Early 2000s, in particular.
My Sonoma got smashed, so I'm looking to get something a little bigger (no, I don't want a full size truck!).
Dakotas came up on my radar, but what are some things I should know? The ones I'm interested are the 4.7 V8 4x4 models.
E36 M3 gas mileage
NGTD wrote: E36 M3 gas mileage
Yup, the abysmal mpg of a full size truck, with only 3/4 of the utility! Wow! I love the quad cab trucks. I even rode half way across the country in a lowered quad cab, rode great. But holy smokes that truck's fuel economy would make a sheik grin.
To put it in perspective, a 2002 Dakota quad cab 4.7L 4WD is rated at 12 city/16 hwy. A full size Ram 1500 4.7L 4WD is rated at 11 city/16 hwy.
Suspension wears out quickly. Most need ball joints and tie rods at 100K. Vacuum leaks. The little hoses like to dry up and break. 4.7L isn't considered a rockstar in the Chrysler line-up. I've also seen a lot with bent seats. Not sure why but the average seems to be higher for those.
Mileage, suspension, and depending where you purchase it rust. I would get between 11-13MPG unloaded. I can only imagine what will happen when loaded with a trailer 6mpg?
I was getting E36 M3 economy (14 mpg) with my Sonoma, so I won't be terribly surprised.
the last thing i would do is get a 4.7, never seen one that wasnt a nightmare.
Yup. Suspension and thirsty. Should be able to find nice ones cheap though.
As mentioned, ball joints and MPG. The 4.7 will do a little better with mileage than the others, but it's not as much of a stone ax as the 318. They have been known to coke up the oil passages and some drop valve seats. Timing chain tensioners wear and then some knocking noises start.
Front wheel bearings in the 4x4's. Rust. The seat bending seems to be a thing too.
These were built during the Daimler (Dahmer?) occupancy of Chrysler. The cost cutting really showed. Didn't help as the vehicles aged.
In reply to Rob_Mopar:
Daimler might have actually improved them(LX chassis, crossfire, etc), they lost their way back before the k-car saved their behinds.
I have an '03 Durango and I will also add to the Ball Joints. I have 177k and I just replaced all 4. It wasn't a nightmare job, but it was time consuming. It took me 6 hours to do one side.
Abysmal gas mileage is about right. I get 15 hwy with my Durango and I have the 5.9L.
Transmission, Transmission, Transmission. If the truck has over 100k, ask if the trans has been rebuilt, if it hasn't, expect it to need it soon, especially if it's 4x4.
Idk if it applies to the 4.7 but I've done a bunch of PCM's on the 6 cylinder models.
Terrible gas mileage, and yeah, that front end is garbage. My 1997 Dakota 2wd with the 3.9 is on it's 3rd set of ball joints at 170k. Also, RUST. Watch out for the brake lines. Some of mine were replaced before I bought the truck, and even some of those rusted, again. 
Here's what I've done on mine:
Still on the list:
I'm fearing the heater core replacement as Dodge built the truck around it.
I change the oil every 3500miles and plugs every 12k miles (4.7 eats plugs).
4.7 + 5spd gets 13/19. Towing my trailer and race car, it drinks down to 11-12.
But also does this!!
I used to run my 2000 Dakota R/T in autox as well, kinda fun.
Gas mileage wasn't terrible, 15 mpg combined with a high of 17.5 mpg on the highway. That was with the thirsty 5.9L, wide tires and 3.92 rear gears. Never drove it in city much, pretty sure that would be bad. But it was fun to drive. Only issue I had with mine was the electric cooling fan fried the relay which in turn messed up the PCM. Being a 5.9L, the PCM was twice as much as the other engines (reman PCM). The heater core is a pain, the truck was built around it. Not impossible but time consuming.
Y'all are puttin' evil thoughts in my head. My fleet no longer includes any "practical" vehicles and a 2wd Dakota extended cab with a manual is looking like a great idea...once I get rid of a couple more cars that is. 
If anyone buys a first Gen and wants a topper let me know. Somehow my dad ended up with half a dozen despite only owning 3 or 4 trucks and now I'm trying to figure out what to do with them.
Don't pull anything heavy up a hill, the computer strategy retards the timing so much it burns the exhaust manifolds off the motor. More than likely also the cause of dropped valve seats.
In reply to turboswede:
Those stripes look familiar...
Wrong generation for Real Mini Driver though.
In reply to Rob_Mopar:
Yeah, but those are the cool ones. The later ones aren't anywhere near as cool.
Seriously they are too big and too gas heavy compared to the full size that you'd be better off with either a full size or an S10.
wiring gremlins under the underhood fuse block. mine killed the power he the fuel pump. exhaust manifolds cracked.
Thanks for the info, guys. You've sufficiently scared me away. I think I'll stick with S-trucks. 
turboswede wrote: In reply to Rob_Mopar: Yeah, but those are the cool ones. The later ones aren't anywhere near as cool. Seriously they are too big and too gas heavy compared to the full size that you'd be better off with either a full size or an S10.
I agree the early Daks are the best. I still have my '96 I bought new as well as the Shelby. My '00 Durango R/T has been a love/hate relationship.
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