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Anthony
Dodge Dakota
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5/04/2003
05:57:52
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 Subject: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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First time poster, I am posting here to find out what you Dakota drivers think about the safety of your trucks.
I currently drive a Ford Mustang (96 GT, oh what a dog) but in the near future I'm hoping to change platforms - and after reading a ton of articles on a Mustang site (www.corral.net) about jack ass street racers and drunk BMW drivers, I feel like getting something that will protect my neck in the event that I get nailed by someone.
How would the Dakota stand up in a collision with another car, namely ones of various sizes, e.g. compacts, normal cars, SUVs, and other trucks. I drive sanely - so I'm not looking for "safe driving" advice but your opinions on how well you think your Dakota would hold up when it goes face to face with another vehicle.
Currently I'm looking at the Dakota and the Ford F-150 (namely the Lightning), but I like Dodge styling much better.
Any stories about people who've actually been in a wreck with a Dakota / Ram / Durango would be excellent.
Thanks guys,
-Crash test dummy Anthony
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Scott
Dodge Dakota
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5/04/2003
08:33:10
|  RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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Well, here is my personal opinion. The higher you are up off the road the less likely you are to get sandwiched between two vehicles in an accident. I also drive a Corvette and seeing the bumpers of SUVS that are at the same height as my head isn't the most comforting feeling.
With that said, in an SUV you do have less handling and breaking capabilities compared to a sports car, so you are less likely to be able to avoid an incident also.
Bottom line is that I feel safer in a truck.
Scott
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all right
Dodge Dakota
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5/04/2003
10:26:45
| RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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Less breaking capabilities is good, I like it when less things break.
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98BLKDAK
Dodge Dakota
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5/04/2003
13:31:27
| RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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i havnt been in a wreck but my friend has. he was driving his 01 extended cab R/T late at night (drunk too) and second guessed a turn and hit a telephone pole head on and crack the pole in half. if it wasnt for the pole they wouldve gone into a river and probably drown. they thought it was totaled but their insurance said it was fine. he got a new front fenders and bumper and it looks great. him and his friend only got bruises and air bag burns. ive drove the truck sence the wreck and it drives perfect.
p.s. sorry if u dont care about the details just wanted to share
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sandman
Dodge Dakota
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5/04/2003
13:32:43
|  RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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Well I hit a Saturn Vue at 55 MPH and I came out in pretty good shape. My arm and shoulder injuries were from the air bag and lack of a good head rest. If not for the stupid air bag I would have walked away with close zero injuries. My doors and cabin area were in perfect shape. The damage was confined to the first six inch's of frame, front end. I think the vechile did a great job!!! Our Dak QC also recieved 5 star crash rateing from NHTSB.
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Lesley
GenIII
5/04/2003
19:20:43
| RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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I feel pretty safe in mine with the steel bumpers and box frame.
97 3.9 CC Sport. JBA stainless headers, Borla Turbo XL stainless muffler & tip, 17 x10 Boyd Coddington Smoothies, FMS injectors, V8 TB, Quick D intake,
Not installed: 5.9 litre 360, posi & 3.92s, M1 2bbl , 52mm billet TB, ceramic JBAs. , KRC cam, mopar perf valve covers & air cleaner
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Anthony
Dodge Dakota
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5/05/2003
04:13:25
| Thanks for the replies so far!
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Details are exactly what I'm looking for 98BLKDAK. Stories like the ones that have been told give me a good idea of what I can expect.
Tests in a controlled environment only tell so-much about the actual safety of a vehicle, that's why I'm out here on the Dakota forum for some practical opinions and stories about your big rigs.
I feel safer in my stang than in most of the compacts I've driven - but when I look at some of the SUVs around here with soccer moms behind the wheel; or when I drive home behind a drunk who's big-rig has it's tail swinging back and forth, I start to get worried.
If anyone else can contribute, it'd be fantastic.
Odds are I'll end up behind the wheel of a Dakota, and I'll put some modifications in it. I'm looking for something sporty, that can (with the right mods) run respectable ETs in the quarter mile yet still work and run like a truck (meaning OFFROAD and drive to work in the winter).
I'll likely make a seperate post asking opinions on which Dak is the best for that.
Any other crash stories or personal opinions about your Daks, Rams, or Durangos would be fantastic!
