Aaron,
I am on my second Dakota. My first was a '92 CC V-6 5 speed 4X2. Loved the
truck. I got 175000 off of it. The only repairs I had were fuel pump and I
bent up the rack-n-pinion by taking it off road one to many times. I now
have a '00 QC 4.7 4X2. The rotors are an issue but they can be replaced
with good aftermarkets. Have not heard of any electrical or ball joint wear
problems.
Jim Nelson
>I am a new member to the list and wanted to get some answers from real
>Dakota owners prior to my next truck purchase. I am looking at a 2001 Club
>Cab Dakota with the 4.7, 5 speed, and limited slip - just the basics. This
>truck / configuration is great because its larger than say a Ranger but
>smaller than an F-150. I don't want to spend 28 to 30K on a full size 4X4
>GM or Ford truck, but for a few thousand more than a small Ranger or S10 I
>can purchase the mid-sized Dakota with a V8.
>
>My question is quality and reliability. I have heard of several quality
>issues with the Dakota such as rotor/break problems, electrical problems,
>ball joint wear, and overall build quality issues. I realize that no
>vehicle is perfect, but I don't want the truck in the shop more times than
>its on the road. I am a long-term vehicle owner and want to keep whatever
>truck I purchase at least 10 years or 200K miles. My basis for this is my
>current car, 89 Firebird 5.0 V8 with 207K on it. All of the consumer
>reports over the years never rated my Firebird very high either, but I'm
>still driving it today.
>
>Any input from current owners who want to share their experience is greatly
>appreciated.
>
>Aaron
>afuehrer@acuta.org
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