1974 Dodge Dart SE review from North America
"A Good, Solid Car For Its Time"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Windshield cracked by drunk brother-in-law.
Hood ornament stolen by punks.
Car was rusted badly in later years, but this was to be expected as the car was parked outside for years near the Pacific Ocean. Of course paint oxidized badly and vinyl roof peeled badly, too.
Sun visor broke.
Car did not start too well in cold weather despite having electronic ignition.
Trunk leaked - thinks left in the trunk would eventually get mildew.
General comments?
Car was very fast when new. It had the 318 V-8, 4 doors, and a vinyl roof. My mother crashed into a motorcyclist, almost totaling the car. It was never quite the same after.
The interior held up remarkably well. After over 20 years it was still in very good shape.
I liked the size of this car. It was big enough to hold 4+ adults comfortably (it was official a compact back in the day), plus had a good size trunk. While certainly no sports car, it wasn't a boat either in terms of handling.
This car was pretty solid transportation for my whole family for about 20 years. It was still running when my mom decided to junk it due to it's no longer being able to pass the smog test.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1974 |
| First year of ownership | 1975 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1995 |
| Engine and transmission | 318 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 7/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 200 miles |
| Most recent distance | 135000 miles |
| Previous car | Dodge Polara |
| Date of Entry | 14th August, 2006 |

