Dodge Dakota - Quad Cab

bonnie_rick

is for all you Quad Cab fans!

Bonnie Rick
Conferences Manager, Town Hall
Edmunds.com

ozark

Up early this morning vacation planning and lo and behold, the club is off the ground. I couldn't resist the opportunity to be first on the Quad forum.

Thanks to Edmunds,Bonnie, themacguy,a_j, and all others that have got this going. And a special thanks to bookitty, who patiently answered all my questions on the forum several months ago when I was quadlooking and he was setting records for quadwaiting.

Nearing 12,000 miles on the Red 4x4 Quad with no significant problems other than the price of gas at the pump. The Quad continues to amaze me. It is a versatile, well-styled, fun to drive vehicle that converted a Nissan and GM man to Daimler-Chrysler (at least for this truck). It suits the needs of myself and my family perfectly and I would buy another without hesitation. I am hoping that it will prove to be a reliable and long-lasting vehicle as well.

ahasher

I'll be the 2nd to post. 5600 miles on my forest green SLT+ QUAD, 4.7 auto, T&H agate (sp?) interior with greyege headliner. yes, mine changes color based on an undetermined set of lighting conditions. Have the mild rack and pinion clicking on tight turns but waiting to see what this forum comes up with before I do battle with the questionable service people. No stalling but have noticed a slight rough idle after decelerating from higher speeds such as the interstate but it always smoothes out.
Question.. can anything be done about the ANNOYING A/C condensation dripping on my exhaust pipe? A drip pan or some shield will be my home solution if nothing more permanent can be done.
Otherwise I live this truck... all the power I need just a lead foot away and QUIET highway ride, also where Thanks for letting a happy quadder ramble…

ahasher

Sorry, that was I LOVE this truck but I gues I live it too :-).

sambone01

Well, due the input from you folks and some serious consideration ( and quite a bit of $)I am able to post on the site and speak from experiance. Yep, that's right, I bought one last night!

Amber Fire QC, 4.7, Stick, SLT, Power everything but the seat, two tone interier ;-) , Wheel and tire upgrade, slip in bed liner, 260 city miles in 24 hours. Only 3/4 of a tank gone and I'm already showing 14.4 mpg average on the overhead. I've watched it clime from 10.1 average when I picked up the truck with 64 miles on it. This has been in about 1/3 city 2/3 hwy.

I would have to say that I'm in lust! I just hope I feel this good about it when the honeymoon faze wares off.

tswitte

The bank and I finally bought our quad cab!
4wd, 4.7, auto, 3.92, HDservice, + options.
The higher rear end is about as rare as hen's teeth here in Chicago, I was glad to find it. Too excited to sleep - so I'll try to quietly wash and wax it before church!

I want to thank all of you who, through your postings, really helped me become a more educated consumer. The honest and detailed exchange of advice and feedback on this site is tremendous.

Be assured that I will do my part, and post my ownership experiences and feedback at significant intervals. Thanks again.

(Now, off to get that wash bucket...)

appraiser

I'm in Birmingham, AL, and I'm looking for a Quad with the 4.7 V-8 with a 5-speed. I'll go anywhere in Georgia, Mississippi, LA, or Tennessee, and the northern parts of Florida. If anyone knows of one on a dealer's lot right now, please post a reply. I don't have the time or patience to order one. My local dealers will not make an earnest search of the southeast. Thanks for your help!

gsu1

I hope this will help. Go to www.accessatlanta.com in channels you will find auto click there. Scroll down to find a dealer. Under Dodge you will find 7 sites for dealers in the Atlanta area. I bought my truck at Hayes. I do recommend them for your purchase if they do have the truck you are looking for. I was there on Saturday for my first oil change and they had several Quad on the lot. I do not know what trans and motor they had. I only saw 2 with 4wd.
If you need any more help just let me know and I hope you find your Quad soon.

P.S. If you contact Hayes ask for Joan Hicks this is who I purchase mine from. She is very knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with.

resqman

I bought mine last week. Today is my one week anniversary. Yeah!

