hey I'm looking to getting a 1997 automatic 4x4 dodge Dakota 3.9l v6 I plan on going to look at it this weekend, I was wondering what I should look for when looking at it and problems I should be aware of. its low in kms only 180000. I heard they have tranny problems but I am not sure because I have a buddy who has one an he's got over 300000 on it with no tranny issues. im coming from a 5 speed Ranger i have had no problems at all with the truck but i need a 4x4. Thanks for your time.

 

Hi and welcome to the forums,

Check the fluid. If it smells burnt then something is up.

The Dakota you're looking at will likely have the 42RE transmission. It's not bad and with proper maintenance will last a long while. At 112 k miles, I'd pull the pan and replace the fluids and filter. The bands could/should be adjusted at the same time. There will likely be some crap in the pan, unless excessive or the fluid smells burnt I wouldn't worry.

The 3.9 is based on the 5.2. Blown plenum gaskets can happen. Open the throttle and take a look into the intake. If you see oil, it's blown. It's a fairly common problem

Otherwise, it's a 16 year old truck. Things can go wrong. Check it out thoroughly. There are plenty of parts out there so you can usually fix about anything - for a price. It's no different from any other car/truck in that respect.

Good luck.