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jhawk
Dodge Dakota
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7/19/2002
20:30:40
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 Subject: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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I'm thinking of buying a '02 Dakota QC, 4.7 auto. I've known for a while about the front disc brake problem. But Consumer Report says that the Dakota is unreliable. What do you owners say? I don't want to spend money on something that wont work right! What's you opinion?
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Bruce P
Dodge Dakota
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7/19/2002
20:51:55
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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It depends on your priorities and perhaps your point of view.
My wifes 1991 Honda has been back to the dealer ONCE for a problem in 150,000 miles and is still running great. This is reliability... But it has several holes rusted thru the body.
When I decided to buy my Dakota, I concensly decided that I would sacrifice this kind of reliability because I had other priorities. (VERY low body rust, Comfortable seats, V8 engine, Good looks, cheaper and more plentiful aftermarket parts...etc.) My Dakota was in the repair shop at least 12 times in the first 2 years of ownership for piddly little problems. I am NOT complaining, I knew what I was getting into. It has NEVER leaft me stranded and always starts at 5AM at -30F.
It is YOUR personal choice.
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kevster
Dodge Dakota
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7/19/2002
21:13:58
|  RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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I own 2 Daks, my 2k cc slt 2wd looks like an RT now, 38,000 miles, no probs yet. and my new 02 quad cab 4x4 slt+ 10,000 miles now, no probs. I like these trucks very much. both are the 4.7 motor and automatic trans, 3;92 posi. I use to own Ford and Chevy, But I have too say, Dodge Dakotas are awsome.
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slider_buck
Dodge Dakota
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7/19/2002
23:00:48
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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i would have to agree with them. i have a 99 r/t and it has been nothing but problems since day one. if it wasn't from being an r/t it would have been gone long ago. i love the truck to death and i'm having a blast fixing it up but i will never own another chrysler product, bout ready to trade it in on a ford lightning. it has been anything from transmission problems to rotor/drum problems to pops and noises to oil leaks, i'm just waiting for the ball joints to wear out next. i have previously owned both ford and chevy products and have never had any problems like this before.
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Bernd
*GenIII*
7/20/2002
00:19:16
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Hehehehe...they never drove a FORD I take it. ;)
1997 Dodge Dakota SLT - V6
Supercharged/Intercooled @ 10# w/Nitrous
14.55 @ 96.01mph
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samsmo
Dodge Dakota
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7/20/2002
00:35:22
|  RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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theres some truth, mine at 60k used up th balljoints (and its a 2wd , never even hit a ditch, no wrecks-nothin'!) and a belt tensioner, water pump, new brakes, exhaust, tires, and 3 alignments..
love the truck, hate the crap thatr comes with it. I had a 96 accord once, it was like a sewing machine so neat and smooth - but it does not have the attitude my dak has.... just my opin. They're great trucks and fun, but its best if you got some mechanical ability!
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PSU
Dodge Dakota
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7/20/2002
01:12:43
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Well, I would have to somewhat agree with Consumer Reports. In my opinion, the reliability of our Daks is a toss up and it seems like it is luck of the draw to get a perfect Dak. For me I have 40k on my 99 5.2L CC and the only problems I've had are a bad thermostat/gasket and bad spark plugs...(nothing major). I am pretty happy with my truck and treat like it's my kid, but I have also known many people with more extensive problems such as transmission, ball joints, brake disc, electrical problems....etc...you get the point. People who have owned Toyota/Lexus vehichles for example don't seem to have any problems nearly as often and when they do have issues they are fairly minor. It seems that their craftsmanship is more consistent than that of our American Daks....
...hmm...I guess I really don't have much a point but I personally would rather take my chances and get an American made truck that looks nice and has a motor with pure muscle.
...oh and by the way...I'm looking into the Sneeky Pete NOS setup. Anybody have any opinions? and how hard is the install...can I just stick the injector into the intake air or no? Thanks for any replies.
