2003 Dodge Dakota from North America

Summary:

Great truck!

Faults:

Blower motor resistor for AC/Heat.

Horn.

Exhaust came loose.

General Comments:

Very good performance. Feels fast and solid.

I have had no problems with the 4X4 system or transmission. (seems to be a common theme in my previous mopar vehicles).

The standard cab has NO room behind the seats for anything what-so-ever.

Love the factory wheels.

Good clear sound system with nice head unit. Also like the steering wheel control radio and cruise.

Seats are very comfy actually.

Not the smoothest ride above 50 mph.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th May, 2009

2003 Dodge Dakota Sport Plus 4.7 from North America

Summary:

Great vehicle!

Faults:

I am picky about brakes, and I was quite excited Dodge put 4-wheel discs on the 2003/2004 models as an option. Unfortunately all four rotors warped over time, but I replaced them with slotted rotors and ceramic brake pads and they are STRONG and no warping in over a year and 15,000 miles. Awesome.

General Comments:

I'm really impressed with my Dodge Dakota. I have a 2x4 normal cab with the 4.7L V8 and a 5sp manual transmission. I've gone through driving like it like a race car to hauling over 2000 lbs in the bed (a bit too much actually). It has never skipped a beat. I have only had the truck in the shop once for a warranty repair and never since. I get 22.5 mpg on the freeway if I keep the speed at 60mph. It has a surprising amount of power, power that you can easily get used to until you drive a different vehicle and realize how weak the other vehicle is. I wish the seats were a little better, but I can deal with them. The fit and finish is surprisingly good and even when I take the truck up very rough gravel roads it rarely has a rattle. I've done all the maintenance myself and I never burn or leak any oil from anywhere. I love it!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th August, 2007

2003 Dodge Dakota Sport 4x4 4.7L V8 from North America

Summary:

:-) Bad-ass

Faults:

Check engine light came on (15k) for something with the emissions system... they replaced a cracked hose and it went away.

1k later it popped up again, and they changed something in the evap system and it has stayed off since!

All work has been covered under warranty without issue! No rattles, shakes, noises, or issues!

General Comments:

Incredible sensation to turn on the 4x4 mode when you're on the highway and it begins to pour like you're in a tropical storm. The truck glides on rails.

The interior is a little cramped since it's the standard cab, but if you don't have kids or cargo that's not worthy of the bed, you should make do!

It's as quick as could be with the 5 speed auto, and 4.7l V8... it keeps up if not passes people taking off at a light... from personal experience it keeps up with the new Mustang V8 from a standstill till 60mph... after that it's all downhill, but it's a truck, what more could you want?

I know 6 people with this truck, and other than minor things wearing out over time, the trucks have had few mechanical issues to deal with! A great buy!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd December, 2005

2003 Dodge Dakota SLT Plus 4.7 from North America

Summary:

Overall, I am very satisfied with trucks performance, abilities, and options

Faults:

I had one of the fog lamp bulbs replaced, the dealer replaced it since it was still under warranty.

Other than that I have not had any problems with this vehicle.

General Comments:

This truck has all of the bells and whistles - Leather seats, power seats, Auto-dimming rear view mirror, power mirrors, 6 speaker performance series stereo, Radio controls on the steering column, mileage computer, digital compass and outside temperature, Towing package, transmission cooler, and heavy duty battery.

Everything works great!

The 4.7 engine is very responsive and strong. The body of the quad-cab truck is very solid and quiet.

The road feel is very nimble like riding in a luxury car. The only hard feel is when I go over a speed bump, but I do not feel every little bump in the road.

I like the level of the truck, even my grandmother can ingress and egress the cab with little effort.

The gas mileage is good on the Highway (Approx. 19), city driving suffers at about 14-15 miles per gallon.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th May, 2005

24th Oct 2007, 16:26

I own a 03 Quad-Cab SLT 4X4. It has 65K on it. This truck has been great. It's been my daily commuter of a 60-mile round trip. It has made numerous long distances trips to mountains and coast, hauled loads, and gone off road and it's still very solid. It's had a few minor recalls (wiper motor & tie rod) and hasn't had any troubles what so ever outside that. In fact, it has had fewer problems than my friend's Tundra.

It has been a good vehicle and I expect to own it for a long time.