Hi, i’m new here, thanks in advance for the time. I’m just looking to discuss the situation with my 05 Dakota V-6 in hopes of getting sound feedback on best decision to take, knowing that ultimately, it’s my own decision to make.

I bought my Dodge used in 2016, owner sale, on impulse (due to need), paid $1000 over KBB (i live in Hawaii so it’s not uncommon due to shipping fees). The truck had high mileage at 166K.

Turned out it also had a tranny prob. Surprised? So off to mechanic, having to make decision on wether to buy new-used or rebuild. Turned out to be cheaper to ship new-used (114K miles) from CA and replace. Done. Truck ran good for the past 3 years, I made repairs that totaled just ab $4K total. Figured I would keep it for its lifetime now since I’d never get money back on resale. Well, 200k miles later, tranny starts going again! Overheating issue, same as before. Took it to original mechanic who replaced it back in 2016 - of course no service guarantee on used-new replacement - and he looked at his notes and said he had suggested back then that I needed a cooling fan “eventually”. I don't recall this. So I installed one hoping it would fixe the overheating problem but it was too late.

The clutch went and the truck has been sitting on my yard for months. I’m having a real hard time making a sound decision around this. The options are:

• rebuild $3.5K approx
• buy used-new again (super hard to find) $2K appr for part + labor
• sell for parts

The engine runs great, the body still looks super nice, the dash is all one piece, no cracks, AC super cool... the electric windows stopped working since, so more things to fix. Money is tight. Some days I feel like it’s worth throwing another $4K on it and get it running again, some days I think it’s senseless to spend that, on top of the other $4K I already spent the past 3 years, putting this truck way over its value (again i decided to keep it for its lifetime since I wouldn’t recover investment on a resale). That’s a combined $8K in just ab 40 months, so essentially a car payment. The engine is already over 200K, who knows how long it will last. Financially speaking, I understand it’s a gamble and a dumb move. But I really have no funds to buy a new or even newer used vehicle. Not to mention another truck, in HI they are ridiculously overpriced. I’m still building my off-grid home and really rely on a truck to haul materials and just manage my land.

I guess my questions are (based on y’alls overall experience with geriatric dodges &#128521:


What would you do? Gamble or Hell no?

• If “gamble”, would make sense to rebuild (Remember 200K miles!) or try to find new-used again?
• If “hell no”, what's the best way to sell for parts? I don't even know how to get started on this.
• There appears to have been a tranny recall for 42RLEs, which i believe mine is, not even sure it relates to the same problem. Worth pursuing at this point?

Thanks so much for your thoughts! Shoulda come here months ago for this brainstorming.

Tatamel

 

This the 3rd gen Ram section, you might get the answers you seek here: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen-dakota-68/

 

Moved to the correct forum

 

Not being in your shoes or knowing your market, I can only offer my approach.

If I'm paying more to maintain or fix a vehicle than it costs to buy another one (used or new), then I would buy a replacement vehicle. If I'm going to put money into it, at least it's payment money towards a truck that is working and new enough to promise more life and use than I could expect from the money pit that is breaking down more than I can use it.

So, I'd be in the camp to sell it for parts or part it out. How? I don't know...I haven't done that.

 

Do you actually like the truck? Are there any particular attachments to it? Or do you just need a truck, any truck.?

I like the Dakota. However, it is definitely the most costly vehicle on my driveway in terms of running cost (fuel). That is saying alot when I am comparing it to the other vehicles I have on the driveway, which are full size 4x4 HD trucks and a full size SUV Tahoe. Maintenance costs are comparable to any full sized truck. It is after all, a Ram 1500 chassis and power train with a slightly smaller Dakota cabin put on it.

Generally I subscribe to the adage that the most economical vehicle to buy is the one you already own. Repairs are almost always cheaper than another vehicle in the long run. However, there are some exceptions. The overall situation you have described might be one of those exceptions. At that mileage I can think of a number of general normal maintenance items that will add up. Just general wear and tear stuff that tick away at the wallet. Those are besides the transmission issue you have.

You are going to have to REALLY like it to keep it in this situation. It has to be THE truck. Which means if you were to go shopping you would be looking for the exact same truck. I would like to suggest that when repair and operating costs are a factor ... there are better options than the Dakota. Rightly so, based on your post, you have to take a step back and take a broader lense when looking at your needs. Regardless of money already sunk you have to think about “throw good money after bad”. It is the “V6”. For that reason alone that chequebook dead weight would be gone from my driveway long ago. If it had the V-8 there would be a chance at reconciliation.

Also take step back and try to really understand what’s wrong with the current transmission. Modern transmissions are electronically controlled and really quite tough. Unless a person really understands their inner workings, something as simple and cheap as a 30$ speed sensor or pressure sensor can cause the misdiagnosis that the transmission is trashed. Since the common knowledge level about what is going on inside the case of a transmission is so shallow, it is easy to be taken down the road of high cost. Study that transmission and understand it. So when you talk to the mechanic you can do so in an informed way, and not have unnecessary work and high costs pushed at you. A heat and slippage issue can be something as simple as a 20$ cracked pan pickup filter. Or it may be something as serious as burnt up clutches, oil pump etc. Ensure you understand the inner workings and true condition of the transmission before you make a decision.

