1998 Dodge Dakota SLT review from North America
"Great fuel economy for its size, compared to the automatic, but prone to serious mechanical faults"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Replaced Catalytic converter at 23,400 miles.
Replaced catalytic converter at 36,200 miles.
Replaced power steering pump and complete rack and pinion assembly at 45,500 miles.
Replaced wildly erratic temperature sensor and thermostat at 47,500 miles.
Replaced catalytic converter at 77,950 miles.
Emergency brake cable broke at around 60K miles.
Plastic hinge strap for center armrest/console broke twice.
Driver's seat cushion spring tore loose from its mounting bracket around 65K.
General comments?
Although it's still averaging about 21 miles per gallon on regular gas, my 5-speed manual transmission has poor acceleration. At higher speeds (70+) the drag penalty prevents significant increase in mileage.
Biggest problem is repeated failure of the catalytic converter! Three failures within the warranty period, and I have no confidence that it's not going to fail again.
Most serious problem was gradual failure of the steering system. Fluid within the rack and pinion was more like sludge.
Scariest problem was failure of the temperature sensor, which indicated that the engine was seriously overheating, when it was actually okay.
Recommended reviews
| Good looks, comfortable cab for 2 adults and 2 small children |
|
| 1997 - Dakota SLT Club Cab 4x4 3.9L V6 Magnum Excellent Truck! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 liter Magnum Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 39 miles |
| Most recent distance | 82000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 8th March, 2004 |