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Pistolero
Dodge Dakota
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7/20/2002
01:30:42
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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I just bought a 2002 RC Sport, and although my head told me not to, I knew I wouldn't be happy with the alternative...a Tacoma PreRunner. The PreRunner was without a doubt a higher quality piece than the Dak, but I felt that it was priced way too high for what was offered, there were too many options, and it was without a doubt one of the most butt ugly trucks I've ever seen in my life. I think the designers must've had some bad saki when they sat down and came up with the front end on the Tacomas...YUK! There was a long thread just a bit ago concerning the junk that American carmakers build, so it doesn't really matter what you buy if it has Chevy, Ford, or Dodge on the tailgate. Many books have been written on why this is true. But, I've had a couple of Dodges, and had pretty good luck with them, so I took a chance on the Dak. I don't expect it to be troublefree and life to be totally blissful with it, but I'm willing to put up with some pains in the a**, because it was what I wanted the most. Besides, I'm fortunate enough to be able to wrench most things myself, like brakes and balljoints, and boards like this are a great source of info if you like to do that.
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kota on 20s
GenIII
7/20/2002
01:37:04
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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i guess i have been lucky then. i have 80k on mine and all that was bad was i needed to replace the front rotors....oh and one of my stock intake manifold bolts broke, causing a verry minor oil leak. thats it
i guess i got delt a lucky hand.
Eric, 98 5.2 5speed, K&N gen II, 50mm TB, 2bbl M-1, 1.7RR's, JBA ciramic headers, carsound cat, dumped gibson, and a lot more
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kota on 20s
GenIII
7/20/2002
01:38:06
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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oh yeah, i race the crap out of it too!!
Eric, 98 5.2 5speed, K&N gen II, 50mm TB, 2bbl M-1, 1.7RR's, JBA ciramic headers, carsound cat, dumped gibson, and a lot more
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J
Dodge Dakota
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7/20/2002
03:26:22
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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i think i need my 2 cents put in. i have v6 modded. me think its cool. me have no problems with my 2001 cc v6 dak. me only have one problem with front ball joints popping. me fing out that bolt was stripped out and they the dmers repaired it free. mee think tyat is not so much a problem. me have oer 10000 miles put on her. that only problem...mean good truck. me think good. me think real good truck.
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Todd W
GenIII
7/20/2002
10:21:43
|  RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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J... please stop talking like a cave man.
I just rolled over 28,000 on my truck. So far it's only been in the shop a few times. The first was three months after I purchased it when the engine decided it was going to run rich and blow black smoke on startup. Resetting the PCM fixed that. The next time was for screwy intermittent wipers, which has pretty much gone away (besides, intermittents are useless most of the time). Last time was for the coating coming off a rim after the truck ahead of me kicked up a rock that hit it.
Scariest thing I've done that I was surprised didn't break anything? You know those orange barrels in construction zones? A semi hit one in the north bound lane and bounced it -over- the concreate barrier into the fast southbound where I was. Hit that puppy at about 70 mph (couldn't get over, and not enough room to stop). Loud bang, thuds, and the truck drove -over- it. No harm, no foul.
All said and told, I don't drive my Dak like a granny and it's the most reliable vehicle I've had so far.
'00 RC Sport Forest Green, 3.9L, 5-speed 3.55, Hurst Comp-Plus Shifter, Clear-Corners, Speed-Glo gauges, Airaid Intake with relocated IAT, Autolite 3923s, Ported Throttle Body, Borg & Warner Cap/Rotor, Accel Coil, JBA 9mm Wires, JET Stage II, 185 T-stat, Flowmaster 40 w/dual out
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Graphite
*GenIII*
7/20/2002
10:23:00
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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I have had several daks. 92, 94, 95, 97, 99 and 2- 02s. They were all fairly reliable except for the 97. That was the worst truck I had ever seen. There were so many problems with it I could fill a whole page. That truck was a dealer trade and driven 250 miles to me. I think that had a lot to do with the problems due to improper break in. I won't buy off the lot or dealer trade again.
I didn't get to fully evaluate the 94 dak as it was totaled.
I got 44000 miles out of my brakes on the 99.
