Ok guys i have been on these forums for awhile and i know you are smart. I am looking to buy a dodge dakota and wanted some feedback before i drop the bank. Are there any major problems i should be looking for ? like faulty trans in a certain model... are the reliable ? are the engines as good as the rams ? how are the transmissions ? what is the best year ? any advice is appreciated thanks.

I have a 2000 Dakota. I had the ABS sensor go out right after I bought mine. Used this board to get advice and replacing the sensor was pretty easy and cost about $20. No other problems, just regular mainteance. 72,000 miles now.

i have a 89 dakota and only probem i've had was a the water pump wnt out..i've drove it 2 year now nothing wrong except oil changes and all that ood stuff..mine's got a 239 v-6 it good trucks...

i have a 99 dakota with a 3.9 at about 137k miles. i had to replace the timing chain due to rough idle, and attempted to fix some broken exhaust manifold bolts. (unsuccessful due to them breaking again). but that made it run great.. of course untill the engine started this loud serious knock and i pulled the motor and replaced all the rod and main bearings which fixed that knock and started a strange rattling noise. so with mine i am having bad luck but ill tell you what i like driving the truck so much that ill keep fixing it untill it is immaculate.

as far as Dakotas go, great trucks. they have some setbacks such as gas milaege (due to weight) and they are known for trans. problems at around 150k. but like any vehicle it will run as good as it has been maintained. i would recommend that you go with the 4.7 or 5.2 becuase the lack of power with the v6 gets old after a while. and since the truck weighs about 2 tons, a larger powerhouse will hull the weight better and give you about the same gas mileage (15-19) as a v6. i am also fairly certain that the truck uses the same drivetrain as the ram so you can expect the same results with either just a smaller truck.

I have a '98 Dodge Dakota. I've had it for years and mostly just been minor things wrong, but with regular preventive maintenance you can avoid problems with any type of vehicle.

My 2001 Dakota QuadCab with the 4.7l V8 is my work truck. It has 195K miles on it and runs like a scalded dog. I get between 17-21 mpg depending on how much i am in town and how heavy my foot is. It has the tow package and tows my boat like it isn't there. My biggest complaint is that the front brake discs seem to warp easily. That is probably my fault, but who knows?

Things I have fixed on it:
Throttle Position Sensor $25
Steering wheel clockspring $60
HVAC blower resistor pack $15
One broken exhaust manifold bolt $5
Two O2 sensors $150 (for both)
Six front disc brake rotors $30 (each)

I don't think that's bad for 195K miles