2002 Dodge Dakota Regular Cab

reliable

By jw (AZ) on Sunday, May 05, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 120,000

Pros: "plenty of room inside for long trips."

Cons: "the paint faded on the hood and roof"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"fast, with plenty of power hauls a load of wood without squatting the truck or making the front end come up gets good gas mileage if I keep my foot out of it. only had to replace the water pump, battery, and tires otherwise very good."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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best vehicle i ever had.

By phyllis (TX) on Monday, April 29, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 174,000

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"ilove this truck. perfect size for me and everything i do. would get another but found out they dont make them anymore. that upset me tremendously. a little more headroom would have been nice for my hubby but thats all."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Size is just right; Quality Lacking

By LaxDave (MD) on Sunday, April 28, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 65,125

Pros: "Perfect size for my needs, nice body design"

Cons: "Quality of parts, high maintenance costs, low MPG"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 3

"The up side (and why I hang on to it): The size of the vehicle is just right for my needs, and not found in any other brand. Like the looks, both inside and out. Only thing I would have changed is to make the shift lever shorter so that it doesn't block access to the radio and climate controls. The down side: Gas mileage (V8 4.7L AT 4wd, conservative driver) 14 mpg around town, 17 highway (I keep very detailed records, the best I ever got was 20 mpg on a long trip at steady 60 mph speed when it was fairly new). Quality of parts: 2006: Ball joints recall 2007: Replaced starter (have 1997 Ford Ranger with 100K miles, original starter) 2009: Front shocks replaced, leaking (have 1997 Ford Ranger with 100K miles, original shocks) 2009: Check engine light, leaking vacum hose 2010: Cheapo chrome caps on lug nuts start coming loose, falling off (outrageous dealer price ($9.39 each) to replace 2011: Check engine light, leaking vacum hose 2011: Check engine light again, leaking vacum hose 2011: Rear stabilizer bar replaced 2011: Rear shocks replaced (have 1997 Ford Ranger with 100K miles, original shocks) 2011: Front frame rubber bumpers replaced 2012: Intermediate steering shaft joint worn, replaced 2012: Check engine light again 2012: Parking brake pads come loose from brake shoe, wedge inside parking brake drum, have to replace rear brakes, very expensive for cheap part failure. 2013: Rust on tail gate lower edge 2013: Tail pipe hanger rusted through (have 1997 Ford Ranger with 100K miles, original muffler, tailpipe) Spent well over $6,000 in all scheduled maintenance and repairs in 10 years of ownership, and 65,000 miles of conservative driving, no off-road or otherwise strenuous conditions. Little things, like vacumn hose leaks and lug nut caps coming loose that are--comparatively--very expensive to fix or replace. Failure of parking brake pads resulting in premature replacement of rear brakes (rotors, etc) and wearing of steering shaft."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Great for the right person.

By Alex (TN) on Wednesday, April 24, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 114,000

Pros: "Fun to drive, Looks great, Powerful, Quick, Comfy"

Cons: "Slightly cramped, Clear coat is low quality"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"I got this truck as my first personal vehicle and have loved it since. I drove many trucks big and small before I owned one of my own and I have to say I am happy with my purchase. I love how quick the 3.9L is while still being pretty efficient on gas for a truck its size. I usually get 18-22 mpg while shifting at 1800 and light on the pedal. Having a lead foot however will give you about 14-16 mpg. The interior is great as is the stereo. I love the convenience of the middle console and both cup holders. My only quarrel with the interior is the lack of room. This truck would be ideal for a young man or older man who simply uses it for getting from point a to point b. Even giving a ride for a friend or family member has the truck feeling cramped for a 2-seater. The power behind the V6 has let me haul a 26-foot pontoon boat with ease as well as long trips hauling off-road toys on a medium trailer. Gas mileage is hardly even effected."

3 people out of 4 found this review helpful

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Great Truck!

By Acwallen (CA) on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 138,000

Pros: "Fun to drive! Fast! Low maintenence cost!"

Cons: "MPG MPG MPG!!"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Its a great truck lots of power and torque 5.9L. Only down side is 13mpg in winter and 14.5mpg in summer. Could use a little more cab space since I have 2 kids. Dakotas are a great truck not too big for parking and narrow mountain roads but still much roomier than comparable trucks like the Nissan Frontier/Toyota Tacoma. I will be buying a 4x4 4.7L soon Ill leave a review on it after a couple of trips to the mountains. So far I have 138k problem free HARD miles! Lots of burnouts and drag races! Pretty fast for a 4200lb quad cab! Hands it to silverados and f-150s all day! Ill never sell or trade my Dakota!!"

3 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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Reliable, comfortable, under-powered

By Spencer (NY) on Friday, March 22, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 85,000

Pros: "rebliable, easy to operate"

Cons: "v6 is underpowered"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"I have owned this vehicle for a year. It has the 3.7L v6, with a standard transmission, 4wd, 6.5ft bed, standard cab. I love having the standard with 4wd, this truck goes through a decent amount of snow and mud. The v6 is not enough for this truck, because of the little engine, i only average about 11.8 mpg in the city, and 19 on the highway (if i am lucky.) If i could choose this truck again, it would be identical, with the exception of the engine."

4 people out of 4 found this review helpful

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