well, i'm going to be selling my Ram 2500 in search of a truck that might get a little better gas mileage & smaller for my wife to drive in bad weather (snow). one of the guys at my work was saying that i'm going to hate going to a smaller truck (i've had full size trucks). but i went to a local used car lot & checked out a 2001 dakota crew cab. it didn't seem that bad.

so the reason for my post is how do you guys (that have these dakotas) like them? anything i should keep an eye out for? is there better years than others? do you think i'm totally stupid for going from a full size to a mid size? any problems i should keep an eye out for? thanks for any input anyone can offer.

 

I would not say it's a bad decision to go smaller but just be sure a smaller truck will still suit your needs for hauling, towing etc. Also the quad cab has a shorter bed, so be sure that will work for you. You also need to be aware of the engine and transmission. You may find the Dakota underpowered if it has a 3.9. QC guys can correct me if I am wrong but I seem to remember someone saying the QC is heavier than a standard cab or club cab so the V6 does not do well in a QC. Also the V6 will really get about the same MPG as a V8 so the QC could be a real good choice if it has a V8. I should add here that I have no knowledge at all of the 4.7, my truck is a 3.9. The 4.7 guys can give you better advice but they seem to be kind of cantankerous to me, just from reading other posts from 4.7 guys here. Check out the transmission too, I know nothing about automatics but have heard of problems with some of them. My first Dakota was a 2000 Club Cab SLT and the valve body the transmission went bad at about 20,000 miles. They fixed it under warranty but it was still a hassle..

The 5.2 or 5.9 will have a lot more power but with pretty much the same MPG as a V6, as long as the V8 is tuned up and running right. My 3.9 gets about 17 to 18 MPG in combined city and highway driving, but I don't get much over 60 or 65 MPH most of the time and my commute is 20 miles one way through the country with not too many stops or red lights.

If the new Dakota is a 4 wheel drive check the ball joints, they are known to go bad. Some Dakota guys (myself included) had to replace the fuel pump at about 125,000 miles. I had to replace my water pump at 142,000 miles, not because it was bad, it was still working but had just a little more play in the pulley shaft than normal so I changed it out as a proactive preventative measure. I also replaced my upper and lower radiator hoses and bypass hose too. Personally I think it is a good idea to keep the radiator and heater core flushed every couple of years. A lot of Dakota owners have had problems with the heater core getting clogged and flushing it out regularly can help avoid that.

Other than those few things I say if the truck is in good shape, has been taken care of like it should and the price is right then it could be a good truck for you as long as it will suit your needs. I had a 2003 full size Ram before I bought my Dakota and it really was no worse for me to move down to a smaller truck. However, back when I had the Ram I also lived out in the country and we owned half a dozen horses so I had need for a full size truck with a full size bed. I traded the Ram when I got out of the horse business and moved to a small house in town. I love my Dakota. It has been the best and most reliable vehicle I have ever owned.

Jimmy

 

As far as physical size is concerned, there's not really that much difference between a Dakota and a full-size Ram. In fact, my truck gets mistaken for a Ram all the time.

If your main motivation is fuel economy, though, you're probably going to be disappointed in a Dakota. They're still gas hogs.

 

Says the godfather -bows-

 

I went from a dakota to a ram and to me its a big difference. Me being 6'3 I like having the extra room. Tho at times I miss the small light weight of my dakota. Pretty much if you are looking for a 4 door dakota dont get a v6. 5.2 and 4.7 are the same as far as power but the 4.7 gets a little bit more mpg. Nothing to really look out for other than the normal dodge stuff. Steering components and tranny

 

thanks guys. keep the input coming in. dodgeramguy, i'm like the opposite. i'm only 5'6", so when i sat in the dakota at the used car lot, it fit me fine, lol. having a full size is nice for the room. but my extended cab is tough having 2 car seats on the back. the kids don't have much room & are kicking the back of the seats unless they are moved all the way up. and even then, my son still sometimes kicks the back of the passenger seat.

now when we looked at the QC dakota, we was jumping around in the back yelling "this is soooo cool", lol.

i'm not really doing much hauling in any of the trucks i have had. the occasional "dump" run, but other than that, nothing else really. i bought my Ram 2500 thinking i was going to tow my Jeep on a trailer. i thought i was going to sell the Jeep, but ended up selling the trailer 1st.

 

Yeah the rams quad cabs arent car seat friendly. The dakotas do have a decent amount of room for a mid size truck. They dont tow all that much but they do decent around 5,000lb. I know I could never tow with another gas truck after owning my diesel tho.

 

The 00' and 02' quad cabs are my least favorite. Different reasons, 00' is a transition year and was the first year release of the QC and '02 had more steering issues than any other year. 03-04' have interior and exterior detail differences to the '01. So your year choice will actually be something of preference more than options/issues.

If you read my tag you'll see my truck is a 4.7 automatic with 4x4 and is a quad cab. If you're going quad cab, only get a V8. The QC only came with the 4.7 not the 5.2, and I've been around enough 5.2s and 4.7s to say there is quite a difference between the two. If I'd suggest you do anything to the truck it'd be get your differentials swapped to something taller like 4.10. You'll actually see improvements all around and at least mpg increase in the city.

I'm 5'10" and I fit in this truck perfectly. My dad is 6' and is overweight, when he had knee replacement surgery, my Dak was the vehicle of choice for transport because the seats all way back his knees didn't bend.

My personal view on the QC is it is a SUV/Truck, it has all the space and storage of an SUV but has the truck bed which makes it as good at utility as a truck. Are you crazy for going from a fullsize to midsize. Nope, I used to live around DC in Montgomery County. I loved my Dak to death there. It could do anything I needed for the area. Hauled a small trailer, dump loads, home depot runs, shuttled 12 people around sometimes. Was it insulted by asshats who drove f-150s, definitely but they hated it when I wiped around town or through DC because I was small and it drove like a car.

For the snow around your area the Dak will handle it like a champ, and I've yet to ever get stuck and I have worn out highway tires. The truck is super predictable in the snow and the QC is pretty balanced. In your first snow storm you'll easily figure out how the truck handles.

Only thing I can definitely say about the 4.7 is it loves its oil. Keep it supplied and topped off and the engine will thank you.

Sorry for any typos, this was sent from my phone

 

thanks very much for the info Blacknights.

 

I moved this thread into "general discussions."

Good luck in your search ebx. As with any 13+ year old vehicle give it a good inspection and if it is 4wd, especially on the '01+, make sure it shifts into all modes and there are no unusual noises - thinking front driveshaft too.