The only problem I have is the driver's seat. At 6' 1", 225 lbs I am not a small guy. I can't seem to find a position that my head doesn't scrap the headliner without feeling like I am lying down. Also kind of dissapointed that the seats backs are so short and/or the head rests don't adjust.

I have a Flame Red, two tone, 4.7, 3.55, auto tranny, SLT +, Agrate (black) interior, tow package, power everything, AM/FM/CD/Cassette, sliding rear window, tire & handling group, HD service group, leather steering wheel, bucket seats. Fender flares are supposed to arrive this week in the Light Driftwood to match the two tone paint. A.R.E. cab height camper shell supposed to be here in two weeks.

The kids love the truck more than I do, if that is possible. The 7 yr old washed the truck this weekend. He said he wanted to wash it everyday. This morning he asked if we were going to wash it this morning.

Taking a road trip this weekend. 425 miles one way. Will find out how she handles on the open road.

engine16c

Very glad to see that one of the most informative vehicle sites on the net has its own place. As a potential quadder from February, and an actual quadder since May 6th I can't say enough about this site and the people on it. I only wish there was some way to meet some of you. Boo, if your not part of DC Corp, you need to change jobs. You, AJ and to many others aside from Ernie, God Bless Him, have been a great help.

Stopped today and looked at a PT Cruiser. The sales lady asked why I would want to get rid of my Quad. I told her I'm not, may NEVER get rid of it, I just wanted to look at the PT Cruiser. She wanted to know where I got it and after talking to her for about 20 minutes I think I could have sold her it if I wanted to.

Almost 3000 miles and still the best vehicle i have had.

aeroshots

Hey all. The money is spent and it arrives tomorrow--delivery to my house. So, will you all consider me an owner and allow me to post here? Can anyone point me in the correct direction for a complete check-list for inspection of my new Quad?

bookitty

Sambone01, that is wonderful news. Of course you realize that we start a separate owner,s club for Amber Fire Pearl owners. Well, maybe 2 clubs, 1 for 2WD and 1 for 4WD. Then again, perhaps 2 more to include manual and automatic owners. Wait a minute, this thing is getting away on us.

I really appreciate the combined efforts put forth
by Andy, Jack, Bonnie and whomever else participated in bringing this group to fruition.

Norm (Bookitty)

Aeroshots, welcome!

jrshives

I live over seas and I'm going to return very soon so I'm tring to do research on the truck does anyone know of any good websites to check out. I would even except advice from anyone. So far Ive read nothing but good things about them but there has to be some problems with the truck. I was going to get the ram but I seen too many problem at yahoo message boards.

thanks

quad143

and we love it! My fiance and I purchased the 2000 Dodge Dakota Sport Quadcab 4x4 in hunter green last Wednesday night. We got the 4.7 automatic, CD and cassette, power everything, rear defroster and heated side mirrors, and a really good system-the infinity speakers rock. A week later and there are 500 miles on it already. It rides so nice and it is very comfortable. The steering is nice and easy. We wanted the dealer to throw in a bed liner but he said it would scratch it too much, he suggested getting it sprayed with a coating for beds or getting a mat. I think we are going to go with the mat. The only thing that worries me is when I am turning at a high speed and go over a bump, the truck bounces over to the side. We need to get some bags of sand to solve that problem but first we will need the mat. Thanks for all your postings, it really made the purchase less stressful knowing we were getting the best truck out there.

bookitty

Congratulations, and the best of luck with your new Quad Cab Dakota. You may want to check out your tire inflation prior to adding sand bags and placing extra load factors that could affect fuel consumption. In the owner manual, there are recommended tire pressures for operating the truck under varied load conditions. If the tires are over inflated for the current condition, that could cause the "bouncy" ride you are describing.

