I have a 05 v6 with 105,000 miles and have had no tranny issues and I live in the upstate SC mountains.

 

Hate to burst your bubble, but its hit or miss with any manufacturer as far as customer service goes.

My father-in-law bought a Chevrolet car several years ago, brand new. Always had weird quirky electrical issues, and then one day, it decided to to start randomly and very intermittently sometimes accelerate when you'd use the brake, and brake when you'd use the gas.

He took it to the dealership. The shop manager test drove it, claimed he couldn't replicate the issue... and then he went to park it, hit the brakes, and it accelerated into the dealership wall.

My father-in-law wanted out of the car, wanted his money back. They wouldn't even offer to replace the car. He ended up in court with them before they finally got (most of) their money back.

My point is, it depends on the dealership as to what sort of customer service you get, not the brand name.

Back on topic: My wife's 2006 Durango with the 4.7L V8 (and same tranny the Dakotas have) has almost 95,000 miles on it now, and not a single sign of failure from the transmission.

 

2005 Dak 4.7 v8 with 102044 miles