Dodge Dakota Quad Cab

hawgdawg · March 2000

Or am I hearing the vocal minority?

I was sold on the Quad Cab Dakota especially after
driving my brothers Jeep Grand with a 4.7L in it,
but then I get on the net and I'm scared the thing
will fall apart with all the horror stories...LOL.

I need to hear people say they got a good truck
so, (if you did) lets hear it.

tgr1 · March 2000

I'm on my second Dakota, now a 4.7L quad. My father-in-law has owned his '90 v-6 Dakota for 10 years now. I've had no problems to speak of in 3.5 years of driving them, and the '90 has only had peeling paint problems. I think the main bad rap on them is their transmissions, and the quad cab has a brand new tranny, different from the Jeeps. I'll make three comments:
1- From my research, I believe Dodge trannys are more prone to problems if they are abused or neglected. They use a special fluid that is not typically used by most shops, and even some Dodge dealers! Caravans have had tranny problems for years, and many of the problems have been traced to use of the wrong fluid.
2- The German side of the new Daimler Chrysler apparently has thought enough about the problems to start a new department, charged with totally redesigning their transmissions-from scratch. We may see the fruits of this within a couple years.
3- If you really want the truck, maintain it properly, watch the fluid type carefully, and buy an extended warranty!

You'll enjoy it.

wilmar1 · March 2000

Agree with tgr1 that it is necessary to maintain Chrysler transmissions religiously and use their fluid, not Dexron III. Had a 95 Dakota with strange noises from day one. The dealer put an additive in it which probably saved it for 5 years with regular changes. This new one in our 2000 QC has no noises and shifts as slick as a (excuse me) Lexus. Anticipate no problems. The 95 trans. sprung a leak early, but was an O-ring in the speedo module. Did the same at 45,000 miles, so we replaced the module completely.

jlmmem · March 2000

To all my fellow QC owners, I too have ordered (2/26) a QC 2WD, 4.7, 3.92, towing pkg, auto and almost every option offered. According to my dealer - they say it's scheduled to be shipped on 3/27 - however I called D/C and it in a D1 status with a build day of 2nd week of April + approx 13 days ship time to arrive by the end of April. You all are right, do your own research - mostly here - and shop around especially for how many trucks a dealer actually gets (allocation).
As for potential problems - Dakota's had a past history of transmissin problems - but with the new designed transmissions to match the 4.7 - well have to wait and see. The door's not fitting is something to check. I'm just making sure that I get the extended warranty and to do regular maintenance.

fireflyerr · March 2000

I now have 2500 miles on my Dak quad (4.7/auto/2wd/slt). I have absolutely nothing to complain about. The body is straight as an arrow, the ride is great, not a drop of fluid anywhere. After driving the 4.7 I can't imagine getting the V6. This seems to me to be a very well built truck.

pomyc · March 2000

..this seems to be a very well built truck to me as well. I have nearly 3000 miles on my truck and absolutely love it!(CC/4.7/auto/4WD/STL+). Prior to this truck I had a 1998 GMC Sonoma Highrider and, the difference in quality between the two - there is no comparison - Dakota hands down. In regard to the tranny problems I am not going to sit around and worry about it. I will observe proper maintenance and treat it right. Besides, this a new design so who knows what will happen? One thing to keep in mind is that this tranny was used on the 1999 Grand Cherokee and I really haven't seen a great deal of bad news coming from that end. Hey, problems can occur with ANY make of vehicle you just have to hope it's not yours!

bja4 · March 2000

I beginning to like this truck more and more. I just put a reinforcement support along the back of the bed. The last Dakota I had bent the bed and rubbed on the cab. I used some of that new floor decking material made out of mostly solid plastic. It comes 1-1/16" x 6" x 12'. This will never rot, warp, and fits flush under the bed lip. Used stainless steel sheet metal screws with a little construction adhesive.
I agree with the last post, the Dakota is better built than the Sonoma. My brother bought a new 98 Sonoma with the high-rize package, and all he has done for last two years is brag about it. I can't wait to show him what he has missed out on. He had bought it because of the $2000 Chevy rebates. I never thought he would buy it. I hate the push/button 4x4 ingage buttons. ATVs won't fit between the wheel-wells, and he has to trailer his Scrambler.
Oh well, I still have a chance to get my Dad to buy one. He is looking for something to replace a 1978 Dodge MaxiVan.