Bookitty

stvdman

6000 miles and the Quad Cab 4.7 still running GREAT.
Yesterday I was making a U-turn and had to "get on it" to accelerate from on coming traffic, well the rear end got loose and instead of letting off I stood on it and power slid the truck trough the rest of the turn and on the pavement after straightening up. This truck is very predictable and I never felt out of control. This is one bad truck. This is the first time I ever "abused" her and will probably be the last as I now know she can do it. And I know abuse leads to breakage but boy that was fun. Every once in awhile that little bad driver syndrome sneaks up on me, this truck has made it much harder to keep it beat down. I am even thinking about taking it to the local 1/4 mile track, just to see what it will run.

steve234

I just talked to my new dealer on Monday. My 01 is already in D-1 and has a ship date of 7-14. I would say the regional manager was serious about me getting the first one. I still do not know anything more about the changes to the front end or how much this will cost, but this service is nice. Of course, the owner was telling about a Ram pickup that was lost for weeks and found in the wilderness of New Jersey and of two Caravans that they had on the books for a year before being found in a warehouse in Canada. The fun part is that the train with my truck will travel through Vinita where the dealer is and travel another 150-200 miles to OKC to be loaded onto a truck for the haul back to Vinita. Based on our estimates, I may be picking up my new toy on my birthday on Aug 3 (a mere 48). Now to convince my wife and everyone that the Q is not my only present that I should receive.

tpmiller

You're destined for celebrity status. Man don't get greedy. Settle for a red bow on that '01 which I hope does show up on the B-day!

engine16c

In reference to putting in a bed liner. I have the Line-X sprayed in liner in my Quad and it is almost a great as the Quad itself. If I ever buy another truck, i will get a Line-X again. It ran me $340 and looks great. You can check it out on the net under Line-X. Good luck.

gettinaquad

Steve,
Just a question: when did you order your 2001?
Well, here's another question: do you know the pricing for 2001? If so, where did you find that out? My dealer is getting the option codes tomorrow, but he says no pricing info now.

steve234

My salesman ordered on the 20th. The open date was the 19th, but he was out sick. We do not have any pricing or details other than what I posted a few weeks ago about the 01s. I am going at this a little blind, but most of the changes mentioned are minor and should be OK to me. The pricing being unknown is scary, but I was told that it should be $100-300 more than the 00. After the shaft I was given by my former dealer, the increase did not seem too much of a problem. I heard that my old dealer is up on federal charges. Apparently, besides me, he took 2-3 banks and D/C for a ride. Guess who will get first dibs on any money found.

wantaquad

Steve,

Well, it seems that I may have missed your posting a few weeks ago. Can you tell me what forum this posting was in? (whoops a preposition.....hehe). I'm getting the 2001 codes today from my dealer and will probably order next week some time.

steve234

I think it was in the Dakota Club cab forum and it was around the 1st of June. That is the best I can tell you. The main changes from the 00 models was the choice of leather for the interior, the change in interior colors, the 16 inch wheels on the T&H, the electronic dial switch for 4wd and a new front fascia. Driftwood is out and silver is in. There are mostly interior changes, door panels, consoles, H&AC controls, stereo systems, etc. The electronic PRNDL indicator with the 4.7 is now on all automatics. I will post any updates as I hear of them. My wife noticed that some of the newer cars have gone to a horizontal bar arrangement in the front dam and wondered if maybe this is the change that will happen to the dakota's front. Who knows?

victx

Got a VON for my 2001 Quad. Looks like this year the heated mirrors can be had with the rear sliding glass. The new mirror code is GTS, description is Mirrors - power heated, Fold-Away. Still waiting on pricing, but my dealer also said that prices may go up a couple hundred dollars if they goo up at all. We'll see.

greenthunder

I own a 2000 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab,with the 3.9 V6,& the 4-spd auto transmission.I have more than enough power with the V6,so anyone who doesnt feel this way,i have 2 suggestions(what i did)

1. Install a K & N air filter (10 hp boost)
2. Switch to Mobil 1 synthetic (7-8 hp boost)

As for caring for my truck,i wash it 3 times a week.Waxing?..i use Meguiars Quik Wax & Detailers Wax...this is all i need.

Plus,run a good gas like Phillips 66 Super Clean or SuperAmerica fuel,it definetly helps..