My wife had a 99 sonoma that was a POS. The front brakes wore out @13000 miles, the third door handle broke off etc.
My Point?
Don't believe everything you read in Consumer Reports. Buy the truck and form your own opinion.
Courtesy of the Red White and Blue (the angry American)
2002 graphite /silver
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Talsbury
GenIII
7/20/2002
11:01:02
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Had my Dak almost a year now and its been fun brake rotors are shot every 12000 miles so far but its still a fun truck almost 30K on a 2001 CC 4X4 runs Like a champ and has yet to fail me in 3 feet of water fordging the rivers or 3 feet of Snow in the Siera Nevadas.
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Talsbury
GenIII
7/20/2002
11:01:34
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Had my Dak almost a year now and its been fun brake rotors are shot every 12000 miles so far but its still a fun truck almost 30K on a 2001 CC 4X4 runs Like a champ and has yet to fail me in 3 feet of water fordging the rivers or 3 feet of Snow in the Siera Nevadas.
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Talsbury
GenIII
7/20/2002
11:03:00
|  RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Had my Dak almost a year now and its been fun brake rotors are shot every 12000 miles so far but its still a fun truck almost 30K on a 2001 CC 4X4 runs Like a champ and has yet to fail me in 3 feet of water fordging the rivers or 3 feet of Snow in the Siera Nevadas.
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JMII
Dodge Dakota
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7/20/2002
16:53:48
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Glad to see that most people realize the Dodge is NOT Honda (or Toyota/Lexus) I think Pistolero said it best. My last Honda made it 120K miles and was still going strong after YEARS of serious ABUSE. Too bad Honda does not make a V8 powered, mid-sized, Quad Cab pickup - it seems only ONE company does ;)
So far my '02 Dak (@2,700 miles) is already suffering from the idle/stumbling problem, but thanks to the board I knew to ancitipate that along with brake rotors and ball joints. However, it tows my boat alot better than any Honda thats for sure :p
- John
http://home.mindspring.com/~jntmoore/truck/home.html
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fourgivn1
GenIII
7/20/2002
17:50:15
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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My truck just turned over 23K this weekend, and I have had NO problems with it whatsoever. I have, presently, a minor gripe about a squeak in the cabin, but that is due to an idiot sound installer at the local sound shop, and something that can easily be fixed. I have not even heard/seen evidence of the dreaded rotor warping yet. I'm not saying it will always be this way, but I had an S10 before this, and by this time it had plenty of problems.
Current mods: A MUFFLER. That's it. (For now.)
Future mods: Tonneau cover
Underdrive pulleys
Removal of clutch fan
K&N FIPK
17" rims
And much, much more.....
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Greeno
Dodge Dakota
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7/20/2002
19:11:50
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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I have over 36,000 miles on my 2000 4.7 SLT+ 4X4 and have kept up with the maintenance and no problems except for little idle stumble at the beginning but a ECM upgrade cured that. No rotor problems but I don't drive it like a nut with a Camaro Z28 in a Dak's body. If I wanted a sports car, I would of bought one. I feel like the rotors need to be turned now but it's after 36,000 miles. Anyway, for all you guys that keep replacing sh@tty DC rotors and putting DC rotors back on---DON'T DO IT! Go get some Powerslots or something with quality pads and be done with that SH@T! Just replaced all the fluids including front and rear diff's, transfer case. Runs like a champ. My 2cents
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Exocet
Dodge Dakota
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7/20/2002
20:39:51
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Let me start by saying that Consumer Report's (aka Consumer Distort's) reliability ratings are based on an unscientific sampling process. The results should be viewed with a little bit of skepticism. Models that only differ cosmetically, can have very different ratings. How can two models that are identical mechanically and are quite often built on the same assembly line end up being so different from a reliability viewpoint? My guess, is the sampling process is flawed.
The same thing can be said about owner comments found on the internet. They are an unscientific sample. My rule of thumb is for every unhappy owner out there that you hear from, there are at least 10, and maybe 100, who are happy.
