Damn we have moderators coming in telling us our trucks suck,Its bad enough with the Jap truck fans.Maybe we should get the name changed from Gen 3 to Red Headed Step Child.We can get a petition going to get Chrysler to stop production on the Dakota, spare some poor soul the missery and disapointment.

 

I have to agree with gray Mine is a dog I dont believe it could break the tires loose in the rain let alone dry pavement, and I get the watch out i"m making a lot of noise but I aint movin much surging thing and I need to down shift going up a slight grade very dissapointed with the 06 my 01 was much better don't understand it reg 4.7 w 3.42 gears runs better than my oh big HO with 3.92 gears in theroy the 06 otta walk over my 01 but not a chance i just shake my head at mopar blah[:@]

 

Ok is there some law that states the new version has to be faster and more powerful than the last? Damm the full size ram should be starnard with the str10 motor then! The toyota corolla should be running 10's in the 1/4 stock after 100 generations. Didnt you all feel it was a "dog" before you bought it? I find it hard to believe all of a sudden it got slow. I like the truck on the tame side prevents me from romping on it everywhere I go like I do my BMW. BTW any vehicle with a 5 speed automatic is going to kick in and out in hills. I dont know much about the old daks, were they 5 speed trannys with locking converter? Also wasnt the older ones 5.2L compared to 4.7 and lighter? I like the looks both in and out of the the 05/06 over the old ones, so to me it is better.

 

Yea I guess when the earlier Gen Dakotas guys aint brainstormin over quick change ball joints,they come over here and work some that frustration off. I heard they got it down to everyother oil change now.

 

Okay, here is my $0.02.

The 4.7 is going to rev slower to redline than the Jap V6s ( i do love the Nissan VQ series- asian SBC ) due to more cyl. and pushrods. But the problem has got to be the tranny. It is a 5 speed, but both 4th and 5th are overdrives! This thing has a 3 speed auto for all of the performance driving you're gonna do. With such a wide ratio spread between gears the engine will keep on falling off of its powerband. And to pass at highway speeds, the thing needs to downshift to at least 3rd to do anything. The HO is crying, no begging, for a 6 speed manual.

This has to be the reason the Tacoma and Frontier kick Dak *** in all of the mag tests, the powertrains are truckified sports car stuff. But...I have seen the low % losses of Daks when loaded or towing, how are the Taco and Fronty? That p.o.s. Ridgeline dropped nearly 33% performance loaded to max!

It sucks that some guys have bought lemons, but there must be a way to complain to the district manager or "some body" in DC other than a dealer. Remember, the Dealers are separate from DC and probably won't go to bat for you 'cause they stand to lose money.

 

Hey now... I never said the truck sucked. I said I believe the engine could use more power (and, of course, who's going to say, " no, no need for more power"? Everything can use more power!)

Just because I happen to be a section mod. doesn't mean I'm not entitled to my personal opinions.

 

Ok I guess I kind of started this thing and as much heat I have taken on it I believe the validity is apparent that DC has to not only wake up but also become far more supportive. I read some good points here on power, TQ etc. The forum is working. Its doing what’s it suppose to do by bringing out what is really happening with real owners who made a considerable investment in the DC product for what ever their reasons where. Some for a work truck others for play and most for an all around form of transportation including a family car/truck. Either way the word is out loud and clear they’re allot of concerns on the G3 and yes, quite a few have lemons not just in this forum but several others. Lemons come in variations also. Everything from major shaking (vibration) problems to lifter/engine noise, certainly brakes, and a host of other things that when not corrected by the dealer promptly instead of a dance for three visits it is very discouraging. After awhile you get angry. Yes complaining does help solve thing contrary from what I have been told here. That is why courts call them complaints. The squeaky wheel theory has been around longer than anyone of us. Look the site is great and hopefully I will come out with a good Dak that I can have fun with and enjoy by adding mods etc. I’m in for my own battle but as a forum I will if would like keep you all informed on how it is going and see if it helps many others.

 

The 4.7 doesn't have pushrods, it is an OHC. My Dak with 6-speed will break the tires loose in the first three gears, STOCK! It isn't as fast as the '02 I traded in, though. Any vehicle with a slushbox is going to be slower than the same vehicle with a clutch. Fact of Life. (Also the amount of torque that exits the tail shaft).

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Well dodgerules being a moderator if you had somebody come thru the Gen1 forums and post negative every chance he had and whine about what a mistake he made and he should of bought a Taco or something and I jumped in and said the guys got a point.I mean Graythang came thru here Sat. and moaned and groaned and telling everybody how he should of bought a Tundra super truck.I'm not saying you don't have right to your opinion,but I think you helped stir the pot.would you allow this on your forum without tellin some of the people to check themselves.For the members that like our G3 Daks its sure feels like a slap in the face to me.I'm sure as a moderator you know how disruptive to the forum this is and this being relatively new model and forum I don't think its helps people coming in and dumpimg on it,sure you have a problem looking for answers I'm sure somebody will try to help you,but don't come in and turn it into a Toyota commercial and thats what Graypain did.No disrepect on the ball joint comment I was just trying to show how it feels to have somebody put down your truck.I'm thru with the rant, Side Thrust has a point the 5 speed auto not this best choice for some of us,I have it in my truck and stuck a K&N CAI on it,didn't like it at low RPMs it sounds like it was bogging switching to tow/haul mode seemed to help,sounded great a WOT but it felt like I lost lowend torque.I've heard the samething 4th & 5th being overdrives.I give you that maybe Dodge should of only offered 6 speed sticks or 4 speed autos especially in the 4X4s,maybe some of you might try using that button a little,might help you never know. Oh What A Freakin Feelin!

 

So are people suppose to just come on this board and sing the praises of the Gen 3 all day long? Heck I love the way this truck rides, the comfort, the mileage, the looks, but the power is pitiful, almost embarrassing. The problem with a test drive is you can't always test a motor to it's limits on a test drive, you normally have a salesman in the vehicle with you so you aren't gonna beat on it, I know I'm gonna get the person to come on and say I beat the mess out of a test drive or I won't buy it, but not everyone is like that. Had I driven this truck up a moderate hill on the interstate and felt how pathetic the motor is I wouldn't have bought it. Like I said I thought it was just a tight motor and needed to loosen up but 15k miles later still the same. I would be embarrassed and afraid to try and take this truck to Gatlinburg because I doubt it could make it up the hills there, unloaded!