If you decide to keep it. Know that the transmission is just one issue needing attention as the truck racks up the mileage. For the transmission either get it repaired / rebuilt or buy a new one; Both come with a warranty period. Do not put another used transmission in it. If you have a good mechanic in a good shop willing to work with you to find the best outcome for you, the best approach is to first properly diagnose the transmission then fix only what is necessary. Change just the oil pump, or just the xxx bearing or just the xyzzy part.

If you decide to replace it, and you still really want a Dakota. Perhaps find one of the same model and year range. That way you can keep one rolling and designate the other as the parts truck to go get stuff off of when maintenance is required to the runner.

Hope that helps! In some way.

 

200,000 miles is a good run, I'd have to put the ol dog down in this situation.

 

I appreciate your reply immensely - THANK YOU for your time and attention, it's precisely the talking-to I needed. It's sobering and raises the right questions & scenarios to take into consideration.

I have no attachment to this truck, I bought it out of time pressure, it seemed to have all the right components in place for the cash at hand. It was my first truck and the first time ever I bought anything of this large scale out of trust, impulse and non sense. I was desperate. I still have a hard time believing I made such a bad move, I was in a trance. Huge lesson learned, cost me a lot of money > $10K in 36 months... Looking back it's been a car payment all along - which I intently tried to steer away from - only to end up with no car at the end of it. My attachment is purely to my sore ego and frankly, shame, for having been so naive. But also visually - as I gaze out the window at its yard decor status - the truck still looks spiffy, so it's hard to let go.

I was never a fan of the driving experience, and worse yet, the awful gas mileage as you pointed out. It's been a drain on the pocket, I often had to limit my travels bc of it. Hawaii gas prices are one of the highest of all the states. The perfect scenario would be to have a smaller vehicle as my main to get around, and the truck for those occasional runs to the trash facility, hauling building materials, and off-roading (which turned out it was not very good at). So with this vision in mind, of the possibility of having the truck as back up AND it possibly being a much simpler fix, I will take your advice on educating myself about the issue by investing on a sensor, and going from there. In the meantime, I will start shopping around for a zip around economical vehicle which is really what I need most. I'll confess that just the thought of possibly falling for another lemon makes me faint. I will just have to use this experience as a lesson, do research, take my time, and most importantly take it to a mechanic for review. Yes, duh, really.

One last Q: should I decide to let go of it for parts, is the best way to sell it to a salvage place? Just trying to recover the most dollars for it at this point.

Thanks again so very much. You really helped me make a sound decision.

 

IMHO it is really not worth your time to "part out" the truck. Unless you have a lot of experience wrenching on vehicles. If you had that experience you would just fix the truck yourself. To part out you also need patience, years, to flog the bits on eBay, craiglist, etc etc. I am gathering from the thread that you are just not at that level. So right off the bat, toss out the idea of parting it out. You want to sell it as-is where-is as a lump package.

You will need to cut your losses and get what you can, but be fair to yourself doing it. To figure out how to get this truck sold and out of your driveway consider the following. If it were a solid reliable runner, in great shape, what would be the fair market price for the truck where you are? Lets call that 4000$
What is the cost for a new or rebuilt (with warranty) transmission where you are? No labour. Just the transmission sitting on a pallet in the box of the truck? Lets call the transmission 1500$. (Maybe less with a core exchange at a reputable shop).

Example: You will deduct and sell the truck for the 4000$ market price minus the 1500$ transmission cost. Your sell price is 2500$
Please substitute the numbers for your area. I have no idea what the market is in your area ... I am only giving you a method as to how to set your selling price in a way that is fair to you and fair to the buyer. DO NOT include the shop labour in your deductions and do not let a prospective buyer try to do so to you. Deduct parts only. The asking price is the market value of a running truck less the cost of the "known at time of sale" essential/critical parts needed to get it running. Labour is 0$, zero. The buyer of a truck like this will be planning to pull the wrenches his/her self or has a buddy. If the person is not willing or intending to do so and expects you to pay for it by dropping price further then he/she is not the buyer for your truck - cordially turn them away and show them the way out. Be patient. The right buyer will come, eventually. You can offer flexibility in form of barters (trade items) to land at an exchange that gets both parties what they want/need.

Interim logistics? I would like to advise to go buy a cheap reliable good runner of a car. Something for like only 1000$. A Corolla or Camry or Focus or something like that. Goto a shopping area parking lot. What car do you see everywhere there. That's the one to get, 'cause it will be cheap since there are so many available. This car is only temporary to get you around. One that just runs and you must have no intention of doing any repairs or putting any money into it. For that reason perhaps pick an ugly one so you will not be tempted to "fix-it-up". Buy it, wash it, gas it, drive it. Runabout with the car until the Dakota truck is sold. When the truck is sold, go buy a Nissan truck or a Toyota truck. Then lastly sell the car for the same price you paid for it.

 

BTW...if/when you're looking for the replacement truck, if you want to stay mid-sized but older, I would suggest an '04-06 Toyota Tundra. It's size and work specs (towing and hauling capacity, torque, horsepower, etc) are essentially the same as the Dakota. You'll also get more ground clearance, which would be nice for your off-roading desires.

 

Have things changed with the Tacoma? I found they were ridiculously overpriced years ago. Haven't looked recently.

For on the cheap, do you really need a truck? Why not get a car and a utility trailer? I've also seen minivans used as pickups,