1994 Dodge Dakota SLT 4x4 review from North America

First thing to go was the catalytic converter which was not cheap to fix.

The vehicle "Eats" tires like crazy. The most I have ever gotten on a set was 26,000 miles, and they were rated for 85,000 miles, I rotate my tires every 3,000 miles.

Transmission cooling lines started leaking at about 30,000 miles.

Starter went bad this past winter, 2001, but that was cheap and common.

Latest thing to go, the Transmission. This trans. was serviced once a year because I have heard of problems with them. It never gave me any trouble until the spring/summer of 2002. The idle of the truck went down to 200 rpm, every time you put it in reverse, it stalled out. One day, the trans. started acting up on my way to work, the next day, it just froze up completely.

Chrysler's service with getting a new "reman" transmission is horrible. The first one came in in about a week and a half. However, it was the wrong transmission. 2 weeks later, the 2nd transmission came in, it was the right trans., but wrong torque converter. The new converter was order as overnight, it came in, the trans. went in, I drove it approx. 115 miles, and realized there was a big problem, I didn't have 1st gear. This was because the new "reman" transmission was bad, the governor in it was bad. This was a Chrysler factory rebuilt trans., gone bad after 115 miles. It has now been a month and a half since the order for the 3rd trans. was placed, it still hasn't come in. I have contacted Chrysler 4 times, they keep giving me the run around. They are horrible to deal with. It is 2 months now since I have not had my truck to drive because of the problems we are running into trying to get a good trans. from Chrysler. Thank God my father works for a Chevy dealer that is supplying me with a vehicle to use to get to work and classes, because Chrysler would not give me any rental assistance.

The truck is a very sharp looking truck. It handles well, except due the the fact it is an extended cab 4X4 the turning radius isn't very tight, but I can live with that.

The suspension has held up great so far. I pull small trailers for my lawn tractor and haul mulch in the back, and I can't complain about the suspension at all.

If it wasn't for the problems I am running into with Chrysler, I would by another Dakota, but now it looks like a Silverado.