Right now,i have 11,341 miles on my truck.I am getting 16-17 in the city,and on the hwy,i am getting 21-22 mpg..

Want better mileage??..If you are not in a hurry,try running 55-60,as i get my 21-22 mpg this way..

The color of my truck is Forest Green/Driftwood.

If there are any other Dodge Dakota Quad Cab owners in the state of Wisconsin(or Madison),drop me a line at my e-mail address: "DodgeDakotaQuadCab@hotmail.com"

islandbums

Got my new 2000 v8 Quad last week. I love the feel of this truck! Got a suprise the first day I drove it off the lot. I met the family for a late sunday lunch after driving it off the lot. After lunch my family drove off and left me to enjoy a quite ride with my playtoy. Got in the truck and it would not start. With my famly gone with my cell phone, I only had two dollars and no phone card. I spent two dollars in the pay phone calling the dealer and cusing my luck with autos. I just got though with the chevy people over my van on a water leak in the rear doors. They bought that van back due to the lemon law I went through with. To make a long story short, the dealer put the computer chip in backwards before I left the car lot. When I stopped for lunch somehow it sensed the chip was wrong and would't let me start the truck. The dealer drove out put in a new chip, gave me a hat, 50 dollars, and a card for a complete detail next time I was in. What a close call! I thought I had another lemon.

quadwananbe

Don't know if it's correct or not, but was looking @ priceline.com & they're showing no difference in Inv/MSRP between the '00 & '01

chasp

Test drove a quad cab today and really liked it. Interested in a very well equipped SLT or Sport w/ 4wd, 4.7 auto. I am in the mid-atlantic area and am curious as to what types of deals quad cab owners got from their dealers. Thank you for any help.

bookitty

Chas, I ordered my Quad at $125.00 over invoice from Reedman Dodge in Langhorne, PA. It actually came out less than that, because there was a price increase. There is also a $500.00 discount coupon from the Farm Bureau that may be used by becoming a member and taking delivery 30 days or more after joining. For information, click on the following URL and then select your state. It is under member benefits. www.fb.com. Good luck. If you want a name at Reedman, the truck sales manager is great. My salesman was horrible. You can reach me via e mail.

Bookitty

samluck

Chasp,
I just picked up a Quad off the lot at Musselman's Dodge in Baltimore, MD. 4x4, 4.7l, 5-speed, sport pkg --- I paid $300 over invoice. Made the deal over the internet with the sales manager.

gettinaquad

well, I did it. I just got back from the dealer and ordered a 2001 quad cab. Bronze with the new taupe interior. All options less the leather buckets (got the bench) and no power seats (I'm 6'3" and keep the seats full back all the time). I have found out from both the dealer/Dodge as well as D/C that the recent/soon to be grad program has been discontinued as of 5/31/00. There is currently no plans to reinstate it. If anyone has heard differently, please let me know. Also, the farm bureau is good only until 7/31. You must take delivery by that date. But I did find out that there is a contractor's discount available of $400.

Well, just thought that I'd post to this forum seeing that I'm a quad owner (or at least a quasi-quad owner).

chachingman

Hey folks! What a great discussion group, just thought I'd add my 2 cents in. I ordered a 2000 quad cab on 4-27-00. I ordered a 2wd with the 4.7 and a 5 speed. All was going fine until 6-15-00. According to my dealer, DC dropped my order. They decided that they weren't going to build it as a '00 and I could get it as an '01. So my second order for a quad cab was placed on 6-15-00. I am now being given a ship date of 7-12-00. Pricing is not know yet, and I still haven't seen a picture of the new '01 fascia. My dealer (I'm only dealing with the sales manager now) promises me pricing before the ship date. We shall see. Anybody else order a 5 speed?

rick121

I recently bought a quad cab and when I park, I hear a sound like pop corn. I did research the sound and found it to be water from the air conditioner dripping on the tail pipe. I took it to the dealer to get fixed and was told all the quad cab dakota's have the same problem. I was told it could not be fixed by the dealer. Does everyone have this problem?

