Hey all, I currently have an '00 RC 3.9 2wd, yeah kinda like a baby truck I know! But its been great to me for the past 7 years, although there have been times I wish I had 4wd to get a little further down the creek I was fishing, or wish it had a little more power when dragging the trailer through the hills. Overall only spent roughly $200 on repairs in 7 years other than normal preventative stuff.

I am looking at a '04 Quad Cab 4wd with the 4.7, has everything except power windows which I can live with out. Has 54k kms on it and is roughly $3500-4500 cheaper than any other dealership but its been on the lot for almost 6 months now, wtf? The dealer says its just not as desirable it seems. Its at a Saturn dealer, got it on a trade in. I started it up and right away it made a lot of ticking from the top end. He said it hadn't been started in almost the entire time it was sitting on the lot (there were actually lots of spider webs built up on the top) I guess that could just have been from sitting and the oil maybe lacking in the top end. It ran smooth after that, no smoke, everything underneathe is clean, has a new tranny pan, dealer says they had to do about $2500 worth of work on it when it was traded in. Inside is clean, outside has some dings in the paint, oh well its a truck right?

I ran the VIN through carfax, it comes up clean. My first worries are that there is a dirty little secret that it has and that is why its still for sale. The second worry I have is that I will run into the some of the same problems with the 4.7 and a larger truck than I did with my RC 3.9 and that I wish it had more power for passing or towing the little trailer and quads.

It still has the power train warranty I know, and the dealer throws in a 90day/5000km job as well.

What is the opinion of 4.7 owners? I know if I wanted lots of power I would hold off for a diesel right? But the price is right and I wouldn't mind trading up a little. Plus I still enjoy the body style and not a fan of the new generation daks.

Sorry for a long post, any opinions and suggestions is appreciated.

 

I have a 02 dakota sport, regular cab with a 4.7 and when I hauled a 18 foot boat, I didn't notice it struggling at all. It has alot of power. Every used vehicle has secrets, but overall it sounds like a nice truck.

 

No problems with my 02 Dak QC 4.7. Runs really well and I have about 95K in the odo. Also plenty of power for me. Regularly tow a 1500 lb boat up through the mountains.

Go back and give her another drive and see if she's still ticking on the first start (don't let them know you're coming). Since its now been driven recently in theory you shouldn't get the ticking. If she's good all you can do is take a chance.

 

Dude, I have a 02 Ram 1500 4.7 V8. Its a 2WD. I still have enough power to put dirt in the back and tow something like a small sedan.

 

the thing thats cares me is why is there a new tranny pan. did someone go offroading and destroy it. also if it sat that long check the tires. they may have some flat spots. you wont notice then around town but once your on the highway it could vibrate real bad.. but on any given day my truck sees 6000 at redline and 118 mph on the highway so they are good little trucks. 05 cc. 39000 miles

 

Thanks for the info and tips, certainly the new tranny pan caught my attention right away, I didn't get to take it on the hiway the first trip out, maybe this week I'll do that if I get serious about the truck. Its been there this long, I am not going to be at a loss if they manage to sell it. I am hoping they decide to blow it out at a rock bottom price!

Carfax states it still has a few months left on the basic warr as well, I guess if I got the truck I could run it into Dodge for a last check up if they do that sort of thing. I've honestly never had to take my Dakota in for any work.

 

I've recently bought a 2000 with a 4.7. Has 77,000 miles on it. It ticks some when I first start it every morning. Once it's warm it's ok.Talked to a buddy of mine that's heavy into mechanics and also has a dak of his own. Told me to get the fossil oil out and put in 100% synthetic. Said those types of motors do much much better with synthetic and it should alleviate the ticking. Also said to use a good oil filter and get the crappy one off that the dealer installed.

If there's anything else I should know about this ticking, share with me too!

 

the 4.7 is a good engine i wouldnt worry about it having problems

 

First and foremost, welcome to DodgeForum!!! Glad to have you aboard and we have plenty of people here who can help so enjoy your time and stay with us. Now, to your questions.....

I owned both a 3.9L and a 4.7L Dakota, and the 4.7L was great! Plenty of power, good torque, and would smoke the tires with ease. Mind you, I had a 4x2, but it still did extremely well. Had no problem towing a car behind my truck on a trailer either. So if you want a V8 Dakota, you'll be alright in virtually anything you do. In fact, the 2nd gen Dakotas have a higher payload capacity then the same generation Dodge Ram 1500's.....and can tow almost as much as a Ram as well. Not to say its better then one, but if you're in the market for a midsize truck, the Dakota is the best you can buy.

As for size, I think you'll find that the QC Dakota isnt as big as you think, and within a month you'll actually be wondering why it took you so long to get one. Going to a QC also will allow you more room and allow for more use of the truck year round, if you need it.

As for the feeling of a dirty little secret, I can understand that. However, sometimes vehicles just sit on a lot because there are simply put, better deals or offers on new vehicles. Consider all the discounts and rebates that the auto industry has put out the last 3 years, would you go for a used truck at 15k or a brand new one for 17k, with about the same options? I know what I would go after.

Also, consider this.....sometimes vehicles just hit a dry spell on a lot. I traded my 01 CC 4.7L V8 into a dealership on a Wed night. It was sold by that Saturday (not even 4 days later).....despite them having several great deals on new trucks or other 4x4 Dakotas..... It just all depends on what people want, and lately most people have been going to mid-size SUV's and full-size trucks.

The ticking noise could easily be explained away by oil that's sat for too long, notbeing ran/driven in a while,and spark plugs needing to be replaced.


That tranny pan issue also concerns me. It's a 4x4 truck, so it shouldnt be damaged by average driving. However, something of note with my Dakota was that they used silicone instead of a rubber gasket to seal the transmission pan. When I noticed a leak, I had to have the pan removed and completely re-coated. I had to go back because the silicone wasnt a perfect seal the first time. I would agree with your thoughts however, that someone was offroading and damaged it.


My .02 is this......ask for a copy of the repairs they made to the truck and ask a good local mechanic to check it out. If all checks out, then consider purchasing the truck. If not, at least you feel better about not buying it because you did your homework.

 

The 4.7 is a great engine. My little Dak can do the same work that the 3/4 ton crew cab Sierras at the place I work can. Tough little motor, decent on gas. My mom has an 06 Dak with a 4.7, my truck is a 00 Dak with 4.7, almost 200 000 kms difference but mine runs just as strong. I would get it checked by a local mechanic before purchase