Looks, size, comfort

None

Bought used with 31k and some warranty left. Had the now "infamous" Dakota rear end whine. Dealer replaced the ring/pinion. Also had some strange cracking in the steering column that was corrected by replacing, I am told, the short shaft in the column. Now close to 39k, absolutely no other problems. Pulling up history of truck at Chrysler shows no other problems. Average 17+ mgp city and 20+ highway mileage, which I find adequate for a truck this size. My only question would have to be how can some trucks like this be virtually trouble free, yet reading other reviews find same year/model that supposedly were in the shop more than on the road? Living in small-town USA, there are many of these Dakotas running around, and I have yet to talk to anyone that does NOT love their Dakota and rave about the reliability. Makes one wonder, doesn't it?

Similar Products Used:

None

seating capacity, horsepower, easy to work on yourself.

wish it had larger tires

Great truck, no problems since I have owned it. Would I recommend it to someone else, I already have.

Similar Products Used:

none

Roomy interior, heavy duty construction,looks

none yet

The Dodge Dakota is a very solid and well built truck. Has great power and looks great too. It’s a great mix between the cramped compact trucks and the monster full size gas guzzlers. I got the V6 version which offers enough power to handle most jobs yet gives me great gas mileage. I have had no problems since I bought this truck

Similar Products Used:

none

LOOKS OK

NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO WRITE EVERYTHING

THIS TRUCK IS BY FAR THE WORST VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED.IT HAS NEVER RUN RIGHT AND NO ONE KNOWS WHY. $650 TO REPLACE A FUEL PUMP. GIVE ME A BREAK! I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT, NOR WILL I EVER DO BUSINESS WITH THAT INCOMPETENT, DECEITFUL DEALERSHIP.

Similar Products Used:

AS NEAR AS I CAN TELL, ANYTHING ELSE IS BETTER

3.9L engine power & reliability.
Handles extremely well in the snow with limited slip diff.
Built strong and long lasting.

Front suspension gets soft after 200K MI.

1994 Sport w/ reg. Cab, V6, 2WD, short bed.
212000 miles and still running strong. No problems, just the usual battery, tire changes and starter. The limited slip rear axle and short bed make for an ideal truck in the snow if you can't afford the 4WD. Plenty of power and still get 20MPG. Solid truck, great versatility for the mid-size; strong enough to carry or tow a good load and small enough to squeeze into those tight parking spaces.
Very functional as a truck yet comfortable enough as a commuter vehicle. 2 in 1 vehicle.
Great value for the money!

This is why I just purchased another Dakota; (2001 QuadCab, 4x4, 4.7L loaded) See reviews on that.....AWESOME!

Similar Products Used:

The smaller Ranger and S-10 are mush too small to compare. It's in a class by itself.

Power, Comfort, Styling, Size

Dodge has terrible customer service in Canada. The tires last about 15,000 miles.

I couldn't be more impressed. As a Motocross rider, I needed a truck that was big enough to haul my bike and gear but wouldn't kill me in gas on long trips. I first checked out Ford Rangers (small, gutless) and F150's (too big, underpowered) I test drove the Dakota, called a few buddies who owned them and went and got it. Top Notch!! It will tow anything and will lick most stock trucks off the line.

Similar Products Used:

In a class of it's own

Handling. Got to be. I can out-corner my friends cars! I've never been able to get it stuck (The only part that was still visible under the mud was the roof!), and I've gotten it airborne going offroad. It's just a blast to drive. My back doesn't hurt after thirty minutes in the seat either. This is the little truck that takes everything with a laugh! 24 bales of hay? No problem! Everyone comments on how nice it is, and I have to agree.

Gas milage in the V6. I get about what people with the 4.7 V8 get. In retrospect, the V8 would have been wiser. My brother pulled the passenger-side window crank off, it went back on with a tap from a rubber mallet. Sometimes my intermittant wipers freak out and go nuts. Besides that, my BIGGEST complaint is that the cup-holders in the stick-shift are too close to the shifter, and the shift light comes on at wierd times. I ignore it.

I've always loved the styling of the new Dodges, and told myself I'd eventually get one. When I found out I could get this truck for about the same as a used S-10 4x4 I was looking at, I jumped at it. I think "Whoa" was the first word that popped into my mind when I sat in the one at the lot. Talk about a lot more room in the Dakota compared to the S-10! I could actually see a hood on this beast (I'm 6' 2", and couldn't see the S10's hood!). It just felt more solid than the toy. The engine compartment seems bigger and better laid-out, and the truck seemed to be wider/longer in the wheelbase.

Similar Products Used:

1980 Chevy Full size - Dakota lacks the power of my custom V-8, but the power to weight is better. Not to mention the Dakota is a much better ride, hauls about the same cargo, and much more fun to drive! 1998 S-10 4x4 - The Dakota V6 makes more power than the S10's did, I think. Shifts are more precise, I actually like the "Notchy" feeling people complain about. If you want a smooth sports-car shift, get a sports car! This is a truck! The Dakota feels like a big full-size, but handles better than every car I've ever owned. I love this thing.

Good Power. Good looking.Strong engine. Solid construction. Quiet with a good ride.

Mileage. Tie downs in bed of truck.( Buy soom metal latches that just snaps on to and off the bars.)Rear seat in Club Cab to close to floor.

After four months with my 2001 Dakota Club Cab, 3.9 V-6 auto, I can say so far I have had no problems with the truck at all. Looking at some of the reviews, I feel pretty lucky. I don't understand how some people say they have had all kinds of trouble from day one and others say their truck has been pretty much trouble free. I also don't understand how someone can buy the four door model and then complain of a short truck bed. Couldn't they see that before they bought it? Outside of the tie downs in the bed of the truck that I mentioned before. The only negative I have with the truck is the rear seat in the Club Cab. Couldn't you designers get it at least a foot off the floor?

Similar Products Used:

Ford Ranger.(good truck. Good on gas.) Toyota Tacoma.( Good truck but not comfortable if driven over 50 miles.)

POWER!!! (230hp V8) Huge interior. Fun to drive, shifts and handles very well, brakes are ok considering its size.

gas mileage is poor (13/18), but hey, it's a truck.

What a fun vehicle. Goes anywhere, drives easy, laughs off the hard bumps. Just make sure you get the 22 gallon fuel tank, or you'll be stopping every quite often for gasoline.

Great sized truck for someone who doesn't use a truck for their work. I still get compliments on how good the truck style looks and it is three years old. Interior is comfortable and the driver seat provides good support. CD player with Infinity speaker system sounds great even at unreasonably loud levels. No major problems with vehicle yet. Dodge service on the minor problems I have had has been very good. No questions, they just fix it fast and give it back to me.

Front bumper had to be replaced due to bubbling and peeling of the paint. I have read in some auto magazine reviews of others having this problem too. Dodge replaced it with no questions asked.

I will be keeping this truck for a long time. V-6 provides good power, but I wish I had bought the V-8 and the 4x4 options. I only have 24,000 miles on the truck after three years so I do not spend a whole lot of time in the truck, which makes me look forward to driving it every time.