I bought my Dakota new in 2001 and was initially satified with the vehicle, but then I began to notice many little problems that reduced my overall satisfaction.

Comfort

I am a big person and soon found that the Dakota becomes quite uncomfortable on trips over an hour in length. The driver's seat needs to be at least 3 inches wider. I found myself constantly switching positions to aviod the discomfort and after three years of ownership, I found that the left side of my seat was beginning to wear rapidly.

Cargo

The Dakota does not have sufficent anchors to tie down loads. If you plan on hauling alot, you will find your tie down options severly limited.

Mechanical

The only real mechanical problems I had with the Dakota were the brakes. The Dakota is extremely rough on rotors, I had to change both sets twice before I hit 50,000. I have talked with other Dakota owners with similar experiences and the concensus was that you end up replacing the rotors every 36,000 miles and have to have them cut at least twice within that interval.

Fuel

Oink, Oink .... 13 mpg @ $2.00 a gallon. (Ouch)

Back Seat

The back seat is a great place to throw your stuff, but good luck trying to get it back out. Additionally, although you have childe seat anchors, you can't put a child seat in the back unless your passenger is a a short migit.

Power

The Dakota is by no means under powered and I have not had a problem hauling or towing with it.

Conclusion

If I had it to do over again, I would buy a Toyota or Silverado
Amount Paid (US$): 25000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: Dakota SLT