I was concerned about the Dakota as well. I was giving up a Toyota 4x4 that in 11 years and 186K miles only had a pinion seal, timing chain, brake calipers, O2 sensor, and radiator go bad. I tend to keep my vehicles 8-10 years, so reliability is important. Time will tell on the Dakota.
As far as the Dakota is concerned, my 02 QC, 4.7/auto, 4x4 hasn't had any problems in its first 10K miles. Yes, it does have its quirks - erratic idle at times, weak climate control, occasional harsh upshift or downshift, and too many dust specks in the paint. These are all design and build quality issues, that in this day and age, really shouldn't be happening.
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sandman
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2002
11:01:36
|  RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Consumer Reports is about as fair as you get. They ask their readers to rate the productes that they own! How can you get any better then that. The only goal of CR is to help their customers get the best product for the money. It would be nice if their was an Industry Automotive Journal that tracked out of warranty repairs and parts sales. It would also be great is they tracked consumer satifiaction after 3 years or longer. It would be even better if they tracked used vechile sale and customer satisfaction and repairs. It would be impossable to get car companys to give this info up. The only way you would ever get it is to ask owners.
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CR...NOT
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2002
13:21:23
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Uh, Sandman. Let me let you in on a little secret.
CR reliability is flawed for one reason.
THey allow the respondee(sp) to determine what constitues a "serious" or "minor" problem. You will never get consistent data that way. I have seen the CR questionaire. It says, what problems did you experience which YOU (the reader) consider serious?
I have a buddy that is anal about his cars. Let there be one squeak and its off to the dealer to raise hell. THis is a guy that considers ANYTHING out of the ordinary a "serious" problem. In other words, the critera for "serious" or "minor" are never consistent in CR ratings.
Exocet said it best.....so I won't retype what he said here. You can read it for yourself.
Besides....how fair is CR when a new Jap car or truck comes out and they state it will be reliable yet when an American car/truck comes out, they say no data, new model.
Hmmmmmm??
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sandman
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2002
13:44:53
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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I hear your complaints but once again name me a better system. I am guessing that you do not get subscribe to J.D. Power and Ass. If you did you would see overwelming praise for imports in most areas associated with durability and build quality. You can go to their site and read alot of articles for free. The reason CR is so popular is because J.D. Powers will not do long term fleet testing. If J.D. Powers did long term fleet testing like 4-6 years the results would put the American auto industry out of business!! I am sure that CR would be happy to do the type of testing you would like to. I doubt that GM, Ford, or Dodge would give them a fleet of vechiles to test for free.
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Dr. D
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2002
13:55:19
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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I have but one question ...... How many 1960's or 1970's model Toyota trucks or cars do you see on the road today?
Dr. D
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drtswinger
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2002
15:54:43
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Man, all of you praise toyotas like the are the cream of the crop. I'll tell you something, I work for a toyota dealership in the service drive, and they have their foul ups to. 02 avalon came in the other day because the engine seized up and threw a piston into the head. No dont get me wrong, this was a weird occourance, but it happens. Door handle break CONSTANTLY on camrys, a/c compressors lock up all the time, interior starts falling apart in certain places after only a couple years. And trust me, we get our fair share of bad transmissions, dirty paint, bad brakes, and expensive service bills. Yes thats right, not only are the cars expensive, but they are even more to fix. its the trade off you get. Now I'm not knockin' toyota, they are good cars ad trucks, but they have their quirks just like Dodge, and If you look in the long run, most of the time it evens out. Oh yea, and toyotas have pretty bad rust problems after 8-10 years, usually where you cant see it.
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CR...NOT
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2002
16:52:57
| reply to Dr D.
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Uhhhh......precious few.
Why?
Because they rusted away into nothing.
I am still waiting for an answer to a question I posed in my previous post.
Buehler?
Buehler?
ANyone?
drtswinger, don't try to tell that to CR....according to them Toyotas don't ever break. Or rust. OR anything.
Which is why they should stay with rating toasters, toilet paper, and cake mixes.