bigal31

I Only noticed it when it was parked in the driveway.The puddle gave it away.The funny thing was that the A/C wasn't even on,which concerned me.So crawling under the truck I went.As you pointed out the water seems to drip right on the cross pipe.It was a humid day so just passed it off as condensation (after feeling and tasting the substance).I don't think we are alone on this one because I have heard it mentioned once or twice here on Edmunds.Never the less I can't help but think about that cross pipe rusting out in the near future.What to do??
Allen-

gsu1

My Quad does it every time I park it. I don't know if it is mad that it has to sit in the driveway for a while and not out on the road where it is an absolute blast to drive. In Georgia where it is hot and humid the air cond. gets a work out every day, so the condensation drips on the pipes. I don't know if this will cause the pipes to rust any more than driving in the rain or salt and snow for my friends up north.

quark99

My quad A/C seems to work fine, but the air coming out of the vents (even on MAX A/C) doesn't seem that cold. Is this just a R-134 thing, or should that cold air be in the mid-40°'s when it comes out of the vents. It feels like it's about 60°F, if that. Anyone care to share or vent (pun) about this issue?
-Skip

bookitty

Rick, I park my Quad in the garage. So that's what I,ve been hearing. Well, it does it, so that you are not alone.

Bookitty

ricks12

I called K&N a month to see what the s/n was for a 2000 QC Sport 3.9L. I person I spoke with said they didn't make the K&N at that time. Does anyone know if it's available yet. Thanks for the help.

jones27

I also have the hissing noise from the AC when I stop the truck....... but in addition, I just so happened to open up my glove box one day after running the AC for a long period and there was water in it. I put my hand in the glove box and reached above it.......there was condensation dripping off the vent pipe that runs to the vent on the right side of the glove box. Anyone else notice this???

raptor01

ricks12- If you're looking for a replacement K&N filter for your 3.9 try part # 33-2084. It will fit the 3.9, 4.7, and 5.9.

jhuttonwv

The Quad Cab is very enticing but I'm in the sewer of the knowledge and experience curve (94FJ80 & 82FJ40). The transfer case and engine choices are where I feel I need the most advice. The 5.9L is appealing on paper...what do the experienced Dodge Dakota gurus have to share about the various engine choices.

Thanks for any and all help

Goldwing

quark99

New Quad Owner haven't earned my "guru" toga yet-
Whew! Kinda lost on the sewer references. What do those numbers mean? Anyway...(my opinion only)
I own the 4.7l/multspeed auto combo. Here's my take on the engine/tranny combos:
3.9l with 5-speed:
Should be the most economical Quad. Cheapest Quad, tows the least, best mpg, suited for light Home Depot runs, towing aluminum boat/jetskis, etc. You can get the "look" of all the other Quads, save on purchase price, save on gas, but limited hauling/towing capability, and performance.
3.9l with auto: See above, slightly slower, mpg same or worse than 5-speed 4.7l. Tows more than a 5-speed 3.9l Quad.
4.7l with 5-speed: Fast, tows as much as auto with 4.7l. 0-60 about the same between the auto/5-speed. Better mpg (1 mpg?) than auto. Less worry about auto problems or maintenance.
4.7l with auto: Fastest (on paper) Quad, but 5-speed owners may contest about 0-60 speed.
Mpg great if truck stays under 65 mph, then drops off above 65 mph. New technology tranny neat, but only time will tell about reliability.
5.9l with 5-speed: Not available, but would be cool! Motor a little outdated but proven. Replacement 5.7l motor coming if rumor mill is correct.
5.9l with auto: Most towing/hauling capacity of any Quad. Heavy motor results in slight speed deficit compared to 4.7l. More torque available for heavy tasks. Not the greatest gas mileage.
4x4 versions: Deduct 1 to 2 mpg for sheer fun factor. Off-road abilty reports are good. Not sure if available with 3.9l motor.
Good Luck!
-quark

cowtownaggie

jhuttonwv:

in addition to quark99's post # 42 above - here's my .02 cents

I have not talked to anyone running the 5.9L yet, however I have the 4.7L w/ the 5spd manual in a 4x4 (high speed rear-end). I believe it is a 3.55 rear end.

