our 2001 Dodge Dakota SLT Quad Cab 4x4 in 2008 with just over 36000 miles. Before it hit 40000 miles, our check engine light came on. We were told it was the gas cap loose and they would reset it. You go down the road and hit a bump in the road, the light would come back on. Several miles later we noticed when you put it 4x4 and make slow sharp turns, the truck engine dies. To be in 4x4 and reverse is almost impossible. The truck jerks all over the place, and the engine has died when in 4x4 and reverse.
Now at 60000 miles, there are more things than can be read that appear on the computer reading, and we are not really sure where to start. When the truck hits under 1/4 tank gas and idles at red lights, it starts bouncing and sometimes the engine dies. It runs great as long as there is plenty of gas and you are not in 4x4 going slow or in reverse. We thought maybe it was just our truck and maybe age. We just could not figure out why it acted this way with no more mileage than it has.