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Dr. D
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2002
17:10:55
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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What I meant by my post was that JAP vehicles usually do not see their twentieth birthday due to the fact that it just cost to much to much to keep fixing them and the fact that the parts become obsolete.
Dr. D
(and the "D" doesn't stand for Toyota)
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sandman
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2002
20:19:17
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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I am the first one to admitt that every company makes Lemons!!!! I am not stupid!!! I just like companys that make fewer lemons then is considered normal by industry standards. The reason you do not see that many 60 or 70 Toyota on the road is two fold. 1) Toyota got off to a rocky start with poor initial guality! 2)People are not restoreing them because they are not considered collectable. For example their are alot more Corvetts registered on and titled then General Motors ever built.This fact does not mean that corvettes are the most durable car in history. The fact that Junk yards are not littered with Toyota Trucks says alot. The only time you see a Toyota in a junk yard is if it has been totaled.
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Exocet
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2002
21:33:44
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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Although I feel that CR's rating process is flawed, it is, unfortunately, the best source of information on long term vehicle reliability. I don't like it because it is subject to an owner's biases. It is not an objective survey. Yes, you could design a better survey that would take out the biases of the owners. However, it may be too complex for the average person to use. It is a balancing act on the part of the people who design the survey.
As an engineer, whenver I look at CR car/truck edition, I usually have too many questions. This past spring when I looked, I compared (just for sh*ts and grins) the Nissan Frontier to the Dakota. Over the past 3-4 years, they seemed pretty similar. Yet the Frontier is deemed reliable, while the Dakota isn't. OK. Is reliability based on the lifetime of the vehicle? 6 years? 10 years? They don't specify. Maybe the Dakota is great for the first 4 years, then goes down the toilet. I don't know. Also, I've noticed their trend to rate 4x4 trucks as unreliable, while many of their 4x2 counterparts are rated as reliable. I find it hard to believe that the addition of a transfer case, driveshaft, and front differential would make that big of a difference. I suspect that the difference is in the way the owners use their 4x4s. Maybe 4x4 owners are harder on their trucks than 4x2 owners and this contributes to the differences? Just more questions.
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SuperBee
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2002
21:41:37
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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mine 90 dak has 139,000 exacly as it sits int he driveway as i type, i have had NO steering problems, but i heard somone say the GenI daks had 3/4 ton steering components, i have had a few seals go bad, nothing i couldn't fix myself but hey its 12 years old, a paper gasket prolly wont last that long under real life situations, the tranny seals went out, that i had fixed and the previous owner treid fixing the tourque converter himself and f@$%$# it up so that needed replacing, the tosrion bars NEEDED to be cranked up and an ADD a leaf was REQUIRED, hehehe, some rust problems, it is a cronic problem no matter WHAT you drive that is over 10 years old in the salt belt, unless you dont drive in the winter. The crappt stock cat was plugged and got a catco high flow cat. the valve seals are starting to leak so i get some smoke at start up but our 81 hunting van with 318 does the same but worse, when it starts smoking when i drive it down the road it will get fixed, but it hasnt been that bad considering how much the last owner beat it, but i still have a MUCH nicer GenI Sport considering the others i have seen in person, they are all piles of crap that smoke REALLY bad and have horrid sounding exhaust, and are rusted VERY badly
my truck hasnt really had any problems that arent either related to aging components or the last owner beating it to hell
now it enjoys a comfortable life being babied by me
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sicminds
GenIII
7/21/2002
22:11:22
| RE: Dakota unreliable says Consumer Report
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just rolled over on 67k on my 98 dak
problems:
I have had had the auto tyranny replaced
and took about 2 months for it them to
get it right. Had a handful of sensors
go bad as well as blown a couple exhaust welds. Also Had a blown head gasket(redlining to long at 100mph).And recently the front ball joints
And there is not to many occasions that my daks gas pedal is not to the floor. And I still get 19mpg with a heavy foot!
Other then that, my dak has never left me hanging and can still to this day beat any ranger/s-10 in style and speed!
And its a v6!
now you know thats..................
sic
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