So far I have pulled a popup camper (with an additional A/C unit) and all of the gear for a family of 5 @ speeds faster than the tail heavy pop-up wanted to go.

I have also pulled aroung 4,000 lbs of rain soaked fire wood on a 16 ft trailer with an additional 600 lbs of wood in the bed. (speeds up to 70 - 75 mph).

The truck handled great! Both loads were "tried out" in 5th gear to see if the truck could pull a couple of tall hills & overpasses. I had NO problems what so ever. Speeds did slow somewhat - but I did expect that in an overdrive (5th) gear.

My only problem is with the way this truck is set up (T&H, 4x4, etc.) it is only getting around 16.5 mpg @ 70 - 75 mph empty.

Aroung 14.7 - 15 mpg with the load of firewood. That was a pretty heavy load! ;=)

Oh well - can't have everything!

I really like this set up for the Dak - it seems to work well for me.

I did drive a 5.9 before I bought my truck, and I have to admit it did feel sweet with all of the torque, but if you will be towing loads that max out the 5.9. . . . . . you would be better off in the Ram diesel!

Hope this info can help some

Cowtown Aggie

themacguy

about your a/c - take it in. Even in 110 degree weather out here (W TX) it just about runs me out of the cab - I've got the extra duty cooling package (helps the a/c a bit). And I rarely ever run it on max.

maldbnsf

Got my Quad about 8 weeks ago and love it. I came with the Heavy Duty Service Group with the heavy duty cooling also. My question is what dose the heavy duty cooling include?

Thanks,
Don Mallett
www.geocities.com/maldbnsf
'00 QC 4x2 SLT+, 4.7L, 3.55 rear, 4 speed auto, H/D Service Group, K&N home brew air filter, Cat back Flow-Pro Dual System, Mobil 1 Oil & Gear lub., Oil cooler, 180 T-stat, Tonneau cover, Autolite 3923 plugs.

jkinsley

My experience with my Quad's A/C is the same as themacguy. Never had a vehicle that blows as cold A/C as this Quad Cab. Even during high 90's (temp and humidity), once the cab initially cools down, I put the fan back to the lowest setting. This morning on the way to work (83 degrees) I even had to switch to 'vent' for awhile because the A/C was so cold.

I believe running it at max, you could probably safely transport sides of beef!!

I have the heavy duty cooling group as well.

resqman

Outside temps are high 80's to low 90's here. I have one of those thermoneters that you put on your zipper. Held it up to the A/C vent for minute or so at lunch today. It registered 60 degrees. It cools the cab off O.K. but I wouldn't mind one bit if it was colder.

I typically open all the windows for a couple minutes when I get in to vent the cab with the A/C on MAX fan, all blue temp. Close the windows after a miute or so and it cools down O.K.

Somebody suggested wrapping the pipes with insulation and heat sheild. Claims to make the A/C colder.

ricks12

Raptor01: Thanks, I'll give it a try.

wantaquad

just a question......the power heated rear mirrors are power actuated? I know....dumb question, but the dealer thinks that they are just heated using power and manually adjusted.......I think he is mistaken.....

impaulm

Has anybody experienced any problems with power door locks spontaneously unlocking? My 2000 Quad
has done this on several occasions. When the problem occurs the locks continuously actuate every minute or so requiring the fuse to be pulled to keep it locked. It's not the key fob as I've tried removing the battery. Also when it's unlocking the alarm won't stay set and the auto-locking at 15 mph does not work.

bookitty

The dealer is mistaken, and if he told you this, he should be given two demerits and sent back to class (preferably on Superbowl Sunday) for some seriously needed re-training. If towcrazy2 hears of this, it may be time to administer corporal punishment. The heated 6X9 mirrors are heated with a defrost circuit (prior to 2001 models, only available with the rear one piece window with
defrost) and are adjustable from the driver position. I have heard within the forum that the heat feature is now available with the slider or unheated one piece glass. I doubt it, but it may be so.

Bookitty