seattleguy · March 2000

This new Dakota Quad Cab is a wonderful truck. Since the purchase of my new truck I have found
that this truck has all the bases covered. The truck is great and has performed very well so far.
No problems yet. I only have 7500 miles so far but
I expect the mileage to increase fast because this
truck is a blast to drive. Not to mention my wife
would rather drive my truck then her new 300M !
I like the trucks ride and it has less road noise
then our other car. Another great thing about this
truck is it only takes a few quick moments to load up my two kids in the back seat. The two full
sized read doors open very wide so it makes loading anything a snap. I have to admit I really
like the attention this truck gets while cruising
down the road. I find myself constantly cleaning
my outside windows from the ( look-e-loo's) every
time my truck is parked at the store/mall. This
truck gets alot of attention! The only piece of
advise I will offer is " do not choose the 5.9L
V-8". Though it is really nice having the power,
I find that with the poor mileage it gets it is hard to drive by to many gas stations without stopping. At $2.00 a gallon it adds up fast. But
that is the ONLY complaint I have with my truck.
If you would have told me ten years ago that I would own two Chrysler products parked in my garage I would have fell over. I don't think that
way now. I'm happy with my choice.

zonk · March 2000

Does anybody know how to find out which dealers in a state may offer on-line or phone purchases of quads (like benny boyd, melton, etc. I am trying to find one in Alabama or Tennessee.

dbhfd · March 2000

I have a QC 4x4 with the 4.7 auto....LOVE IT! I've only got a little over 2000 miles on it but absolutely runs great. I don't believe you'd be disappointed in it at all.

grokg · March 2000

I can give you some info about a dealer in Knoxville, Tennessee. That's where I ordered mine. Send me an email if you are interested and I'll give you the name of the salesman.

zonk · March 2000

Thanks, I will attempt to email you.

spiket1 · April 2000

Ordered our Dakota Quad on 15 Jan, was delivered to dealer on 20 Mar, picked it up 27 Mar. We have the 4.7L, 5 speed, 4wd. All the bells and whistles except steering wheel radio controls. Have all of 250 miles on it, and it is already getting 17 mpg mixed city and some highway. Our "Baby Ram" lives right next to its full size brother. Life is good!!!

appraiser · April 2000

I will either purchase a Dakota QC, Frontier CC, or SporTrac. I'm leaning toward the Dakota with the 4.7 matched with a 5-speed. Forgive my ignorance, but if I get a 5-speed, does that get me around the transmission problems (i.e., are the tranny problems exclusive to the auto)? Any advice will be appreciated.

ahasher · April 2000

I had to enter my comments about my new green Quad SLT 4X2,4.7, LSD and all the inside toys. I test drove my first one and had a verbal deal in 90 min. I have been looking at full size RAM, Silverado and Ford's and there was no comparison. I don't need a full size bed for my kind of hauling, but thee kids need a rear seat, so I got the best of both worlds. Here is the ultimate kicker... The wife even is very happy with it, didn't fuss a bit. I have about 800 miles on it so far and drives better than most cars and the 4.7 was the ONLY choice to make on engines. Mileage is about right 20 hwy (city tbd) Only 2 complaints on delivery: alignment was off a bit. Pulled to the right slightly and the "Dakota SLT" sticker was noticeably crooked on the passenger side. Goes in Tomorrow for alignment and sticker (cosmetic, i know.. but hey, beautiful truck and that just looks bad) repair. Will post results of dealer fix, although my dealer so far has been very good during dealing/purchase and post purchase help. Keep posting experiences on Quad's people!

andy_jordan · April 2000

Dodge's tranny problems have been exclusively limited to automatics. Although there have been problem trannys a lot of the problems have been more perceived - for example if you screw up your tranny by driving in overdrive the response if you owned a Toyota would be "stupid *$@# what did you use overdrive for", if you owned a Dodge the response becomes "Dodge never could make a transmission". You see what happens!!

Anyway, yes standard will get around the problem, but the automatic that is paired with the 4.7 is also new (well only as old as the engine).

themacguy · April 2000

I've got the 4.7 / 4-spd auto combo / 2wd - I run it VERY hard. No complaints after initially figuring out (being told by various people here in the Topics) that it is electronically shifted. Once you know that, no sweat. Smooth as silk. I'm not at all concerned about it going 150 - 200k.

