1997 Dodge Dakota from North America - Comments

The engine needed to be replaced.

Water leaked through the windshield when it rained.

Transmission jerked when I changed gears.

This 1997 Dodge Dakota was a lease, so I did not bother to get an extended warranty, and I was counting on this truck and thought I would not have to worry about running into major problems. Well I was wrong!!!

At about 39,000 miles, the engine on this Dodge Dakota was knocking. I just ignored it for another 1,000 miles because the lease was just about up. When I bought it back, the engine was checked by the nasty people over at Dodge. They told me it needed a new motor. I was past over the warranty, and they would not cover it. So I called the Dodge headquarters in Detroit to try to get them to pay the repair, since I had to give back the truck. They strongly refused to do it. They were also more mean to me than the dealer was. I was in serious rage!!!

Even though I did not have the truck anymore, I still had to pay them $5000 for the engine and the mileage. Maybe I should of done something? I don't know why it needed a new engine. I was on scheduled maintenance, I drove it like a Rolls Royce, never towed anything and I never did off roading.

Has anybody else with a Dodge or Chrysler gone through these problems? I have read a lot of other reviews that most of their vehicles are very unreliable with many kinds of mechanical problems.

The 3.9 Magnums are perpetual crap. Always stick with the 5.2; comparable gas mileage and proven reliability.

I thought the whole point of a lease was that maintenance and repairs were the dealer's responsiblity!?!