1998 Dodge Dakota SLT 4x4 review from North America

I paid $1,000 for this truck, and much to my delight, the blue book private party value is over $6000 in it's current condition.

The check engine light has been on since I bought it, I never bothered to get it checked out because it runs fine. I'd imagine it's an emissions control problem cuz the exhaust does smell a little rich.

A rear leaf spring shackle is broken, not sure how it happened since I purchased it this way.

The passenger side wiper does not move, it is something internal, but this is most likely NOT a manufacturing flaw, it may have been pulled on by a child or something.

The power steering cooler had a crack and was leaking, so I just bypassed it altogether and have had no problem with excessive heat.

I just put a brand new lifetime warranted cat-back exhaust on it for $220 installed. This truck is very reliable if properly maintained.

I will start off with the things I like about this truck:

The handling is excellent for a truck this size.

The limited slip rear is noticeable when in action.

The interior is roomy and comfortable, and everything is within reach.

There is a lot of storage space, especially with the club cab (rear under-seat storage comes in handy quite often). I can fit 2 adults in back of me without sacrificing much space for myself, as the driver.

The stock sound system is pretty good also.

This truck is very quiet and smooth on the highway, and handles off road use no problem.

It's a very good looking truck!

The cargo light comes in handy when tieing the quad into the back after a long day.

Things I don't like:

The V-6 could use another 25 horsepower or so.

The gas mileage could be better for the engine size.

The shift points programmed into the computer are not deep enough into the torque curve, so it upshifts too early for my liking.

I don't like where the anchor points are for tie downs.

I would definitely recommend this truck to a contemplative buyer. It's very useful in many aspects. However if I could go back and do it again I would have bought one of the V-8 models.