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GasHog
Dodge Dakota
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5/05/2003
10:47:16
|  RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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well, i have been i a couple of accidents and i can tell you i am a big believer in the bigger and heavier car you drive the better off you will be. i hit a tree at 40+ in a 76 olds cutlass and walked away with out a scratch, i was a passanger in a suburban when we lost control and ran into a light pole, barley dented the truck but the pole was destroyed. i was also a passenger in a honda prelude when we were clipped by a old guy not watching what he was doing, barley hit us but the way we swung around i thought it was a semi, people drive around oblivous to what is around them, if you are in a small or low car most wont even see you, if you are driving a truck and riding higher than them they will see you and even if they dont the large heavy frame will absorb most of the impact. i also feel the same as scott, when you are driving a car and your head is at the same level as the bumper of the truck next to you how safe can you feel.
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Beiersy
Dodge Dakota
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5/05/2003
10:54:17
| RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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Ok you want to talk about Dakota wrecks we'll talk about dakota wrecks. In my opinion the dakota is very safe. But it does take the damage pretty hard in what I've seen. My Dakota has had 3 wrecks. One head on that my brother had late one night at an intersection in a town nearby. He was going 30, the Taraus he hit was going 30. The Taraus was totaled and the dakota took 6.5k in damage. The air bags did not go off for some reason though. The second was when I first started driving and like an idiot drove too fast on a wet road and lost it going around a turn. I got a hold of a horse crossing sign that went down the whole side of my truck. 3K in damage due to new fender, door, bed. No airbag ejection, but it was kinda a side swipe so I didn't expect it to. Third was when I was coming home one night and a deer jumped out in front of me and I locked um up, aimed for the ditch to miss it and since my truck sits lower than most Fords and Chevy's the top of a culvert got a hold of the bottom of my truck. Not really too much damage from that, just scratched up bottom in front and broke the plastic bottom of my bumper. Air bag did not go off either. Forgot to say I have a 98 r/c dakota
The Ram can take a beating. My dad's 95 2500 Cummins has slain 4 deer and still is a chuggin with 209K miles on her. Very safe crashes, just new bumpers on three but the fourth did some damage due to the fact that it was a pretty good size deer. I live in south eastern Indiana and the Deer problems are pretty bad around here. Hope that helps since I have been in a few with the Dodges and I trust them more than I would Fords or Chevy's!
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FredDQC
Dodge Dakota
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5/05/2003
17:15:28
|  RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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Well, even thought they say bigger is better when it comes to accidents, car that I had, car that I crashed and were different sizes.Luckily, I came out of everyone without a scratch, I did notice that on the bigger vehicles, internal pain (soreness)was worse. Small compact vehicles seem to cushion impacts better that big rigs. Of course the damage to the car is more. but that is the reason they designed them that way. As far as my dakota, the reason why I don't feel safe, is because of that damm rear ABS!!. Also I heard that Dakotas and Rams have a sweet spot right in the middle of the front fender where if you were to hit a pole, there would be lots of damage.
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98blkdak
Dodge Dakota
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5/05/2003
22:57:18
| RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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i'd def go with a dakota. but if you gte one get a v8.i like my v6 and i just got a glass pack on it today and it sounds mean but ive drove the 5.9 and 5.2 and id much rather have one of them over the 3.9. also i beleive your mustang is much safer than many sports cars.
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Camry Killer
Dodge Dakota
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5/06/2003
01:33:23
| RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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I slammed into a Toyota Camry doing about 50 mph, and came out in perfect shape. Here's a website to look at crash ratings though.
http://www.crashtest.com/dodge_truck/ie.htm
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J.D. Leddon
Dodge Dakota
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5/06/2003
06:02:31
| RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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I rolled a 2000 Quad cab at 80 M.P.H. I was in a seat belt & my buddy was in the back seat asleep. I opened my door and walk away without a scratch on me. My buddy had a few bruises & scrapes on him but we both survive it. I think it was a little of it being a well built truck as the frace of God that we survive the wreck. Reguardless I bought me another Dakota after the wreck.
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Mr.Johnson
Dodge Dakota
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6/19/2010
14:19:38
|  RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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Forget buying Dodge junk. Dodge is the Junk brand of ChryslerFiat If you want something thats kool: Then a Lincoln Mark 5 is just for you.
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daddio
Dodge Dakota
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6/19/2010
14:30:16
| RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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At least your name fits you. Draggin up a 7 yr old post.
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Ha
Dodge Dakota
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6/19/2010
15:09:36
| RE: Dakota: Safe against drunks and morons?
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Johnson Rod most likely drives a toyota
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