So Toyota controls "the media," which is why the reliability data is in its favor? Give me a break. GM was the biggest car manufacturer in the entire world just a few years ago. It had way more money than Toyota. The ratings are based on warranty claims data.

So let's talk about maintenance. What could I have done to prevent my exhaust manifold from separating at 70K? What could I have done to prevent the cheap plastic cable guide from breaking on three different window regulators, and the cables bunching into a kinked up birds nest inside the door? Maybe I go through to many fast food drive-throughs. Or the door locks that opened and closed by themselves, requiring replacement of all door cylinders? Or the door that started rusting out after one year, with no nicks or scratches whatsoever?

To say that my truck has problems because I don't maintain it is ridiculous. I'm meticulous about it. But that kind of junk is the result of a) poor design and b) poor quality control at the factory.

Sorry you're tired of people complaining about it. But maybe if more people had complained, Chrysler wouldn't be in bankruptcy hearings.

 

this is the way i choose to look at it. today, 2009 there are plenty of American cars rolling around from the 80's, 70's, 60's, and hell, even 50's now and again. now, in, say, they year 2040, you think there are going to be more 2009 civic's or 2009 ram's on the road? the funny thing is, even though there will be significantly less, there will still be old school muscle cars from the 70's and 80's rolling through streets in 20 years. people that own trucks beat the living hell out of them, they are the modern equivalent of pack mules to many people.... as they should be. most trucks that i see from the 90's and 80's are all beat to hell because they are TRUCKS. that being said, people who buy trucks, need trucks. so there will always be someone buying ball joints or PS pumps or whatever to get their ride going again.

 

why would you join a forum just so you can bitch about your truck? go buy toyota and watch the same crap happen and stop wasting my time.

 

ive never had a problem with my windows or door locks with either of the little dakotas ive had; one being a 94 w/ close to 200k and the other a 04 w/ 90k oh but wait, i hate having problems with power windows/locks too so instead of complaining i bought them with crank windows and manual door locks..... oh and never had a problem with my dodge trannys either (both 5 speeds)

 

Amen Wink (again!).

My sister bought an '09 honda accord with 0 miles on it last fall, and 4 months and 4000 miles later it had to go in for warrenty work because the cv boot was broken and leaking a large amount of grease (supposed to be a non-servicable sealed system).

I've been working at a body shop and I can tell you every new (less than 5000 miles) toyota I've ever seen that was at the shop in a "run the engine for 2 minutes at a time just to get it across the parking lot" situation burned more oil (blue smoke) after a week of being in the shop than I've ever seen come out of my 14 year old dakota with 120,xxx miles on it.

Don't tell me Toyota and Honda are better, more reliable cars, because I have first hand experience with them that says they are not. But if you love them so much, like wink said, go buy one and leave us alone.

 

oh, now that i think about it... the doors on my 88 dakota are a little rusted on the bottom like yours are... but it could be because its 21 FU*CK*ING YEARS OLD. other than that it has over 250 thousand miles on the stock 3.9 pre-mag shortblock with a one-time minorly rebuilt 5 speed trans. Im pretty sure the chrysler 8.25 rear has never been touched either, except for fluid changes. it still gets about 18 mpg with strictly city driving.. better than my 01 3.9 magnum.

with my 01 ive had the blower motor resistor go out twice, but its a 20$ fix, and easy to do. The passenger side window quit working one time back in 2003, but it was fixed under warranty and never had a problem since. I also had to replace the TPS sensor once, but that was my fault because i had it off and dropped it on the concrete and then it didnt work right afterwards. but other then that, ive had NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER and i absolutely beat the **** out of my truck, every time i drive it. I've never seen a truck that stickered for around 20,000$ built with better quality than the dakota is. you're an insult to my intelligence.

I hope you fall in love with your japanese vehicle so much, you end up moving to japanese rice paddy somewhere outside of Tokyo. Maybe you'll love it so much you can go work in some sweatshop toyota plant (where they have no heat or A/C) for 10$/day, while the company bigshots enjoy like a 90% profit margin because they pay their workers jack **** and dont pass the savings on to their customers. Meanwhile our government is so worried about foreign relations they're too scared to impose big import taxes on foreign car companies, like they used to. But they have no problem exploiting other countries' poor labor practices by letting our industry go to japan, china, mexico...etc. that, sir, is why american car companies are filing bankruptcy. not because chrysler doesnt listen to their customers.

Now, im done wasting my time trying to educate someone who clearly too stupid to see the point, but i'll never stop trying.

 

i hear bikes are usually problem free...

get one of those...

the question is import or domestic

choices choices choices

 

I did a search on this guy's name. I found a good quote from him...

He has been here for 2.5 years and has only made 13 posts, all of witch are complaining or asking why his truck is messing up, for an engineer i would think he would be smarter then he really is... o wait be probably engineers for Toyota... lol.

Thread quote came from:
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...ng-noises.html

Bold above = below

1. Common issue on many vehicles, why are you throwing a fit with your Dakota and using it as an argument, if many vehicles do it... probably Toyota to right? lol

2. You can get it out, just take everything out of the way, and drill it out, it has been done before you can buy a kit that drills the center of the bolt out and then you can use that to turn it out... not hard at all. Whoever told you that is an idiot.

3. You should know all of this then!


I think you are just bitter and mad because you have so many problems with your truck.

If you search his name you will understand what im talking about guys.

Go by a Toyota and stop coming here wasting bandwidth with your nonsense.

 

lmao, i love it when a dipsh!t is exposed. an engineer that doesnt know what an EZ-out is? i wonder where he graduated from? apparently his engineering school missed the lesson about left-hand drill bits and a center punch. even if he did take off the head, he'd still never figure out how to get the bolt out, and he'd have to cut up his y-pipe in the process.

He must be an aquatic engineer... theres not too many bolts involved in that profession, just a bunch of water and chemicals.

 

LOL!! There is only one word needed to sum this up.... OWNED!