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Daniel Yonts
Dodge Dakota
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2/22/2004
19:45:26
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 Subject: Any happy dakota owners
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I recently brought a 1999 dakota sport 4x4 with a 5.2. Drives like new with 70,000 miles on it.
Now it seems since I found this site that there are many unsatisfied owners that are telling horror stories about their dakotas. Are there any owners out there that really like their dakotas, let me know. This is my first Chrysler product I've owned, so far I'm pleased.
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Critter
Dodge Dakota
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2/22/2004
19:48:41
|  RE: Any happy dakota owners
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i am happy with mine except for the color. THe price was right and my uncle kept it up b4 I bought it. Great truck. Fun to drive too.
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WipLash
R/T
2/22/2004
20:07:38
|  RE: Any happy dakota owners
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Just don't ever take it to the dealer for services and you'll be alright.
There are issues with these trucks that all of us can relate to. I'm sure you've read them all. I really don't think there would be an issue even now if it weren't for the outrageous prices we are paying for our trucks these days. When I bought my 1st Gen2 it was a 1992 4x4 Xcab V8 and I paid $14,000.00 for it. I could have bought a 2wd RC 5.2L Auto that same day for $12,500.00. Fast forward 4 years and in 1996 they wanted $5,000.00 more for each of the same truck. Nothing had changed from 1992 to 1996 except a $5,000.00 increase in price. Then when the Gen3's came out the price jumped another $2,500.00 for basically the same truck. A 92 RC V8 MSRP'd for $12,500. Now a RC 2004 V8 MSRP's for about $20,000.00. Is the truck worth $7,500.00 more? NO! That's a 60% increase in price. Has inflation gone up 60% since 1992? NO! Is the truck 60% better than it was 10 years ago? NO! There lies the problem. We are paying more for a truck and getting less. We have less HP, less Torque, less towing capacity, less fuel mileage, less reliability, and a higher monthly payment than we did 10-12 years ago. That's the problem in a nut shell.
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JES
Dodge Dakota
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2/22/2004
21:28:35
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I second Wiplash dealer comment. With everything considered (balljoints, rotors, etc.), my biggest gripe is the huge pain in the rump it is to get the thing fixed. I think it's a combination of incompetence, ignorance, and greed on the dealers part. Next one I'll buy used.
Eric - http://photos.yahoo.com/jes_96
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another mark
Dodge Dakota
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2/22/2004
21:32:09
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I bought my 99 club cab 3.9 new and all in all I'm very happy
with it. I'm getting close to 70,000 and only a few things have
gone wrong:
stock tire blew up at 14,000 miles (I'll never by Goodyear after
that)
rear wheel speed sensor went out
distributor pickup went out
catalytic converter went out after 3 years
camshaft position sensor went out after 3 years
Not too bad I think. Since I've lowered it this thing is more fun
to drive than my '90 Camaro was!
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mgt
Dodge Dakota
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2/22/2004
21:37:30
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I'll third his comment. After i replaced all brakes and brake fluid in mine. 13 miles later I went to the dealer so they could check the tranny. They tol me i needed a full brake service.
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janesy
Dodge Dakota
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2/22/2004
22:08:35
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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Well i love mine, if i could leave it alone, i would have done nothing at all to it, oh wait no, water pump and fuel pump at 180 000km.
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Kindig
Dodge Dakota
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2/22/2004
22:36:48
|  RE: Any happy dakota owners
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Are you kidding me? I Love my 01 Dak slt 4.7 4x4 auto with 3.55 and HD everything. It is my forth Dodge truck and I have had NO problems at all. My brakes and ball joints are just fine thank you.
So far so good and I have 34,000 miles. Tha gas mileage is not the greatest, how-ever it is a DODGE. Any long time Dodge fan will tell you that Dodge trucks have NEVER gotten go gas milage.
Welcome to the Dodge family and good luck with your truck.
Late!
Go #40
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Justi
Dodge Dakota
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2/22/2004
23:07:56
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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My first Dodge product after hating the Mopar Madness. I wanted a truck that had some room and a real engine but was tired of the cumbersome size of my F150. I've only had my QC 4x4 since October but so far I'm still very pleased with it. Right at 9k miles so still early in the game, but so far so good.. :)
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azf100
Dodge Dakota
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2/22/2004
23:42:51
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I have a 99 Club Cab 4x4 with 56k and have made sure to do all the proper maintenance. It still drives like new. The reason you find many people discussing problems and issues is because that is really what a message board is for. Most people won't go online and search for a message board in order to make a post to say they enjoy their truck. Good luck with your truck!
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RTbill
Dodge Dakota
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2/23/2004
00:33:24
|  RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I've owned various Chrysler muscle cars, A & B body, for 35 years now and have loved them! So, when I decided to start towing instead of driving these beauties to car shows I naturally wanted a Dodge truck for the job. I bought a clean used/private party 2001 QC 2WD 4.7L multi-speed auto w/trailer towing option and power everything this January. I cleaned the engine compartment up, changed all the filters, installed new General tires, checked the brakes, and detailed the heck out of it to get ready for the new car show season. Within the first week of ownership the oil pressure went to ZERO twice, the engine has a valve noise that comes and goes. The second week I found out I needed both upper ball joints. The right rear door lock linkage has broke since then and the "auto down" driver window feature quit working this last Friday. Also the limited slip rear makes the low pitch whining when turning that has been reported on this website. All this since JANUARY 10, 2004! WHAT'S NEXT?