The Sport-Trac has a 5-spd auto (quite nice), but lacked a sleek enough look for me (I'm 41) - and the power is decent until you reach a grade of some sort (it 'hunted' on me a LOT). I'll bet the 6 it has gets a little better mileage though. And the in-dash cd changer is real nice; however, the top of the line Infinity system and placement of speakers in the Dodge sounds a lot better. It has a bed that is too deep to reach over the side rails and 'pick up stuff' off the bed floor (particularly if the tonneau's on it), but maybe a deeper bed is nice for gardening type chores, and my usage is quite different from most folks. I'm sure the plastic bed will be on everything but heavy haulers soon. Looks like Gen-Xer's truck. Good if you're < 30. It has a heavy enough feel while driving - and they've done wonders with the old Explorer's ride and steering input. It's just a little 'much' (stylewise) for me - especially at and even above the Quad's price here in W TX. And I absolutely abhor the 'Outfitter' thing on TV. About as much as I hate the 'suit' oozing over the Dakota Quad. -- NOTE TO AUTO MANUFACTURERS: QUIT 'SELLING' WHAT YOU CAN'T EVEN (HOPE TO) DELIVER - IT'S AN INSULT TO INTELLIGENT BUYERS! WE'RE SICK OF IT!--

The Nissan CREW CAB (I've spent 800+ miles in two of em) is decent as well, but I'd like it a lot better if I were about 18-20 years of age. I owned an Ext. cab back in the late 80's - it was (and is) a great truck. The new Crew cab is just a little under powered (& under sized in the back 'seat') for me.

But for my $20 - 25k, I'd much rather have a V-8.

tpmiller1 · April 2000

In central PA, have never seen a Quad ad on tv! But then, I've seen very few quads here either, including my order of 1/18.
Appears most vehicle ads I see are aimed at another generation, I don't even "get" most of them. Course, I'm old enough to remember Willie Mays saying: "I like my new Chrysler". So when I see some babe leaving her car and sticking a picture of scenery onto thin air, getting back in and driving through the scenery she just stuck up, I'm so confused I don't remember what tin they are pushing.

krusty2 · April 2000

I ordered a 4x2 Quad cab with 4.7/auto and LSD. I'm expecting arrival next month. I hope I get the good results seen by some of you guys. Anybody have any experience with 4x2/LSD in the snow? I didn't get 4x4 because I really would rarely use it. Our roads are well plowed and if not, I'll just stay home...

knkresort · April 2000

You mean that add is for a car? I was too busy trying to figure out how I could escape from the rat race like that....

KnK

spike50 · April 2000

Hey, tpmiller1, you've got to get out of the "Pineys". E-town Dodge has been moving a lot of Quads in the area. I originally thought I'd be "the first on the block" to have a Quad but a two-tone Red Garnet now resides within a mile - RATS!

Anyway, I'm on Tire & Handling Group restriction. BTW - this one replaces the one coming in next week with the Multi-speed.

Not sure what you're looking for but E-town always has 5-8 different Quads along with 4-7 Clubs.

bookitty · April 2000

Me too!

Bookitty

technonerd1 · April 2000

I live here in the home land of Dodge. They run the quad ads over and over during sporting events. In addition to that, they have them plastered all over large billboards. I can't understand the reasoning behind that because they can't make enough of them to satisfy the pent up demand, yet they keep pushing them. Even though I live in Michigan, we are not getting any special treatment waiting for our Quads. A friend of mine ordered in mid December and is still waiting like everyone else. I gave up and bought the CC. Love that 4.7!!!

stvdman · April 2000

I see alot of people comparing the same "trucks" that I originally did. The QUAD, TRAC, FRONTIER thingy, and in my case the SUPERCREW. I am a truck guy I have always owned one or had one in the family (wifes trucks) since I was 16. I have owned small ones (ranger), big ones (f-250 HD 4x4), fast ones (93 F-150 lightning), and old ones (1976 F-150 360-V8). As you can tell I have been a FORD truck fan. I must say the QUAD is one Heck-of-a-truck. The TRAC and Frontier thingy,are both "compact" in size which in my "opinion" hardly qualifies as a TRUCK. Not only that but the TRAC was more expensive and the frontier...well what can I say about that. The Supercrew is a real nice truck that is really the only one out there that compares equally with the QUAD, primarily due to the V-8 availability and overall saize of cab and bed. The TRAC is real "neat" but I grew out of neat ten years ago when I turned 18. If you want the TRAC or Frontier thingy so be it, but just realize you arent really comparing them equally against a QUAD, it just has too much of an advantage. Compare them like this TRAV vs. Frontier thingy, and QUAD vs. Supercrew. I then think you can see the clear cut choices. I know I did.