Ball joints can be replaced, and other annoying failures can be fixed too. But after reading all the oil pressure problems these Dodge's have due to a sludge prone condition...well, that's what has me worried. I was constantly watching the oil pressure gage. I have parked it until I can drop the pan to see if I have any sludge build up and go from there. I can report that the tail gate works OK, and it looks really nice sitting in my driveway!
I am disappointed in this Dakota to say the least. I guess Chrysler just doesn't build them like they used too.
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Marine Tanker
Dodge Dakota
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2/23/2004
10:32:36
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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Yes, I love my truck, and many others here do too. A site like this would not exist if it wasn't for a large mass of Dakota fans!
When you read these forums it's hard to find very positve threads because most threads is someone that has an issue that need help with or want to provide help.
You bought a great truck, look at this site a positve thing, a bunch of Dakota fans helping with issues from a scratch in the bumper to a blown engine.
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CThomp
*GenIII*
2/23/2004
10:38:30
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I love my dak as well. Only had it in the shop twice (for repairs anyhow). Once was for brakes and the other was from a minor fender bender. About to put it in the shop for some cosmetic repairs (over the rail bedliner I had tore up my paint). Not the end of the world.
I now have 50K miles and couldn't think of owning any other truck. Maybe a Tundra but those are ridiculously priced.
I've hauled 2000lbs. of tile in the back of my 2wd Dak. And 1000lbs of mulch last Saturday. I couldn't be happier with it.
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00R/T CC
Dodge Dakota
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2/23/2004
10:59:23
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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At the risk of jinxing myself (and my R/T), I too LOVE my Dakota. Bought it 2yrs ago, and although I only drive it May to Oct it gets me around in style and class, and at a rapid pace to boot.
To date I've replaced two plug wires, a dist. cap and rotor (dist. rotor, not brake!) and the drivers side pwr window/lock switch (I broke that replacing the green LEDs with blue)
The ones with problems are allways going to be the most vocal. They have sold many, many (maybe a million?, does anyone know total sales?) trucks to many, many satisfied owners. I'm one, and I know that there are more out there!
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timberwolf
GenIII
2/23/2004
11:56:42
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I love my Dakato too. I'll probably keep this one until my son can drive, then give it too him (he's 4 now). The only thing I've had to do outside normal maintenance is replace the power steering pump because of a bad bearing and the ball joints. Never had a lick of trouble with the brakes and now have 64,000 mi. I run synthetic everything and I am meticulous about maintenance. If you do the same, the motor should last forever. All brands of vehicles have their quirks. Go to any message board and you'll find people who are not satisfied. Just enjoy it and realize that anything mechanical is eventually going to experience some sort of breakdown eventually.
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deerridge
GenIII
2/23/2004
13:04:44
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I love mine. Its the first truck I ever owned I wanted to add stuff too. Headers, Int Perf GenII, custom PCM, Rhino Liner, Extang Full Tilt. I pull a flat bed with 100 bails of hay and a three horse trailer with it. It does everything my 1992 Chevy 350 did and handles like a sports car. 33000 miles, no complaints and no failures of any kind.
Real Horsepower
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Owain
Dodge Dakota
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2/23/2004
13:30:05
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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There will be gripes with any manufacturer. My friend had a Toyota X-cab 4wd and believed that his truck was better than my Dak, but after totalling the cost of repairs, we realized that it is a myth that foreign cars will save you money. Mine was cheaper to mainatin and he only got a few more MPG's My 97 V8 X-cab 4wd is comfortable and very reliable(over 170K miles)
Just had original ball joints replaced. Maintain your vehicle and it will last.
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Bob Jones
Dodge Dakota
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2/23/2004
15:18:46
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I love my Dakota. Second one I bought. I'm waiting for an off lease 05 to come back and I'll buy it. I buy all my trucks used.
Question: If a Toyota (Japanese) built in Freemont, CA is foreign is a Dodge (German) built in Warren, MI also foreign? Or is the word "foreign" something biggoted red necks use to feel superior?
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daniel Yonts
Dodge Dakota
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2/23/2004
15:36:05
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I'm glad to know there are dakota owners out there that love their trucks. I was begining to get worried. I can understand some owners that plunked down 20-30k for their dakota and now are having to have repairs done. Thats one reason I never buy new vehicles,another is i guess I'm too tight. If i cant pay cash then i dont want it. Insurance and property taxes are high enough now.
I will admit, this is the first chrysler product i have bought in my 28 years of car buying. I love the style of my dakota and wanted something bigger than a s10 but smaller than my f150.
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Owain
Dodge Dakota
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2/23/2004
18:07:58
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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I think you are going to love it. I had a Ranger and it was really too small. My wife loves the Dak, too and if she is happy, then I am happy
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00R/T CC
Dodge Dakota
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2/23/2004
20:42:08
| RE: Any happy dakota owners
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Bob Jones: The difference is that the Warren plant has been making Dodges since before the second world war. :-)
Forgot to mention, my current Dakota is my first truck, as well, but perhaps my 15th Chrysler product. Mopar or no car.
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