ferous · April 2000

I just turned 1000 miles on my 2wd SLT Quad. I have the 4.7 5spd w/3.55lsd, 215-75R-15 tires.
MPG 20.3, 20.6 after two tanks. Not bad, but I hope I can push closer to 23 after it's broken in.
I towed 1,500 lbs last weekend and could hardly feel it - I finally needed 1st gear. I'm starting out in 2nd gear on all level starts.
Had a Century cap installed last weekend. Fits and looks great. Total $ including tailgate guard and rub mat for bed and tailgate $1,100. Worth every penny.
I don't have any problems to talk about.
Now I have to decide on which mud flaps to get.
Best of luck to the rest of you.

andy_jordan · April 2000

as I seem to have an opinion on everything - even mudflaps - either I am one opinionated sob or I am finally starting to crack.

Anyway, mudflaps might be one of the few occasions that I would consider going with Mopar accessories. They are the only ones I have seen that can be installed without drilling holes - of course they are twice the price!!

tpmiller1 · April 2000

the more opinionated the better. Wouldn't be worthwhile clocking in if there weren't knowledgable opinions to ponder.

ferous-I went with the mopar flaps, there are a number of different "splash guards" and prices, not all pictured or mentioned in the accesories booklet. The "molded" flaps are the neatest but among the most expensive as I recall- see picture 42c in the booklet at 36 bucks a pair.

Like to tell you more, but am still awaiting delivery (1/18).

bigal31 · April 2000

This is the 2nd Dakota that I put the Dodge #42a(in the Dodge acc.catalog)and they look great.The molded ones look ok from the back,but from the front they look "bad"(I don't like the hollowed out look)plus $12.00 a pair for the 42a.Not to mention the "ram logo" on the back of them which is nice.Also they are real easy to install.This is "one time" when cheaper ($) looks nicer.
Just one mans opinion..
Allen-

spike50 · April 2000

Have had a Dodge Caravan with flexible flaps and a Stratus with the molded flaps. I have had better luck with flexible flaps than the molded ones when its snows. I tend to want to back into parking spaces and I've found that backing into that pile of snow, even though it might be below the bumper, hits the firm, molded mud flap and pops out at least some or all of the screws holding on the mud flap. One time I drove off not realizing the mud flap was poped off. $$$

The flexible give / fold more and stay attached but not always. Even if you're not in "snow country", backing over a curb or one of those cement things in a parking lot could pop off your molded flap.

bhorton1 · April 2000

I have now had my Quad for three months and no problems. It has close to 2,500 miles . I have put over half of that towing a 26 foot fleetwood trailer with a weight of 4,500 pounds and usually with another 500 pounds of stuff inside it. Even when the wind was gusting to 40 miles an hour it pulled straight and true. I have the 4.7 engine with A/T,and the 6,100 pound tow package. It gets up to speed quickly, just remember to not put it in O/D when you drive and you will be fine. You can cruise at 63 mph at 3,ooo rpm's all day long. Your mileage will vary depending on the winds you encounter. I have averaged my lowest at 7.3 mpg to 9.9 as my highest mpg.I put the flair fenders on the truck and they keep most of the road grime off the sides and look good at the same time. A thing to remember though is if you get the flair fenders you can't get the mud flaps on properly, so it's one or the other. I plan on doing a lot of traveling and feel this truck will do the job nicely for me and my family. I know you all have made a good decision going with this truck, I know it won't be my last. Just another thought, if you pull a trailer get the sway bar and weight distribution system, it doesn't cost that much and makes a world of difference and is not hard to hook up.

tpmiller1 · April 2000

the only advantage in a long delay from order to delivery is the ability to change accesories w/o penalty, (as they hadn't been written into order)and after your insights, I am dropping the molded flaps. Thanks for the comments.

meredith · April 2000

The PICKUPS Conference has gotten WAY too big....

it is unwieldy to manage, and difficult to use for "newbies". There is entirely TOO much topic duplication, so I will be doing some SERIOUS topic consolidation in the next few weeks, getting us down to not more than 2-3 topics per vehicle type, and ultimately down to 200 topics or less.

THIS weeks consolidation candidates are: F-150's, Silverado's, Dakota's, and Dakota Crew/Quad cabs.

In that vein, please consolidate this Dakota Crew/Quad Cab topic to Dodge Dakota Crew Cab - II and continue these discussions there.

Thanks!

Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host

Dodge Dakota Quad Cab

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